The Auburn Plainsman 09.21.2017

President promises reorganization and changes to culture

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‘Heartbroken’ 18-year-old student attacked on Tiger Transit

Chip Brownlee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Auburn President Steven Leath reacted with sorrow after two Tiger Transit drivers were arrested over the weekend and charged with raping an 18-year-old student who was making her way home from downtown on a bus Friday night.

“I’m heartbroken,” Leath said. “We work every day to make sure an incident like this does not occur. We will intensify our efforts.

Safety is our never-ending priority.”

The University has said it is evaluating its relationship with First Transit, the contractor that operates Tiger Transit and the latenight bus service Tiger Ten, which was intended to provide students a safe way home from the downtown bar scene on weekends.

“The University is evaluating their security measures, as well as the future of our relationship with them,” the University said Monday. A spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the University is still reviewing the relationship.

Two suspects in the rape, Tony Martin Patillo, 51, of Auburn, and James Don Johnson Jr., 32, of Columbus, Georgia, who were both employees of First Transit, were taken into custody Saturday and charged with firstdegree strong-arm rape and first-degree sodomy.

Both have been fired by First Transit.

The attack has rattled the campus community with many female students now feeling unsafe about being alone with male employees and worried to take Tiger Transit at night, several female students told The Plainsman.

A week before being arrested, Patillo made a post on his Facebook saying First Transit was looking for new drivers. In the post, he claimed the contractor was hiring new drivers without performing background checks.

The contractor, First Transit, in a statement to The Plainsman Tuesday, said it performs background checks and drug screenings and requires drivers to have the proper commercial drivers licenses.

“During the hiring process, we conduct background checks on all prospective employees,” said Chris Kemper, First Transit’s senior director of corporate communications. “We also conduct pre-employment and ongoing random drug and alcohol tests.

Both of these former employees were qualified to drive according to our standards and the regulations of the state of Alabama.”

The Auburn Police Division received a report on Friday at approximately 11:50 p.m.

of a male exposing himself while standing over a female in the 700 block of Aspen Heights Lane in Auburn.

Responding officers located Patillo near the roadway and detained him but were unable to locate the victim at the time of the initial report, police said in a release Monday.

Patillo was arrested on several charges of public lewdness and was taken to the Lee County Jail, where he remains on a $127,000 bond at the time of publication of this article.

Further investigation determined that a female, who appeared to be incapacitated, entered a Tiger Transit bus operated by First Transit near Magnolia Avenue.

She was allegedly assaulted in the back of the bus by Patillo, an employee of First Transit, while Johnson, who was driving the bus, engaged in actions to perpetuate the crime, police said.

Patillo exited the bus with the victim near Aspen Heights Lane, where he was arrested.

After arresting Patillo, investigators were later able to identify, contact and interview the victim, an 18-year-old female.

Patillo was charged with the rape and sodomy charges while in custody at the Lee County Jail.

Johnson was arrested at his home, nearly 24 hours later at 9:23 p.m. on Friday, and charged with being complicit in the crime.

The University has said it did not issue an AUAlert notification because officials believed there was no threat to students.

Johnson is no longer listed as an inmate at the Lee County Jail, having apparently posted his $125,000 bond.

Neither Patillo nor Johnson had criminal records in Alabama, according to online court documents reviewed by The Plainsman. Patillo was arrested in 2008 for driving under the influence but that charge was later dismissed, according to his Russell County court record.

It’s unclear if the charge was dismissed with prejudice as some DUI cases are after suspects complete mandatory DUI re-education or training courses. Since the DUI was dismissed, it likely couldn’t be used legally as a reason not to hire someone, an Alabama district attorney said speaking on background with The Plainsman.

Johnson had no criminal record except for several traffic citations.

» See TRANSIT, 2

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

TIGER TRANSIT

HC candidates concerned over AU’s response Jessica Ballard STANDARDS EDITOR

The University is in a very precarious place right now regarding the precedent they’re setting for how to deal with sexual assault and harassment on campus and in the community, according to two former Miss Homecoming candidates whose platforms addressed sexual assault prevention.

“Auburn’s in a spot that they need to say what they’re condoning because right now it looks like they’re condoning a whole lot,” said former Homecoming candidate Kayla Warner.

Auburn police have arrested two adult males, both employees of Tiger Transit operator First Transit, on charges of rape and sodomy related to a sexual assault that occurred Friday on a Tiger Transit Tiger Ten bus.

The victim was an 18-year-old female Auburn student and was not on the scene when police arrived to the 700 block of Aspen Heights Lane in Auburn. A bystander had witnessed one of the men, Tony Martin Patillo, 51, standing over the victim after following her out of the Tiger Transit bus.

She was allegedly sexually assaulted in the back of the bus by Patillo, an employee of First Transit, while Don Johnson Jr., 32, who was driving the bus, engaged in actions to perpetuate the crime, police said.

Warner and Nicole Finley, another former Miss Homecoming 2017 candidate, both campaigned for Miss Homecoming 2017 on platforms regarding sexual assault awareness and prevention. Finley has been working through a partnership with WE.auburn, the University’s active bystander intervention program. Warner has been working to make change on a state level regarding sexual education, affirmative consent and sexual assault policies, which she believes are inadequate.

Warner and Finley said they want to know why an AUAlert didn’t go out to students immediately following the incident. Warner, senior in public relations, said because of her major she knows exactly how these things should go – you have 24 hours from the time of the incident to do something.

The University waited nearly 72 hours to say anything – and no AUAlert ever went out.

“We need to say, ‘Hey, this is not okay. You need to protect our students because that’s what you’re here for,’” Warner said. “Parents may have not known about this until Monday at two o-clock. That’s insane.”

» See SEXUAL ASSAULT, 2

SPORTS

Sean White off team after public intox arrest Nathan King ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Backup quarterback Sean White has been dismissed from the Auburn football program, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed Monday morning.

“Sean White is no longer a part of our football program at Auburn,” Malzahn said in a statement. “He has made poor decisions that are not in the best interest of our program, and more importantly, himself. We appreciate his time at Auburn and wish him nothing but the best.”

White, 21, was arrested by Auburn Police on Ross Street and transferred to the Lee County Jail at 3:28 a.m. on Sunday.

White recently returned from a two-game suspension but the reason for the suspension wasn’t made clear to the public.

“To see him leave how he left is kind of disappointing,” Auburn linebacker Deshaun Davis said. “It kind of hurt for us from a family standpoint and from a team standpoint. But I’m sure he’s going to get his head back on his shoulders.

He’s going to get on the right track.”

The junior quarterback started 16 games for Auburn over the past two seasons, including 10 contests last year as Auburn’s No.1 QB. White led the SEC in completion percentage and quarterback rating amid Auburn’s six-game winning streak in 2016.

“It’s difficult, everyone loves [Sean White] around here,” Auburn junior wide receiver Ryan Davis said. “Sean is definitely one of the team favorites, so it’s sad to see him go. We wish him nothing but the best going forward.”

White is now the third high-profile offensive player to be dismissed by Malzahn in recent years, joining tailback Jovon Robinson in October 2016 and wide receiver D’haquille Williams in August 2016. Robinson was second in rushing on the team in 2015 and Williams was a prominent deep-ball threat for the Tigers offense in 2014.

FILE PHOTO

Williams, who was affectionately referred to as just “Duke” during his time on The Plains, offered his support for White on Twitter following the quarterback’s dismissal.

“When I was [kicked] out of [Auburn University] boy they was bashing me,” Williams said in a tweet. “But when I was scoring they was praising me. Hold your head Sean White #GodSpeed.”

Newcomer Jarrett Stidham was named the starter over White prior to the start of the season, after Auburn lost quarterbacks John Franklin III, Tyler Queen and Woody Barrett to transfers. Remaining quarterbacks on the Tigers roster are Stidham, redshirt freshman Malik Willis and walk-on freshman Devin Adams.

Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and the offensive staff aren’t hesitant, however, to burn the redshirt of Willis, who has been praised for his performance in preseason camp.

“We’ve been saying for a while that we feel really good about [Willis],” Malzahn said. “The way he has performed in fall camp, specifically the scrimmages, was very impressive.”

The dual-threat quarterback impressed on A-Day, Auburn’s annual spring game, completing 11-of-18 passes for 157 yards. Willis was thrown into the fire as an earlyenrollee starting for Auburn’s

» See WHITE, 8

news

2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

SAMFORD HALL

Leath aims to reorganize AU structure

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

NEWS

EVENTS

Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY EDITOR

Big changes could be coming to The Plains if the president’s plans come to fruition.

On Friday, in his first report to the Board of Trustees since taking the position, President Steven Leath outlined his goals for the future of the University, vowing to reorganize the structure and culture of Auburn to do so. “[T]here’s nothing broken here,” he said.

“This is a great University. I can certainly find ways where we can grow and do more and do better, but that’s good when you’re going from a position of strength.”

His top three priorities: students, gaining R1 status and growing the University’s reputation across the world.

R1 universities are schools that perform the “highest research activity” and are classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Auburn is currently a tier below that, classified as performing “higher research activity.” Iowa State University, where Leath previously served, is a Research 1 university.

It will take more than just personnel changes to achieve what he wants to do, the president said, it will also take a change in the University’s “culture.”

“There’s one other thing on my to-do list that I’m working on, and that’s about culture, and culture is hard to change in an institution, especially a 150-year-old institution,” Leath said. “I don’t want to be too dramatic here, but many people who have worked for me have heard me say that there’s not really any sense of urgency in the culture of this University.”

To accomplish this, the president said his office would be looking to trim down the numbers of certain positions.

“Frankly, when I looked at the numbers …

I think we’re kind of top-heavy on administrators,” Leath said. “I think over the next year or so when we get reorganized, you’ll see our administrative costs on a per-student, per-faculty basis are going to go down, which will cause a greater workload on the senior administrators, but I think that’s probably what we need to do.”

In 2016, Auburn had 417 employees classified as administrators and 1,944 professional employees, according to the University’s Office of Institutional Research. For comparison, the University employed 1,260 fulltime faculty and 1,437 part-time employees in teaching roles.

In summer 2016, Iowa State eliminated the position of 30 IT employees as part of a reorganization. Some of those employees took other positions at the university.

The increasing number of university administrators has often been blamed as the culprit for rising tuition costs and bureaucratic slowdown.

However, others have challenged this be-

» See LEATH, 5

SEXUAL ASSAULT » From 1

Finley raised a question about the safety of students that used that service on Saturday night not knowing what had happened just one night before.

No AUAlert went out about the incident. The Auburn Police Division released a press release detailing the events on Monday morning at about 10 a.m.

“Did we not all have the right to know?” Finley asked.

The University has said it did not send out an AUAlert because there was no immediate danger to students since the two suspects had been apprehended, a University spokesman said.

But Johnson, the second suspect, was not apprehended by police until 9:23 p.m. on Saturday — nearly 24 hours after the event occurred, according to Assistant Police Chief William Matthews.

Conversely, Warner said that students all know if something happens on Old Row within six hours.

“Our top concern is the well-being of the victim, and we cannot stress in strong enough terms our shock and distress over this despicable act,” Campus Safety said in a statement. “We immediately provided support and all available resources to the victim and continue to do so.”

Given this First Transit incident,

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

2 Chainz performs at UPC Auburn Airwaves on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

‘Let’s catch a vibe real quick’ UPC Airwaves hosts 2 Chainz, We The Kings, The Score at Auburn Arena Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

Natalie King, freshman in pre-med, wasn't planning on attending Auburn Airwaves because of a test she needed to study for. After meeting lead singer Travis Clark of We The Kings at the airport, her plans changed.

