The Auburn Plainsman 10.27.16

SPECIAL FALL FASHION ISSUE INSIDE

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, October 27, 2016 Vol. 124, Issue 8, 12 Pages

First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.

COURT

COMMUNITY

Officers involved in shooting identified K ris M artins

COMMUNITY REPORTER

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Being LGBTQ in Auburn

Campus making strides, but civil rights group ranks Auburn one of the eight worst cities for LGBTQ equality and inclusion Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

To Erin Walker, senior in psychology, rules are more than just words written on paper and policies are more than just formalities filed away in a code book.

They mean something.

During her sophomore year at Auburn, she transitioned from being a man to being a woman. It was a difficult time for her. Friends were supportive and professors were mostly accepting, but not everyone was.

At the time, she was in chemical engineering, a tight-knit major where everyone knows everyone. Students spend most of their time working on semesterlong group projects.

“I came out as transgender in 2011, and I decided to transition in the middle of the semester,” Walker said. “Everybody knew I was the transgender student in the class. Chemical engineering is a conservative major like any engineering major. I was alienated. Most people didn’t want to talk to me. I didn’t really get along with anybody after I came out.

I very quickly became the black sheep.”

Students in her project group would get into screaming matches over which pronoun to use for her, despite her obvious preferences, and staff would intentionally misgender her as well. She said

she has a friend who transitioned from female to male and experienced more violent, physical backlash. He even had a professor who tried to fail him.

“This was at a time when Auburn University didn’t have gender identity or gender expression added to its nondiscrimination clause,” Walker, who is the director of political affairs for Spectrum, said. Spectrum is Auburn University’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

Since then, she has been a leading force in pushing the University to include enumerated nondiscrimination policies. Thanks to their efforts, students, faculty, staff and administration can no longer discriminate against anyone based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

For Walker, getting those changes into University policy was about more than adding a few more words to codes of conduct. It was about making sure the same thing that happened to her and her friends never happened to anyone else.

“Those protections are now in place, but at the time these discriminatory practices were occurring, those options weren’t on the table,” she said. “Those protections weren’t in place. We didn’t have the ability to treat any of this as a hate crime. We didn’t have the ability to treat any of this as discrimination target-

ed toward transgender individuals.”

Now, Walker considered considers campus and the University community as a safe place. But as soon as Walker or any member of the LGBTQ community steps foot across Magnolia Avenue or South College Street — beyond the boundaries of the University’s campus — the legal protections against discrimination disappear.

The City of Auburn does not have any formally established nondiscrimination policies that specifically protect people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation, their gender identity or their gender expression.

An LGBTQ person can be fired tomorrow in Auburn for simply being lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender or queer. The City of Auburn has taken no steps, according to the city’s municipal code, to prevent that from happening.

Auburn was recently scored as one of the eight worst cities for equality and inclusion for LGBTQ people, according to a report by the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights group.

The Loveliest Village was among 506 cities and municipalities across the nation scored by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Equality Fed-

» See LGBTQ, 2

Court documents provided Monday named the officers involved in the April shooting death of Melissa Boarts, including the one who shot and killed her.

The documents, sent to media members by the Boarts' attorney, Julian McPhillips, produced details the city had long held despite the lawsuit the Boarts filed after the Auburn Police Division shot and killed their daughter April 3.

Though the documents name both Detective Cpl. Michael Creighton and Lt. Daniel Humphries as defendants, Creighton was identified in the documents as the officer believed to have shot and killed Boarts. Humphries is included as a defendant because he was "involved in some kind of leadership capacity," McPhillips said.

She was shot on Red Creek Road in Macon County after her parents called police when she got in her car and began driving erratically on Interstate 85. Her mother told police she was suicidal and carrying a knife.

Police said they received a call reporting a bipolar, suicidal motorist and were aware of the knife. After police pulled her over to "check her welfare," police said Boarts charged officers with a lock-blade knife, and two officers fired at her, with one shot hitting her in the chest and killing her.

A Macon County grand jury ruled the shooting justified in August after the Macon County district attorney's office presented evidence from an investigation conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations.

But the Boarts also filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Macon County against the the City of Auburn for wrongful death and assault and battery.

Creighton, 33, was equipped with a folding lock blade knife along with his handgun, the document said. He also had a shotgun in the trunk of his car. He has served for 12 years, documents show.

Creighton and four other officers, not including Humphries, were at the scene of the shooting, and none of them have been involved in previous complaints or incidents of deadly force, according to the court records. They were equipped with other weapons, some with batons, pepper spray or folding lock blade knives in addition to handguns.

However, the city provided McPhillips with court records about a previous lawsuit filed against Creighton, though McPhillips said he has not reviewed the records yet.

The five officers, who are all still employed by the city, also completed an eight-hour course called Mental Health First Aid USA the month before the incident, according to the documents.

“The training addressed mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and substance-use disorders,” the document reads. The police division also offers Taser training, the document said.

Melissa had seizures since she was 15 and began suffering from bipolar disorder in her early 20s, her mother told The Plainsman last month. In her 30s, Melissa was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and manic depression, she added.

Court records also state that none of the five officers were “punished, reprimanded, suspended, terminated, or punished in any other way as a result of the shooting."

The city also objected to several requests for documents, and McPhillips said he is sending a letter in response to the objections, some of which he said are not well-founded.

“I think their initial discovery responses reflected that the shooting and killing of Melissa Boarts was inexcusable, unjustifiable, and the City of Auburn is going to be liable for it,” McPhillips said.

APD Chief Paul Register said he would not be able to comment on the matter pending the litigation.

CAMPUS

Most recent assessments show majority of Magnolia Oak canopy is dead Staff Report

In the aftermath of the fire set to the Magnolia Avenue Oak, the Auburn Family has speculated whether the tree will survive.

Though severely charred, the tree began to show signs of life last week when new leaves emerged on its branches.

However, Professor of Horticulture Gary Keever said continued

Page 4

health assessments of the tree show the majority of it is dead from the fire.

“Our message to the Auburn Family about the Magnolia Avenue tree remains the same as from the outset, that it is severely damaged from the Sept. 25 fire,” Keever said. “We have conducted three assessments of its health, the most recent one showing 60-70 percent of

Page 6

the tree’s canopy is dead.”

Keever said though these assessments are discouraging, the University is making every attempt to save the tree.

“A few new leaves have formed on some of the live branches, however, this does not indicate additional growth will occur or that those branches will be alive in the spring,” Keever said.

Page 8

“Although the outlook is not promising, Auburn is doing everything possible to save the tree. We will continue to monitor the tree and provide updates as they become available.”

The oak was set on fire in the early morning after the Auburn vs.

LSU game on Sept. 25. Jochen Wiest, the man who allegedly started the fire, was charged with felo-

Page 11

ny criminal mischief, public intoxication and desecration of a venerable object.

Multiple witnesses said they saw Wiest pull a lighter from his pocket to ignite a piece of toilet paper that was hanging from the tree.

One of the witnesses pursued him and he was detained a few minutes

» See MAGNOLIA OAK, 2 INDEX Campus

3

Opinion

5

Community 6

Get to know Miss AU

Locals feel the impact of drought

Defense looks to continue success

A day in the life of a cheerleader

Sports

8

Lifestyle

11

News 2

The Auburn Plainsman

COMMUNITY

LGBTQ » From 1

FILE PHOTO

Auburn has three other Starbucks locations, two of which are on the University campus

Auburn’s first stand-alone Starbucks set for next year Kris Martins

COMMUNITY REPORTER

Auburn residents could be sipping coffee at the city’s first stand-alone Starbucks as soon as mid-spring, according to the store’s developer.

The coffee franchise, along with an AT&T service store, will appear in front of the new TownPlace Suites on South College Street.

The two stores will be a part of a “mini strip,” with each space being about 2,000 square feet, according developer Michael Delaney of Delaney Development Inc. Rodney Rowan, of Stewart Perry Construction, said the construction deadline is set for February, after which the construction company will hand the buildings over to Starbucks and AT&T for final touches.

Delaney said the location in front of the hotel is a “good fit” for the Starbucks store, which will include a drive-thru. It will allow the coffee shop to attract hotel guests, students and those headed to work in the city, he added.

Auburn is also home to several local coffee shops, including Toomer’s Coffee Company that is nearly across the street from where the new Starbucks will sit.

But Delaney believes the two types of coffee shops — small-business and franchise — can coexist.

“I think people are going to get coffee where they want to get coffee,” whether that’s Starbucks or a local shop, he said.

“I don’t think it will adversely affect anyone.”

Auburn has three other Starbucks locations, two of which are on the University campus. The third location arrived with the summer renovation and expansion of the Kroger on Dean Road.

MAGNOLIA OAK » From 1

later.

Wiest denied setting the fire despite having a black lighter in his possession and being identified by multiple witnesses, according to police documents.

eration Institute in their annual Municipal Equality Index.

The organization gave Auburn a zero out of 100 in its final score — making it one of only eight cities in the entire United States to receive a zero.

Auburn received a score for the first time this year.

The city received scores in five broad categories, which the HRC believes contribute to overall LGBTQ equality and inclusion. The MEI rated the cities’ nondiscrimination laws, municipal employment policies, the inclusivity of city-provided services, law enforcement and city leadership’s relationship with the LGBTQ community.

In each of these individual categories, Auburn took home a whopping zero.

In addition to protecting Auburn’s LGBTQ population from employment discrimination in the private sector, the City of Auburn has no explicit protections in city employment policy to protect LGTBQ people from facing discrimination when applying for municipal jobs, according to the HRC’s report.

“The city provides equal opportunity to all persons for employment ... based on proficiency and merit and without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, political belief, disability or genetic information,” the city’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy statement reads.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are notably absent in the city’s policy.

City Public Affairs Director David Dorton said sex discrimination includes gender identity and sexual orientation, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“The city has a nondiscrimination policy, and does not discriminate in employment for any reason,” Dorton said.

Auburn also has no enumerated protections for LGBTQ people when it comes to housing discrimination, the HRC’s report said.

It is unlawful “to make any distinction, discrimination or restriction against any person ... predicated upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry of the prospective or actual buyer or tenant,” the city’s Housing Discrimination code reads.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are not included.

