Special 2016 Election Coverage Inside
The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID
Thursday, November 10, 2016 Vol. 124, Issue 13, 16 Pages
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President Trump
ELECTION 2016
Electoral Votes* DONALD TRUMP
279
HILLARY CLINTON
228
*At publication time
Alabama Vote
63 PERCENT TRUMP 35 PERCENT CLINTON
Lee County Vote
58 PERCENT TRUMP 35 PERCENT CLINTON DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR
Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump cheer after his victory at Toomer’s Corner on College Street in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. This image is a screencapture from a video of supporters at Toomer’s Corner. Visit ThePlainsman.com to watch them celebrate.
Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR
Businessman Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States of America, clinching more than 270 electoral votes in a long, drawn-out election that never failed to surprise. The Associated Press called the election in President-elect Trump’s favor shortly after 1:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday when Trump took another victory in the blue state of Wisconsin, which had not voted for a Republican
since 1984. In his victory speech, Trump said America needs to “bind its wounds of division.” “We have to get together,” the presidentelect told crowds. “To all Republicans, Democrats and Independents, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who failed to lock down the electoral college votes needed to become president, called, conceded the presidency and congratulated Trump on his victory early Wednesday morning.
“She congratulated us, it’s about us, on our victory,” Trump said. “And I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign. She fought very hard. Hillary has worked very long and very hard. ... We owe her a major debt of gratitude to our country.” On Wednesday morning, Clinton publicly conceded to Trump. She told a crowd of somber supporters at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan that she would give Trump, America’s next president, a chance to lead “ with an open mind.”
“I hope he will be a successful president for all Americans,” Clinton said. “This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for. I’m sorry we did not win this election. ... But I still believe in America, and I always will.” Trump, who had no prior political, military or public service experience, won the presidency largely in thanks to several Rust-Belt states, which were once reliably blue, including Michigan and Wisconsin.
» See TRUMP, 2
Voters approve state amendments one and two Rachel Littleton COMMUNITY WRITER
Two of the most closely watched state constitutional amendments were approved in Tuesday night’s general election. Amendment 1 Two at-large members will be added to the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a result of the Nov. 8 election increasing the number from 14 to 16. The Alabama statewide amendment passed with a 73 percent “yes” vote, according to an unofficial record by the Secretary of State’s of-
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fice early Wednesday morning. The proposed amendment pushed for the expansion of the two at-large members in order to enhance diversity amongst the board. Before the 2016 election, the board held 12 white male members, one black female and one white female. This amendment will allow for more members of the Auburn Family with different experiences and perspectives to serve on the board, according to Brian Keeter, director of public affairs for the University. “I feel that it’s something that will help provide more diverse input to the board,” said Rep. Joe Lovvorn. “I think providing more slots for
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more people will help bring in ideas to keep our University prospering and moving forward.” Additionally, the amendment will adjust the terms of the board members, allowing no more than three members to expire from the board in a single year. Auburn University’s Board of Trustees is obligated to send its appointments and term expirations through the Alabama Senate, unlike the University of Alabama which has a self-perpetuating board. Previously, this process has been a problem with many of Auburn’s board members, who complain that the board can’t function when it has
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too many members leave at once, according to Carolyn Carr, a member of the League of Women Voters of East Alabama. “I’m glad it passed, because the staggering of the terms will give us stability on the board,” said Sen. Tom Whatley. “Staggering of the terms is what we needed, because we had nine members coming up in 2019 and that can be a total turnover of the board.” Keeter said this amendment will ensure continuity in governance. Amendment 2 Alabama Statewide Amendment 2
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passed with a 80 percent “yes” vote, allowing State Park’s revenue to remain in the State Park’s Fund, without the concern of monies overflowing into the General Fund as seen in recent years. In the last four years, $15 million has been taken from the State park’s fund and used for other statewide programs, resulting in the closing of state parks across Alabama, and others left “devastated,” according to Carr. “Tonight, Alabamians made it clear they saw through confusing ballot language and widespread mis-
» See AMENDMENTS, 2 INDEX Campus
3
Community 5
Shadowing a security guard
Local leaders react to Trump victory
Darrell Williams steps up on defense
Peculiar pets
Sports
7
Opinion
11
Lifestyle
13
News 2
Week in review
Your weekly roundup for state, national and international news
State • Three people were hospitalized in a drive-by shooting at a Phenix City apartment on Tuesday. Phenix Police found the gunshot victims while responding to a shots fired call at Amber Woods Apartments on Stadium Drive at 12:55 p.m. Witnesses said the suspect, who fled from the scene in a blue SUV, traveled south on Stadium Drive. • Jurors were excused at noon Tuesday so that they would have an opportunity to vote following brief deliberations in the murder trial of a Georgia man whose toddler son died after being left for hours in a hot car. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark adjourned court to give members of the panel time to cast Election Day ballots.
Election night in photos
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Robert Winchester, senior in marketing, celebrates at SkyBar Cafe dressed as president-elect Donald Trump after the Republican nominee won the presidency early Wednesday, Nov. 9.
DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR
Coleson Jeffries, freshman in pre-aerospace engineering, holds up a shirt with an anti-Hillary Clinton message, at Toomer’s Corner on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
National • Azusa, California — One person was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting Tuesday near a polling location in this city near Los Angeles. The initial shooting was followed by a gun battle with responding police officers at the scene near the Memorial Park North Recreation Center, where voters were spooked by a volley of shots. • Orlando, Florida — The city of Orlando announced plans this week to purchase the Pulse Nightclub, the site of the deadliest mass shooting in United States history, and turn it into a memorial. The popular gay club has been empty since June 12, when a gunman opened fire during a Latin-themed dance party, killing 49 people and wounding dozens more. International • NEW YORK TIMES — After a sharp sell-off overnight in Asia, markets staged a recovery on Wednesday as investors shook off the shock of a Donald J. Trump presidency and began to focus on whether his mix of policies could spur a still-fragile global economic recovery. Futures for the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index initially plunged 5 percent but recouped nearly all their losses when stocks started trading in the United States. • Within hours of Trump’s victory speech early Wednesday, Putin congratulated the U.S. presidentelect and flagged Moscow’s willingness to restore ties.
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Members of the Auburn University College Democrats watch intently as the final polls of the Presidential Election are counted on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Donald Trump supporters embrace at SkyBar Cafe after the Republican nominee’s election to the presidency early Wednesday, Nov. 9.
CORRECTIONS • Ziyi Liu, a photographer for The Vanderbilt Hustler, took the photo on page
DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR Auburn students write a message in toilet paper to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Toomer’s Corner on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
4 of the Auburn vs. Vanderbilt Game Day Section. It was previously credited to Adam Sparks of The Auburn Plainsman. We regret the error.
• In the original version of the article “SGA discusses possible dining changes, senate campaigning,” Jeff Long was referred to as the “chief operating officer of sewer management.” Long is the chief operating officer of the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business.We regret the error.
Visit ThePlainsman.com for campus crime reports.
AMENDMENTS » From 1
interpretations and understood that state parks need to be able to keep the money they earn,” said Tammy Herrington, executive director of Conservation Alabama. Conservation Alabama is the only fulltime lobbyist for the environment in Alabama since 1999. The State Park Fund will solely be used for the preservation of state parks. However, if the state parks generate revenue that exceeds $50 million annually, then there is a possibility the Legislature could use the surplus of funds for the General Fund, with regard to the consumer price index. Sen. Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) proposed Amendment 2 in response to public complaints in 2015, after five state parks were closed and seven state parks reduced hours and services from lack of funding. “I think that was the one amendment that people were more aware of, because they are passionate about the state parks and protecting the lands of the state,” said Lovvorn. “Either way people feel on the amendment, we can all agree that our state lands are important, and I think that people spoke loudly that they want the state park money to stay with the state parks, and their votes reflected that.” Additionally, the amendment will al-
low, but not require, private vendors to operate state park facilities, such as golf courses, hotels and restaurants. In the past, the law required the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to control all state park facilities. The DCNR supported the amendment. Amendment 2 will allow future generations to enjoy Alabama state parks, said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones. Lovvorn said he was pleased with the results of the 14 proposed amendments, but more important, he was pleased with the voter turnout. “It just made me excited to see that number of people turning out to vote, in Lee County especially, and I’m really proud of the voters for turning out and expressing their opinion,” Lovvorn said. The ballot contained 14 proposed amendments, making the Alabama Constitution 902 amendments long as the nation’s longest state constitution. “As a member of the legislature, I think that having that number of amendments on the ballot was hard for everyone to get all the information they needed to make a good decision, and in the future, I hope that we can provide less amendments at a time, and a little more information about each one so that people can make the best decision they feel is right for their vote,” Lovvorn said. “We just need to provide a little bit more information and not bombard the voters with that many amendments at one time.”