King; Sarah Sutter, freshman in exploratory studies; and their plus one, Amanda Bowden, freshman in studio art, had their names placed on Clark's guest list for the University Program Council event.

The women, three of about 1,700 members of the glowing audience, were thrilled to be a part of the event.

Clark's plans were also unclear when he first decided to take the gig in Auburn, as his wife is nine months pregnant with their second child.

Clark told The Plainsman he was grateful for everyone in Auburn and the love they showed him and his band. "[The night] was crazy for me," Clark said. "I had to fly out and play the show praying that she wouldn't go into labor. I literally had a private jet bring me here and wait at the airstrip in the event that I got the call."

While his mind might have been with his wife, Clark's performance didn't reflect an absent mind, opening with the fan-favorite, "Check Yes Juliet." Clark's bushy, blond locks flew from side-to-side as he demanded the crowd jump like plastic floppy-armed tube men.

Flashing his palm tree tattoos on his right bicep, he threw used guitar picks into the crowd of students as he sang covers of "The Story of Tonight" from "Hamilton" and "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World.

With every band-encouraged wave of the hands, fans created a cascade of lights from the UPC-provided LED wristbands.

the sexual harassment allegations within the Athletics Department and two of five Miss Homecoming candidates having based their campaigns on sexual violence awareness and prevention, Warner said the administration and the new Auburn University President Steven Leath need to set the tone for what is and isn’t tolerable within this University.

“The University’s come to a place where it needs to decide if the reputation of Auburn University is more important than the safety of the students here,” Finley said.

Finley’s platform focused on improvement on campus through her partnership with WE.auburn, primarily the Green Dot program. She plans to continue her work to push and broaden Green Dot training among all students and faculty.

Warner’s campaign was to work with the wider Auburn community and even the state Legislature.

Throughout campaign week, not only did Warner ask for votes but also for signatures on a petition to be delivered to the state Legislature asking them to review the state’s sexual education and sexual assault policies. She believes abstinenceonly sex education doesn’t cut it, and more comprehensive sex ed will lead to more awareness about sexual violence and how to deal with it if it does occur.

After this weekend’s reported sexual violence, Warner and Finley recognize that their platforms are

Between songs, Clark asked the crowd whether he should refer to fans as the War Eagles or the Tigers. To which Auburn students responded with circling fists held high and the loudest screams of the night thus far. The battle cry ended to the entrance of Aubie strutting camo pants and dreadlocks that fell down his gray hoodie.

Courtney, pharmacy student, said she has “a special place in [her] heart for We The Kings,” but she was fairly impressed with all of the performances.

The crowd, already somewhat warmed up, had the chance to first hit the pit with The Score, a group based out of Los Angeles. Their black and white logo cast shadows across the Auburn Arena seats and the red strobes lit the faces of those watching artists in skinny, black jeans with ripped out knees tramp around the stage, microphone cord flopping along.

“Take me down to paradise,” sang Eddie Anthony, lead singer, as bright white streams of light bounced off his silver guitar. Anthony sang strategically, almost focusing on every word he sang and what it meant to him when it first hit paper.

The energy began to transfer to the shy crowd when Anthony welcomed four Auburn men on stage to sing Post Malone’s hit single, White Iverson.

Michael Leonard, sophomore in chemical engineering; Fred Taylor, sophomore in computer science; Nigel Harper, sophomore in business, and Roderick Mingo, junior in supply chain management, took the stage with a crowd egging them on.

Taylor said The Score “grew on [him] real quick.” The men were surprised at first to be welcomed on stage.

Scanning their phones every seven seconds for guidance with lyrics, the men bobbed with

as important and relevant as ever.

The two women originally planned to continue their work with these projects after the Miss Homecoming 2017 election, but since the election is over, they can now do it together.

Both Warner and Finley were open throughout their campaigns that they have personal experience with sexual assault and know first hand the trauma it can cause, making it an issue near and dear to their hearts.

Having gone through their individual experiences, Warner and Finley both emphasized the importance of knowing there’s a community of people out there that have gone through similar things and can offer solidarity.

Warner spoke about how unique each survivor’s process of dealing with trauma is, and how that’s okay. Both women said reaching out to friends and simply talking about what happened can be cathartic and empowering. They also said that they, personally, have had many friends and acquaintances reach out to them after their platforms became public, and they are always open to talk to anyone. Finley talked about how significant belief can be to a survivor.

“It’s so important that survivors are met with belief,” Finley said.

“That is a weight on all of us to understand that if someone comes and tells us something, we need to believe them.”

the bass and had their three minutes of fame with Anthony. Leonard took to the microphone at the last moment with a message to his “mystery girl” and said, “I love you, baby.”

He handed the microphone over but not before he threw his hands up in the shape of a heart.

The Score and We The Kings kept the crowd looking forward as they gushed over who was to come: 2 Chainz. Rolling out in a suped-up, pink wheelchair, 2 Chainz stole the show, and the crowd went wild.

2 Chainz was released from the hospital in August after surgery on his broken leg. The injury and recovery did not hinder his performances, as he continues to travel the U.S. on his “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” tour.

“I’m the freshest motherf----- in a wheelchair you’ve ever seen,” 2 Chainz said.

Nurse Cupid, the dancer wheeling him around the stage in his Gucci hat, plaid pajama pants and hoodie, pushed the parking lever toward the floor and danced around his chair as he spat lines that were consistently finished by the crowd of jumping fans.

“A lot of great albums came out this year, but mine was the baddest,” 2 Chainz said.

One leg in the air, 2 Chainz stuck up his pinky just as high and sang, “Jays on, pinky ring.”

Ciara Thomas, pharmacy student, said she was thoroughly impressed with his ability to stay “hype” in a wheelchair.

“Even though he was in a wheelchair, it was amazing,” Thomas said. “I feel like it would have been the same if he had been standing up.”

Alongside 2 Chainz were his Trap Black Dancers and his Trap Choir, who opened his set with a soulful chorus that received sporadic, exuberant responses from the awed group of students just below.

TRANSIT » From 1

Neither of the men failed their drug screenings, the contractor said, leaving First Transit, presumably, with no reason not to hire them.

“Regarding First Transit, the contractor that operates the late-night, offcampus transportation service for students, Auburn University requires that they verify that each of their employees has submitted to and passed a background check,” the University said in a statement. “They have confirmed to us they had done so in this case, despite claims to the contrary on social media.”

All of the transit buses are currently equipped with security cameras. But the University is still reviewing safety practices on the Tiger Transit buses and what more can be done to ensure a similar attack doesn’t happen again, the University said.

If students feel unsafe, they should dial 911 in an emergency situation or 334-501-3100 to reach the Auburn Police Division in a non-emergency situation. Police are the only ones who can investigate a crime for legal prosecution.

In the case of an assault, you should preserve the evidence: don’t shower and don’t change your clothes. Go to the nearest hospital — which, in Auburn, is East Alabama Medical Center — and get medical care. If you want to report the assault, request a rape kit.

On campus, other resources are available. Students can reach a Title

IX coordinator at 334-844-4794 to report a sexual assault or sexual harassment, including an incident on a Tiger Transit.

While officials encourage anyone to report an assault, it’s the survivor’s choice whether to do it. Either way, there are resources for students who don’t want to report including Safe Harbor, which can provide sexual assault counseling and support.

A Safe Harbour advocate can be reached at 334-844-7233. More resources for survivors are available online at www.auburn.edu/titleix.

TONY MARTIN PATILLO

JAMES DON JOHNSON JR. Photos via Auburn Police Division

opinion

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

OPINION

OUR VIEW

Our state politics is too monopolized EDITORIAL BOARD FALL 2017

Two Alabama Republican senate candidates will have a runoff election on Sept. 26.

The incumbent, Luther Strange, was appointed by Governor Robert Bentley after Jeff Sessions’ ascension to attorney general.

Despite being appointed under suspicious circumstances — by the man he was supposed to be investigating — Sen. Strange has been promising Alabama he’ll try to flush out corruption in D.C. On top of this usually ironic and often repeated vow of Alabama politicians, Strange has received President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which will play well with a state that gave Trump 63 percent of its vote.

His opponent is a man Alabamians know too well: Roy Moore, the Alabama Supreme Court justice who has been removed from the court once and then, after Alabamians gave him the seat again, discharged of his judicial power in a separate incident.

These two men may be opponents, but they’re both small cogs of the same brutal machine that’s holding Alabama down.

And that machine is the monopoly the Republican party has on our state.

Republican, democrat, libertarian, independent — none of these labels necessarily make a person good or bad.

Their respective parties, or lack thereof, aren’t intrinsically good or evil, despite what partisan hacks would claim.

But having one party almost completely in charge of government, whatever party and whatever form of government, proffers the same type of negative results you’d expect from any monopolistic situation.

LEFT: MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR RIGHT: ALBERT CESARE / THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER

There aren’t proper checks on power, the good ol’ boy system runs smoothly, and most damagingly, there aren’t challenges to thought.

Without attentive care from citizens, including open debate, societies can become stuck in time or even regressive with respect to advancing ideals like love, education and human dignity.

Alabama is evidence of this rule.

Unfortunately, Alabama still lags behind with respect to the aforementioned ideals, and it’s not because of a lack of southern hospitality.

Southern hospitality isn’t enough. More than treating

people to warm waves and meals, we need to divorce ourselves from the idea that only one party is fit to help run Alabama.

Time and time again, our state has been let down, and a large part of that is due to the lack of challenges Republicans face in Alabama.

Three heads of our state government have been cut off, but the same foundational issue that created this confluence of corruption still has our state in its grips.

Until the people of Alabama are ready to challenge the monopolistic structure of our state’s politics, we won’t be freed of its effects.

HER VIEW

Tips for being proactive about mental health Emily Hale COLUMNIST

For students living with mental illness, getting through the day can seem like an overwhelming task — let alone the entire semester.

The illness could be a cacophony of options, but the most prevalent suffered are: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicide and addiction.

These illnesses are not physically visible and, therefore, stigmatized as “not real” or “made-up.”

According to a study conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four college students have a diagnosable and — ultimately treatable — mental illness. 40 percent do not seek help, 80 percent feel overwhelmed by their activities and half have suffered anxiety that has caused them to struggle in school.

These statistics are not acceptable.

I am, by no means, a mental

health expert.

As I enter my fourth year at Auburn and first year of graduate school, I find myself improved but still facing the same mental health concerns that I did during my first semester here. I don’t want any other members of the Auburn Family to feel alone, hopeless or aimless.

Have a routine and stick to it. A routine sets the foundational structure of how you live your life.

Waking up at the same time each morning, designating specific times to go to class or to study and ending each night with the same routine at roughly the same time.

You are allowed to stray from your routine on weekends and on special occasions, but having a routine sets a baseline to return to afterward.

Be social.

This can be difficult to do when you are severely anxious or depressed, but it will make you feel

better afterward.

Humans are social creatures and our health depends on engaging with others.

Try to ask the student sitting next to you if they’re having a good day or what they thought of the last test.

Good influences help elevate our moods while poor influences cause our mood to plummet. Furthermore, ensure the people you spend your time with are contributing and not detracting from your wellbeing.

Listen to your self care needs.

Sometimes you just need to be alone to recharge. If you need time to yourself, don’t hesitate to take it.

It’s okay to be selfish sometimes.

Take a bath, watch your favorite TV show, eat your favorite food, go on a walk, paint your nails, etc. In the words of Tom Haverford, “Treat yoself.”

Treat your body well. There’s a reason our parents to our grandmothers to our doctors have been

pounding this into our heads for as long as we can remember. Fill your body with the proper nutrients and healthy food. Exercise regularly and build strength.

Everything is fine in moderation.

So, it’s okay every now and then to eat that slice of cake or that cookie when you want it.

Your body is your only vessel during this life and the home of your mind.