“This language is essentially the same as that of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Act,” Dorton said. “HUD maintains that LGBT discrimination can be covered by the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition of sex discrimination.”

Sex does not necessarily cover sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in city ordinances, said Xavier Persad, legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign.

Wiest’s case will move to a grand jury in the Circuit Court for Lee County, which will determine whether or not Wiest will stand trial.

There is no date for the grand jury set at this time.

The most recent assessment leaves slightly more room for hope

CAMPUS CRIME LOG

“

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Once we leave the University, we don’t have those protections any longer.”

—Erin Walker

SPECTRUM DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

“What we’re looking for here, and what is always the best practice in terms of expressly protecting LGBTQ folk, is to have explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and and public accommodations citywide,” Persad said.

The fact that it’s not there means it’s something the city needs to work on, Walker said.

“If they mean the same thing, there would be no qualms with changing the wording of one line in a bill,” she said.

“That enumeration wouldn’t matter.

But the fact that there is resistance to that enumeration is evidence enough to show it does matter.”

City Manager Charlie Duggan said the city would never use sexual orientation or gender identity to discriminate against anyone when hiring them for positions in local government.

“We believe we don’t discriminate, period,” Duggan said. “We don’t feel the need to call that out. I can tell you I certainly wouldn’t stand for it with any of my staff members. We believe in treating people fairly.”

It hasn’t been an issue in the past, Duggan said, and the city doesn’t have the authority to legislate discrimination in private-sector employment.

“I don’t think we can tell businesses that,” Duggan said. “That’s governed by either state or federal law.”

With state legislatures — like Alabama’s — increasingly under the control of large conservative Republican majorities and supermajorities, it becomes the responsibility of cities to protect their neighbors from discrimination, Persad said.

“It is even more important for local leaders to act in states where these protections don’t exist,” Persad said. “No one deserves to be fired for their job, refused services or evicted for who they are or who they love. Many cities in states without inclusive protections are leading the way toward equality. Just this year, Jackson, Mississippi, passed fully inclusive protections for their LGBTQ residents in employment, housing and public accommodations.”

The HRC’s MEI scored every state’s capital city, the five largest cities in every state and the cities home to each state’s two largest public universities.

The MEI also scored 75 cities that have “high proportions of same-sex couples” and 98 cities selected by HRC state organization members and supporters.

Auburn’s final score of zero fell far below the national average score of 55 out of 100. Auburn was among only

than Keever’s orginal observations.

In a letter to the Auburn Police Division written in the days following the fire, Executive Director of Public Safety and Security Chance Corbett said the horticulture professional predicted the burned Auburn Oak — that was planted a little less than two years ago, after the origi-

eight cities that scored zeros. Clemson, South Carolina, another city home to a large public university, also scored a zero.

“I would see this as a road map for city leaders to recognize what can and should be done to be fully inclusive of their LGBTQ community,” Persad said.

“It is also a road map for local advocates on the ground to see what precisely can be done to further inclusivity in their city.”

Sixty cities, many in states with restrictive LGTBQ laws like Alabama, scored a 100. More than a quarter of the 506 cities scored received over a 75 on their scorecards.

The HRC said they compiled their scorecards through research into each individual city’s codes and policies.

The HRC sends the scorecard by certified mail and email to both the mayor’s office and the city manager. They do three separate mailings every year.

The first notifies city leaders that they’re going to be rated, the second allows the city to review a draft scorecard and point out any errors, and the third mailing contains the city’s final report.

City officials said they never reviewed the initial notification, the draft scorecard or the final scorecard sent from HRC. Walker and others have made a concerted effort to make Auburn’s campus a “safe bubble,” she said. But most students don’t live on campus, and nearly everyone has to go out into the city for day-to-day needs.

“Once we leave the University, we don’t have those protections any longer,” Walker said. “Despite what public officials may say, sex is not the same as gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation. I believe they are cognizant of that fact. It shows the areas that we need to work on to make Auburn a more inclusive, more supportive environment.”

That’s not to say Auburn isn’t a welcoming community for any minority group, Walker said. There are many businesses and groups in the city that take it upon themselves to create safe spaces for LGBTQ people.

“But this isn’t true for all of the areas around town,” she said. “We do have growing places for LGBT nightlife in Auburn, which is beneficial, but this isn’t the case everywhere else. I think the LGBTQ population in Auburn knows to avoid certain areas because they know there is an implication that they aren’t welcome.”

The city does its best to make sure everyone feels welcome, Dorton said.

“I really do believe that Auburn is a friendly and welcoming place, and intends to be so for every individual,” he said. “I hope that is everyone’s experience.”

Efforts to reach several City Council members for comment on this article were declined by the time of publication.

nal trees were poisoned by Harvey Updyke in 2010 — will likely die and will eventually need to be replaced.

“As a result of the fire that was intentionally set to one of the oak trees on university property at the corner of West Magnolia Avenue and South College Street, it is the

professional opinion of Dr. Gary Keever, Professor of Horticulture, that the damaged tree will die and must be replaced,” the letter, dated Sept. 27, reads.

“It is estimated that the cost to replace the damaged tree will be approximately $15,000 to $20,000.”

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Date Reported

Type of Incident

General Location

10/24

Domestic Violence - Harassment

E Magnolia Av @ N. Ross St.

10/24

Criminal Littering

1000 Block of S .Donahue Dr.

10/24

Criminal Trespass Second Degree

20 Block of Mell St.

10/23

Public Intoxication

100 Block of S. College St.

10/23

Public Intoxication

400 Block of Duncan Dr.

10/23

Minor in Possession of Alcohol

400 Block of Duncan Dr.

10/22

Public Intoxication

200 Block of S. Donahue Dr.

10/22

Public Intoxication

200 Block of S. Donahue Dr.

10/22

Domestic Incident

100 Block of S. College St.

10/22

Fleeing/Attempting to Elude Officer

300 Block of W.Thach Conc.

10/22

Resisting Arrest

300 Block of W.Thach Conc.

10/22

Disorderly Conduct

300 Block of W.Thach Conc.

10/22

Harassment

300 Block of W.Thach Conc.

10/22

Leaving Scene of Accident

200 Block of S. Donahue Dr.

10/22

Driving Under the Influence - Alcohol

Wire Rd @ Extension Loop

10/22

Theft of Property Third Degree

300 Block of S. Donahue Dr.

10/22

Public Intoxication

300 Block of W.Thach Conc.

10/21

Theft - Miscellaneous

600 Block of Heisman Dr.

10/20

Theft of Property Fourth Degree

600 Block of Heisman Dr.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Nova,War Eagle VII, makes the traditional pre-game flight. Auburn vs Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 22 in Auburn.

Campus

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Thursday, October 27, 2016

ThePlainsman.com

Campus

SECURITY

Head of NSA discusses cyberterrorism and whistleblowing ROMY IANNUZZI CAMPUS WRITER

Navy Admiral Michael S. Rogers, Auburn alumnus and head of the NSA, came to the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center to give a talk about cybersecurity in the modern day.

Rogers discussed some recent challenges the NSA had faced against foreign threats.

“Most nation states, groups and individuals out there have clearly not yet come to the conclusion that there is a significant price to pay for these sort of actions,” Rogers said.

Rogers said we see this issue around the world.

“You see that in the Russian hack at the Democratic National Convention, you see that in the North Korean hack against Sony,” Rogers said.

Rogers gave a Q&A after his speech, answering audience members’ questions about issues such as the threat of the Islamic State in the cyber world.

In response to one audience member’s question about whether the battle against the Islamic State could be considered a “world war,” Rogers said the issue ran deeper.

“The thing about ISIL is that their ideology

ELLEN JACKSON / PHOTOGRAPHER

Michael Rogers speaks at the Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

is their most powerful weapon,” Rogers said.

“Their victory online and in people’s minds is just as important, maybe more important than their victory on the battlefield.”

Rogers answered one audience member’s

question regarding this week’s massive DDoS attacks against websites like Netflix and the New York Times along the East Coast.

“We can’t change the fundamental dynamics that we’re dealing in right now,” Rogers said.

“This is going in a direction that’s going to cost us billions, if not trillions of dollars over time.”

Rogers said the cost of this will have a big impact on Americans.

“That’s going to have a significant impact on our everyday lives from a convenience standpoint to much more than just inconvenience,” Rogers said.

Rogers said the next step is to upgrade networks in order to keep up with opponents.

“We’re going to have to upgrade our networks,” Roger said. “We’re going to have to make it harder for our opponents.”

Rogers said it was important to provide students with useful cybersecurity knowledge and information to combat future conflicts in cyberspace.

“If you think about it, some of the greatest technologies used in war by the government, weren’t created by the government,” Rogers said. “They were created in universities and think tanks. I think we should be doing the exact same thing with cyber.”

Auburn could be a key player in moving forward with this process, Rogers said.

“Education, research, thought-places like Auburn are a big part of how we’re gonna move ourselves forward,” Rogers said.

SENATE

SGA discusses football game attendance, election events Romy iannuzzi CAMPUS WRITER

This week’s SGA meeting included discussion of some concerns about decreasing student attendance at football games as well as events for the week of the presidential election.

Brandon Etheredge, Eagle Eye TV assistant news director, took open floor time to discuss some of the events for election week, including the Wednesday’s debate be-

tween the College Democrats and Republicans.

“This Wednesday night, we’re partnering with the College Republicans, the College Democrats and the Young Americans for Liberty for a debate,” Etheredge said.

“We’ll be streaming it live on our Youtube channel and the event is open to anyone who wants to come at Foy Hall.”

EVP of Programs Hunter Gibson said he had concerns about the in-

“

We had at least 14,500 tickets distributed and only just under 10,000 swipes.Almost 5,000 people had a ticket and didn’t come.”

—Hunter Gibson SGA EVP OF PROGRAMS

creasing amount of students buying football tickets and not attending the games during executive announcements.

“We had at least 14,500 tickets distributed and only just under 10,000 swipes [at the Arkansas game],” Gibson said.

The student section was not as well attended as usual, Gibson said.

“Almost 5,000 people had a ticket and didn’t come,” Gibson said.

College of Business Senator

Reed Adams reported on the feedback the college received after their recent survey.