TRUMP » From 1
Pennsylvania, a closer toss-up state, went in Trump’s favor as well, along with Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. To win the presidency, Trump ran the gambit, taking nearly all of the battleground states he needed and then some. In Lee County, Trump unsurprisingly took more than 58 percent of the vote. Clinton took less than 36 percent. Lee County’s vote differed only slightly from that of the entire state, where Trump brought home nearly 63 percent and Clinton took only 34 percent. “I feel like this is a very important time in America right now,” said Auburn sophomore Jacob Batchelor, who cast his vote for Donald Trump. “Either way, both candidates don’t seem to be very good, but I think Donald Trump is better because of all the lies Clinton tells.” Trump won the Yellowhammer State more decisively than 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who
won the state with less than 61 percent. Exit polls suggest that Clinton won the millennial vote decisively. Clinton also won the popular vote with the help of the West Coast. On Wednesday, with 99 percent of national precincts reporting, Clinton had 59,679,037 votes, or 48 percent, and Trump had 59,472,959, or 47 percent of the national popular vote. “It’s kinda discouraging to think that my vote won’t count because of the Electoral College,” said Claire Langford, senior in marketing. “It just needs to be done away with and leave it up to majority.” President Barack Obama will continue serving as president until Jan. 20, when Trump will take the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Trump will take office next year with a large Republican majority in the House, a slim Republican majority in the Senate and at least one Supreme Court vacancy. Lily Jackson, lifestyle editor, contributed to this article.
Campus
3
Thursday, November 10, 2016
ThePlainsman.com
Campus
DAY IN THE LIFE
Shadowing a security guard at night: campus after dark Lily Jackson INTRIGUE EDITOR
Not many people know what happens on Auburn’s campus after the sun goes down. Students sleep soundly or study hard in the library while night security guards patrol campus ensuring the safety of faculty and students. Murray Guard, a security guard company contracted out by Auburn University, stations guards throughout campus starting at 4 p.m. The company is based out of Jackson, Tennessee. Lakisha Perry, account manager at Murray Guard for Auburn University, has been working there for six years. Perry manages about 63 employees. “We provide any basic security needs on campus,” Perry said. “That can range from traffic control, access control, event security, anything.” Perry said the guards aspire to be as peoplefriendly as they can. Being approachable and trusted by students and faculty is something that Murray Guard strives for. Perry said Murray Guard works closely with the Auburn Police Division and the Department of Campus Safety and Security. They are all in direct contact at all times during the job. “It’s a fast paced job,” Perry said. “If you don’t know what you are doing you can get be-
hind very quickly. It’s never a dull moment with us.” “You learn something everyday and we push everyone to better than they were the past day,” Perry said. Perry said the only difficult element of her job is the last minute requests for guards, especially during home game weekends, as the team of guards is stretched thin. “You’re trying to cover all of the areas and ensure safety, which can be tough sometimes,” Perry said. “But, we always get the jobs done.” Perry said there aren’t exactly slow periods, but during the summer they cut back on staffing. During the week, they serve around 16 hours typically stressing the early morning hours when crime is more likely. Perry said the hiring process is simple, but taken very seriously. Security guards are required to be certified on the state level and Perry requires an addition eight-hour instructive course before the guards are considered. “[Potential guards] must make an 80 or better in the course,” Perry said. “If they can’t pass that, they are not fit to be a security guard of security figure on campus.” The job entails a list of responsibilities. Perry said the guards patrol their post, check doors and windows, respond to emergencies in their
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
LaKeisha Perry discusses campus security.
area and assist students. They escort students across campus at night to reassure them of their safety. Perry encourages everyone to stop by the campus security office on Magnolia Avenue to
ask any questions about safety. “[Auburn] is a great, safe place to live and work,” Perry said. “Auburn University works to ensure everyone’s safety and they do a great job of it.”
SENATE
SGA discusses possible changes to dining, senate campaigning Romy iannuzzi CAMPUS WRITER
SGA’s weekly meeting included discussion of upcoming changes to campus dining and possible rule changes for senate campaings. EVP of Initiatives Trey Fields encouraged SGA members to pitch their ideas for changes to on-campus dining either. “This is really kind of a transformative time for dining on campus the next
two or three years,” Fields said. “Beyond just a dining task force, or any other things we’re kind of doing with dining on a daily basis, if you guys have any ideas that you think would make dining on campus you can come talk to myself or David Facteau in cabinet.” Budget and Finance Committee Chair Chris Smillie gave this week’s College of Business report. “We’ve been working this whole
semester on keeping some rooms in Lowder open during finals week so that students can study and not have to fight the traffic in the library,” Smillie said. “We actually have a meeting this week with Mr. Long, who is the Harbert College of Business chief operations officer, and we’re going to continue that conversation with him.” Student Affairs Committee Chair Sarah Grace Mitchell said the College of Engineering will host a “Men-
tal Health Day” in the Shelby Center. “Tomorrow from 9 a.m. to noon, the college is having a mental health day, so we’re doing yoga in Shelby center and in the McCarthy suite,” Mitchell said. “If you don’t know what that is, it’s a really nice suite at the top of Shelby Center.” The event is open to all students, Mitchell said. “There’s going to be yoga up there, there’s going to be cupcake decorating
and you don’t have to be in the College of Engineering to come,” Mitchell said. College of Education Senator Rebekah Kennedy presented a future order of business making changes to the process of running for student senate or cabinet, including a required GPA of 2.5 for campaign managers. “The campaign manager also has to turn in the admission of intent,” Kennedy said.
SECURITY
VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ron Burgess discussed cyber threats during the Auburn Speaker Series.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. joins speaker series Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS WRITER
Retired 3-Star Army Defense Intelligence Lt. Gen. Ron Burgess, a ’74 Auburn graduate, came to the Auburn Alumni Center to give a presentation regarding cybersecurity topics, including recent cyber-attacks, potential enemy forces in cyber space, and the role schools like Auburn plays in the cybersecurity world. Burgess talked about his history working in Southern Command as well as the impact of 9/11 on the cybersecurity world, including his involvement in intelligence gathering at Guantanamo Bay. “[After 9/11] I became the ‘Father of Guantanamo, because we had to do something with the folks coming out of Afghanistan, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld along with President Bush selected Guantanamo as the ‘least
worst desirable place’ to put our invited guests,” Burgess said, “And I was responsible for the interrogation and intelligence portion of that mission until I left U.S. Southern Burgess said the number of devices connected to the internet worldwide can cause instabilities in cybersecurity. “According to Symantec… the number of connected devices in the world is equal to about four to every human on the face of the globe,” Burgess said. “You sit there and say, ‘hmm, is that really possible?’ Well, you know, for example, I’m standing here today in front of you, I’ve got two [smartphones], I took my ‘FitBit’ off, and I didn’t wear my ‘iWatch’ today, so I hit the mold.” Burgess discussed the role Auburn could play in the development of the cybersecurity world. “The mission of Auburn
University is training, education, outreach, and workforce development,” Burgess said. “Part of this, then is outreach, in terms of making people smarter on the topic.” Burgess said the recent digital attacks were related to the number of interconnected devices worldwide. “That internet of things actually became weaponized, because, in its simplest form, what happened, is, we all have different things around…the problem is, of course, [internet functionality] is coded in what’s called the firmware, inside,” Burgess said. “And so, the internet of things as it was connected, all whoever did it…they overloaded the system with a code that just took advantage of the firmware, and it just kept sending messages and multiplying, and it became a Denial of Service attack because it overwhelmed the circuits.”
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The Auburn Plainsman
SAFETY
Thursday, November 10, 2016
ORGANIZATION
Get to know this year’s Mr. BSU Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR
FILE PHOTO
A crosswalk safety tips sign on West Magnolia Avenue.
TRW to ‘update campus safety’ Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS WRITER
This Fall semester, The University’s Public Safety Information and Education Department changed its approach to the Travel With Care program for student safety education. Susan McCallister, assistant director of Public Safety and member of the TWC planning committee since the program’s beginning in 2010, said the program was changing the time frame of their outreach efforts. “The campaign has been going since 2010,” McCallister said. “It has usually had one focused week of outreach in the spring.” Tackling the issue earlier on in the school year will be more beneficial to students, McCallister said. “We feel that this year’s campaign is more successful because we are targeting students with the message early in the academic year,” McCallister said. “We will continue to share information throughout the rest of the academic year.” McCallister said that the committee’s efforts to advance its social media presence has also helped it achieve greater success this semester. “This year, a lot of our campaign has been focused on spreading awareness through social media,” McCallister said. “We also had a focused outreach effort on various concourses on campus in October, where we gave out information and encouraged people to post a photo on social media using our Travel with Care photo booth.” McCallister said the week was a success having reached many with their message. “We reached several thousand people with information that week,” McCallister said. McCallister said the program has benefited from cooperation with many different student organizations over the years. “There are numerous groups involved, including the City of Auburn, Auburn Police Division, AU Campus Safety & Security, AU Communications & Marketing, Tiger Transit, Greek Life, Healthy Tigers and SGA,” McCallister said. McCallister said the program has made a point to cover many different fields of public safety information, but that its main focus this
year was on recognizing and obeying traffic signals. “Our goal is to promote safety, regardless of how you travel from place to place on a daily basis,” McCallister said. “We provide education on pedestrian, cyclist, driver, and transit rider safety.” McCallister said the majority of automobile accidents in Alabama two years ago was a failure to acknowledge road signs. “Failure to yield and failure to heed signs and signals were the number one cause of crashes in Alabama in 2014, attributable to about 25,000 crashes, so the campaign has been focused on failure to yield this year,” McCallister. McCallister said the program was concerned with a series of incidents that occurred in Auburn over a twomonth stretch this semester. “I looked back at incidents from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 on campus and found that there were 5 pedestrian/vehicle incidents and 3 bicycle/ vehicle incidents,” McCallister said. “Over half involved injuries, but they were not serious.” McCallister said both pedestrians and cars need to be checking for each other. “All pedestrians were in crosswalks, and 4 of the pedestrian incidents occurred when vehicles were turning left or right when the pedestrian had a crossing signal,” McCallister said. “Bicycles are required to act as a vehicle and drive on the road or in a bike lane or shared use path.” Bikes are not to be ridden on sidewalks, and should not be ridden across crosswalks, McCallister said. “Bike helmets are important for cyclists and skateboarders, as we also had two bike accidents and one skateboarding accident [not involving vehicles] that resulted in the rider striking their head and requiring medical treatment,” McCallister said. McCallister said there were no specific plans for future changes in the TWC program just yet, but they would continue to provide services with a similar approach. “We don’t have specific plans for future semesters, but will continue to involve students in the planning process to get new ideas and find other ways to reach our campus community,” McCallister said.