Treat it with love and respect.

Ask for help when you need it.

While your friends care about you and want the best for you, they are not mental health professionals.

Friends are helpful, but they cannot treat your mental illness.

Try to consult more than one resource when you believe you could be suffering from a mental illness.

No one has to fight these battles alone.

There are numerous on-site resources as well as outreach provided

by Student Counseling Services such as screenings, animal assisted therapy, the “Zen Den,” sexual assault services, an eating concerns team, among many others.

Additionally, there is an entire site dedicated to detailing “while you wait” resources for students who cannot get into individual or group counseling immediately.

Details of each these programs and more can be found on the SCS website.

Each and every one of us have a brain and a body that only we are the stewards of. Just as mistreating our bodies can lead to illness, so can mistreatment of our minds.

That’s why, as George Petrie said, “I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid.”

The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.

HER VIEW

We need equal opportunities, not equal outcomes COLUMNIST

In this day and age, everyone is pushing for equality.

“All men are created equal” is used to back every argument.

However, these words from our Founding Fathers have been misinterpreted.

They did not mean every man was born with the same intellectual, physical or social abilities. So no, we do not want equality. We would much rather equal opportunity.

We have been in such a rush to eliminate any type of discrimination, which I agree with, but in that rush we have also lost the true value of

an individual’s talent and excellence.

If we were all equal, there would be no reason to work hard in order to be better than your competition. If nobody strives to be better, how are we to grow individually or as a society?

Nobody wants to be equal, but everyone deserves the chance to be the best.

With equality comes same pay, same quality of life and no hopes in ever progressing. By asking for equality, we are asking for equal outcome.

That is just asking for communism.

However, with equal opportunity you can run with it and be better than your competition and change the game.

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.

You could be the one to get the promotion, be able to do the things you want to do and check things off the bucket list. It holds true to our democracy.

As a society we do not want everyone to function on the same plane.

We need the diversity of intellect and natural skill in order to thrive.

If we don’t take advantage of allowing people to reach their full potential, then we lose any future Steve Jobs, Warren Buffets or Bill Gates.

Equal opportunity focuses on the individual. By attempting to give everyone the same opportunity, in turn, everyone is treated equally.

For example, everyone has the same oppor-

tunity to play basketball like Michael Jordan, but not everyone has the physical ability equal to his.

Obviously not everyone has the same skills or qualifications.

This is not to be confused with simply not meeting the standards.

Encouraging Americans to flourish and be successful and create better opportunities is a much more achievable goal than equal outcomes and, not to mention, a much more enticing one.

The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.

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

CONTACT

Christie Shiovitz

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

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NATHAN KING ASSISTANT SPORTS MADISON OGLETREE PHOTO ANNE DAWSON LIFESTYLE GANNON PADGETT VIDEO

334-844-9108

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campus

4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

CAMPUS

HOMECOMING

Meet your

Miss Homecoming Auburn University’s 2017 Miss Homecoming is Morgan Gaston. Gaston was announced the winning candidate of the top five during half-time of the homecoming game against Mercer. Gaston, senior in exercise science, was nominated for Miss Homecoming by Kappa Alpha Order.

2017

MADISON OGLETREE/PHOTOGRAPHER

Morgan Gaston waves to the crowd during the Homecoming Parade on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

Morgan Gaston shares her next steps with her platform Mikyala Burns

tions in implementing your international student platform?

CAMPUS WRITER

In an interview with The Plainsman, Morgan Gaston discussed her platform and planned course of action following her election for the 2017-18 Miss Homecoming.

Q: Can you explain your platform and how you connected with it?

MG: I had the opportunity to go to China last year, and when I was there, I got to experience what it’s like to be fully welcomed into a community and culture where I did not feel at home. They made me feel very at home and at ease and took me everywhere and showed me their culture. I realized I hadn’t done that back [in Auburn], and it was very humbling. I joined the International Buddy Program, and my buddy helped to open me up to the struggles that they had here. She was actually thinking about transferring schools because I was her only American friend, and I was struck by that and have always wanted to fix things like that. When I got nominated [for Miss Homecoming], I knew that this was what I wanted my platform to be. I did research and learned Auburn has everything possible in place to help the international students. That is where my idea came from – to use everything already in place and get people to be the bridges. We need to be targeting people and relationships because that is where it begins.

Q: Many people aren’t aware of the course of action after the Miss Homecoming election. Can you explain what will be your first ac-

LEATH » From 1

lief. Data-analysis website FiveThirtyEight published an article last year, examining the different factors on college tuitions. They proposed the largest increases in

MG: First off, there is an Emerge group that has contacted me about making my platform their philanthropy. We are setting up a meeting and presentation to show to their entire group. They would have it be a program that focuses on holidays – bringing international students home for the holidays so they don’t have to spend it here by themselves. And even doing stuff for Halloween because most of them don’t celebrate Halloween. Last year, I took my international buddy to a Halloween party, and she’d never had a s’more or candy corn. Stuff like that would be what they would want their philanthropy to be. That will be a great way to get hands-on activities started. I also have a meeting with the cabinet and Senate of SGA later this week to talk about what we want to do to get liaisons and activities involved with organizations. As in, how are they going to help me? I am going to try to use their help as much as possible, but if not, I plan to set up one-on-one meetings with organizations.

Having the title of “Miss Homecoming” is really helpful for getting me into meetings with people to get my platform going. I actually already have a fraternity that has reached out to me about getting involved, so that’s two organizations reaching out to me, which is awesome.

Q: What are your long-term plans for integrating your platform?

MG: I want to see these international liaisons happen within all of the campus or-

tuition have come from a decrease in funding from state governments.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the share of Auburn University’s revenue coming from state funds decreased by more than 20 percentage points as a portion of the University’s operating

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ganizations and within fraternities and sororities. They will reach out to international students and invite them and mentor them within the organizations. We have all the tools already and if we were able to implement these liaisons, then I think it will happen naturally. One thing I read when I was doing a lot of research for this was “integration is a process, not an event,” and that really stuck with me. It’s something that will happen organically if you can help put the wheels in motion. Hopefully, it will show people that it’s not that hard and it will happen. And then, I am going to try to start within my sorority so that I have a person I can personally reach out to in the future to keep things rolling.

Q: Besides student organizations, who all is working with you to get your platform to reach all Auburn students?

MG: Obviously, Auburn’s Global Guides within Auburn Global have been a gigantic help. Along with people in the International Student Organization. They have helped get my message across to other international students and their organizations. They told me what I needed to do, where I needed to go and who I needed to talk to in order to get my message out there. Having their support this whole time has been incredible.

Then, my campaign manager Dane Block is amazing. He’s on SGA Senate for business, and he’s on budget and finance for the International Student Organization. He has been huge in helping make decisions with them, and he’s a huge help to me for making decisions. I didn’t know that when I asked him to

budget from 1987 to 2012.

In 1987, the annual cost of tuition and fees for an in-state student to attend Auburn full-time was $1,260, or $2,604 in 2017 dollars. Today, the annual cost is $10,968.

With one of the smallest endow-

be my campaign manager – it’s such a God thing. So definitely the Global Guides, Dane, and he is pulling in Senate and Cabinet to help as well.

Q: Are there any other responsibilities other than your platform as Miss Homecoming?

MG: There are not. I am full throttle into my platform. Some people have asked me to do meet-and-greets, which is so funny to me. I mean, I am happy to help in any way that I can, but I think Miss Homecoming is more of a tradition to make Auburn grow and make Auburn better. It’s up to the elected Miss Homecoming to decide how much she will push for her platform to happen, and I know Taylor Wesley, Miss Homecoming from two years ago, did a lot for her platform and really pushed for hers about mental health and wellness. She did incredible.

Q: Is there anything else you would like Auburn students to know?

MG: I would love to see the Auburn community, not just Auburn as a campus, to come together. I know from the church I go to and places I have been that there are international people that are in Auburn. There are people like faculty and teachers who aren’t from here, and they need to be included. I know that it is even harder to do that as someone who isn’t a student, and we need to pull them in and show them that they are loved here — Auburn-Opelika thing, or a Lee County thing. Or how about Alabama?

Everyone, please come help.

ments in the SEC and $100 million less of an endowment than at Iowa State, Leath said he is looking to transform Auburn by stretching the University’s dollar. “[Y]ou’re going to see a lot of pressure from my office about a sense of urgency as we grow re-

search and scholarship, especially in our business practices,” he said.

“I’m not going to run [the University] as a business. But it’s going to be run in a more businesslike fashion than it’s ever been run before. … [I] n the end we’re going to accomplish a lot more.”

SPEAKERS

‘Critical Conversations’ series will host first daughters Barbara Bush and Jenna Hager Chris Heaney CAMPUS REPORTER

The ongoing Critical Conversations Speaker Series will include Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager speaking at Auburn University this October.

The two daughters of former President George W. Bush will participate in a moderated discussion on the topic of Diverse Perspectives on Women Leaders, followed by a Q&A session.

“As strong women leaders and respected advocates for global initiatives like health equality, literacy and human

rights, I know Barbara Bush and Jenna Hager will inspire Auburn students to have important conversations around these issues and what it means to be a woman leader in today’s society,” said SGA President Jacqueline Keck.

Hager is a contributing correspondent for NBC’s TODAY and chair of UNICEF’s “Next Generation,” an initiative dedicated to reducing the number of preventable childhood deaths around the world.

She has written a New York Times bestseller based on the life of a 17-year-old sin-

gle mother living with HIV, two children’s books co-written with her mother and former First Lady Laura Bush and is preparing to release a book of short stories this October.

Barbara Bush is the CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps, a global community of young leaders working to build the movement for health equality. Previously, she worked at the Smithsonian’s CooperHewitt National Design Museum, Red Cross Children’s Hospital in South Africa, UNICEF in Botswana, the UN World Food Programme and in 2015

was recognized as one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business.”

“We are delighted that Barbara Bush and Jenna Hager will be joining Auburn’s Critical Conversations series next month,” said Taffye Benson Clayton, vice president and associate provost for inclusion and diversity. “As accomplished women and renowned activists, having their voices as a part of this important dialogue is invaluable.”

The Event will take place in the Student Center Ballroom on Oct. 5, 2017, at 5 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 5

CAREER CENTER

Campus Career Closet dresses students for success Morgan Kirkland CAMPUS WRITER

The Auburn University Career Center, Auburn Cares and the Student Government Association collaborated to bring students the Campus Career Closet in order to provide students with free professional attire for interviews, career fairs, networking events and even the workplace.

The Campus Career Closet inventory includes suits, blazers, skirts, blouses, shoes and more. All items in the closet were donations and are free to any and all students.

The Career Center had help from two campus organizations, Auburn Cares and SGA, as well as clothing companies Belk and Loft.

Addye Buckley-Burnell, assistant director of career development, started developing the idea for the closet about five years ago when she began her career at Auburn.

Buckley-Burnell contacted Auburn Cares to get them involved with the program. They hastily agreed since helping students is the nature of what they do, and Buckley-Burnell worked closely with Katherine Hettinger, manager at Auburn Cares, to get the project going.

“Partnering with the Career Center was a nobrainer for us,” Hettinger said. “There has been conversation about the need for a professional career closet in the past, but this was the first opportunity for us to work with another office to get the project off the ground.”

MADISON OGLETREE/PHOTO EDITOR

Dori Weldon, career counselor, helps a student pick out clothing in the Campus Career Closet on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Buckley-Burnell also reached out to SGA, who was researching and working on a similar idea at the time. David Facteau, executive vice president of initiatives, said SGA began research for this project over a year ago when 2016-2017 Miss Auburn, Madison Rolling, brought a similar campus closet idea to them, leading them to climb on board as well.