“Within the College of Business, the main two things people want to see changed were dining and scheduled empty rooms for study spaces, especially during exam week,” Adams said. “So we’ll be back out there Thursday at 2 p.m., in the hallways, collecting data and passing out the rest of the convocation shirts.”

PAGEANTS

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Brooklyn Holt is crowned Miss Auburn University 2017.

Get to know Miss Auburn University Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Brooklyn Holt, sophomore in journalism and political science, was crowned Miss Auburn University 2016 after competing in the SGA-sponsored event.

Contestants answered an on-stage question, participated in swimsuit and evening wear competitions, performed a chosen talent and participated in 10-minute interviews held prior to the event to get their overall scores.

Holt said she was in shock when she was announced the winner.

“Nothing about the moment when I was being crowned seemed like real life,” Holt said. “It was just all so surreal, since I have dreamed of being Miss Auburn University ever since I started competing in the Miss America Program five years ago.”

Though Holt prepared for this pageant mostly during her years at Auburn, she said she’s really been preparing for several years.

“Staying updated on current events, working out at Ma-

“

I look forward to an unforgettable journey as Miss Auburn University and giving back to the University that continually invests in me.”

—Brooklyn Holt MISS AUBURN UNIVERSITY 2017

jorette practice and practicing my talent are a few things I did to prepare for the pageant,” Holt said. “Being in the Miss Alabama system now for five years, you could say I have been preparing for a while now.”

The on-stage question is the most difficult part of the pageant, Holt said.

“It may not be the ‘hardest’ phase of competition, but it is most definitely the most nervewracking,” Holt said. “Not knowing what question you will have to answer in front of the audience can be a bit intim-

idating. You just hope you are informed enough to answer the question.”

Holt said performing is a big part of her life.

“My favorite parts include meeting phenomenal women on Auburn’s campus and getting to perform,” Holt said. “No matter what facet of competition, I love performing.”

The next phase of Holt’s life will include appearances as part of her duties and preparation for future pageants.

“I will hit the ground running making numerous appearances across Auburn’s campus and throughout the community,” Holt said. “I will spend the year preparing for Miss Alabama with the help of the Miss Auburn University team and promote my platform of ‘Raise Your Voice for Children’.”

Holt said serving as Miss Auburn University will be an opportunity to give back to the University and community.

“I look forward to an unforgettable journey as Miss Auburn University and giving back to the University that continually invests in me,” Holt said.

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Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

GREEK LIFE

IFC and Panhellenic host new member barbecue

Kressie Kornis CAMPUS WRITER

The Greek New Member Barbecue was held Monday, Oct. 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Student Center Green Space.

The event had free food from Mike and Ed’s Barbecue for all of the new members of Auburn Greek life, and included a performance by Tim Tyler, a piano act from Atlanta; Aubie also made an appearance.

Kelsey Williams, senior in secondary education, is the director of new member education for Auburn Panhellenic and helped plan the New Member Barbecue.

This is the first year Panhellenic has teamed up with the Interfraternity Council to put on the barbecue, Williams said.

“It’s a yearly event and most of the time it’s been just for Panhellenic, but we wanted to extend it to the entire Greek system this year, so we got them on board this year and just tried to think of ways to include everyone and make it more accessible to the whole Greek community,” Williams said.

Andrew Holder, senior in building science and the co-director of the Interfraternity Council, also helped plan the event.

Holder said the barbecue was a way to help all of the 2016 pledge classes get to know each

other.

“We wanted to make sure that all of the fraternities and sororities had the chance to get to meet people they don’t usually have swaps with,” Holder said. “We had close to 500 new members who came out to grab some Mike & Ed’s BBQ, see Aubie and enjoy live music from Tim Tyler.”

The new members seemed to enjoy the event, Holder said.

“They were very surprised with how many new members came to the event,” Holder said.

Holt said he hopes the success of this year’s barbecue will give next year’s IFC and Panhellenic officers something to build on.

“In the past, the New Member Barbecue has not been attended by many of the new members, but we really were excited about how well the outcome was this year and it gives the next years IFC and Panhellenic Directors something to build upon.”

Nolen Heydon, freshman in pre-wireless engineering, said he talked to new people and made new friends with people in other pledge classes.

“I went because it was an opportunity to meet some new people from different sororities and fraternities and because of some free food,” Heydon said.

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Panhellenic and IFC set up for the new member barbecue on the Student Center Green Space.

Emily Perino, freshman in pre-graphic design, said hearing Tim Tyler perform was one of her favorite parts of the evening.

“He sang a bunch of songs that I liked, like Rocket Man by Elton John,” Perino said. “It was

also really fun to meet new people.”

Perino said she enjoyed the atmosphere of the event.

“It was clean, sober fun with free food,” Perino said. “What could be better?”

SENATE

SGA and the City of Auburn seek to add blue lights and improve downtown security Loren Kimmel CAMPUS WRITER

SGA held its semi-annual Safety Walk last week to analyze the areas on and off campus in need of better lighting or safety features.

The event involved 100 SGA members from both the Cabinet and Senate, as well as representatives from Facilities Management, the Auburn Police Department, the Office of Information Technology, Public Safety and the City of Auburn.

Trey Fields, SGA executive vice president of initiatives, said all of these people are divided into smaller groups and were then as-

ELLEN JACKSON / PHOTOGRAPHER

An emergency station in RO parking lot on campus.

signed to an individual zone on campus.

These groups were tasked with

the responsibility of making it the safest for students.

Fields said the groups walked

the grounds searching for poorly lit areas, dangerous holes or crevices. They also tested the emergency blue-light system to ensure they are working properly.

Results from these findings are being compiled for submission to the University so the process of improvement may begin, Fields said.

“The biggest area of concern was blue-lights needing some maintenance,” Fields said.

Regions such as the North Park deck and Auburn Memorial remain under consideration as the University assesses the necessity of additional blue-lights and better light-

GREEK LIFE

ing, according to Fields.

The University is working closely with the City of Auburn to discuss a new initiative called the Travel with Care campaign.

This campaign is a new approach toward improving off-campus safety to reduce the risk of safety threats people may face in the downtown area, Fields said.

Fields said he accredits the University’s Public Safety, Facilities Management and Auburn Police for making the school safe.

“We are extremely fortunate here at Auburn to have a very, very safe campus environment,” Fields said.

CONSTRUCTION

RBD Library to close between semesters Kressie Kornis CAMPUS WRITER

ELLEN JACKSON / PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: Panhellenic and Best Buddies members came dressed in costume.

RIGHT: Best Buddies trick-or-treaters went to the sorority chapter rooms for fun and games in the Village.

Panhellenic hosts chapter room trick-or-treating Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

The University’s Panhellenic sororities partnered with Best Buddies, an organization that works with the intellectually disabled, to host an early trick-or-treating event outside their chapter rooms in the Village.

Jill Moore, director of Greek Life, said every Panhellenic sorority contributed to the event and participated.

“Each sorority set up a table with treats and had a few members waiting in costumes,” Moore said. “Best Buddies members came in their costumes and visited the sororities.”

Best Buddies trick-or-treating has been a Panhellenic tradition for the past few years, Moore said.

“This event has been happening since 2010,” Moore said. “It was a success and has become a perennial event we all look forward to.”

Moore said the partnership came about when Panhellenic was approached by Best Buddies.

“The event began when representatives from Best Buddies approached Panhellenic officers with the idea,” Moore said. “After that, it was just a matter of getting the sororities on board.”

The partnership was a good fit for Pan-

hellenic because so many members were already involved with the organization, Moore said.

“Many of the Auburn students who participate in Best Buddies are sorority women, so it was a natural fit,” Moore said.

“Best Buddies is such a fun group to spend time with and we appreciate the way they always provide the intermission performance at Greek Sing.”

Moore said the event was a good opportunity to support the Best Buddies organization and meet new people.

“This is a great way to support a group of people in the community who mean a lot to us,” Moore said.

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RBD Library will be closing between the fall and spring semesters for four weeks to complete part of the construction process that would normally be distruptive to students trying to study.

The library will close Friday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. and will reopen before the spring semester begins on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 9 a.m.

Bonnie MacEwan, dean of libraries, said the closing will help the construction process stay on schedule without disturbing people.

“By closing during the break, we allow the builders a chance to more quickly move forward with this major project,” MacEwan said.

MacEwan said the closure will ensure students are not disrupted and the project is completed on schedule.

“Managing the project this way cuts down on the number of users impacted by noise, plus it will help ensure that the classrooms are available for fall 2017 classes,” MacEwan said.

Some of the nosiest construction will be completed during this period, MacEwan said.

MacEwan said the entrance to the building will be under construction, and RBD will be without heat, light, water and climate control during the four-week break.

Jayson Hill, director of communications and marketing of libraries, said the project is on schedule to be completed in time for the fall 2017 semester.

“They will be breaking through the walls of the third and fourth floors to

“

By closing during the break, we allow the builders a chance to more quickly move forward with this major project.”

—Bonnie MacEwan DEAN OF LIBRARIES

start the process of connecting the two buildings together, and the parking deck side entrance of the library will be replaced,” Hill said.

Library services will be accessible to students at the Library of Architecture, Design and Constructions (LADC), including electronic services over the break.

The LADC will be open the same hours RBD would have been during this period, Hill said and LADC parking will be available in the A and B zones along Duncan and Graves drives.

MacEwan said White boards and markers along with seating choices such as study tables, armchairs, couches and rocking chairs, will be available to students at the LADC; It will offer the same amenities RBD normally would.

“Anyone looking for a comfortable place or inperson services will find them in the LADC branch,” MacEwan said.

MacEwan said the last day to submit a request to check out a book is Friday will be Dec. 2.

The entrance to RBD will return to its former location inside of the new Mell Classroom Building after this stage of the construction, Hill said.

Opinion

5

Thursday, October 27, 2016

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

OUR VIEW

Let’s extend our family, Auburn Fall Editorial Board 2016

Every year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation issues a Municipal Equality Index.

This scorecard shows the rankings of more than 500 cities nationwide with respect to how well or poorly they promote LGBTQ inclusivity and equality.

According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, cities are rated based on nondiscrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, city leadership and the law enforcement’s position on equality.