Eliott Player, freshman in hotel and restaurant management, was crowned Mr. BSU during the Black Student Union sponsored event in Foy Auditorium. Player won the organization’s title after going through an application process and competing in the event on Tuesday, Oct, 25; The event was in partner with the Beat Bama Food Drive, and attendees had the option to be admitted with the donation of a can. Kayla Warner, BSU president and junior in public relations, said Mr. BSU has been an ongoing event, which was originally meant to increase male retention within the organization. “We had a simple application that the contestants had to fill out,” Warner said. “This has been an event for several years in BSU, inspired by the need for retention of men in BSU.” Player said the application for the event was simple, so he decided to fill it out and see how he’d do in the competition. “The application process was fairly simple,” Player said. “I just had to sign up to do it.” In addition to the title, Mr. BSU wins the opportunity to work as an honorary cabinet member throughout the remainder of the academic year. Player will help BSU’s cabinet organize a philanthropic event to be held in the spring, Warner said. “Mr. BSU becomes an honorary cabinet member,” Warner said. “He will help us develop a philanthropy event in the spring and we will raise money for his platform.” Warner said there is no Miss. BSU pageant at the moment. “Mr. BSU is a great chance to have fun and get involved and plugged in on campus, while being afforded the opportunity to raise money and awareness for a cause you’re passionate about,” Warner said.
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my leadership skills,” Player said. “[It] puts me in a position to be a representative of such an essential organization on campus.” Though unsure what event he will help organize with the rest of the BSU cabinet, Player said he is certain this opportunity will present a chance to lead. “I don’t have any plans at the moment but I am sure there will be plenty in the near future,” Player said. “I can’t wait to work on them with BSU.”
CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER
LEFT: Timid Sons perform on Samford Lawn during UPC’s War Damn Coffee Jam RIGHT: Fans enjoy music from Timid Sons on Samford Lawn.
UPC hosts its first ‘War Damn Coffee Jam’ Kressie Kornis CAMPUS WRITER
UPC held their first War Damn Coffee Jam which featured free coffee, donuts and live music for students and the Auburn community. The event was helf on Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Samford Lawn. The coffee was supplied by Toomer’s Coffee and the donuts were from University Donut Company. The Timid Sons, a rock band from Birmingham, and the Jack Lennox Band, an alternative rock band from Auburn, performed live music at the event. UPC member Evyn Brown, junior in political science, said the Jack Lennox Band was chosen from another University Program Council event, Open Mic Night where they performed. Brown said the idea for the War Damn Coffee Jam was thought up this past spring with the selection of the new director and assistant directors of Special Projects. UPC is hoping to make it an annual event, Brown said. Brown said he thinks events similar to the Coffee Jam will get more people from campus and the community to come out and enjoy time with the Auburn Family. “We had wonderful attendance from both Auburn students and the Auburn community, the bands were amazing, and the vision that we had for the event really came through,” Brown said. During his time in UPC, Brown said this event has been a favorite. “I think that this event has been one of my favorite so far this year,” Brown
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There was several different portions of competition, including talent. Player said he chose to sing for his talent portion of the event. “The competitions incorporated were the opening dance, game day style, talent and the formal wear portion,” Player said. Player said he is excited to become a leader within BSU and help represent the organization. “I am super excited to be placed in a position that could help me improve
ORGANIZATION
Come h t i w e v o l fall in !
Come into Quiet Comfort
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIOTT PLAYER
Eliott Player is crowned Mr BSU 2016.
“
We had wonderful attendance from both Auburn students and the Auburn community, the bands were amazing and the vision that we had for the event really came through.”
—Evyn Brown
UPC MEMBER AND JUNIOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
said. The planning for the event began last May at the end of the school year, according to UPC member Hannah Bush, sophomore in pre-nursing. “We wanted to come up with an event that would take the place of Battle of the Bands and focus on bringing together both the Auburn Students and faculty as well as the surrounding Auburn community,” Bush said. Bush said he enjoyed seeing the event come together after months of planning. “It was amazing seeing all of our ideas and months worth of work come together to create something that was able to bring joy and facilitate community among so many people,” Bush said. “We were also pleasantly surprised by the participation by the Auburn community.” People throughout the Auburn community showed up to the event, Bush said.
“We had a great deal of alumni and families from the community attend which brought the concept of The Auburn Family that we try to uphold full circle,” Bush said. UPC member Emma Decarlo, freshman in pre-business, worked the coffee station at the event and said she was able to participate in the preparation before the event even though she was not an Auburn student when planning began. “Some of the event had already been organized in the spring semester before I was a student, but I got to help with planning where to set things up and the decor of the event,” Decarlo said. Decarlo said she chose to join UPC because she liked the idea of giving back to Auburn and being able to bring the student body together. Decarlo said her favorite part of the event were the bands, the Timid Sons and the Jack Lennox band. “They were so good and I loved the covers they played,” Decarlo said. “I think this could become an annual event because many people attended and really enjoyed it.” Caitlyn Martin, freshman in pregraphic design, said she invited two of her friends from her hometown that aren’t Auburn students to the coffee jam. “I was surprised because they had the choice of hot or iced coffee so I got iced coffee,” Martin said. “Not only did they have donuts, but they also had cookies and brownies too.” Martin said she would go again next year if the event were to become annual, and she would invite more of her friends.
Community Thursday, November 10, 2016
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Community
TRAFFIC
KRIS MARTINS / COMMUNITY REPORTER
A car stops as students walk across a crosswalk that extends from campus to Chipotle on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, in Auburn,Ala.
City sees increase in pedestrian accidents in 2016 Kris Martins
COMMUNITY REPORTER
Diana Rowell pointed to a crosswalk on Magnolia Avenue, recalling the exact moment the day before when she almost got hit by a car while crossing the street last week. “I made it to the middle [of the crosswalk] and then he didn’t even see me,” Rowell, junior in industrial and systems engineering, said. “It was probably like 3 o’clock, so it was broad daylight and he didn’t see me at all.” She had stopped, preventing the potential accident, but she still has concerns when crossing the avenue and driving along it. Rowell’s situation is familiar to many students walking to and from campus on the different crosswalks along the avenue. Sometimes it’s a distracted driver; sometimes it’s a distracted pedestrian. And sometimes, an accident does happen. Just last month the City of Auburn had six pedestrian accidents, two of which were fatal. City officials say they look at a variety of factors when evaluating pedestrian infrastructure and safety, while students have come to know they have to be more cautious on certain streets. By the end of October, there had been 15 pedestrian accidents so far in 2016 — one more than the total in 2015. West Glenn and West Magnolia avenues, which are heavy pedestrian traffic sites, are two areas where incidents occur, said Lt. Jameson Presley of the Auburn Police Division. Opelika Road, Donahue Drive and South College Street are also locations where pedestrian accidents occur. In 2015, the greatest number of incidents that occurred in the same month was three, both in July and October. But there were no fatalities that year. So far this year, the greatest number of incidents that occurred in one month has been six in October. “I don’t know the reasoning behind it,” Presley said, though he pointed out that accidents generally happen at night. “They’ve actually been in somewhat different areas each time this year in October.” Two of the incidents in October were at South Donahue Drive, along with one on Shelton Mill Road, one on South College Street, one on North Gay Street and another on VFW Road. Of the three pedestrian fatalities in 2016, two occurred on South College Street. The third was on Shelton Mill Road. Presely said he didn’t know the ages of the people involved in recent incidents. However, the latest citywide collision analysis, completed in 2013, showed that 17 percent of all 2013 pedestrians involved in a collision were 15–19 years old. The study also reported that drivers caused 75 percent of all 2013 pedestrian-related collisions.