“Rolling’s platform, along with SGA’s goal, is to create a space for students who may not have means to professional clothing for interviews,

jobs, etc. and create a way for them to obtain these necessary items,” Facteau said.

The organizations worked together to create a model of the closet, build community partnerships and organizing clothing drives.

Belk donated the racks used in the closet, and Loft donated a mannequin as well as provided coupons for students who cannot find what they need in the closet.

All of the clothes displayed in the closet were donated. The Campus Career Closet runs strict-

ly on a donation basis and is accepting donations at any time at the Career Center office.

The goal is to make it accessible to any and all students, with little restrictions.

“SGA surveyed 400 students and found that 73 percent of students surveyed said that they would use this closet if it were made available to them, and we are thrilled that these students will have the opportunity to use this closet,” Facteau said.

The closet is located on the third floor of the Career Center in Mary Martin Hall. Students who wish to receive clothes from the Campus Career Closet can do so by making an appointment online via Handshake.

“Students may take up to four pieces per school year. There are no restrictions as far as majors or colleges, anyone is welcome,” Buckley-Burnell said.

The closet is not a needs-based program. Students do not have to prove anything, the closet is inclusive and available to all students because the Career Center, Auburn Cares and SGA all believe that providing these clothes to students is crucial for their professional careers.

“Students should never be limited in their professional development, and we believe that this closet will be a great step forward in preparing and equipping students to succeed in the job market. We are thankful for the initiative of Student Affairs along with the Career Center in making this idea a reality,” Facteau said.

COUNSELING

Students can let loose with therapy dog, Dr. Moose Morgan Kirkland CAMPUS WRITER

Former bomb detection dog Moose continues “Let Loose with Moose” serving as a therapy dog since joining the student counseling center in 2015.

Moose is a 9-year-old yellow labrador retriever trained to be highly sensitive to human emotions. Moose allows clients to pet him and rest his on their lap to provide comfort during counseling.

Moose is to be one of the therapists within the counseling center.

Moose lives with Doug Hankes, director of student counseling services. Hankes said Moose is hardworking and dedicated in the office, but is a completely different dog when he is off the clock.

“When I get him home and let him out of the car and take his vest off, he is all gas and no brake,” Hankes said.

During the week, Moose is in the counseling services’ office every day with clients for his regular therapy sessions in addition to his weekly appearance on campus at his event ‘Let Loose with Moose’.

‘Let Loose with Moose’ takes place every Thursday in the third-floor lobby of the ttudent center from 4 to 5 p.m. This is an open opportunity for students to come and meet, pet and play with Moose.

The ‘Let Loose with Moose’ outreach program began because of the benefits associated with animal assisted therapy.

Animal Assisted Therapy proved to be highly effective and beneficial in whelping patients, especially those who may have suffered a trauma. ‘Let Loose with Moose’ brings Moose on campus where he can easily interact with a great number of students at one time.

The student counseling services wanted to create the to reach students in a more relatable way.

“When students hear the words ‘mental health’, they tend to run in the other direction, but if we have Moose everyone wants to come join and pet him,” Hankes said.

Moose is utilized as a marketing tool to make students less apprehensive about seeking help from student counseling services or participating in their outreach events.

KATHERINE MILLER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Moose hangs out with Auburn students on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in the Student Center.

EVENTS

Working on writing: Miller Writing holds workshop Hannah Lester CAMPUS WRITER

Huddled in groups of four or five, graduate and undergraduate students poured over a sheet of paper containing many mistakes.

The Office of University Writing hosted a writing workshop on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. “Proofreading Your Own Writing” was held in one of the new interactive Mell classrooms and was led

by James Truman, assistant director of the University writing office, The Miller Writing Center.

Students worked together to understand common errors and mistakes, build an error log and decipher how professional writing works. Doing so allowed the participants to see how mistakes influence communication.

An error log is how a writer can keep track of the com-

mon errors they make in their writing so they can be avoided in the future. Using this, writers can identify what they can gain control over and begin to make their writing look more professional, Truman said.

The Miller Writing Center, under the Office of University Writing, hopes to lead students into more empowered writing. Their motto: “All Students and All Writing,” includes every stage of development and style of writing.

When a writer identifies between mistakes and errors, they can grow and their work will become better because they are building on previous knowledge, Truman said.

“Even if you’re learning all the rules, studies have shown this – it doesn’t actually help you become a better writer. …

Only practice helps you make it better,” Truman said.

One student in attendance,

Courtney Judge, senior in nursing, said she found the workshop helpful because it allowed her to see all types of errors she could be frequently made. She believes a lot of it is personal since there are so many mistakes that could be made.

The goal of the workshop and the writing center is to show the many angles of writing and allow students to put that into practice, Truman said.

“Writing isn’t magically transmitting; it’s a process,” Truman said.

“Working on Writing,” or WoW Wednesdays, are weekly hosted sessions through the Writing Center that work on different aspects of writing.

The session was broken down into several tips and tricks that writers can use: 1. Break the writing down

into a separation of drafting/ revising and editing.

2. Professional writing is about communication rather than strictly following the rules.

3. Writers should not edit their pieces as they work. Instead, they should take some time to get their mind off the piece, or have a friend look at the work, Truman said.

4. Slow down. When a piece of work is read quickly, fewer mistakes will be caught. In addition, mistakes often tend to hide in the margins.

Using these tips, The Writing Center hopes students will become more confident in their work. In addition, the writing center is always available to help with that process, Truman said.

“We’re not here to fix papers, we are here to help people gain power as writers,” Truman said.

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6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COMMUNITY

CITY COUNCIL

Council votes to allow food trucks to operate off campus Chip Brownlee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If you’re hungry you may soon have some new options to grab a bite to eat off campus.

The City Council gave the green light on changes to the city’s zoning ordinance that will allow food trucks to operate in several different neighborhoods throughout Auburn.

“I would like to see us utilize this more,” said Ward 3 Councilwoman Beth Witten.

“You see them popping up. Amsterdam has one, and Big Blue Crawfish has one. I like a food truck. I think they’re festive and fun. But we do need to be respectful of other businesses.”

The council’s decision will permit the food trucks to operate in town, modifying the previous code that did not permit food trucks off Auburn University’s campus within the city.

But some may have already been operating illegally.

“Officially they are not allowed until this

ordinance goes into effect,” said Forrest Cotten, Auburn’s planning director. “We have reason to believe that there are multiple ones out there operating illegally. Just no one has taken any enforcement action. This is an effort to develop a framework within which they will be allowed.”

The Planning Commission approved the changes to the zoning code at their Aug. 10 meeting, but the City Council’s vote was needed to give final approval.

The council’s green light is the second major change in the last month to city ordinances covering mobile vendors. Earlier this month, the council voted to prohibit street vendors in downtown Auburn, including a vendor that set up to sell toilet paper on Toomer’s Corner after home football games.

Under the new changes to the ordinance, food trucks won’t be allowed to operate downtown. They will be allowed to operate in other areas of the city though, including many of

the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, along some parts of Opelika Road and South College Street and in many of the industrial areas where food trucks cater to workers.

To protect brick-and-mortar businesses, both the Planning Commission and the City Council chose to adopt a provision in the ordinance that would prohibit the food trucks from operating within 200 feet of other restaurants unless they receive written permission from the business owner.

“After paying for a brick and mortar business I don’t think it’s fair to allow a food truck to pull up right next to it,” said Ward 8 Councilman Tommy Dawson. “It costs more to operate a brick and mortar business than a food truck.”

Witten, who was originally opposed to the 200-foot rule, later changed her vote after some discussion with the rest of the council members.

“It’s not consistent in thought with our re-

cent ordinance about sidewalk sales in downtown Auburn [to allow them too close to other businesses],” Witten said after the meeting adjourned. “In the spirit of being consistent, I felt that it should maintain at 200 feet.”

Street food vendors like hot dog or popsicle carts, however, will be allowed to operate on the streets within the downtown area if they obtain a permit from the city.

The ordinance also permits food truck courts where several different food trucks gather in one location. They can set up tables and even build permanent structures to sell alcohol. Witten said she was excited about the potential of the food truck courts.

“Out of downtown, I think the mobile food courts would be ideal where you see two or three of them gather together,” Witten said.

“That way it’s more of a destination when we want to go get lunch, and you want a taco but I want a burger. It establishes a sense of place with the court idea.”

BUSINESS

Airbnb presents some Auburn hotels with a challenge

Jon Smithart COMMUNITY WRITER

Sometimes the progression of technology and society as a whole can lead to the decline of more traditional means. Companies like Uber and Airbnb can make traveling cheaper and faster.

For a college town like Auburn, where many come for town just for the weekend, Airbnb can be more convenient than a hotel for people.

There have been 110 active Airbnb hosts over the last 12 months in Auburn, according to Crystal Davis, press secretary for Airbnb.

“There have been 3,100 Airbnb guest arrivals in Auburn over the last 12 months,” Davis said.

“The typical Airbnb host in Auburn shares their home 15 nights per year. The top origin cities for guest arrivals are Atlanta, Birmingham, Auburn, Nashville, Huntsville and Houston.”

Airbnb and other home-sharing services have changed how traveling works. Instead of staying in a traditional hotels, users can stay in a seemingly regular house or apartment.

According to The New York Times, the hotel industry has taken steps to combat Airbnb, primarily through passing legislation.

“Airbnb is operating a lodging industry, but it is not playing by the same rules,” said Troy Flanagan, the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s vice president for state and local government affairs, in a New York Times interview.

Todd Scholl, director of sales and marketing for Auburn Hotel, said he has not seen much of a change since Airbnb came to Auburn.

“I haven’t seen any effects from it (Airbnb).

We have the premier location to Auburn University and its campus, so we have not seen any

adverse effects from people not choosing us over a home or something,” Scholl said.

People buy package deals at Auburn Hotel for game days, which provides extra security for the hotel on home-game weekends.

Other hotels have not been as lucky as Auburn Hotel, according to John Wild. Wild, president of the Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau, has worked with hotels in the area as well as Airbnb.

“Airbnb and the home-sharing rentals are a challenge for our industry, other competing hotels and the local municipalities,” Wild said.

“Hotel competitors don’t like them since they are competition but on an unfair playing field.

Airbnb and other home-sharing companies are not inspected by the city or county, don’t have the same licenses and don’t apply to the same life-safety regulations.

“The cities are challenged by them since they do not always abide by the zoning requirements in certain parts of the city. ... i.e. renting a home-share apartment in a densely populated area might be fine but not in an area with all single-family homes.”

The city’s regulations were enacted long before Airbnb came to Auburn, but the manpower it would take to strictly enforce all the zoning restrictions to Airbnb would cost a large amount of money.

“To be fair, hoteliers and our office encourage people wanting to rent their homes or apartments to follow three basic guidelines: They must be in an area which is zoned for that type of rental; they must purchase a business license; they must collect the proper tax and remit that to the state and city,” Wild said. “The

HURRICANE IRMA

SYDNEY YOUNG / PHOTOGRAPHER

Construction underway at the Auburn Hotel on June 1, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

current rate is 13 percent in Auburn or Opelika.

This is a guest-paid tax – it is not paid by the homeowner. The problem with Airbnb, VRBO or sites like Rent Like A Champion is they defer rules and regulations to the homeowner. They don’t go as far as checking zoning, whether the person has a business license and they let the tax collecting and remitting to be on the owner.”

Airbnb and the hotels are not alway butting heads. When Hurricane Irma came through, the Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau used hotels to put people that were displaced from their homes.

“The stats we have received so far over the

early part of the storm showed hotels increasing occupancy from 46 to 64 percent over the previous year. Wednesday, Sept. 6 was a normal day when we started to receive lots of calls from evacuees looking for accommodations. Thursday’s occupancy was 75 percent but it shot up to 96 or 97 percent the following two days, Friday and Saturday,” Wild said.