The eight Alabama cities that were scored received an average score of 8 out of 100, with Auburn sitting at the bottom of the list with a 0 out of 100.

It’s not too much of a surprise that Auburn didn’t perform as well as cities like Orlando or Philadelphia, but it is outrageous that Auburn is one of the only eight cities across the United States which received absolutely zero points for LGBTQ inclusivity and equality.

Auburn’s laws don’t protect its LGBTQ citizens enough, and that’s got to change.

We call for legislation to ensure LGBTQ people can’t be denied housing over their sexuality, for Auburn’s public schools to outline anti-bullying policies, which defend LGBTQ students and for general legislation to be passed that would prevent discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Some may call these demands immoral on the grounds that it makes easier the lives of people

whom many view as living an immoral lifestyle, thus enabling the lifestyle itself.

Though such demands may cause disturbance in those who cherish the status quo, it cannot be argued that they are immoral on such grounds.

The choice of adopting an LGBTQ lifestyle isn’t contingent upon whether it’ll make getting a home easier; it’s largely innate, as shown by scientific research indicating it has a biological basis.

But even if it were a choice, as many religiously-minded dissenters charge, it wouldn’t matter because church and state must remain separate, especially when church attempts to restrict the ability of certain groups of people to live free and happy lives. Purely religious justificatinos for preventing these laws don’t stand.

Neither could these demands be considered unreasonable.

It’s undeniable that LGBTQ people face more discrimination generally than non-LGBTQ people.

This is made evident by the fact LGBTQ people only had their right to be married acknowledged last year.

This general incongruence in obstacles facing LGBTQ people and heterosexual people is obvious to anyone who can pick up a history book, look at the news or digest the events going on around them in their own communities.

Auburn University students comprise over half of the city of Auburn’s population.

We can have a strong voice, and we have a moral obligation to use that voice to advocate for

STERLING WAITS / GRAPHICS EDITOR

the inclusiveness and equality our LGBTQ family members deserve.

We need to ensure our family is protected, not only on campus, but also in our community. This will involve interacting with city officials and demanding nondiscrimination policies and laws.

Auburn can carry the mantle in leading the

fight for LGBTQ equality in Alabama.

It’s not like other cities are far ahead of us, with the highest score in Alabama belonging to Birmingham with a proud 12 out of 100.

Let’s lead this charge and extend the Auburn Family to those not only on our campus, but inour city as well.

‘Locker room talk’ is not fine

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Sexual assault happens on a daily basis, even in our most respected communities.

Sexual assault is sometimes a confusing topic because it can be tricky to decide what constitutes inappropriate behavior.

I have a lot of friends who are girls, so when we joke or talk about things, sometimes I have to be careful with how I phrase our conversations so I don’t degrade them or lower their respect for themselves (accidentally) through friendly jesting.

Therefore, comments that I freely make to my guy friends might not be as appropriate around my female friends.

However, when I hang out or go downtown with mostly girls, they all know that I’m “big brother” for the night and will take care of them.

I make it a point to look after them throughout the night. They know they can trust me, and I am proud to be that kind of friend.

Some of my friends have told me stories of times they’ve been sexually assaulted. It takes a special kind of friendship and courage to speak about these kinds of issues —most of us try to forget them and never want to deal with them again. Remembering these incidents, trying to work through what you did or didn’t do to stop them and reliving the nightmare can be very stressful for anybody. I do my best to listen to these stories and comfort those who still need closure.

I have even been a witness to sexual assault on Auburn University’s campus this very year.

During my four years as an undergraduate, I have seen men, who do not know my female

friends, grab them inappropriately right before my eyes.

The most recent occasion occurred on a Tuesday night this past summer at a bar here in Auburn.

My friends and I were leaving the bar after a casual, quiet night of drinking; however, some obnoxious guy and his friend had to see to it that we weren’t allowed to have a perfect evening.

I’ll spare you the details of our encounter with the two college-age males (calling them “men” seems improper) or how much I wanted to beat some common sense into them, but we left the bar after consulting bouncers and police officers who were right next to us when the situation occurred.

After that fiasco, and having the two creeps kicked out of the bar, we attempted to compose ourselves at Little Italy’s before continuing home.

I was shell-shocked at the restaurant. I was furious. I could not understand why this punk — this immature child who I could easily have kicked to the curb—felt like he was allowed to touch my friends inappropriately.

Both the girls I was with are older than me, which made it feel even more disgusting — these were grown women, not ditsy and flirtatious undergraduates. And the more I thought about it, the more my stomach sank. My body had adrenaline pulsing through it as we sat waiting for our food.

My friend tried to keep reassuring me, “It’s fine, it’s ok. You did the right thing. It happens, it’s fine …”

The Editorial Board Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Claire Tully CAMPUS

Madison Ogletree PHOTO

Dakota Sumpter MANAGING EDITOR

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY

Anne Dawson SOCIAL MEDIA

Shannon Powell COPY

Emily Shoffit

Parker Aultman MULTIMEDIA

Weston Sims OPINION

Emily Esleck

SPORTS DESIGN

Lily Jackson LIFESTYLE

Submissions

Policy

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

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

Letters must 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.

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.

It’s fine? No, it is definitely is not fine, and it definitely does not happen to my friends—not when I’m around. I’m 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and I have worked for two different bars in Auburn as a bouncer. I can handle my own creeps, and I also know the policy at these places.

Most of the people who I worked with at these bars are amazing coworkers and managers, and I respect them for having procedures and training in place for their bouncers to prevent terrible situations like this from happening.

To be fair, I played sports in high-school and have been in a locker room after practice or after a game.

There is for sure some vulgar comments and joking around. Guys talk about immature things and harass one another as friends.

We say things that are maybe inappropriate for our parents’ dinner table, but never anything like that.

I even joined a fraternity in college and never heard someone bragging about sexual assault.

If we did hear someone cross a line, we called that guy out and embarrassed him for being so weird. (At our weekly chapter meetings, we even have a portion where we can embarrass guys that were maybe extra-clingy to their dates or really sloppy during our socials … all in good fun and in the spirit of brotherhood, of course.)

It happens … give me a break. Is that what I’m supposed to tell my daughter? If I have a little girl of my own, is that what she’s supposed to settle for? “Oh, sorry, sweetie, boys

will be boys…it happens. That’s locker room talk.”

You have got to be joking. When did we as men settle for this?

Have we always held ourselves to such low standards?

Because my father, his father, and all of my uncles definitely do not talk like that, nor do they behave like animals.

I want all young men to know that we cannot allow this to be our future.

We cannot hold ourselves to such low standards as to think this is ok. We are better than this.

If we do not speak up and take action against this, we are creating a culture.

A culture, whether you realize its sinister effects or not, will lead to things like date rape, violence, and sexual assault.

Things like talking about women inappropriately, shaming them for unnecessary reasons, or even excusing boys’ disgusting behavior allows this kind of culture to form.

You are subconsciously approving that kind of behavior.

You are allowing them to get away with it.

You are creating the twenty-year-old who grabbed my friends.

You are creating Brock Turners.

You are creating the problem.

It’s not locker-room talk, it’s not boys being boys, and it is not fine.

Zach St. Clair is a recently graduated alumnus of Auburn. He is a part of the May 2016 graduating class.

Community Thursday, October 27, 2016

6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

ELECTIONS

Third-party leaders weigh in on presidential election Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY WRITER

In one of the most divisive modern-era election seasons, third-party candidates are playing an important part. Many Americans are hesitant about voting for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, or Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

Polls conducted have estimated over 50 percent of Americans view Clinton unfavorably and over 60 percent of Americans view Trump unfavorably.

“If you look at [the Democratic and Republican candidates], you see Hillary Clinton who is beset with scandal, who’s your typical corporate establishment politician,” Alabama Green Party Chair Tyler Henderson said. “And on the other end you have a histrionic bigot like Donald Trump.”

According to RealClearPolitics, in a four-way race, Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate, is polling at an average of 6 percent, and the Green Party’s Jill Stein is polling at an average of 2.2 percent.

Both Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld, have Republican backgrounds. Johnson was elected governor of New Mexico as a Republican, and Weld served as governor of Massachusetts as a

Republican. The Republican and Libertarian parties differ mostly when it comes to social issues.

Central to the libertarian philosophy is the idea of minimal government interference, and Leigh LaChine, chair of the Libertarian Party of Alabama, said Johnson is dedicated to just that.

“I think [Johnson’s] our only true small-government candidate,” he said.

Johnson pledges to end the “war on drugs,” to cut government spending and to reduce taxes.

Stein, on the other hand, is a candidate whose platform includes a plan to forgive student debt and the Green New Deal, an initiative to reform the country’s energy industry.

While these sound like views that could be held by a Democrat, Henderson made his aversion toward the Democratic Party clear.

“We are not a junior partner of the Democrats, nor are we junior partners of any Democratic politician,” he said.

Henderson claimed Democratic politicians often use social movements solely for political gain and are too entangled with corporate interests, while the Green Party focuses more on helping common people.

To Henderson, Stein and the party represent a push toward more progressive politics driven by a younger population.

“Here in Alabama, I view the Green Party as not the successor, but the defeater of the Democratic Party,” he said.

A reoccurring complaint among third-party supporters is that they do not receive the amount of media coverage the Democratic and Republican parties do. LaChine said he believes if the party got the same amount of attention, Johnson would be polling right alongside Clinton and Trump.

“It’s amazing how many people, when you tell them there is a third choice, say, ‘I didn’t know that,’” he said.

If Johnson or Stein can get 5 percent of the popular vote come Nov. 8, their respective party will become eligible for federal election funds and automatically have a spot on the ballot in future elections.

“We got 1 percent of the vote [in 2012]. I think we’re going to do a lot better this time,” LaChine said. “I’d be shocked if we didn’t get 5 to 10 percent nationally.”

LaChine said he doubts Johnson will win

CLIMATE

through the Electoral College, but said the party is hoping neither Clinton nor Trump get the 270 electoral votes needed to secure a victory. If this is the case, the House of Representatives would be the decider. The House currently has a Republican majority, but given the GOP’s split feelings toward Trump, a victory in this scenario isn’t guaranteed for him.

“Anything could happen in the House,” LaChine said.