As of the end of October, there have been 15 pedestrian accidents so far in 2016 — one more than the total in 2015. Students walking to and from class as well as visitors for football games increase pedestrian traffic in the city, all the while the city’s population is also growing, Presley said. The 2013 citywide collision analysis said the amount of pedestrians in Auburn was increasing and that the city should put emphasis on educating drivers, reducing distractions and use of proper reflective gear and lights. One of the major ways the city strives to educate students on pedestrian safety is through its annual Travel with Care campaign, which is done in partnership with the University. Presley said many students he’s talked to hold the misconception that they can step onto a crosswalk regardless of whether traffic is clear. “You can’t just walk into a pedestrian crosswalk,” Presley said. “You have to wait for traffic to be clear to begin walking across. Now when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk, actively walking, that is the time for the driver to stop.” Presley urged pedestrians to wear contrasting clothing at night to be more visible to drivers. There is a city ordinance, too, that requires joggers and walkers in the roadway to wear reflective gear during dark hours. Aside from education, the city also determines which areas to evaluate for new pedestrian infrastructure based on different feedback sources. Sometimes citizens call and express concerns about an area, said Jeff Ramsey, the city’s Public Works director. But the city also looks at traffic counts of cars and pedestrians at intersections, accident reports, annual crash data, citizen surveys and its safety campaigns to gather feedback. During the budgeting process, the city evaluates the areas it’s heard most about to determine the cost of an improvement project and then decides what is most affordable, Ramsey said, adding that it can take up to two years to get to that point. For fiscal year 2017, the city budgeted over $5 million to the Public Works department, which spearheads construction and maintenance, engineering design, inspection and traffic engineering for the city. The 2016 fiscal year midbudget showed the department with just over $4.27 million.
In fiscal year 2018, the Public Works budget will dip to about $4.97 million. One project underway, the North College Streetscape project, includes adding more pedestrian lighting at the intersection of Tichenor Avenue and College Street. City documents sited the area as the scene of a recent serious vehicle-pedestrian accident, which Ramsey said happened a couple years back. “I wouldn’t say that incident alone caused us to do the project, but obviously, that incident, if we’re in that area and we can address something that might help it, then we’re certainly going to do that.” In fiscal year 2018, the city also plans to add 25 decorative pedestrian style lights on the north side of Magnolia Avenue from Wright Street to Donahue Drive. “We’ve got streetlights out there, but the trees have grown up so much now that they kind of block the sidewalk from the lighting part of it,” Ramsey said. “So the idea was that we needed some pedestrianlevel lights to really light up the sidewalks.” The city added more lighting, message boards and decorative crosswalks on Magnolia between College Street and Donahue Drive about five or six years ago, reducing pedestrian accidents, Ramsey said. The avenue has several midblock crosswalks — which are not at intersections with traffic signals but instead are at different parts of the street — that do not have technology to signal when pedestrians are crossing. The type of crosswalk “inherently isn’t ideal” compared to intersection crosswalks because the only way to signal to drivers that someone is crossing is to actually begin crossing, said Forrest Cotton, director of Planning. Sarah Gaines, junior in industrial and systems engineering, said she’s on high alert when driving on Magnolia Avenue, especially at night, in fear that she may hit someone crossing the street. “I definitely think Magnolia’s the worst,” Gaines said when reflecting on other crosswalks and intersections in town. “I think it’s a problem because I’ve never driven on a road that has this many crosswalks and has so much pedestrian traffic.” However she said safety is the responsibility of both pedestrians and drivers. Right now the city is focusing on installing sidewalks along Moores Mill Road, Ramsey said, as well as adding sidewalks and pedestrian lights near the new high school site on East University Drive and Glenn and Samford avenues. The city is set to complete its next citywide collision study by 2017.
ELECTION 2016
Rep. Rogers, Sen. Shelby win re-election in landslides Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR
Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican who represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District, and Republican Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby won sweeping re-elections in the historic election Tuesday night. Rogers, who began his term as a U.S. Representative in 2003, won his re-election race with more than 67 percent of the vote with 66 out of 67 counties returned, according to the Secretary of State’s office. He will serve an eighth term as Auburn’s congressman. Jesse Smith, Roger’s Democratic challeng-
er from Phenix City, Alabama, took only 33 percent of the vote. In 2016, Rogers beat Smith even more handedly than he did when Smith challenged him in 2014. Smith said he would be back again in 2018 to challenge Rogers if the congressman decides to run for a ninth term. “I think we ran a good race,” Smith said. “We’ll see him in two years. We’ll get a little rest, and we’ll see him in two years. I really think we ran a hard race. We did what we felt was necessary. We were prepared to stand up and be accountable.” Rogers has faced little competition for re-elec-
tion since he first took office in 2003. Smith said he accepted the results, and that it “is what it is.” “If people would rather vote for someone who is going to take their vote for granted, someone who has been in Washington for 14 years and hasn’t showed anything for it, good luck with it,” Smith said. “We’ll strengthen our message and come back at it.” Rogers said he was ready to work with the Trump administration in the Republican-controlled House. “For Republicans in Congress, we will now have a champion in the White House for our conservative agenda, to repeal and replace Obam-
acare, rebuild our national defense and restore Constitutional rule,” Rogers said. “I look forward to working with the new Trump administration to make America great again. Let’s get to work.” In the statewide Senate race, Shelby retained his seat with more than 64 percent of the vote. His Democratic challenger, Ron Crumpton, took only 36 percent of the vote. Shelby first took office in the Senate in 1987. Before that, he served in the U.S. House of Representative as a Democrat. Efforts to reach Sen. Richard Shelby and Ron Crumpton have been unsuccessful.
ELECTION 2016 Amendment 1: Adds 2 seats to the Auburn Board of Trustees Yes 1,162,959 votes 73% No 421,205 votes 27%
Amendment 8: Solidifies Alabama’s right-to-work status Yes 1,103,134 votes 70% No 482,891 votes 30%
U.S. House, Alabama’s 5th Congressional District Will Boyd (D) 101,577 votes 33% Mo Brooks (R) 204,791 votes 67%
Amendment 2: Prohibits taking funds from State Parks Yes 1,396,446 votes 80% No 353,767 votes 20%
U.S. House, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District Nathan Mathis (D) 111,640 votes 45% Martha Roby (R) 134,450 votes 55%
U.S. House, Alabama’s 6th Congressional District Gary Palmer (R) 240,897 votes 75% David Putman (D) 81,296 votes 25%
Amendment 6: Changes impeachment requirements Yes 777,930 votes 54% No 674,037 votes 46%
U.S. House, Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District Mike Rogers (R) 90,724 votes 67% Jesse Smith (D) 93,567 votes 33%
U.S. Senate, Alabama Ron Crumpton (D) Richard Shelby (R)
736,615 votes 1,319,742 votes
36% 64%
Community 6
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
ELECTION 2016
State, local party leaders react to Trump’s victory
Kris Martins
COMMUNITY REPORTER
When Randy Price saw the close results for Virginia on election night, he knew something was going to happen. And when Ohio, Florida and North Carolina filed in behind Republican President-elect Donald Trump, murky waters began to clear. The American people had spoken. “Not only did they want change. They wanted change in a very big way,” Price, who is the chairman of the Lee County Republicans Executive Committee, said. What some thought would be a swift election night and Hillary Clinton victory turned into a late-night nail-biter ending only at about 1:30 a.m. CT when a Wisconsin victory clinched the 270 electoral votes Trump needed to win the presidency. “I don’t think you have to be around politics very much to understand that I think the Clinton team knew in the last 72 hours that they were in trouble,” Price said. Neglecting voters in Michigan and Wisconsin until the last minute showed that the Clinton campaign “took those people for granted,” he said. “And those people sent a very loud message last night,” Price noted. If Clinton won the presidency, Price and others had no doubt it would have been another term of the Obama administration. “The average American working person was not going to be a bit better off in four years from now if she was elected president than they are today,” Price said. He expected a tight race, but what distinguished this election was how Trump resonated with Americans. “People understood what he was saying because they understood it was going to affect them personally,” Price said. “It wasn’t a thing that was just going to affect a certain group. It was going to affect a large number of people across our country.” And now, Price said, America gets the chance to “correct some things.” Two major factors that determined the Republican victory, Price said, were the Supreme Court justice appointment and President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act. “’Obamacare” was “crammed down people’s throat” and offered empty promises, he said. The healthcare system changes took out competition, Price said, which passed a burden to
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Donald Trump speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.
the American people. “And I think last night they said enough is enough,” Price said. First-time voters, and others who stayed home on previous election days, played a vital role in the Republican victory by getting out to the polls Tuesday, he noted. But for many Democrats, election night went much differently than they expected. By the time Florida was called, Beth Clayton had done the math and knew it was nearly impossible for Clinton to pull through. But when Pennsylvania turned red, it closed the door for Democrats. Clayton, president of Alabama Young Democrats, only had time to process the result and prepare for bed. “A lot of what I’ve been feeling over the past 12 hours has been trying to reconcile what I thought I knew about America and America’s values with what we’ve seen on display at the ballot box,” she said. Democrats sat back after looking at polls, the Trump campaign and Clinton’s qualifications, failing to come through at the ballot boxes, Clayton said. They were sold a Clinton vic-
tory and took it for granted. “This whole campaign we have run on the belief that America’s best days are ahead of us and that we are stronger together. That was (Clinton’s) motto,” Clayton said. The nation, to her, was not one that wanted to build a wall or implement religious tests for immigration. In 2008, Democrats were fighting for hope and change after the recession, war in the Middle East and eight years of the Bush administration. And four years ago, Democrats were out to protect the progress of the Obama administration. But the passion, Clayton said, was absent this year. She remembers working at field offices in 2012 and seeing an excitement in volunteers to protect Democrat progress in America. It was also that year that young voters played a vital role in re-electing Obama, Clayton said. But there was a shortfall Tuesday. It seemed that Democrats miscalculated voters’ priorities. “This time around, I think that a lot of people were put off by the attacks on Secretary Clinton,” Clayton said. “I think a lot of people were
more concerned about her transparency and her honesty than what we thought.” This year, both sides felt their values were under attack. “Those people who stood up last night for Donald Trump were the same people on our side who stood up for Barack Obama in 2008,” Clayton said. And the rules of politics, she added, seemed void this election cycle. “He was never supposed to be the Republican nominee if you listened to the polls and the pundits,” Clayton said. “He was never supposed to win the White House.” But Trump, she said, controlled the narrative the entire election year. “And in this election, from the beginning, it’s been the Donald Trump show, and we’ve just kind of been playing in his world,” she said. Trump, to be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2017, is the first president with no military or government experience. “I think that’s the one of the great things about America,” Price said. “That people do have a voice.”