Finding people who were forced out of their homes a place to stay was their biggest priority, and it did not matter who got the business as long as families were safe. They even booked people as far away as Birmingham just to find them places to stay.

POLITICS

Moore and Strange to finish battle in debate, runoff Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY EDITOR

OLIVIA WILKES / COMMUNITY WRITER

Monique Carlone of FHG LLC moves her three evacuated horses to an outdoor paddock at Silver Lining Equestrian Center on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Florida equestrians evacuate horses to Auburn Olivia Wilkes COMMUNITY WRITER

While most evacuating Floridians loaded food, toiletries and gas into their cars as Hurricane Irma approached the U.S. coastline two weeks ago, some were more concerned about packing hay, tack and stall shavings into their horse trailers as they looked for a dryer place to evacuate their equines to.

For a few, that place was Auburn, Alabama. Monique Carlone, who attended Auburn University, owns and operates her boarding, training and lesson business, FHG LLC, in Naples, Florida. Her farm is about two and a half miles from the beach.

With Irma’s projected path set to come directly through Naples, Carlone needed to evacuate three of her horses. She contacted Stephanie Counts, trainer at Silver Lining Equestrian Center in Au-

burn, whom Carlone knew and had worked for during college.

Tania and Steve DiCarlo, owners of Benchmark Equestrian, also located in Naples, brought 37 horses from their hunter/jumper training facility to H & G Horse Quarters, a 130-acre equestrian center in Auburn.

From a Facebook post and other communications, word spread that H & G was accepting evacuated horses, and they eventually received 130 from Florida.

“We’re set up,” she said. “We’ve got 150 stalls in a show barn, and they were just sitting empty ready to take evacuees.”

H & G brought in over a thousand bags of shav-

» See HORSES, 7

The battle waged between Alabama Republicans vying to nab the party nomination for now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate former seat will finally come to an end next week.

Alabama voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Sept.

26, to choose between former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, but before they do, the pair will face off Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Montgomery in their first and only debate.

Strange has racked up money and support from the GOP establishment. Sen. Mitch McConnell has poured millions of PAC money into ads for Strange.

President Donald Trump, a man who was once in the same position as Moore, has tweeted in support of Strange for months and will appear at a Friday rally in Huntsville with the senator. He also attended a Huntsville rally for Strange last week. “‘Big Luther’ is a great guy who gets things done!” the president tweeted on Satur-

day.

The controversial Moore has raised a fraction of what Strange has, according to campaign finance filings, and lacks a large amount of support from national GOP figures.

Most of his support has come from less establishment conservative figures.

In recent weeks, ultra-conservative Breitbart News, headed by former White House adviser Steve Bannon, has declared war on Strange, publishing numerous articles critical of the senator.

Actor and martial artist Chuck Norris endorsed Moore in August.

“Chuck Norris is exactly the kind of guy you want on your side,” Moore said in a release after the endorsement.

Former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin are appearing at a Moore rally in Montgomery on Thursday after the debate.

Though, Moore has nabbed endorsements from those in office around the state.

State Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn was a part of a group of state legislators that endorsed Moore after the first

primary.

Rep. Mo Brooks, who was defeated in the initial Republican primary, endorsed Moore on Saturday.

“This Senate race is down to this: we are in an epic battle between the people of Alabama who put America first and the Washington swamp that hopes to buy Alabama’s Senate seat and put America second,” Brooks said.

In August, Moore finished with 36.7 percent of the Lee County vote and Strange with 32.8 percent, with the majority of the remainder going toward Brooks.

Most recently conducted polls have Moore ahead of Strange. Louisiana-based firm JMC Analytics and Polling released a poll this week that shows Moore with 50 percent of the potential vote and Strange with 42 percent.

The winner of the runoff will face former federal prosecutor Democrat Doug Jones in the general election in December.

Polls will be open on Tuesday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Polling places can be found online on the Alabama secretary of state’s website.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 7

ENTERTAINMENT

Waverly Boogie set to get down this weekend Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

In 2001, a street party of smalltown folk formed to celebrate the bypass of U.S Highway 280. Cars would now drive around Waverly, Alabama.

Today, the street party has grown into a destination. The Old 280 Boogie started with local musicians and sound and grew to host national traveling acts from all over the states. The Boogie will be taking Standard Deluxe’s stage this Saturday at noon.

Doors open at 11 a.m. and guests are asked to bring chairs, as the event is held in a “sloping, grassy yard, mini-amphitheater.”

Scott Peek, owner of Standard Deluxe, said the event was held in a blocked street for nine years until they were notified of the illegality of block-

ing roads for music festivals. After notified, the event was moved to Standard Deluxe’s land.

“There will be wonderful music, a bunch of good folks hanging out for an awesome event,” Peek said.

The “covered eclectic” stage that encompasses the act sets a rugged, home-feel to each performance with its wooden backdrop, faded colorful signs and dim light features.

The Fall 280 Boogie is a relatively new event, but the initial season event in spring has been going on since 2001.

With the addition of an admission fee, Standard Deluxe was able to hire nationally known artists, Peek said. Tickets start at $25 and are raised to $30 on Sept. 22. Kids 14 years and under can jam for free.

RELIGION

This year’s set list features, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Revel In Dimes, Heath Green & The Makeshifters, Maggie Koerner, Fay Webster and Lonnie Hollie Band. Peek said there is nothing to be inherently expected of the music style each year. He said he doesn’t like to dwell on the decision, as it is such a hard decision to choose who performs.

“It’s always a little bit of surprise with the music and a little bit of knowing that it’s going to be some kind of Americana or Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Peek said. “We have really had every kind of music, so we aren’t stuck to any particular style or genre.”

Peek said for the Fall Boogie, the team welcomes more soul and rock musicians.

The Boogie is BYOB, or Bring Your Own Beverage. Small coolers will be allowed, but Standard

Deluxe requests that guests not bring glass. For parking, Peek said there will be plenty of parking in the downtown area close to the post office, by the churches, nutrition center and tiny steets running through the small town.

Peek said the event will be hosted whether the skies stay clear or they welcome rain to Waverly.

Food will be served by local and visiting vendors. Mama Mocha’s, Hornsby Farms, O Town Ice Cream, Cos-B-Q Barbecue, Kowaliga Restaurant, Chris’ Hot Dogs, Wilton’s Catering and Feed Skal Wood Fired Pizza will be present along with merchandise sales groups.

“It’s time to get out of the house and get in the country — stand on some grass rather than asphalt and experience some local culture,” Peek said.

RESTAURANTS

Which Wich sandwich franchise to open in Tiger Town this October Gabby Dance COMMUNITY WRITER

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN COMMUNITY CHURCH

Auburn Community Church weathers the storm Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER

A MacBook’s Spotify playlist played electronic pop music through the room’s speakers in the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center Marquee as hundreds of church-goers flooded the rows of golden chairs in front of the Auburn Community Church stage on the Sunday before Hurricane Irma came to Auburn.

The church, now around three years old, used to hold services in Ace Hardware with only a few groups of people in the beginning but now spreads the Christian faith to approximately 1,500 in the Auburn-Opelika area.

Allie Stanley, senior in communications, found ACC during her freshman year at Auburn and has since joined their staff as the student coordinator.

“When I stepped into ACC for the first time I felt the presence of the Lord, and I just kept coming back,” Stanley said. “’The Church Without Walls’ is kind of a joke because we literally don’t have a building. … But it’s less about a building and more about a body of people who are actually going and doing what Jesus intended for the church to be.”

The vast majority of the audience were college-aged and casually dressed, though a few older audience members were also in attendance.

Projected onto screens on ei-

HORSES

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ings, about 300 bales of hay and hired some extra help in preparation for the Florida horses.

The trek from Naples to Auburn was a long one for all the evacuees, but especially for those pulling horse trailers.

Kimball McIlvaine, a boarder at Benchmark Equestrian and a good friend of the DiCarlos, came to H & G with them.

She packed up her “whole life,” horses and all.

“They brought up 27 horses in the first run, and then the guy had to go all the way back,” McIlvaine said.

The first trip was 17 hours.

Carlone said she left with her three horses ahead of the weather, but not the traffic.

What is normally an eight hour drive became 10.

She made a stop in Oca-

ther side of the stage were graphics that encouraged the church to make donations via text, follow the church on multiple social media platforms and join a community group and service team online.

Tyler Miller, senior in communications, also found ACC his freshman year and plans to go into ministry after he graduates.

“I was looking for churches when I got here, and I had a friend who I was in a Camp War Eagle group with, and she had come here one time and was like, ‘You’ve gotta check it out,’” Miller said. “I think this is the most Christ-centered church I’ve ever come to. … It’s authentic; it’s relatable, and I think that’s how faith in Christ is meant to be lived.”

By the time the church’s band had arrived on stage, the seats had been completely filled to the point that volunteers had to bring more chairs in while the seatless patiently stood by.

The teal cloth ceiling billowed from the blustering winds from oncoming Irma while the rows of attendees swayed with opened hands to the band onstage and sung along to lyrics projected on the large screens.

After a few songs, ACC Lead Pastor Miles Fidell came to the stage and delivered a sermon titled “Rock Bottom,” which drew from biblical stories such as the parable of the prodigal son and Jesus’ sermon on the mount while tying in present day exam-

ples of God working in people’s lives such as his brother’s recovery from substance abuse and the material possessions lost by victims of Irma.

“Some of you who have evacuated from Florida need to hear this right now: you bear the storm by holding on to your Father, not your finances, not your stuff. That stuff comes and goes anyway,” Fidell said during the closing of his sermon.

“All storms end, and when this is over I will still be standing because He is constant, He is still standing and if I build my life on Him, I will not hit rock bottom.”

After the service had ended and the crowd had filtered out of the marquee, Fidell and the small group of staff members huddled around the stage to vote on whether they would hold a five o’clock service that evening despite the oncoming storm.

“What I understand is that the winds will be about the way they are right now, and it’s not going to start raining until tonight,” Fidell said. “Cast your vote on the duality of the safety of people and the Kingdom of God, thumbsup or thumbs-down.”

The majority of staff voted to hold a service that night, and as Irma came to Auburn the rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that marquee; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the asphalt parking lot of the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center.

la where she was able to find stalls for her horses to stay at the Florida Horse Park, but no place for herself. She slept in the back of her truck.

“I get to Ocala, no hotel rooms,” she said. “Nothing between Gainesville to almost Tampa. Nothing. Not a single room.”

“The following morning at 2 a.m. we were up, and we had horses on a trailer at 3:30 a.m.,” Carlone said.

The most stressful part was the stress it would put on the animals. Fletcher said for the horses that had been on a trailer for more than twelve hours.

Leaving Florida has been a costly trip for all evacuees and feeding and stabling horses adds an even greater expense.

Carlone spent $60 to keep her horses in Ocala for two nights.

One of the trailers Benchmark Equestrian brought down was completely filled

with horse feed and gear.

Many of the horses from Benchmark Equestrian are show horses and are taken to competitions often.

The evacuees are assessing the damage back home as they decide how long to stay in Auburn. Fletcher said besides Benchmark, most of the evacuees they received have returned home.

“On my street, there wasn’t a lot of structural damage, but there were a lot of limbs down, trees down, power poles as well as some fencing damage,” Carlone said. “Three power poles on my street snapped in half.” At Benchmark, there was no structural damage to the barns.

“So many of our friends, they’ve lost their barns,” McIlvaine said. They have stayed a total of two weeks and spoke highly of Auburn calling it “heaven on Earth.”

Which Wich, a specialty sandwich chain that aims to offer improved versions of classic lunchtime favorites, will be opening a location in Tiger Town in late October.