Johnson and Stein did not qualify this year for the presidential debates, as they did not meet a 15 percent national polling average. In 2012, the two participated in their own one-on-one debate. They have not held one this year.

Henderson said while their core economic beliefs “could not be any more different,” he views the Libertarian Party and the Green Party “as allies in the struggle to break the third-party system,” and would welcome another debate between the two.

LaChine said he too would welcome another debate, as long as the media covered it.

Both Henderson and LaChine said they are currently accepting volunteers.

STATE PARKS

Chewacla sees higher attendance Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY WRITER

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A barren cornfield behind the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.

As drought worsens, locals feel the impact K ris M artins

COMMUNITY REPORTER

When Beth Hornsby peered into the freezer that holds her crops, she was looking at the impact of drought.

Last winter, she had thousands of ears of corn and about 400500 quarts of peas spread among three freezers, where she stores the summer crops away to sell during the winter.

Now she has 600–700 ears of corn and about 200 packs of peas left in just one of her freezers.

“It’s just one of those things where you just kind of have to write it off at a loss at some point. There’s no saving it,” Hornsby, owner of Hornsby Farms in Auburn, said.

The drought, which has affected Lee County and many other counties in the state, has also taken a swing at her and her husband’s farm, leaving them to figure out ways to make up for some of the crop loss.

Rainfall is 15 inches less than it should be for the farm, she said. Plasticulture, a type of drip irrigation, helps some of the crops during the dry spell, but row crops — such as corn, peas, watermelon and pumpkins — are taking the brunt of the blow.

The farm needs rain to soften the soil for planting and to produce fruit on the plants, two challenges the drought has

brought.

“So that’s been our biggest issue, and a lot of farmers’ [issue] right now, especially if you’re doing row crops and you don’t have overhead irrigation or other irrigation methods in place, you’re basically out,” Hornsby said.

The input cost to plant the crops without a sufficient yield can be detrimental to smaller farms like hers, she noted.

“The biggest hurdle for us has been to try to get at least a little bit off of those fields,” she said.

The natural spring under her property helps by sparing her the cost of a water bill, Hornsby said.

“Even now, when we’re the driest that we’ve been in over a year, we’re not worried about running out of water,” she said.

“We’re really fortunate.”

The Hornsbys are trying to work around the drought, she added, by focusing on crops that can survive with irrigation and by creating smaller plots for row crops.

But a lack of rain isn’t the only concern farmers have. The dryness also brings with it a fear of field burning.

“If someone drives by their field and throws a cigarette butt out, it can catch your whole field on fire, it’s so dry. … That’s another risk farms have to think

about and just pray that that doesn’t happen because that’s a huge one,” Hornsby said.

The gove rnor is s ue d a Drought Emergency Declaration, or “No Burn Order,” on Oct. 12, banning all outdoor burning in 46 counties, including Lee County, because of the dry conditions.

And in the last 30 days, over 1,000 wildfires in the state have burned about 12,000 acres, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Most of Lee County is under an extreme drought, according to Oct. 18 data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Last year, the county wasn’t even in a drought, though a small portion of the county was “abnormally dry,” which is three levels less severe than extreme drought.

“October is typically the driest month for ... central Alabama, and that includes Auburn,” said meteorologist Jim Westland.

The Auburn-Opelika area last received the sight of rain Oct. 16, which amounted to 0.4 inch of precipitation, Westland said.

The area, before that, had last seen rain Sept. 16 with a minuscule 0.03 inch.

However, it takes time for a drought to develop, which means it also take time to alleviate one, he added.

“At least a month or two of normal to above-normal precipitation,” Westland said. That way the rain doesn’t just run off the land, but has time to soak into the soil.

The dry conditions have spurred a notice from the city as well.

The Auburn Water Work Board last week issued a Phase 1 Drought Watch after monitoring indicators such as drought conditions, water supply, lake levels and others.

The Phase 1 Drought Watch, issued as a precaution, urges voluntary restrictions on water use.

“When we start to see our resources starting to be strained a little bit due to drought conditions, we will issue a stage 1 to just kind of remind costumers that we’re in drought conditions and that we need to pay attention to what we’re doing,” said Eric Carson, director of the city’s Water Resource Management.

The water demand in August and September this year, he said, was 20 percent above the average demand for those months.

The city is encouraging residents to conerve water — to make sure irrigation systems aren’t leaking or to even shut them off now that the growing season is over, Carson added.

» See DROUGHT, 7

Five years ago, 72,000 guests visited Chewacla State Park. In each of the last two fiscal years, the park has seen over 100,000 guests.

The difference between when he started 17 years ago and today is “night and day,” said Chewacla park manager Odell Banks.

Banks attributed the recent spike in attendance to a younger crowd using newly built trails for hiking and mountain biking.

Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein said it’s tough to gauge exactly why people go to a particular park, but “when someone drives into the park with a mountain bike on the back of their car, you know what they’re there to do.”

Banks said the new trails help alleviate some of the decline in attendance usually associated with the colder, wetter months. Most of the trails can be drained within 15 minutes after it rains, which means bikers won’t have to wait long to hop back on them.

Last year legislators proposed a budget that would have gut much of the state parks fund and directed the money toward other state programs. This put 22 parks at risk of closure.

Amendment 2, on the Nov. 8 ballot, would constitutionally protect the parks funding from being redistributed into the general fund. Lein said even positive cash flow parks like Chewacla would benefit from its passage by providing a layer of protection for parks if they underperform in the future.

“If you have a park that is not necessarily operating in the black, there can be enough profit from the other parks ... [to] offset the losses,” Lein said. “If the money’s being transferred out the back door to other state programs, that’s not working anymore.”

If the state Legislature could direct revenue from state parks into the general fund, parks that don’t profit in a given fiscal year would be vulnerable to closure or further defunding.

Lein advised people who want to save the state’s park system to vote yes on Amendment 2. More important, Lein said, is to “get out and use the parks.”

HALLOWEEN

Red Clay Brewery hosts fall festival Tiara Bond

COMMUNITY WRITER

While the rest of Auburn attended the Auburn-Arkansas game, the Red Clay Brewery attracted a crowd of its own at its first ever Fall Festival and Costume Extravaganza on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The price of admission was canned goods that would be donated to the Food Bank of East Alabama.

“We always like to do something charitable at all of our events,” said Red Clay Brewery coowner John Corbin. “It’s good to give back to the community.”

The brewery also sold beer and wine to the adults in attending while children played at the various games the festival offered from 2–6 p.m.

The costume contest happened later in the night. Adults competed for the chance to be in the “Mug Club,” a membership program at the brewery that comes with the winner’s own personalized mug.

“We just wanted people to come and enjoy themselves and drink beer,” Corbin said.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Community 7

The Auburn Plainsman

ELECTIONS

Examining amendments on the November ballot

Rachel Littleton COMMUNITY WRITER

The Alabama Constitution of 1901 is the nation’s longest constitution with 892 amendments, and 14 new amendments are to appear on the November 2016 general election ballot across the state.

The League of Women Voters of East Alabama, a non-partisan political organization designed to inform and encourage active participation in government, met last week to examine the 14 amendments included on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Amendment 1 A majority “yes” vote for Amendment 1 would increase the number of Auburn University Board of Trustees members from 14 to 16 by adding two at-large members to “enhance diversity.” The amendment would also adjust the terms of the trustees so that only three trustees could expire from the board in a single year.

The University of Alabama has a self-perpetuating board that decides who the trustees will be that succeed the current members, according to Carolyn Carr, a league member. Its board does not have to go through the state Legislature, while Auburn University’s does.

The Auburn University board has been upset about this process for some time, Carr said.

“I spoke to several Auburn University trustees who said that ‘you can’t just have seven members go off your board and lose half of your board at once,’” Carr said.

A majority “no” vote would retain the current arrangement and organization of the board.

Amendment 2 A majority “yes” vote for Amendment 2 would prohibit the state Legislature from using funds generated by the state parks for purposes other than the preservation of the state parks. If the state parks’ revenues surpass $50 million annually, only then could surplus funds be transferred to the General

DROUGHT » From 6

Lake levels at the city’s primary water source, Lake Ogletree, are lowered artificially to allow construction for a new spillway at the lake.

“What we want to do is preserve our lake level where it’s at now and not let it get any lower, and we hope that these voluntary restrictions will help us do that so then when the construction’s over,

Fund.

The Legislature using money from the state parks fund absolutely devastated the state parks system in the last decade, Carr said.

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, who attended the forum, said he supports Amendment 2 because in recent years state parks have had a difficult time with funding, and they have had to close state parks around Alabama.

“Without the funding and without the money ,they simply would not be able to operate,” Jones said. “So Amendment 2 would be a good thing to have so we can ensure that future generations of people can enjoy these state parks.”

In addition, a “yes” vote would permit certain state park lands and facilities such as hotels, golf courses and restaurants to be operated by entities other than the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Amendment 6 Alabama’s current constitution does not specify the number of votes required to remove someone from public office by impeachment.

A “yes” vote to Amendment 6 would require a two-thirds vote of the Alabama Senate present to impeach elected officials.

In addition, a “yes” vote would change the list of officials subject to impeachment under the current constitution. The secretary of education would be removed from the list, because that office is not elected. Instead, it is appointed by the governor.

Members of the state Board of Education, district attorneys and district court judges would be added to list of officials subject to impeachment.

This bill came before the Legislature almost two years ago, before the proposed impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley this year.

A majority “no” vote would make no change to the impeachment article of the current constitution.

Amendments 3, 4 and 5 League President Kristen De La Fuente said the

we can just fill it up from where it’s out now, not from a deeper elevation,” Carson said.

Mainly because of the construction at the lake, the city has to rely more on purchasing more water from Opelika Utilities and pulling from a groundwater well in south Auburn, he said.

But when that phase of the construction is over, which should be near the end of November, the city will fill the lake again.

Gigi’s Cupcakes drive-thru in the works for Opelika shopping center COMMUNITY REPORTER

New businesses will join longtime Opelika shopping center, Saugahatchee Square, as a new multi-tenant building emerges along Pepperell Parkway.

Five to seven tenants, including a Gigi’s Cupcakes store with a drive-thru, will take up the retail space, though not all leases are signed, the developer said.