DEVELOPMENT
Three new restaurants, a retailer coming to Auburn at Bent Creek Road Rachel Littleton COMMUNITY WRITER
A new development on Bent Creek Road will bring three new restaurants and retailer to Auburn. The Auburn City Council approved the development of a project called Restaurant Row at Auburn Exchange, which will bring three new restaurants and one retailer to Exit 57 on the corner of Bent Creek Road and Auburn Exchange Drive. The development joins several others joining the Auburn market. The expected turnaround for the development is six months, according to the developer Ray Jones. Although the restaurant tenants have not been announced yet, Phil-
lip Dunlap, Auburn’s director of economic development, said the completed project will include a seafood restaurant, a sushi restaurant and a barbecue restaurant. “We modeled it after Ogletree Village, which is where Tuco’s is, like how they have the awning, patios and breezeway underneath,” Jones said. “We really tried to elevate the aesthetics of it.” This development will be between Tiger Town and Auburn’s central business district. And it will be in front of two large retailers, Sam’s and Academy Sports + Outdoors, with interstate accessibility, which will hopefully help drive traffic, Jones said.
“If you’re coming from the east, this property is the gateway into the city, so we wanted to build a nicelooking building that somewhat mirrors the surrounding tenants,” Jones said. The project will add additional eating establishments at Bent Creek Road, which will create synergy with the new hotels at that location as well as complement the other existing businesses, Dunlap said. Dunlap added that the addition of new restaurants will give the citizens more variety. “We feel our citizens want additional opportunities,” Dunlap said. “This project will create those opportunities. We do expect a positive
reaction. Our citizens want and expect us to work with the private sector to create new restaurant opportunities.” The development will also create jobs as well as tax revenue to enable the city to provide quality public services to residents, said David Dorton, the city’s director of public affairs. “Any good commercial project brings new jobs and amenities for Auburn residents, as well as contributing to the tax base that supports schools, public safety, infrastructure and parks, recreation and culture activities,” Dorton said. Auburn is undergoing extensive commercial development and rede-
velopment right now, Dorton said. This includes projects at the Auburn Mall and along Opelika Road, on South College Street, downtown Auburn and more, all of which impact jobs, the economy and choices for residents and visitors. “We certainly hope that these are successful businesses for Auburn from all of those perspectives,” Dorton said. Jones said the city was very good to work with. “We’ve got to of the best economic development people in the state — Megan McGowen and Philip Dunlap — because they’re pro-business and they always help however they can,” Jones said.
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Restaurant Row will bring three new restaurants and a retailer to Auburn.
Sports
Thursday, November 10, 2016
7 ThePlainsman.com
Sports
Tigers run in, defend top 10 position Pettway eclipses 1,000 yard mark
Eight of 10 opponents held to less than 20 points
Six straight opponents held without a rushing touchdown
WADE RACKLEY / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Kamryn Pettway (36) runs the ball during Auburn Football vs Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016 in Auburn.
FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL
Tigers hold on to No. 9 ranking
Behind enemy bylines: Georgia
John Durham, the Assistant Sports Editor at The Red and Black, answered a few questions from The Plainsman about Auburn’s matchup with Georgia this Saturday.
Sam Butler ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Two weeks of the College Football Playoff rankings have come, and twice Auburn has been ranked in the same spot. After a narrow 23-16 win over Vanderbilt, Auburn didn’t move in the CFP rankings, as the Tigers checked in at No. 9 for the second week in a row. With Texas A&M’s 35-28 loss to Mississippi State last week, the path to the playoff has opened up for Auburn. If the Tigers win out — at Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 12, at home against Alabama A&M the following week, and at No. 1 Alabama in the regular-season finale — they will claim a spot in the SEC Championship Game, and a win would likely propel Auburn into the top 4. Auburn’s final home game falls on Nov. 18 when the Tigers take on Alabama A&M in Jordan-Hare.
1) Just how different is this Georgia program now that Kirby Smart is in charge? Mark Richt was there for so long, and it makes sense for the Bulldogs to have some growing pains adjusting to a new coach for the first time in a while.
ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tyler Carter (93) encourages cheers from the crowd in Jordan-Hare stadium.
JD: I didn’t have the chance to cover the team when Richt was the coach, but it’s easy to see how much this program has changed under Kirby Smart. Smart has come in and changed everything, from the team’s slogan to not making assistant coaches available for interviews. It seems to me like he is trying to emulate his program after Nick Saban’s Alabama.
» See BYLINES, 9
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS
NCAA TOURNAMENT
WILLIAMS STEPS UP FOR DEFENSE
Basketball hosts Montevallo in an exhibition matchup, football takes down Vanderbilt and soccer plays in SEC Tournament semifinal.
The Auburn soccer team earned its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance on Monday afternoon and will host the first round match against South Alabama.
Darrell Williams stepped up big for the Auburn defense against Vanderbilt, taking over for Deshaun Davis after he was flagged and ejected for targeting.
» See THIS WEEK IN SPORTS, 9
» See SOCCER, 8
» See DARRELL WILLIAMS, 10
Sports 8
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
This week in Auburn sports
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Above: Marlon Davidson (3) cheers with Auburn fans during Tiger Walk before the Tigers took on Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016.
Above left: A Silver Wings parachuter approaches Jordan-Hare Stadium. DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Above Right: Kerryon Johnson (21) runs for yardage during the first half.
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Above: Kerryon Johnson (21) scores a touchdown during the first half.
DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Above: John Franklin III (5) looks to make a pass. Left : Carl Lawson (55) sacks Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur (14) during the fourth quarter.
CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER
Above Left: TJ Dunans (4) drives towards the basket during the first half. Above Right: Bryce Brown (2) jumps for a dunk during the first half.
Men’s Basketball
CONTRIBUTED BY JIMMY MITCHELL / SEC
Above: Kristen Dodson (35) dribbles the ball upfield during their game against Arkansas Below: Bri Folds (4) jostles for position against Erika Miller (4).
Bruce Pearl’s new-look Auburn Tigers basketball team opened their 2016 season in style Nov. 4. Auburn cruised to a 96-68 exhibition win over Montevallo, with freshman Mustapha Heron and Danjel Purifoy leading the way. Heron, the first five-star commit in Auburn history, scored 26 points, going 9-12 from the field. The Connecticutt native grabbed six rebounds to go along with three steals and one assist. “Mustapha does what he does,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “He plays loud, but he’s quiet. He has a lot of noise to his game. He’s extremely coachable. The harder I get on him, the more he seems to respond.” Purifoy, who sat out last season due to eligibility issues, had 18 points for Auburn in his first career game. Purifoy pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds and went 10-11 from the free throw line. The Tigers shot 49.2 percent from the field and went 14-32 (43.8 percent) from three-point range. Unlike a season ago, Auburn converted at the free throw line, shooting 84 percent from the line, going 22-26. However, the Tigers were a bit sloppy at times, and turned the ball over 18 times. “You can certainly see the pieces,” the third-year head coach said. “There are some really talented young men who have a chance to be really good players, and we have a chance to be a really good team.” Auburn will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11, as they host the North Florida Ospreys.
Soccer The Auburn soccer team dropped a match 3-1 to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament Semifinals on Friday night. The Tigers (14-6-0) only goal came in the second half from Casie Ramsier. “We’re really disappointed,” Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. “I thought we could have played better in the first half, which would have solved a lot of things. It’s a really disappointing way to go out. I think
this is one of the best teams in the country. We’re just going to have to regroup and get ready for the NCAA Tournament.” Sarah Le Beau matched a season-high with seven saves, while Kristen Dodson and Casie Ramsier led the way up front with three shots apiece in the 90-minute affair. Arkansas (17-4-0) began took the lead in the opening five minutes of play when a rebound was tapped in across the line. Despite tallying four corner kicks, the Tigers trailed heading into intermission, 1-0. Casie Ramsier took a feed from Bri Folds and Brooke Ramsier, held off a defender and sent a shot across the face of goal and into the side netting to level the match at 1-1. The goal was the senior’s fourth of the tournament, setting a new program record for goals and points (eight) in the league tournament. Casie Ramsier’s second-half equalizer was also the quickest goal scored in the second half (46:38) in SEC tournament program history, besting Michelle Mione’s previous mark of 46:54 against Ole Miss in 2001. Auburn was able to flash a pair of chances on frame in the coming minutes, but Arkansas added two goals in the final 23 minutes to take the result, 3-1. The Tigers, sitting at No. 11 in the country, will host South Alabama in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Auburn on Saturday, Nov. 12.