Inspired by the traditional bagged lunch, Which Wich lets you customize your own sandwich or choose from a set menu of “faves,” the company’s staple recipes. Their menu is diverse, with options ranging from a black bean patty sandwich to a classic peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.

Brother and sister Jeff Glasscock and Robin Rudder, the business’s franchisees, discovered the chain through a friend from

Nashville, Tennessee, and thought it would be a great addition to the AuburnOpelika area.

“We really love the concept of this franchise,” Rudder said. “I’ve always been a sandwich person, so it was really cool for me to get to customize a sandwich exactly how I wanted it, and the bagged meals are perfect for a college town.”

Glasscock and Rudder grew up in Auburn and attended Auburn University.

From an early age, they were drawn to the food business.

“Our dad was really in to cooking so food was always a big part of our family,” Glasscock said.

After venturing on their own career paths since col-

lege, the two had been discussing going into business together.

“When Robin found out about this business, it was something that we both agreed was a really incredible opportunity,” Glasscock said.

The duo is aiming to open the restaurant around Oct. 23, and it will be located in the building that used to house Einstein Bros. Bagels. It will be one of the few Which Wich locations with a drive thru window.

Glasscock and Rudder hope to open another franchise location near the University’s campus in the future.

Which Wich is now hiring employees for the Opelika location.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

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SOFTBALL

SOCCER

Tigers take down Aggies

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second-team offense, and completed five passes of 15 yards or more in the spring game.

Prior to the matchup in Death Valley against Clemson, Malzahn confirmed that White was Auburn’s No. 2 QB; however, White was suspended for that contest. Malzahn was forced to turn to Willis as the Tigers’ backup.

Malzahn reiterated that “in a perfect world” Auburn would be able to redshirt Willis.

“If it’s a long-term injury, Malik Willis will be the next guy in,” Malzahn said before Clemson, when White was unavailable. “If it’s just a play or two, obviously, we’ll try to be as smart as we can in that.”

Lindsey affirmed his confidence in Willis’ abilities pre-Clemson as well.

“I never would rule out Malik Willis after some deals I’ve gone through with quarterbacks in the past in my career playing a lot of guys,” Lindsey said. “[It’s] too early to rule him out for sure.”

The No. 15-ranked Tigers now find themselves in a situation where they will be unable to rule out Willis heading into SEC play against Missouri, as an injury to Stidham would certainly hinder the performance of an already anemic offense. Adams, Auburn’s only non-scholarship quarterback, saw playing time late against Georgia Southern, but showed little in terms of ability as a suitable replacement under-center.

Ryan Davis, who currently leads the SEC with 19 receptions, will receive reps at the QB spot, a position at which he excelled at the high school level.

“Coach may have me do some quarterback reps this week,” Davis said. “I did it some last year, so it’s just something I’m familiar with and kind of okay with doing.”

Davis’ high school accolades are impressive, as the Lakewood, Florida, native accounted for 35 touchdowns his senior season. Through guiding Lakewood to backto-back, double-digit win seasons, Davis finished his time at high school quarterback having accounted for 6,760 passing yards.

“I throw the ball all the time,” Davis said.

“It’s just something I always love doing.

Quarterback is something I’ve been doing all my life, so it’s never going to completely go away from me at all. I throw the ball all the time.”

The 5-foot-9-inch wideout doesn’t quite look the part of a prototypical SEC gunslinger, but has no lack of confidence in his abilities, should his number be called.

When asked to rate his throwing arm, Davis described it as a “10.”

“I’m able to adjust to anything pretty much,” Davis said. “Whatever the coaches put on my table, I’m just able to soak it all in and do what’s asked of me.”

The Auburn coaching staff hopes to put the recent turmoil behind them heading into a road matchup at Missouri, a contest in which the visiting offense will have to execute in order to cool the “Malzahn hot seat” conversations.

“We’re starting SEC play, and that’s what we’ve been building up to,” Malzahn said.

“We have a new coordinator and new quarterback, and they’ll consistently get better.”

FOOTBALL

Former No. 1 recruit transfers from AU Nathan King ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn defensive end Byron Cowart, the former No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2015, has requested his release from the Auburn football program.

“Byron Cowart has come to me numerous times over the last couple of weeks disappointed with playing time,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. “Yesterday he came to me and said he wants to quit to pursue other opportunities. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

The Seffner, Florida native was pegged by most to choose the Florida Gators at the tail end of his recruiting process, however he was swayed to the Tigers by then-defense coordinator Will Muschamp.

Cowart’s athleticism and potential always seemed untapped at Auburn, as the pass-rush specialist found himself lower on the depth charts as his career progressed.

Cowart was beat out by then-freshman Marlon Davidson last season and sat behind Dontavius Russell and Tyrone Truesdell this year.

Through three games this season, Cowart boasts a trio of tackles. Through 26 games at the collegiate level, the 6-foot-3, 283-pound defensive lineman has 15 tackles with 1.5 for loss.

Staff Report

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Mickey Dean is introduced as Auburn’s softball coach on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2017.

‘Let them do what they love to do’ James Madison head coach Mickey Dean introduced as new Auburn softball coach Nathan King ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It’s no secret that the culture surrounding Auburn Tigers softball is one that needs repairing.

The program finally capsized with allegations after drowning in speculation for much of the 2017 season. Head coach Clint Myers retired, many players transferred and University Athletic Director Jay Jacobs was tasked with finding a leader who could right the wrongs.

For new Auburn softball head coach Mickey Dean, there is a trio of key components to building and maintaining a successful program.

“Trust, love and commitment. I talked to the team about the trust part,” Dean said during his introductory press conference.

“I’m going to have to trust them, and they’re going to have to trust me. That’s where it has to start. We have to start at 100 percent.

“They just want to play softball. They’re excited. We want to take that excitement and run with it.”

After introducing his family and thanking the University for its hospitality, Dean recognized the legacy of Auburn softball.

“This is one of the programs, when you first get into the business, you really want to be at,” Dean said. “The ceiling is unlimited.”

JMU faced Auburn during the past two seasons, gifting Dean a sneak peek of his new ballclub.

“The atmosphere is unbelievable,” Dean said. “The excitement, the crowd and the community support is just amazing.”

Dean now takes the helm of an Auburn team that has experienced success in recent years. Since 2015, the Tigers have captured a pair of SEC championships, three NCAA tournament berths and two Women’s College World Series appearances in 2015 and 2016.

Dean arrives on The Plains following a five-year stint at JMU, where the coach compiled a record of 237-56 (.809). The Virginia native led the Dukes to four regular-season conference titles, three conference tournament titles, five consecutive NCAA tournaments and a Super Regional appearance in 2016.

“My philosophy is all about culture,” Dean said. “There are two types of culture: culture by default and culture by design. My responsibility as head coach is to make sure we have the culture we want, and that’s by design.

“I don’t think you can be great in one thing. If you want to be great, you have to be great in all aspects of your life. Academically, socially, on the field, work ethic. I told the team, ‘The only time we’re going to have a problem is if I’m outworking you or if you’re outworking me.’”

The coach met with the team for the first time on Saturday. Dean said that the first order of business was to wish pitcher

Makayla Martin a happy birthday.

“We had a great meeting,” Dean said. “We just talked about the things that we want to get done this year. I just want to get to know them.”

Having faced the Tigers in recent years, Dean recognized the talent and depth of the squad he is inheriting.

“They’re pretty good,” Dean said jokingly. “They pitch well, they play good defense and they hit well.”

Dean’s coaching background lies primarily in pitching – a position of which Auburn returns a pair of stars in Kaylee Carlson and Martin.

During their tenure with the program, the players in the circle had been taught by Myers and company not to pitch for strikeouts but to let the ball into play occasionally and allow the defense to make plays.

That method of pitching will apparently be altered ahead of Martin’s junior and AllAmerican Carlson’s senior years.

“My philosophy is to strike everyone out,” Dean said. “I don’t want to get too much into specifics. But, I guarantee if you ask a young lady what she’s trying to do every pitch, it’s not to throw it in there and try to let somebody hit it. She’s trying to throw her best pitch. It’s just a mindset, they’re both great pitchers. We’ll come to common ground.”

Dean now transitions into the Southeastern Conference, which is widely heralded as the topmost conference in softball performance. Dean initially joked that his perception of SEC softball was that it seemed “laid back.”

“It’s exciting,” Dean said. “I get to do this in the SEC. We get to do this together as a family – the Auburn Family. We get to go out and compete and work. The SEC is the top conference in the country. To be here and to have this opportunity, I’m so grateful.”

The coach plans to begin practice on Tuesday, Sept. 19, adding that the team’s practices will now be open to the media and to the public.

“I don’t hold closed practices. If we get enough fans, we’ll probably start charging at the gate,” Dean said with a laugh.

Dean encouraged the Auburn fanbase to support the team in practices just as they would in a game setting.

“How would you like to go out and practice every day with 2,000 or 3,000 people in the stands?” Dean said. “That’d be awesome.

Can you imagine how much more work we’re going to get out of those kids and that coaching staff?”

On the subject of practice, Dean’s anticipation toward working with the team shone through.

“I just want to get out there on the field,” Dean said. “I want to hit some ground balls.

I want to run some bases, watch them dive.

Just let them do what they love to do.”

The Auburn soccer team opened SEC play with a 1-0 win against No. 22 Texas A&M at the Auburn Soccer Complex Friday night, Sept. 15.

“It was a total team effort,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “Texas A&M is a great team, and we defended extremely well. We created a lot of goal-scoring opportunities.

Hannah Alspach was able to put one away, and that was the difference in the game.”

Alspach took care of the offensive output for the Tigers as she converted her first goal of the season, while Kristen Dodson tallied an assist in front of the near-capacity crowd. The assist marked Dodson’s teamhigh eighth point of the season.

“The crowd was electric tonight,” Hoppa added. “Between the drums, the vuvuzelas and the Auburn Family, this was the best atmosphere we’ve had in a long time. They were instrumental in guiding us to a huge three points at home.”

The Tigers got out to an early lead as Alspach took a pass from Dodson at the top of the box and hit a left-footed curl over the Texas A&M goalkeeper and into the upper 90 with only 8:23 elapsed from the clock.

From there, the Auburn offense continued to put pressure on the visiting Aggies as their first four shots were on frame.

However, the Tigers’ defense, led by junior captain Sarah Le Beau in goal and senior defender Caroline Bado, was the story as the unit guided Auburn to its fifth shutout in a SEC opener.

“Sarah Le Beau was outstanding,” Hoppa said. “She was just on tonight. Against a team like that, she needed to be. She commanded her box, made big-time saves, covered up for her defenders when there was a mistake, and that’s what big-time goalkeepers do. She was just tremendous tonight.”

Le Beau, who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, totaled five saves in the match, inlcuding three that came from point-blank range in the final stages of the second half. Additionally, Bado’s presence on the back line proved instrumental in the result as she continuously thwarted the Aggies’ attack throughout the match.

The Tigers continue SEC play with a trip to Knoxvillle, Tennessee, to take on the Volunteers Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.

CT. They return home Sunday, Sept. 24 to host Kentucky at 2 p.m. CT.

FOOTBALL

SEC announces 2018 schedule Caleb Ductant SPORTS WRITER

The SEC announced 2018 football schedules on Tuesday, and Auburn will have a unique start next season.

Auburn will begin the year at the ChickFil-A-Classic for the second time in the school’s history, as Auburn will take on the Washington Huskies, who enter the fray at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time.

After the home-opener vs. Alabama State, the Tigers will play LSU on Sept. 15, the earliest the two teams have played in its history.