The 10,000-square-foot building is about 60 percent complete and is expected to be finished by December, according to the developer.

“The rest of the shopping center is 100 percent leased and that’s why we went ahead and started to build this building out front,” said Mike Fimiani of Fimiani Development Corporation. He also noted that the new building will fill the need for small-space tenants in the shopping center, which has mainly leased larger spaces.

The Gigi’s Cupcake drivethru is the first of its kind in the company, Fimiani said.

Aside from the cupcake shop, Vision World, an eye care center, is the only other tenant with a signed lease for the

new building.

“We’re looking for a few other retailers to go in — or restaurants or other retail uses as we get closer toward completion,” he said.

He would want new businesses, business relocated from other parts of the area or businesses adding to their locations, he said. He’s comfortable with the current leasing status, but as completion nears, he will start “aggressively marketing” the project.

Saugahatchee Square serves both Auburn and Opelika audiences, including students, by being on the border of the two cities, Fimiani said. However, it traditionally services residents.

Fimiani Development Corporation bought the Saugahatchee Square project in summer 2012 and has since renovated the development, from roofing to landscaping to parking lots. Construction on the new outparcel started in June.

“When we bought the shopping center, it was about 40 percent occupied,” he said.

“And now we are 100 percent occupied.”

As more tenants have joined the shopping center,

league couldn’t give support for specific amendments unless they have made a position on it. For instance, the league has no position on payday lending reform right now so they can’t speak for it or against it.

However, the state league has recommended support for Amendments 3, 4 and 5 based on what the state stands for, De La Fuente said.

Amendment 3 proposes a change to the existing process for deciding whether only the voters of the affected local community or the entire state should vote on a proposed constitutional amendment.

A “yes” vote would abolish the Local Constitutional Amendment Commission, which includes the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Representatives, attorney general and the secretary of state and leave the deciding vote only to the Legislature.

In order for a vote to occur only in the affected local county, the proposed amendment must re-

November through January is a critical time period for rainfall, Carson added, because returning Lake Ogletree to its regular elevation relies on rain every year.

The regular elevation for the lake at this time of year is about 474–480 feet, and now the lake is just over 471 feet, which Carson said is the target elevation for the construction project.

In other instances where the lake levels have been similarly low, Carson said

BUSINESS

Kris Martins

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Chewacla State Park, located on Shell Toomer Parkway in Auburn, is one of Alabama’s many state parks. Amendment 2 protects funding for state parks.

Fimiani said existing tenants have seen sales increases, building off one another. “(Fimiani) has brought new tenants and a vibrancy that was not there before,” said Lori Huguley, director of economic development for the city of Opelika. “It was only a few short years ago that much of the existing space there was vacant and now there is a need to create more, and this is due in large part to the ownership change.”

Fimiani said he believes successful development can empower others to revamp their facilities.

“So I think it’s going to create more and more foot traffic for all the owners and retailers in the area,” he said.

The developer also has its sights on the future of Saugahatchee Square.

“I also have a future 3,000-square-foot building that will be available down the road. ... We’re going to get this building up and done and get all the tenants in and open first, and then we’re going to work on that building,” he added.

That building would hold one or two tenants.

ceive approval of at least three-fifths of the Legislature.

A “yes” vote for Amendment 4 would give county commissioners more legislative authority.

For example, they could enact a limited range of local policies and programs, such as public transportation and safety on public roads, without receiving the approval of the state Legislature or county voters.

A “yes” vote for Amendment 5 would combine Article III and Amendment 582 into the same part of the current constitution regarding the separation of power between the three branches of the state government.

Additionally, it would allow for modernization of the language used in Article III and Amendment 582, but not change the substance of the laws.

A “no” vote would result in Amendments 3, 4 and 5 remaining the same under the current constitution.

the lake has filled back up by the end of February or end of March.

“And we don’t see this year being any different, but with the weather patterns we’ve seen … we’ve gone almost two months without any rain,” he noted.

“Until this past weekend, we hadn’t had any rain since Aug. 24. Going back 40 years in our records, we had never seen an extended period of drought like that.”

The city will monitor set elevation targets for the lake monthly. Based on the

target elevations, the forecast, the demand and other variables, the city will decide whether to remain at phase 1 or to move on to the next phase, which would implement mandatory restrictions.

“All that said, we have plenty of water to meet our normal average demands for our customers and any emergencytype situations,” Carson said. “We have an ample supply and we have redundant sources and we’re in good shape, but we still have to be smart about it.”

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Sports

SETTING THE RECORD The Auburn defensive line tallied career first against Arkansas, holding its fourth consecutive opponent without a rushing touchdown

Carl Lawson

11.5 career sacks, credited with seven QB hurries.

Montravious Adams 9 career sacks, finished with two total TFL’s.

Marlon Davidson

Recovered first career fumble against Arkansas.

Johnathan Ford

Finished with five tackles, now has a career 258.

Preparation for domination

Suffocation of Arkansas’ offense not a factor in defense’s Ole Miss prep Sam Butler

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After defeatingArkansas in their 56-3 win on Saturday, the Auburn defense could’ve gotten caught up in daydreaming about how easy everything was, and of how well they played.

Allowing just 22 yards on the ground to the SEC’s leading rusher and pressuring the quarterback in roughly half of his dropbacks is plenty cause for celebration, of course.

Celebration, but not surprise.

If anything, it was just validation for a defense that’s been confident in its abilities all season long.

“I mean, really, it just proves to us that we can be as good as we want to be when we go out on the field,” said defensive tackle Montravius Adams. “To me, that is all it really says. To be a senior and to be a leader of this team, it’s really just great to see you and your teammates out there playing ball.”

Adams, Carl Lawson and the rest of the Auburn defensive line manhandled the Razorbacks front five the en-

tire game, and even when the starters came out, Auburn’s second-stringers still overpowered anything Arkansas tried to do.

When a team so thoroughly eviscerates another like

the Tigers did on Saturday, it can be easy to get complacent and assume every game from that point on will be a walk in the park. It’s a natural feeling, but it’s one Auburn isn’t letting anywhere near themselves.

The Rebels enter the Oct. 29 matchup having lost two games in a row, both to teams that Auburn has already defeated [Arkansas and LSU].

But, as Steele noted, that’s hardly an indication of how this game will turn out.

“In the SEC West it’s hard to say, ‘Well this happened last week or the week before, so this is what’s going to happen this week,’” Steele said.

“I think that was evident in watching Saturday night here. there was no indication that anybody would’ve ever said watching the games preceding that both by us or by them that the results would’ve been what they were. So I think each game has a life of it’s own if you will.”

Ole Miss is unique in that Chad Kelly, the Rebels quarterback, is also the team’s leading rusher, and his yardage comes not only from scrambles, but from designed runs as well.

It provides a unique challenge for Auburn’s defensive front, but not one they’re going to shy away from.

“They’re a great team,” Adams said. “Even though they’re like 3-4 or something, they played top teams like Alabama and Georgia and all of those. Just being in the SEC, the record doesn’t really speak for the team. At any given day, anybody can get beat. [Kelly] as a quarterback, I think he’s a great player. We’re just looking forward to the task.”

FILE PHOTO

Carl Lawson (55) takes the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

INJURY

FOOTBALL

COLUMN

Malzahn’s program has arrived (again)

Johnson fully recovered Sam Butler

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn didn’t need him last week, but all signs point to the Tigers starting running back returning for the road trip to Oxford.

Kerryon Johnson injured his ankle against Mississippi State, and even with the bye week, he wasn’t able to play against Arkansas. Head coach Gus Malzahn said he dressed out and gave it his best shot before the game, but the coaching staff elected to keep him out.

“The good thing is we didn’t have to play him last week,” Malzahn said. “I thought that was very important moving forward, not just this game but the rest of the year At this point, I would expect him to play. I think he’s moving closer to 100 percent each day.”

As it turned out, the rushing attack did just fine without the starting running back.

Kamryn Pettway ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns as the starter in Johnson’s stead, Stanton Truitt scored three times, and Kam Martin added another to pace the Tigers. At the end of the

day, the backfield committee piled on 543 yards, an SEC regular-season record.

“That’s pretty good because you know the defense can’t just key on one dude, ‘Oh Kerryon’s here, so we just have to focus on him,’” said receiver Tony Stevens.

“We’ve got Pettway, Stanton, Kam, a lot of running backs back there that can just get the rock and go score.”

Auburn will have all running backs healthy, besides freshman Malik Miller, who is still out following knee surgery earlier this month. The rushing attack will be going up against an Ole Miss defense that surrendered 311 rushing yards to Leonard Fournette and LSU last week.

Auburn doesn’t have anyone of Fournette’s caliber, but each of the running backs on the roster can step up if called upon.

“That’s a good problem to have,” Malzahn said. “Take it back to 2013 when we had that crew of running backs that we had. Coach Lashlee can be a little more creative at times with personnel but it’s good that we’ve got that many running backs.”

Nathan Deal SPORTS@ THEPLAINSMAN. COM

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Alex Kozan (63) and Sean White (13) celebrate Auburn’s win over LSU.

Adams, Kozan earn SEC weekly honors

Sam Butler

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Defensive tackle Montravius Adams was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 24, and guard Alex Kozan received SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of Week, sharing the honor with LSU center Ethan Pocic.

Adams helped spearhead an Auburn defensive front that throttled the Razorback running attack, holding the SEC’s leading rusher in Rawleigh Williams to 22 yards on 13 car-

ries. He registered two tackles for loss and was credited with a half-sack of Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen.

Kozan anchored the offensive line and helped pave the way for Auburn’s record-setting 543 rushing yards. He and the rest of the front five manhandled the Arkansas defensive line and put the game out of reach from the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage, when freshman Eli Stove took a jet sweep 78 yards to the end zone.

For Auburn’s football team, the past month has been one of discovery.

Against LSU, the Tigers discovered their identity. Against Mississippi State, they discovered just how well that identity suits them. During Saturday night’s 56-3 thrashing of No. 17 Arkansas, they made their most significant discovery yet: Auburn football is officially back.

Perhaps declaring that Auburn is relevant again is jumping the gun. Perhaps Mississippi State is simply not good and Arkansas was tired from a brutal schedule, leading to a couple of nearly perfect weeks for the Tigers.