Football Auburn celebrated military appreciation day on The Plains on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Tigers struggled but ended the contest in victory when they defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 2316. Auburn remains No. 9 in the country with the win and moves on to face SEC rival Georgia in Athens on Saturday, Nov. 12. Will Sahlie and Emily Shoffit contributed to this article.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
SOCCER
Sports 9
The Auburn Plainsman
BYLINES
» From 7
» From 7
Saban does not make his assistant coaches free to talk to the media. There have been some growing pains for sure this season in attempting to get players and even fans to buy into the new direction of this program. And at 5-4 this season, Georgia has already taken a step back from the consistency of the Mark Richt era. People weren’t expecting a step back, they were expecting Smart to come in and take a consistent program into a great one like Alabama. That’s going to take some time. 2) What’s been the primary factor in Georgia’s lackluster season? Losing to Vanderbilt at home isn’t what many people imagined would happen, I assume. JD: No, losing to Vanderbilt is not what anybody would expect coming into this year for Georgia, especially on Homecoming, of all games. It’s easy to point fingers at what has gone wrong, but I’d say the offensive line and special teams have really hurt Georgia. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel aren’t having the year we’ve become accustomed to seeing out of them because of problems on the offensive line, despite a veteran presence with guys like Brandon Kublanow and Greg Pyke. Special teams has arguably been even worse than the offensive line. Rodrigo Blankenship has stepped up and solidified himself as solid field goal kicker for Georgia, especially after the last game at Kentucky. But Marshall Long has struggled punting the ball, and Isaiah McKenzie and the return team have been an absolute mess at times this season for Georgia. 3) Auburn typically has issues winning at Sanford Stadium, where the Tigers haven’t claimed a victory there since 2005, and no matter how each team’s season is going, it seems to be a place Auburn just can’t figure out. What does Georgia need to do to ensure that streak continues?
CONTRIBUTED BY JIMMY MITCHELL / SEC
Casie Ramsier (24) holds off a defender in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
Emily Shoffit Sports Editor
The Auburn soccer team earned its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance on Monday, Nov. 7, and will host the first round match against South Alabama. The tilt between the Tigers and Jaguars is slated to take place at the Auburn Soccer Complex on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 12 p.m. CST. Auburn earned the No. 4 seed in the Florida Regional, marking the third time in program history the Tigers received a national seed and the first time ever in back-to-back seasons. “It’s always exciting and fun to see Auburn up on the board,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “We’re really excited to get a seed. In soccer, they only seed the top 16 teams in the country, so that’s a real privilege to have that number come by our name.” Auburn comes into the national tournament at 14-6-0.
The 14 wins are tied for fifthbest in program history. The Tigers touted nine SEC wins and matched the school record for victories in league play this season. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Auburn reached the Sweet 16 for the first time ever after winning a home match versus Southeastern Louisiana and a neutral site contest against Texas Tech. The Tigers are 4-2 all-time in the annual postseason tournament when playing at the Auburn Soccer Complex and have won their last two dating back to 2011. South Alabama recently captured the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid after winning the league tournament. The Jaguars (15-5-1) have made the NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons. The two teams have already seen one another this year with Auburn prevailing in doubleovertime, 1-0, in Mobile, Alabama.
JD: Georgia will have to slow down Auburn’s offense and they have a decent chance at that. The run defense for Georgia has been a strength this year, as they sit at 20th in college football for average rush yards given up per game with 118.2. So, if they are able to fill up some holes and stop guys like Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson, then the focus will turn to a banged-up Sean White on passing downs. It will be far from easy to slow down Pettway and Johnson, though, but in a Georgia-Auburn game, anything can happen as we’ve seen in years past. 4) What matchups with Auburn scare Georgia the most? JD: I think the Auburn defensive line against the Georgia offensive linemen scares Georgia the most. Guys like Carl Lawson, Marlon Davidson and Montravius Adams are great at getting to the quarterback, stopping teams behind the line of scrimmage and clogging up holes in the run game. Any of the Auburn players on the offensive line could be in for a big day. And obviously guys like Pettway and Johnson running the ball is something that keep Kirby Smart up at night. 5) How do you see this game shaking out? JD: I think that the Georgia defense is able to keep the high-powered Auburn offense from running all over them for about a half. But guys like Pettway and Johnson seem to run harder and stronger later into the game. I think the Georgia offense will really struggle in this one. In losses against Florida and Vanderbilt, the young Georgia offense has struggled against tough SEC defenses, and that’s exactly what Auburn is this year. 6) Score prediction? JD: I’ve got Auburn 35-21 in this one.
Early signing day historic for men’s basketball Jack Winchester SPORTS REPORTER
College basketball’s early signing period has begun, and Bruce Pearl and the Tigers are on pace to have a historic day after the latest signing of Austin Wiley, Davion Mitchell and
Chuma Okeke. Wiley, a five-star center out of Birmingham, signed his NLI Nov. 8, making himself Auburn’s second five-star signee in program history. Mitchell, a four-star point guard from Georgia tweeted
his announcement moments after Wiley. Okeke, a four-star forward followed the first two and was the third to sign on the day. The early signing period ends Nov. 16. Garrison Brooks, Auburn
High’s four-star power forward, ended his recruitment when he signed with Mississippi State over Auburn, UNC, Georgia, LSU and others. Pearl’s 2017 class ranks at the top of the conference, and top five nationally.
Sports 10
Emily Shoffit
The Auburn Plainsman
PLAINSMAN PICKS
Thursday, November 10, 2016
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Baylor vs. Oklahoma (11 a.m., ABC)
LSU vs. Arkansas (6 p.m., ESPN)
Florida vs. South Carolina (11 a.m., CBS)
Alabama vs. Mississippi State (11 a.m., ESPN)
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Sam Butler Asst. Sports Editor (37-15)
Nathan Deal Sports Reporter (37-15)
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DEFENSE
STUDENT AFFAIRS S P OT L I G H T
ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
safe HARBOR
Williams steps up for Auburn defense Darrell Williams (49) tackles LSU’s Leonard Fournette (7) for a loss on Saturday, Sept. 24 in Auburn.
Sam Butler
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Auburn’s defense was already down one signal-caller, but it lost another one early in the Vanderbilt game. Middle linebacker Deshaun Davis was flagged for targeting following a snap-judgment hit on what was ruled a defenseless Vanderbilt receiver, and per the rules, he was ejected from the game. It was a bang-bang play, and it meant the Tigers would be without their two ‘quarterbacks’ on defense, as defensive coordinator Kevin Steele called it. “We have a quarterback too, and that quarterback is at the linebacker position,” Steele said. “And when the top two quarterbacks are out of the game everybody’s having a stroke, but nobody ever thinks that oh, two linebackers out, that might be an issue.” With Davis and Williams out, leadership duties fell to Darrell Williams, who ended up having to play several different linebacker spots as
a result of the depleted roster. Steele said Williams had ‘his plate full,’ and noted that ‘he grew up.’ “There was a lot going through my head,” Williams said. “Coach Steele tries to make it as simple as possible, so that helps. Just making sure I do my assignments and do my part, getting everybody lined up and stuff at the linebacker position. Coach TWill tells you that you have to quarterback the defense all the time. I was just trying to step up and do that as best as I could.” To top off the whirlwind that overcame the Auburn defense to start off the game, Vanderbilt’s offense came out of the gates utilizing play calls Steele and the players hadn’t prepared for in the slightest. The Commodores usually run a more pro-style, basic approach, but in their first series they more indirect, unconventional plays at the Tigers. It made for some confusion for Auburn, but they set-
tled in quickly, and eventually made the necessary adjustments at halftime. After surrendering 206 total yards and 13 points in the first half, Auburn clamped down and held Vanderbilt to 135 yards and just three points in the final two quarters. “Well, first half, they came out with a lot of new wrinkles that we did not go over,” Williams said. “That happens all the time. We’ve kind of seen that more and more in the second half of the season. Copy-catting and doing a lot of things that we struggle with and then get right later on. But a lot of teams coming out with working the ball on the perimeter and working the quick game. We adjust it on the sidelines as much as we could. “But when we go into halftime, we just got all the plays down that we had trouble with in the first half. They came right back with them, hoping that they would work. But Coach Steele had a great plan for us, and we executed it.”