The Tigers will play back-to-back home games vs. Arkansas and Southern Miss before hitting the road for their first true road game at Mississippi State on Oct. 6.

Auburn will renew its rivalry vs. Tennessee for the first time since 2013, sandwiched between road match-ups at Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

The Tigers will have their bye week prior to the final home SEC game vs. Texas A&M. The schedule closes with road tilts at Georgia and Alabama, with Liberty splitting up the annual rivalry games.

AUBURN 2018 SCHEDULE Sept.1 vs. Washington (Atlanta) Sept. 8 vs. Alabama State Sept. 15 vs. LSU Sept. 22 vs. Arkansas Sept. 29 vs. Southern Miss Oct. 6 at Mississippi State Oct. 13 vs. Tennessee Oct. 20 at Ole Miss Oct. 27 OPEN Nov. 3 vs. Texas A&M Nov. 10 at Georgia Nov. 17 vs. Liberty Nov. 24 at Alabama

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 9

VOLLEYBALL

FILE PHOTO

Alexa Filley (21) sets the ball for teammates during game three of Auburn’s NCAA college volleyball match against Ole Miss at the Auburn Arena on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015.

Alexa Filley, the centerpiece of Auburn volleyball John Koo SPORTS WRITER

In the midst of all the high flying blocks and hard hitting kills, there is one player that seems to go unnoticed.

Alexa Filley, a senior from Louisville, Kentucky, is quickly becoming a valuable centerpiece for Auburn’s volleyball team.

As a well-respected setter, Filley had an impressive résumé long before her college career.

During her four years at Assumption High School, Filley was named 2013-14 Gatorade National Player of the Year, 201314 Under Armour Second-Team All-American, ranked 40th among PrepVolleyball.com’s “Senior Aces” and ranked 20th among seniors nationally by Student Sports Volleyball.

Filley led Assumption High School – one of the top ranked teams in the country – to four straight Kentucky state titles and was MVP of the state tournament in 2012 and 2013. Although her accomplishments in high school are beyond elite, her presence as an Auburn Tiger is what truly sets her apart.

Filley may not be the one with all the kills or blocks, but her contributions can still be seen throughout a match. She is on pace to have over 4,000 assists as she plays the last season of her

Auburn career.

“I think of myself as the quarterback of volleyball. I get to run the offense, tell people where to go and have a lot of power on the court,” Filley said. “I like to know the fact that I get to make an impact on every single play. To me, it’s all about being able to reach out to all of the players.”

In order to be the enabler and designated playmaker, a player needs to have much more than talent on the court. Filley’s leaderships skills are natural, and it’s easy for other teammates to follow, senior outside hitter Macy Reese said.

“She’s led our team to be who we are today,” Reece said.

“She pushes us off the court, and she definitely pushes us on the court. She gives us the opportunity to get our kills and our points.”

As a role model for younger teammates, her leadership extends to the future of Auburn’s volleyball team. Filley has high hopes of changing the atmosphere of Auburn volleyball.

“I just make sure [younger players] know we believe in them and that they have a lot of fun,” Filley said. “I want to make a cultural change. After our last season, we were disappointed. We were all going to come to this season ready to go.”

Her mindset and goals have influenced the team to improve this season. The Tigers hit 7-1 to kick off the year – the program’s best start since 2013. Her positive influence has been noticed by many, including head coach Rick Nold.

“I think the thing we’ve seen this year is the balance in our offense that we really like,” Nold said. “It starts with passing, and Alexa does a great job of getting everyone involved, including herself. When she is aggressive offensively, herself, it really puts the other team at a disadvantage.

“She’s got a lot of experience. When I look at the leadership she has provided this year, I think it has been a step up.”

Filley believes Auburn volleyball is something extraordinary, describing the team as a close knit and unique family.

“Auburn is just a really special place,” Filley said. “Every single person that has come to our program is so special. I’ve had an amazing time here.”

To Filley, being a part of Auburn volleyball means more than just the title.

“Auburn volleyball is hard work and family,” Filley said. “We go out there every game, ready to play. We have that Auburn spirit in every single thing we do.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

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Will Sahlie (11-6) Sports Editor FILE PHOTO

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

Crowe looks to take next step Peter Santo SPORTS WRITER

With two top-five finishes and a win last season, Trace Crowe had one of the best seasons in college golf. His 71.82 scoring average led the team, and he was named to the AllSEC second team.

That would be a career year for many players, but Crowe is looking to build on it.

“Last year was a good stepping stone,” Crowe said. “I didn’t do as well as I wanted to freshman year, then last year I did pretty well.

Hopefully this year, (I’m) trying to raise the bar every year, trying to be an All-American.”

The Bluffton, South Carolina native used the stepping stone metaphor repeatedly while describing his play. His time at Auburn could be considered one big stepping stone toward his ultimate goal of playing professional golf.

He took another big step over the summer when he played the U.S. Amateur at Riviera, one of the most prestigious events in amateur golf. Crowe failed to qualify for match play after posting a 36-hole score of 6-over, but he considers it a learning experience.

“That was my second US AM. This year I was more relaxed,” Crowe said. “I played the year before, and I was pretty nervous. This year I got some good experience. I didn’t go as far as I wanted to, but it’s a stepping stone.

I’m only a junior so hopefully we can build on it.”

That building process began last week at Auburn’s first tournament of the fall season, when Crowe tied for third in the Carpet Capital Collegiate at 7-under after posting rounds of 68, 69, and 72. The team also finished in third place, five strokes back of winner Georgia Tech.

“The team – we didn’t have our best stuff, but we came in third. Third place individually was a good start for me to start off junior year, and hopefully we can take it from there,” Crowe said.

The third-place finish as a team was impressive considering Auburn’s lineup featured three freshmen playing in their first

college golf tournament.

“They were all wide-eyed, waking me up every morning,” Crowe said. “They were all up way before we had to be. It was pretty fun to watch. It was their first tournament, and they were nervous, I was too. But they’re really good players, and they’re going to have to step up for us this year.”

Now a junior, Crowe will look to pass down some tricks of the trade to those wideeyed freshmen. As for what he teaches them, it all starts with preparation. “[I try to teach them] how to prepare for each tournament,” Crowe said. “When we get to sites, you don’t just go out and play, you’re more looking at the golf course. You’re trying to learn more because you only have one day to prepare. You have to try to learn as much as you can rather than worrying about yourself and your golf swing.”

As he prepares to take on more of a leadership role this season, Crowe continues to learn how to balance everything that comes with being a student-athlete.

“That’s something these freshmen have to learn about,” Crowe said. “I really struggled balancing everything my freshman year.

I’d be running around with my head cut off.

I wasn’t practicing efficiently. I was always worried about something else rather than just taking care of business throughout the day.”

Crowe hopes that all these learning experiences will eventually add up to a career on the PGA Tour. He has a long way to go to reach that goal, but Auburn head coach Nick Clinard is confident that Crowe has the talent and work ethic needed to make that dream a reality. “[Crowe] 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,” Clinard said. “It’s just a matter of kind of cleaning it up a little bit.

“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.”

Nathan King (12-5) Ast. Sports Editor

Tyler Roush (12-5) Sports Reporter

Sumner Martin (11-6) Sports Writer

Jake Wright (10-7) Sports Writer

Peter Santo (6-3) Sports Writer

Bennett Page (2-2) Sports Writer

John Koo Sports Writer

FOOTBALL

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jarrett Stidham (8) drops back to pass in the first half. Auburn vs Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sep. 2 in Auburn, Ala.

Stidham shines, looks ahead to SEC play Bennett Page SPORTS WRITER

The Auburn offense continued to struggle finding the end zone against FCS opponent Mercer. The Tigers gained 510 yards on offense compared to the 246 of Mercer, but found themselves in a one-possession game in the fourth quarter.

Auburn had multiple drives that got to the red zone, but turnovers plagued the offense.

With four fumbles and an interception, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s offense was only able to put 24 points on the board.

One bright spot on the offense, however, was quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The junior completed 32 of his 37 passes with one interception. He also had seven carries for 23 yards to go with his 86.4 percent completion rate.

“We were able to spread it out pretty well today,” Stidham said.

Nine different receivers caught passes from Stidham. Kamryn Pettway, who had only caught two passes his entire college career, had three receptions.

“If it’s third and ten and they drop eight, the check down is usually open,” Stidham said of Pettway. “He was alert for that. One of the main things for us for this game was execution and tempo.”

On the first drive of the game, Auburn moved the ball down the field quickly before a fumble turned it over.

“That first drive, that’s definitely the Auburn tempo we want to have,” Stidham said.

“We moved the ball really well. It kind of puts a damper on things when you turn the ball over five times.”

Stidham did not put the blame of the interception on either him or the intended receiver, Nate Craig-Myers.

“It’s not his fault, not my fault. I mean, it’s both of us, so we’ve just got to look at it,” Stidham said. “The read I had, I made the right decision to throw it. I’ve just got to place it a little bit better.”

Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey moved from the sidelines to the upstairs booth after the lackluster offensive performance against Clemson.

“It really wasn’t much different. They always communicate all the time,” Stidham said of Lindsey and Malzahn. The quarterback also noted that Lindsey had coached from upstairs at Arizona State.

Stidham showed confidence in the defense, which has now held opponents to an average of 10.3 points per game.

“They’re playing lights out,” Stidham said.

“They’re truly a great defense, and I know offensively we just want to help them a little bit

more.”

The defense has been the strong suit of Auburn’s team this season, while the offense has struggled in all of its games.

Auburn will now look ahead to its first SEC opponent as the team travels to Columbia, Missouri.

Stidham said he is excited about the upcoming stretch of SEC games, with four straight games against Missouri, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU. “Offensively, defensively, special teams, we’re really excited about this stretch we’re about to get into,” Stidham said.

Auburn will look for its first SEC win against the Missouri Tigers, who have started the season at 1-2 with losses to South Carolina and Purdue.

The two Tiger teams will kick off Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

lifestyle THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

11 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

CULTURE

Smith Museum adds ‘out-of-the-box’ sculptures Caroline Kruza LIFESTYLE WRITER

The iconic rabbit sculptures in the lake are not the only memorable outdoor pieces at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art anymore.

This fall, the museum has expanded its “Out of the Box” outdoor sculpture exhibition, as well as new exhibits inside the museum.

“Every two years we host a juried competition,” said Charlotte Hendrix, communications and marketing specialist for the museum.

“We have submissions from all over the country. This year we’ve selected Jean Shin to look at all the different selections. [She] selected 12 sculptures and we have 8 now on the grounds that will be exhibited for one year.”

The new sculptures featured include portrayals of a fallen cell tower, an American flag covered with writings by a Birmingham based artist and a contemporary silver piece by Gregory Johnson.

Hendrix said the pieces have a few things in common.

“You can tell particularly by the pink ladder, I don’t know if it was intentional, but the pieces coordinate by the color,” Henrix said.

“They’re all examples of sculpture which can be viewed differently. That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to have the “Out of the Box” sculpture event, because we present art-

work a lot of times in the galleries and it’s usually two dimensional, but you know, it’s a very difference experience.”

Hendrix said she thinks people enjoy the museum more when the sculptures are on the grounds.

“I think they give our surroundings such color and life,” Hendrix said.

Moving indoors, the new exhibition titled “Height Width Depth: A Matter of Space” brings the basic art concept in front of the viewer’s very eyes with sculptures and paintings; taking your eyes through varying dimensions to interpret the works differently.

Many pieces in the museum are marked with the 125 Years of Auburn Women logo.

This is part of a movement the museum is making to highlight underrepresented female artists in museums not only locally but across the nation.

The museum is making a point to highlight artists from the state of Alabama in honor of the bicentennial.

Hendrix said all Auburn University students are highly encouraged to participate in the events at the museum, as well as visit the new art.