Perhaps Auburn might not be in this position had LSU snapped the ball one second sooner.

However, discrediting what Auburn’s accomplished this season isn’t a wise move.

The Tigers’ two losses came to still-unbeaten Clemson and Texas A&M — whose 33-14 loss at Alabama did as much to solidify Auburn as an SEC West contender as the 53-point pounding on the Plains. Those losses came before Rhett Lashlee became the playcaller and the offense found its footing.

“I told our guys that that was one of the most complete games that I think we’ve played since we got here,” said head coach Gus Malzahn. “The good thing is that we are improving, and that’s the name of the game.”

Seeing this sort of midseason rise from Auburn isn’t abnormal. The Tigers were sluggish on offense early in 2010 and 2013, only to correct their course and go to the national championship game both years.

With a 632-yard performance (including 543 on the

» See COLUMN, 10

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman

ON THE ROAD

Volleyball adds to win streak

Emily Shoffit SPORTS EDITOR

The Auburn volleyball team earned its fifth SEC win on Sunday, defeating Arkansas in four sets (25-21, 2325, 25-20, 25-19) in Barnhill Arena.

The win added to the team’s current streak, the longest in conference play for the Tigers since 1998. Now Auburn sits at a 13-10 overall record, 7-3 SEC. “The servers kept us in a decent situation to start the match,” head coach Rick Nold said. “Once we got our energy going, we were able to make decent runs. Our serving was a key and put Arkansas out of system, giving our offense great opportunities.”

“A big part of our success was also our passing and not giving up any aces to Arkansas,” Nold added. “That gave Alexa [Filley] every option.”

Setter Alexa Filley picked up her 13th double-double of the year, having 42 assists and 19 digs.

Gwyn Jones finished with a career-high 16 kills to lead Auburn, while Courtney Crable had a season-best 15 for the Tigers. Brenna McIlroy added 10 and Breanna Barksdale had 12.

Defensively, libero Jesse Earl had 17 digs and McIlroy chipped in 15 for her seventh double-double of the season. Barksdale led the team with four blocks, while Macy Reece and Filley had three apiece.

Arkansas (3-18, 1-8) was led by Danielle Harbin, totaling 16 kills. Breana Jones had 11 kills and setter Rachel Rippee had 44 assists. Libero Okiana Valle finished with

16 digs.

The teams battled to start the match until a kill from Filley and a pair from Jones pushed Auburn to an 11-7 advantage.

Tough serving from Earl gave the Tiger offense great looks as the Auburn hitters had three-straight kills to make it 20-16. Crable sealed the set with a pair of kills, 2521.

Razorback runs lifted the home squad to an early 11-8 lead in the second stanza.

Arkansas pushed to a 1713 and took set point at 2421. A pair of kills from Crable held off the Razorbacks, but Arkansas went on to win the set, 25-23.

A Filley/Barksdale block made it 5-3 in set three and kill from McIlroy later in the set pushed Auburn on a run to go up 14-11.

The Razorbacks battled to tie the set at 15, but a handful of Razorback hitting errors led to a 20-17 Auburn lead.

A Jones kill gave Auburn the set, 25-20.

The Tigers held a slim advantage to kick off the fourth before the Razorbacks responded to go ahead at 15-14.

A pair of kills from Reece and a pair of aces by Filley highlighted an Auburn run that pushed the visitors to a 19-15 lead.

Stewart picked up her third ace of the night to give the Tigers a 21-16 advantage and Auburn took the match with a 25-19 win.

A week of rest is in store for Auburn before they return to play by traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 30 to face the Volunteers at 12:30 p.m. CST.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Alexa Filley (21) serves the ball during set three between Arkansas and Auburn at Auburn Arena on November 22, 2015.

Alexa Filley earns SEC honors, named Setter of the Week

Emily Shoffit SPORTS EDITOR

Junior Alexa Filley of the Auburn volleyball team was named the Southeastern Conference Setter of the Week, the league office announced Oct. 24.

Filley, of Louisville, Kentucky, has been a key contributor in Auburn’s current five-match winning streak and helped the Tigers go 2-0 last week on the road.

Highlighting her week was the performance at Ole Miss, Oct. 19. Against the Rebels, Filley picked up the second triple-double of her career and of the sea-

son. She totaled 10 kills, 45 assists, and 18 digs, guiding Auburn to a 3-2 victory.

She is the lone student-athlete in the conference to even record a triple-double this season.

The team traveled to Arkansas Sunday and Filley finished with 42 assists and 19 digs in Auburn’s 3-1 win over the Razorbacks.

With that performance, she moved to 13 double-doubles on the season and that total ranks second overall in the league.

Her 19 digs led all student-athletes in the match.

In addition, Filley added three blocks in each match and also contributed from the service line, having at least one ace against both opponents.

Filley is averaging 9.78 assists/set on the season and is second on the team with a 3.07 digs/set average.

After a very busy start to the SEC schedule, the Tigers (13-10, 7-3) will get a week off of competition before traveling to Tennessee for a Sunday afternoon match, Oct. 30.

Auburn and the Volunteers will square off at 12:30 p.m. CST in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sports 10

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

WOMEN’S GOLF

COLUMN » From 8

VIA AUBURN ATHLETICS

Tigers close fall

Michaela Owen finished the fall Auburn’s leader in scoring average at 72.57.

Emily Shoffit SPORTS EDITOR

Michaela Owen and Kayley Marschke posted top-20 finishes at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational in San Antonio, the final event of the fall season for the Auburn women’s golf team.

The event concluded Oct. 25 at Briggs Ranch Golf Club The Tigers tied for seventh place overall with a team score of 291-284-298=873 (+9).

Owen finished the week at 217 (+1) after posting a 74 (+2) in Tuesday’s round. She posted two birdies in her final round of the week to finish in a tie for 16th place.

Owen finishes the fall season with top-20 finishes in all five events so far and a teambest 72.57 scoring average.

Marschke picked up her second top-20 finish in as many weeks, tying for 20th at 218 (+2) for the week. She recorded a final-round 76 Oct. 25.

Fellow freshman Elena Hualde had Auburn’s low round of the day with a 73 (+1), moving her up to a tie for 26th at 219 (+3), and junior Kelli Murphy was also tied for 26th after a final-round 75 (+3).

Arkansas won the team title at 848 (-16) with Texas A&M in second place at 853 (-11).

As a team, Auburn finished the fall with two team runnerup finishes, one individual title, five individual top-10 finishes and a team scoring average of 291.43, just 3.43 shots over par per round.

The final numbers mark an improvement of nearly 12 strokes per round over the team’s average from last season.

Auburn will continue on to its offseason practice before the spring season begins in February.

The Tigers next event is the UCF Challenge, set for Feb. 5-7 in Orlando, Florida.

ground, just two yards short of the SEC record that Auburn set against Missouri in 2013), this offense has hit its stride and looks every bit as fierce as a Malzahn unit is expected to be — or, at least, was expected to be after his spectacular first season in charge.

The Tigers were unstoppable, as their only negative play came on a quarterback kneel on the final play. Kamryn Pettway continued his dominant run with fellow sophomore Kerryon Johnson out, rushing for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

Sean White is continuing to settle into the offense, as he accounted for 138 yards of offense (77 through the air, 61 on the ground) and a pair of scores. Those numbers might seem low, but when you’re gaining 9.5 yards on every rushing play, there isn’t much of a need for the quarterback to carry his team.

“I think it definitely gets people’s attention,” White said of the Tigers dominant effort. “Whether they were watching or checking on their phone for the score, it doesn’t matter. They’re thinking, ‘Oh, Auburn’s doing something.’ We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”

Speaking of rolling, as if the running game didn’t make White’s job easy enough, the defense is continuing to establish itself as not only one of the best in the SEC, but one of the best in the entire country. The Tigers held an SEC opponent out of the end zone (the first time they’ve done that since a 17-6 win over Florida in 2011), allowing the Razorbacks to gain just 215 yards — including just 25 on the ground.

“It’s momentum,” said defensive lineman Byron Cowart.

“I’m starting to learn myself how big momentum is, and it’s crazy because you feel it. When the offense is rolling and the defense is rolling, we’re picking each other up.”

Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen and running back Rawleigh Williams III entered the game as the SEC’s passing and

rushing leaders, respectively. Allen had a rough night, getting sacked three times and throwing a pick. Williams was limited to 22 yards on 13 carries and never had a carry longer than eight yards.

The Razorbacks failed to tally more than 20 yards on any of their plays. Their longest play was a 19-yard pass from Allen to Drew Morgan. They did, however, run 11 plays that lost yardage.

The defensive line is the best Auburn has had since its 2010 BCS Championship season. The entire unit is arguably the best to suit up at Jordan-Hare Stadium since the 2004 unit, which also contributed to an unbeaten season.

The quandary Auburn has faced for much of the Malzahn era has been that the offense and defense have never been in sync simultaneously. While the offense broke records galore during its better Malzahn-led seasons, the defense consistently cost the Tigers games or at least made games more competitive than they should have been.

Throughout parts of the 2015 season and early this year, it seemed as if Auburn’s defense had finally come on strong, only to watch its offense become an incoherent mess.

Throughout much of this decade, Auburn fans have wondered, “What would this program be like if the offense and defense could both be on the same page?” Now, they know. It’s the kind of program that can beat a ranked team by 53, the biggest win over a ranked team in school history. It’s the kind of program that, despite two early losses, feels like it’s playing as well as anyone in the country.

It’s the kind of program that very well could be 9-2 when the Iron Bowl comes around. And it’s the kind of program that’s cemented itself as a contender for the SEC title and the College Football Playoff.

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Auburn alumni David Ross will be competing with the Chicago Cubs in this year’s World Series against the Cleveland Indians.

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Lifestyle Thursday, October 27, 2016

11 ThePlainsman.com

Lifestyle

DAY IN THE LIFE

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: Sommer Henry and Riley Fowler smile during pregame. MIDDLE: Sommer Henry and Jackson Walraven cheer during Tiger Walk. RIGHT: Josef Straughn and Anesia Allen, do their handshake right before the game.