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Opinion Thursday, November 10, 2016
11 ThePlainsman.com
Opinion
OUR VIEW
After Trump, where we go now Fall Editorial Board 2016
Donald Trump was elected President this week, and his succession has many implications both in the policy realm and in the larger realm of American political culture. This signals a shift not only against the measures the Obama administration has put forth, but a shift against the political establishment writ large. While this shift is welcomed by many, as evidenced by our election results, we believe the overarching implications of the shift caused by President-elect Trump has been and will be detrimental to society as a whole. As a country, we are worried we are moving toward an America that is less open toward members of the LGBTQ, Muslim, AfricanAmerican and Hispanic communities. Trump’s promise to be President for all people, implicitly saying he will look out for the welfare of all of our citizens, rings false next to his plethora of statements outright promising or suggesting the marginalization of certain groups. To name a few examples, he has suggested that Muslim-Americans should be filed into a database and that mosques should be subject to surveillance simply by virtue of them being mosques. Additionally, Trump has advocated for stopand-frisk tactics, which have been shown to disproportionately affect African-Americans, and is reminiscent of something a police-state would do. This cowardly and statist mindset is antithetical to the ideal that our citizenry should be free from the unreasonable grasps of government. Perhaps one of the most consequential elements of the Trumpian shift is the change in the American psyche toward post-factuality. Keeping in tune with the overarching disdain toward the establishment — which consists of politicians and experts alike — many people have simply stopped caring about what experts say, or what media sources report. The media, which used to be considered a positive force in society, has been lambasted by the Trump campaign, all to his advantage. We believe it is important to keep a check on media,
or any other potent force within society for that matter. However, we believe the degree to which people have disregarded the media specifically, and facts in general, is detrimental to America, and by extension, our world. We call upon our citizens to cut the excesses that come with suspicion and disdain toward academia, the media and government. This is a precarious balance, but we must reach toward it because both extremes of the spectrum are horrible. We must work toward a balance of healthy skepticism and being humble enough to defer to the minds of other people sometimes. This is an especially pertinent issue with the shadow of climate change lingering over our planet, which Trump has claimed is a hoax invented by the Chinese despite the vast majority of scientists disagreeing with him and a multitude of studies which report increasing rates of ice melting. In this perceived political climate of the statusquo’s potency, we believe the American psyche has overshot the ideal balance between trust and suspicion. We must work back toward that balance. Moreover, we call upon our citizens to keep each other in mind throughout the course of the Trump presidency. When the rights of Muslims are at risk, we must all stand in solidarity and use our collective political will to ensure their rights are not abused. The same goes for every group of people. Focusing on empathy is paramount in our general struggle toward striving for a more perfect society. Another problem facing our political consciousness, which has been abetted partly by both the Trump and Clinton campaigns, is our deep and growing level of polarization. This election, just like every election, presents an opportunity for politicians to stop stoking partisan flames. Throughout the past eight years, most of our representatives have prided themselves on being purely obstructionist forces toward the Obama administration. This behavior has resulted in an increasingly ineffectual government and sowed the seeds of
STERLING WAITS / GRAPHICS EDITOR
polarization into our citizenry. This behavior is apparent in our representatives’ reelection bids as they propagate divisive campaign rhetoric which feed into the disdain and hatred of their constituents. They do this all for the sake of increasing their chances of being placed into office. It’s beneficial for the politicians in the short-run, but incredibly detrimental to our society in the long-run. Politics needs to be viewed less as a zerosum war between Democrats and Republicans and more as a series of hands reaching across ideological boundaries to create a government which provides for the general welfare of its citizens. Our politicians’ have created a political atmosphere which places vitriol for the opposing
side as the highest form of purity, insularity as a mark of intelligence and bipartisanship as dealing with the devil. There are, however, moments in which we shouldn’t compromise an inch. But they don’t come too often, and that reality must be a piece of our political decision calculus. To summarize: Trump’s movement is a disdaindriven, knee-jerk reaction to the power and corruption, real and perceived, of the political establishment. We need to fix the underlying issues which metastasized this disdain and we need to combat its symptoms, whether they be the marginalization of our fellow citizens or the destruction of our environment due to lack of awareness with respect to climate change.
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Opinion 12
GUEST VOICES
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
Remembering Jack Simms
Jack Simms was an Auburn journalism legend. The journalist and author, who was the original chairman of the journalism department, died Tuesday at the age of 89. Here, his friends, students and colleagues remember him. From David Housel: Jack Simms was a good man. As William Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “the elements so mixed in him that all the world might stand say, ‘This was a man…’” Jack Simms was such a man. As a Marine in some of the toughest, bloodiest, inch-by-inch, hand-to-hand fighting in the Pacific during World War II, he displayed his mettle, his toughness and his courage again and again. He once said his whole war was fought defending or trying to take the 10 yards in front of him. In the trenches, on the front lines, it wasn’t about patriotism or motherhood; it was about survival, your survival and the survival of the man, the friend, the buddy, next to you. Marines are America’s best, America’s toughest and Jack Simms was a Marine, a proud Marine. He wore the red coat of a Marine veteran often and proudly. Tom Brokaw talks about “The Greatest Generation.” Jack Simms was part of that generation. Brokaw had men like Jack in mind when coined the phrase “Greatest Generation.” He made the world safer during the war and he made it better after the war. His war experiences did not define him. They were only part of who he was. He had a heart, a kindness, and a compassion, that he did his best to hide. He tried to, and often did, come across as a tough, strict, disciplinarian, an academic Marine sergeant of sort, but he had a heart, a big heart, as a reporter, an editor and as a professor. It was as if he didn’t want his students to know how much he cared for them, how much he loved them, until they graduated, and then he was their biggest supporter, best friend, their greatest ally. No professor, no department head, ever worked harder to find jobs and secure opportunities for his students than Jack did. He stayed in touch with them, most of them, for rest of his life. He made a difference in their lives and they enriched his life. It was a mutually beneficial experience. He was a pillar in the University and in the community for whatsoever was right and good. He was a quiet leader, but his influence was strong and it was effective. At his Friday morning breakfast club, he talked about issues and ideas, not people. When the talk turned to criticism of people, Jack became quiet. It was noted and appreciated. He was not a gossip as most if not all men are. No matter what the subject, when Jack spoke, people listened. He had that kind of respect. He had the ability and wherewithal to disagree agreeably, a quality that is becoming more and more rarer in these times in which we live. When the subject of theology came up, which it often did, he would quietly and respectfully listen to others’ opinions and beliefs. He would sometimes discreetly turn away, rolling his eyes in disbelief that anybody could see life, the world and faith that way, but he never tried to convince them that they should believe as he believed. He didn’t talk or argue his faith. He lived it, and he lived it well. Lest we forget, Jack was human, too. Nobody loved a party more than Jack, the more the merrier. He enjoyed a good stiff drink (or drinks) and he could tell a story. Oh, how
he could tell a story. He was Auburn’s best. He loved to have a good time. He loved life and all that it entailed. A strong man, a courageous man, a tough man. That was Jack Simms. A kind man, a caring man, a compassionate and respectful man, and a man of faith. That was Jack Simms. Jack Simms was a good man. I was blessed to work for him and even more blessed to have him as my friend. David Housel, 1969 Auburn alumnus, was a journalism professor for the University before he became athletic director.
From Bill Kimber: I didn’t get to go to Jack Simms’ birthday party a few weeks ago. A work commitment made me change my plans. So the last time I saw Jack was when he was visiting the Opelika-Auburn News a couple years ago working on publicity for a new printing of the pictorial history of Auburn he wrote with Mickey Logue. I was standing at my desk that afternoon when Tonya Balaam-Reed brought Jack in the door to the newsroom. I wouldn’t have been more excited to see Mick Jagger or the Pope. I knew Tonya was meeting with him that day, but I didn’t know I was going to get to see him, and honestly I was as star-struck as if Beyonce and Jay Z had walked in the room. He was on my mind every day that I worked at the O-A. I always took an extra measure of care in everything that I edited, because that was Jack Simms’ hometown paper I was working on. There’s a good bit of pressure on the night news editor of the paper that might show up next to the coffee of one of the brightest journalism professors ever. I couldn’t let a story go out with a boring lede. Or one with misspelled words or poor sentence structure. Or one that didn’t answer all the questions Jack Simms would want to have answered. Thirty years had passed since I graduated from Auburn, and so many times I had relied on the facts Jack taught us all in JM101 – that classic weed-out course featuring four simple tests that were anything but easy. You had to spell correctly and have copy editing skills to succeed in Jack Simms’ world! (I can almost still quote Strunk and White about the leeches in the pond of prose.) I didn’t figure the founder and head of the journalism department would remember a middle-of-the-pack student who spent too much time partying three decades previous, and not nearly enough time taking school seriously. But he did remember me, and he asked after some of the people he knew I would’ve crossed paths with at some of the stops along my career path. I only got to see him for a few minutes that day, but it was so uplifting that basically the father of the Auburn journalism program hadn’t forgotten me. Not that he was known for forgetting things. By now you’ve heard about his auspicious military and journalism and academic careers, but there was something else he could do – probably a product of being an educated man of his generation – that would blow your mind. I had two opportunities to watch as he recited the Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam, 101 verses of ancient Persian poetry that Jack would recite from start to finish, never referring to notes or prompts. His voice would rise and fall for dramatic effect throughout the 45 minutes or
The Editorial Board Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dakota Sumpter MANAGING EDITOR Shannon Powell COPY Weston Sims OPINION
Claire Tully CAMPUS
Madison Ogletree PHOTO
Emily Shoffit
Parker Aultman MULTIMEDIA
Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY SPORTS
Emily Esleck DESIGN
Anne Dawson SOCIAL MEDIA
Lily Jackson LIFESTYLE
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The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.
The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.
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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.
VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Jack Simms passed away at 89.
an hour it took to recite. It’s still the most impressive display of memory I’ve ever seen, and it was obviously good exercise to keep his brilliant mind sharp. I join my colleagues in the Auburn journalism family in extending our condolences to the Simms family. We mourn his loss, but we tally all our successes as his, and we marvel at the impact he made on the world. One student at a time, one story at a time. Bill Kimber is a 1985 Auburn alumnus.