“I’m happy to hear when I speak with students that they love the museum,” Hendrix said. “They come to the museum to unwind and have a particular experience with the arts.”

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

A statue outside of Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

FASHION

ENTERTAINMENT

NERDtorch Cafe offers games, food, community Aidan Lambrecht LIFESTYLE WRITER

SARA BAUKNECHT/PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS

A collection was presented Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at Skylight Clarkson Sq. in lower Manhattan as part of New York Fashion Week.

NY Fashion Week trends for students Emma Rygiel LIFESTYLE WRITER

From an outsider looking in, New York Fashion Week is comprised of extravagant, expensive looks made for a small sector of pop culture’s elite. However, as movies such as the “Devil Wears Prada” suggest, the fashion presented is so much more.

Although NYFW presentations may mimic more of a show than a typical store window display, the apparel produced by designers controls what trickles down into department stores and town boutiques.

This year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week featured the “Ready to Wear” collections for spring 2018. “Ready to Wear” is supposed to be the most applicable to the general public’s wardrobe, and this year it was made up of realistic trends and wearable pieces.

Throwing it back to the 90s in many collections, the runway was full of reinvention, inspiriation and free fashion.

With the last of the shows coming to a close, New York Fashion Week has said its last words. Here are some of the trends straight from the runway that you can expect to see in stores and maybe your own closet come spring.

Sequins A hit or miss in the fashion world, se-

quins are always teetering between tasteful and tacky. This year designers have ignored the negative stigma regarding sequins, showing them as the perfect applique to spice up evening wear.

Appearing in collections like Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford ­­— both fashion masterminds — this trend is sure to be seen this coming spring.

Sheer Fabrics Playing off the already established trend, many designers this season got on the bandwagon, making sheer sheerer.

They pushed the trend further, creating incredibly thin, elegant garments to wear over or under anything and everything.

This trend creates a way to layer pieces during spring without overheating.

Denim A fashion choice with minimal flaws, denim is usually present in some form every runway season. However, this year dark wash took its turn in the spotlight.

Designers such as Calvin Klein, Zadig & Voltaire and Tom Ford have come up with their own versions of the wardrobe staple, adding a new style to it.

It’s safe to say you should stock up on your dark denim in the coming months.

Stripes A classic reborn, stripes have long been a popular yet tricky pattern to wear. Used by designers such as Jason Wu, Phillip

Lim and Derek Lam, this pattern was all the rage on the runway this year.

Presented in mostly reds that give off a vintage candy shop vibe, expect to see vertical, horizontal and skewed stripes on the racks this spring.

“Extreme Sports” From track pants to fanny packs and jumpsuits to windbreakers, sportswear was a popular theme on the runway. Playing into the “athleisure” trend, designers have continued to work with the theme as it is both functional and fashionable.

Shown through Rihanna’s Fenty X Puma collection, Marc Jacobs and Public, fanny packs and everything 90s athletic wear are here to stay.

Adding some stylish twists to the seemingly outdated wardrobe pieces, designers are reinventing the past.

Best to sift through your parent’s closet now so you’re ahead of the trend next season.

Yellow Proving pantone to be the color of the season, yellow was seen all over the runway.

Mixed with other bright shades and contrasting muted tones, yellow was the shining star.

Take a risk by investing in some yellow this spring and get your sunglasses ready when you hit the stores.

Early in his life, NERDtorch Cafe owner Nigel Mongerie felt it was hard to find other people with the same interests as himself.

In an effort to ensure others do not struggle with this, he wanted to start a business to provide an easy way for people with like-minded interests to connect and build strong friendships.

Located in the Collaboration Station in Opelika, NERDtorch Cafe seeks to remind customers of the memories they had as children playing games with friends after school. More than just a restaurant, NERDtorch Cafe aims to be the place that friends go to hang out, have fun and enjoy a meal.

“The mission for NERDtorch Cafe is a simple one,” Mongerie said. “We want to build a strong community for the nerdy people.”

Day passes or month-long memberships can be purchased to enjoy hanging out at the cafe, playing games, eating food and even earning reward points for contributing to the community.

The idea for the cafe began with the release of “Pokemon Go,” Mongerie said.

“People were everywhere,” Mongerie said.

“People all over the city were scattered around catching Pokemon, and that’s when I noticed that while a lot of businesses were do-

ing a lot of different things to support the players, there weren’t any businesses that really catered to the gaming community.”

Soon after he saw this need for a place that catered to the community, Hastings Entertainment in Auburn, one of the premier places for the gaming community, closed down.

Mongerie said he knew someone had to fill the void, and he stepped up to the plate.

Mongerie and the staff showed their love for the community when they opened the cafe for members to stay overnight during the worst of Hurricane Irma.

However, the journey from idea to reality was not one that was without struggle.

Mongerie said one of the biggest struggles NERDtorch Cafe faced was finding money for games and equipment.

Game consoles and setups are not cheap even when bought used, but Mongerie said he soon realized that he was not alone in the pursuit of his original dream.

“The [gaming] community was very supportive and has donated a lot of the games and systems that we have so far so that we could keep the dream alive,” Mongerie said.

Through the help of the community, he was able to acquire enough setups to get the cafe off the ground.

LITERATURE

Auburn alumna writes SEC mascot-themed children’s book Katie Clark LIFESTYLE WRITER

For Susan Carothers, Auburn alumna, football has always been in her blood. So much so that it inspired her to write a children’s book about it.

Carothers said she grew up watching football with her grandfather who was a head coach at Samford University.

Both of her parents graduat-

ed from Auburn, and have always encouraged her love for the sport and the school.

Through her family’s love for the Southeastern Conference, Carothers became inspired to write her book for other younger Auburn fans and cheer on her alma mater.

“Twas the Night Before Gameday” is focused around all of the SEC mascots getting ready for game day.

Carothers said she wrote this book while watching the Auburn Tiger’s 2014 season with her family.

“After watching Aubie and all the other mascots of the SEC, I started to write my book on my phone,” Carothers said. “I asked family members about the different mascots, and that is how I got my idea.”

Carothers used her mar-

keting degree as she completed her book by sending it to three different publishers.

Not long after sending it off, it was picked up.

During her time at Auburn, Carothers was involved in several organizations including Tigerettes, Cater Society, Panhellenic Philanthropy, she was a War Eagle girl and in a social sorority.

Although she always had a busy schedule, her passion for writing continued to grow.

For her book tour, Carothers said she decided to make a return to Auburn for Homecoming festivities and to host a book reading.

During her book reading on Sept. 14 at THE locAL market in downtown Auburn, she signed books and

read to children decked out in orange and blue.

With Aubie in attendance, the love for Auburn football and the traditions that follow were evident.

Carothers hopes her book will show fans how great the traditions of the conference truly are, and despite each school having its own tradition, they all make up one big family — the SEC.

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

PAGE 12

ENTERTAINMENT

Games on The Plains: ‘Destiny 2’ delivers Chris Heaney CAMPUS REPORTER

The first “Destiny,” or “D1,” came out in 2014 after tons of speculation considering what potential it had to change the shooter genre. Activision giving Bungie, the developers of the “Halo” series, creative freedom to make a first person shooter MMO seemed like a match made in heaven.

Many people caught up in that hype, myself included, were disappointed with the results.

Sure, the actual shooting gameplay was fantastic and reminiscent of Bungie’s classics like “Halo 3,” but that was about the only good thing about vanilla “Destiny.” The story was an uninteresting, confusing mess, the mission structure was forgettable and repetitive and the strikes/raids revolved around focusing fire on bullet-sponge bosses, running for ammo, rinsing and repeating until complete.

Although I had some good times playing with friends, it just wasn’t a good game.

Then came the paid expansions, which admittedly made the game better. Revisiting the game after major DLC, “The Taken King” provided some interesting changes to the “Destiny” formula, and added story elements that kept me around for a bit. But by that point the player base was small and it seemed like too little, too late. It was a shame because the foundation of the game was solid, and the world Bungie had created had so much potential; there were just too many problems to keep the game in players’ consoles.

It seemed like Bungie realized this because “Destiny 2” took that foundation and created something great this time around. Like the difference in quality between the first and second “Titanfall” games, “Destiny” felt like a beta to the completed, fleshed out “Destiny 2.”

Players start out by creating a custom character or continuing as their

VIA “DESTINY 2”

Hunter, Titan and Warlock classes of “Destiny 2.”

highest level character from “D1.”

I have to admit, although the first game wasn’t great, seeing my Exo Titan brought back an embarrassing amount of nostalgia.

The classes are the same as the first game: Titan, Warlock and Hunter. Titans focus on defense and brute force, Warlocks focus more on team healing and self-preservation and Hunters are stealthy, highdamage dealers. Each class has access to three subclasses that take notes from the first game while adding some new elements including an entire new ability mapped on the circle/b button. While re-using the same subclasses could seem a bit lazy, the new abilities add enough to make any class you choose feel like a badass.

The story follows the events of “D1” and introduces a new enemy called Dominus Gaul. He’s a big, generic baddie that wants to take the

power from the Guardians to use for himself. It hits a lot of the same notes as a “Halo” campaign, and while it doesn’t do anything mindblowing, the fact that there is an understandable reason for players to do what they do makes the game feel whole.

I wish that the writers spent a little more time on the main characters, though. Gaul is great, but the members of the vanguard that “D1” veterans will remember as those guys who stood around a table and gave them stuff don’t do much in the way of developing themselves as characters. They each have questlines related to them, though, which is cool because it puts personalities behind the NPC’s of “D1.”

Unfortunately, these personalities are largely flat — the slight exception being Cayde-6, voiced by Nathan Fillion — and are ultimately there to give your character some-

one to complete missions for. This is just a minor gripe as the fact that there is a beginning, middle and end to the story at all is leaps and bounds ahead of the first game.

When you’re done with the story and it’s time to do side missions, strikes and player versus player content to get ready for the endgame raids, one of the best things “Destiny 2” does is never make these activities feel like a grind.

The four massive, open-world locations you visit throughout the story offer a myriad of bigger side quests called adventures, which consist of random public events that happen every few minutes, quests to complete for specific weapons, smaller patrol missions, mini dungeons called lost sectors and seemingly unlimited things to stumble across; all while playing with possibly the best shooting/traversal console FPSs have to offer.

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The adventures act as even more story for the player to experience as they’re fully voiced and feature multiple steps before completion. During the adventures you’ll go to places you never set foot in during the main game, a very welcome addition when considering “D1” re-used locations for everything you did.

Public events feel more involved too. Instead of showing up to an area, clearing out enemies and grabbing their loot, events can now be turned heroic, which ups the ante with harder challenges and varied mechanics, subsequently dropping better loot for everyone involved.

Strikes, the dungeons of “Destiny 2,” follow the formula put forth in “The Taken King.” Fireteams of three are tasked with pushing through waves of enemies, coming across multiple mini-bosses until finally challenging the exciting endboss for a big reward. The weekly “Nightfall” strike puts a timer on these events and increases the enemy difficulty, giving players something to come back to every week.

As for the loot itself — and there’s a lot of it — “Destiny 2” gives the player a lot of quality of life improvements that the first game desperately needed. Guns and armor no longer have to be leveled up in an infuriatingly obtuse way, and can now be modded and shaded to the player’s own taste.

PvP content is much of the same as the first game, but now the fights are 4v4 instead of 6v6. It’s more accessible to new players and still a ton of fun, but the lower player count can, in my opinion, take away from the hectic, always-on-your-toes action from the first game. Luckily, this is just another minor gripe that I’m sure can be tweaked if enough players show interest.

Whether you played the first “Destiny” or never even touched the series, “Destiny 2” has something for every FPS fan. It should definitely be your next purchase.

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