Auburn Cheerleaders are not your typical fans Lily jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

It’s Saturday night and Jordan-Hare is spilling blue and orange lights and a multitude of sounds can be seen and heard all over Auburn. It’s below freezing and the Tigers are falling behind as fans of little faith trickle from their seats to find warmth and enjoyment elsewhere as their team struggles to throw points to the jumbotron.

Despite all circumstances, one can expect the Auburn University Cheerleaders to stand firm on the field, as they have a job to perform and a team to support.

Starting about four hours before the game, the cheerleaders can be found on the field getting signs and flags ready for the impending kick-off.

The team is made up of 10 male cheerleaders, 10 female cheerleaders and one mic-man.

Jackson Walraven, senior in mechanical engineering and co-head cheerleader, is in his third year with the team.

Walraven is continuing an Auburn cheer legacy, as his mother and sister both cheered for Auburn while attending the University. Walraven’s sister also married an Auburn cheerleader after her time on the team.

Each cheerleader participates in an intense two-stage audition, Walraven said. The male cheerleaders are required to demonstrate running a flag, showing spirit through cheers and stunt practice with a selected partner.

Waving the second-largest flags in the NCAA, the cheerleaders are trained to keep the flags up and untangled during runs, a task that is not an easy feat.

The female cheerleaders must display a knowledge of tumbling, stunting and physical agility along with similar skills demonstrated by the men.

Sommer Henry, senior in journalism and cohead cheerleader, has also been cheering for Auburn the last three years. Henry was “very nervous” the first time she tried out for the team.

“Auburn cheer isn’t like any other program,” Henry said. “It’s not just about your skill, but it’s about how much you love Auburn. The first part of the tryout is technical skills and they make a cut, then it’s the interviews.”

Both co-head cheerleaders didn’t see themselves cheering in the beginning.

“I didn’t cheer in high school and I never thought I would,” Walraven said. “I played all the sports I could in high school, but I wasn’t good enough to play [at Auburn]. My sister said I would enjoy the athletic side of cheering and I went for it.

There were a lot of older guys I looked up to and I started to really enjoy it.”

“I always planned on going to Auburn, but I was a gymnast and never planned on cheering in college,” Henry said. “After a really bad shoulder injury I couldn’t do gymnastics. I knew I wanted to be more than just a student, so I started cheering and loved it.”

Cheerleading is not just a family affair for the Walravens. The team has a tailgate by the Auburn Recreation Center where they meet their families and sit down for lunch before game day responsibilities begin.

After lunch with family and friends, the team heads to “The Paw,” the intersection of Heisman Drive and South Donahue Drive, for group pictures. Soon after, the team begins their walk up Donahue for a short pep-rally as they prepare for Tiger Walk.

Walraven said the crowd anticipates Tiger Walk, lining up more than an hour before the beginning. Parents snap quick photos of their children standing next to the cheerleaders as they make their way along Donahue Drive.

“It’s crazy once you’re actually a part [of the team] and you realize how much influence you have on all the little kids that come up to you,” Henry said.

The game is soon to follow after this stage in the day, the team heads inside the stadium to greet the visiting team’s cheerleaders.

“Greeting the other cheerleaders is always nice, because everyone is kind and they always say how awesome our fans are,” Henry said.

Henry said her favorite feeling is walking onto the field for the first time on Saturday and seeing the fans piling into the stadium. “Butterflies” take over.

The cheer team takes the field before the game

to “pump-up the crowd” with cheers. The game begins and the team goes into hyper-drive, ensuring that the crowd stays involved with the help of the band’s music.

“When our offense is doing well, we’re on a roll,” Walraven said. “We are doing lots of stunts and that gets pretty intense. It’s really great when we are over here gassed, our team is running on all cylinders and the band is going, it can get pretty tiring.”

At halftime the cheerleaders retreat to their hide-away under the stadium for a breather and dinner with the visiting team. This is a chance for the team to recuperate and prepare for the second half.

Latisha Durroh, director of community relations and spirit, is in charge of all things cheer, which includes planning, setting up and taking down the food provisions from halftime.

“We want to make sure that all cheerleaders know that cheering for volleyball or soccer is just as important as cheering for football,” Durroh said. “We want them to love Auburn and show it.”

Durroh said the time commitment is something they stress during tryouts, but Henry and Walraven seem to love the group and the job.

“Everything about Auburn cheer is amazing, the people, the friendships, the fans, the team; it really is hard to narrow it down to one thing that I love the most about it,” Henry said.

Lifestyle 12

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

COLUMN

A review of Eddie’s Calzones

PLAINSMAN PICKS PLAYLIST: this week , the plainsman editors chose their favorite halloween songs . listen to their picks and follow the auburn plainsman at spotify . com / the _ auburnplainsman .

“Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones Corey Williams, editor-in-chief “It always reminds me of the last scene in Interview With The Vampire.”

“Night of the Vampire” by The Moontrekkers Dakota Sumpter, managing editor “Nothing says Halloween better than Joe Meek’s spooky guitar riffs.”

“Welcome To My Nightmare” by Alice Cooper Emily Shoffit, sports editor “You know inside you’re right at home.”

MATTHEW BISHOP / PHOTOGRAPHER

Eddie’s Calzones is located on West Glenn Avenue.

Brooks Glover LIFESTYLE WRITER

Calzones, understandably, are seen as pizza’s weird little brother.

They don’t possess the instant visual gratification of a pizza, and by design, skip the pie’s communal eating. But one day, somewhere in between folding their pizza and taking a bite, someone thought of baking the slice already folded, and the idea of a pizza turnover was born.

As Ben Wyatt of “Parks and Recreation” explains, a calzone is a “delicious, portable meal that is its own container” yet, they see little respect from the Auburn crowd. However, Eddie’s Calzones is trying to remove the stigma of being pizza’s little brother.

Found on West Glenn, in between Rock N Roll Sushi and Island Wing Company, the Auburn location is Eddie’s Calzones third opening adding to Columbia, South Carolina and Athens, Georgia family. Based off locations alone, it’s clear Eddie’s target demographic is the college crowd.

It also closes at 4 a.m. daily, serving any early morning stumblers that need a calzone fix.

Eddie’s Calzones’ dining experience screams of college eating.

The interior is entirely red and black, which alongside the classic checkerboard tiling, gives off the atmosphere of a diner that sitcom characters often find themselves in.

A chalkboard painted on one wall features dozens of scrawled names. The food is served in sty-

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rofoam to-go containers and eaten with plastic cutlery. Even the free water comes from one of those sideline water coolers and is served in red Solo cups.

Unfortunately, my guest’s RONI-NSHROOMS calzone and my CHICKEN BACON RANCH calzone left us both disappointed.

We were told those were two of the most popular calzones the restaurant had to offer. They came out under-baked, with an outside too soft and an inside too doughy. The CHICKEN BACON RANCH didn’t exactly come across as chicken, bacon, and ranch and the crust’s main ingredient seemed to be more air than anything else. As for their tater-tots with bacon and cheese ... just skip them.

As Ben Wyatt also said, “the calzones betrayed me.”

However, as important as first impressions are, second chances are even greater.

Eddie’s second chance came using their online delivery system. It should be noted this took place on a home football game weekend. An impressive 20 minutes later, I was handed a dozen chicken wings and a Blueberry Cheesecake calzone.

Surprisingly, the chicken wings rival their next door neighbor, Island Wing Company. They were hot, tender, and tasted of chicken. However, the real standout was the dessert calzone.

Yes, I know, that blueberries and cheesecake filling mixed in a calzone hardly seems approachable, but this was legitimately one of the best desserts found in downtown Auburn.

Harboring the chemistry found in an unordinary combination of two different favorite foods, Eddie’s dessert calzones is where the true college eatery’s humble magic is found.

Shannon Powell, copy editor “It’s spooky and groovy, the perfect combo.”

“Monster” by Kanye West Sam Butler, assistant sports editor “Kanye has a song for every playlist and Halloween isn’t excluded.”

Auburn dog of the week

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Charlie Brown Maloy with his owner on Haley Concourse on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

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“Time Warp” by Rocky Horror Picture Show

To advertise email admanager@theplainsman.com For more information

Print Deadline Noon three business days prior to publication

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, August 18, 2016

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

ACROSS 1 Sound check item 4 Barista offering 9 Colon pair 13 Alicia Keys record label 14 Silver and gold 15 “Now I get it” 16 Large server 17 Lacking energy 18 Lean and strong 19 VIPs 21 Famous 23 Take in 24 Gibbs of “The Jeffersons” 26 Pooh pal 27 They catch a lot of waves 31 Ailing 34 Canasta play 36 Deleted 37 Do nothing 38 Modeling material 40 Match.com goal 41 “Live” sign 43 “__: Legacy”: sci-fi sequel 44 Blue-roofed restaurant chain 45 Cosmic payback 47 “Wait Wait...

Don’t Tell Me!” airer 49 Long-plumed fisher 50 One of the two 54 Photobucket alternative 57 Ice cream brand introduced in 1866 58 Slugger with the most career grand slam HRs 59 “Let’s hear the story!”

62 Big D pro 63 Helpless?

64 1805 Beethoven premiere 65 Egyptian snake 66 Glitch 67 Hang 68 Early video game letters

DOWN 1 Caribbean vacation spot 2 Fast-food pork sandwich 3 Twinges 4 *Dramatic gridiron pass 5 Bass output 6 Hiddleston who plays Loki in “Thor” 7 Cycle starter 8 Motorcycle cop, perhaps 9 Unvarnished ... or like the ends of the answers to starred clues?

10 Largest Mississippi River feeder by volume 11 Civil wrong 12 __ terrier 14 Giza neighbor 20 *Put in long hours 22 Show off, in a way 24 *Shopping area loiterer 25 “As a result ... ” 28 Flood survivor 29 Pilot, or a prefix with pilot 30 Escalator part

31 One who is often disorderly 32 New Rochelle college 33 Dressed 35 Words on Alice’s cake 39 *“The Vampire Chronicles” novelist 42 Joplin pieces 46 Not for kids

48 Mary-in-mourning sculpture 51 Stud 52 Prepare to start over, perhaps 53 Answers briefly?

54 Free ticket 55 Liver nutrient 56 Pop 57 Screen signal 60 Make a misstep 61 Mauna __

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

08/18/16

08/18/16