From John Carvalho: In the summer of 2003, I was on a weekend visit to Auburn, preparing to move down and join the faculty. Trapped in Comer Hall parking lot by a thunderstorm, I called Jack Simms. As we talked, I told him, “Jack, my goal in coming to Auburn is to be to my students what you were to us.” That would be a huge challenge, because of what Jack meant to Auburn journalism and its students over his 18 years as department head and the years that followed. For those of us privileged to be his students, he was the ideal professor, mentor and friend, and he made sure that the faculty members he brought on used the same approach. Jack’s first year was my freshman year, so I benefited from his classroom instruction and his mentorship as I worked on The Auburn Plainsman. But it meant even more, these past 13 years, to be his friend. As we Auburn journalism majors graduated, and so many of us went on to distinguished careers and syndicated columns and front pages and Pulitzer Prizes, Jack was our most treasured cheerleader. Yet he never talked about himself much. We had heard about Iwo Jima, but it wasn’t until he showed me an unpublished manuscript within the past few months that I realized what he had experienced. The manuscript refers to a point during the battle where Jack and a fellow Marine had gotten separated from their company, the result of poor communication. Amidst the smoke, grenades, mortars and rifles, they still managed to rejoin their compa-
ny, and he survived. In class, he never mentioned how, as an AP reporter in Tampa, he talked himself aboard a rescue ship that was heading toward the site of a private yacht fire in which young people from several prominent New York families died. Or how he also got aboard the ship that had picked up the survivors and interviewed them. Or how he tossed his film from the ship to a co-worker standing on the dock after the rescue ship returned, dodging quarantine rules. This was heroic journalistic stuff. Having returned to Auburn, I got to spend time with Jack, whether at our Friday morning breakfast group or at various journalism gatherings. If we had driven together to Birmingham or Atlanta for an alumni meeting, it meant sitting patiently (often with his wife, Jo), waiting while he talked individually to each student. They meant that much to each other. His decline was noticeable and worrisome over the past few months, but it had its moments. The first was his 90th birthday party, moved up to October to take advantage of the bye week. So many showed up, and Jack’s family did a great job of roasting him but also telling stories like the one above. And again he took the time to greet each guest and friend who approached. The second was just three days ago, when Jack was brought to the field for the military appreciation halftime show. He had told me earlier in the week that he didn’t know if he could make it, but he did, and accepted the crowd’s grateful cheers. Those two, combined, would turn out to be our last chance to say goodbye to Jack. We suspected as much, but it still made us glad and grateful that we were able to. And now the torch has completely passed to those of us who learned from Jack. Each of us fulfills his legacy in our own way -- myself as director of the journalism program. Intimidating? A little, but not too much. By his teaching, and by the example of his life, Jack prepared us well. John Carvalho is an associate professor and associate director for journalism.
Lifestyle Thursday, November 10, 2016
13 ThePlainsman.com
Lifestyle
CULTURE
ENTERTAINMENT
Dogspotters share pics of pups through GroupMe
Brooks Glover LIFESTYLE WRITER
CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER
Kyle Shoulders, junior in animal science production management, and Kayla Steinkopf, junior in sociology, sits with their pet goats.
Meet Rusty and Nova
Student’s pets become social media famous Lily Jackson
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Man’s Best Friend typically refers to the companionship of a dog, but for Kyle Shoulders, junior in animal science production management, a different creature has taken the role. Rusty, part Saanen and Nubian goat, has been under the care of Shoulders for six months. He purchased Rusty from Bulger Creek Farm LLC in Notasulga. Along with Rusty, Shoulders’ friend, Kayla Steinkopf, junior in sociology, followed suit with the purchase of Nova, her personal goat. Nova was named after the Auburn eagle and is Rusty’s partner in crime, as the two get very anxious when they are separated. Steinkopf and Shoulders were both new to raising goats and learned a lot during the first two weeks. “Bottle feeding is not fun,” Shoulders said. “It was fun the first time, especially is it isn’t your goat.” Steinkopf said the goats were in diapers for a short while. Steinkopf’s parents were supportive when she decided to welcome Nova into the family. Her father has met Nova and Steinkopf
CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER
Rusty and Nova eat grass at the red barn on South Donahue.
said he really liked Nova. “My dad likes headbutting him,” Steinkopf said. “If you put your hands in a “Hook ‘em horns” kinda thing, [Nova] will butt you back.” Rusty and Shoulders have made their
mark on social media after a photo of Rusty and Shoulders in a river started to circulate with the caption, “I wanna be this happy.”
» See GOATS, 16
While walking through campus you are bound to pass dozens of students quietly looking down at their phones checking texts, emails or tweets. However, chances are that at least a few are the 2,000 plus Auburn students who routinely share pictures of Auburn’s cutest residents, The Plain’s pups. The Auburn Dogspotting Groupme group is exactly what it sounds like. Everyday, countless dogs are posted for no reason other than to put a smile on the group’s members’ faces. Whether it’s over Sully, the golden retriever puppy, excitedly posing by his namesake, Pat Sullivan’s statue; Knightley, the border collie and Shetland sheepdog mix, proudly displaying his pumpkin collection, or even the rare goat, strangers bond over the irresistible adorableness of man’s best friend. The group was created last spring by Reign Parker, junior in marketing, who has three dogs of her own back home in Fort Worth, Texas. Inspired by fatigue deep into a study session with her friends at RBD, Parker describes the idea of the group as a result of being, “bored in the library and tired of doodling dogs.” Originally only having ten members, random friends were added throughout the spring semester until the group’s growth stalled at around 100 members. Parker says that the group, “pretty quickly blew up in the summer” requiring members to message Groupme and ask for the group’s member limit to be increased and at the time of writing, has 2,057 members. After passing the 1,000 member mark, the Auburn Dogspotting group became the hub for any and all dog related news for the community. Members frequently post information regarding dogs that are both lost and found. Several of the group’s members are also Lee County Humane Society volunteers and share news about upcoming events and pictures of puppies waiting to be adopted. The community has even helped return lost debit cards and identify microwave safe cookware. To join the group, all one must do is know someone already belonging to the group and ask to be added, which for a group that consists of a little under ten percent of Auburn’s student population, shouldn’t be too hard. Then, no matter how bad of a day you are having, you can find comfort in knowing that you are only a few touches away from having an endless stream of the cutest pooches in Auburn.
Turkish student brings culture to campus Catie Sergis
LIFESTYLE WRITER
Auburn’s campus is filled with students from 82 countries and each student has brought their culture to this campus. Fehmi Capanoglu, a graduate student in industrial and systems engineering is no different. The graduate student arrived in Auburn in 2012 from Tokat, Turkey to get his PhD in industrial and systems engineering. Since then, he has become president of the Turkish Student Organization and has recently arranged a Turkish Republic Day dinner reception to honor his country. “As the president of TSO, and a humble server of the Auburn family, we would like to achieve a cultural exchange between the Turkish community and friends in Auburn,” said CapanogluThe organization offers a number of events to all students on Auburn’s campus. These events range from a children’s day picnic, an Independence Day ice cream social and feasts such as Ramadan. At the latest TSO event, the Turkish Republic Day dinner reception, Turkish food was brought in from Atlanta for guests and the organization arranged for Turkish folk music to be performed. The beginning of any national holiday celebration in Turkey always begins the same for members of TSO. It starts with paying their respects to their ancestors who lost their lives with a moment of silence. The U.S national anthem is then sung along with the Turkish national anthem. “Every year we pick multiple non-Turkish friends who lived in, studied in or visited Turkey to give us their honest and objective experiences
they had while they were in Turkey,” Capanoglu said. Capanoglu believes this is a powerful aspect of their celebrations, because each person has an opportunity to listen to unbiased opinions about Turkey, the people and culture. “We would like to introduce to the most beautiful aspects of Turkey to our friends who haven’t had the chance to visit Turkey or experience the culture in person,” Capanoglu said. “We also want to create an awareness of any heart rendering situation in Turkey.” The graduate student has hopeful plans for his future in Turkey, but his childhood is what led to his life in Auburn. “I was born in Tokat, Turkey and was raised in a middle class family along with my brother,” Capanoglu said. “He was the person who pushed me to pursue my dreams about getting a degree in the United States. My parents own a small market in which they sell staple food products. They raised us as hardworking and confident people, and always told us to ‘stand for the others.’” Since childhood, Capanoglu found a passion for engineering after spending time with his grandfather who was a blacksmith. He explained that his childhood was a bit tougher than others. “I was a hyperactive child, and I was nearly killed in several accidents. These accidents motivated me into a career in safety engineering,” Capanoglu said. Capanoglu plans on returning to Turkey after his dissertation. He hopes to become a professor, teaching and performing research in occupational safety and health.
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Turkish Republic Day celebrations commence in Auburn University Student Center on Oct. 30, 2016.
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Lifestyle 14
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
THIS WEEK
Everything you need to know about the next seven days
TUESDAY
MONDAY November 14, 2016 NIGHTLIFE WHAT: $.50 Wings and $1 Budweiser Draft WHEN: 7 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Moe’s Original Bar B Que
SPORTS
WHAT: Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s at Councourse Days WHEN: 9 a.m. WHERE: Haley Concourse
WHAT: Barolympics WHERE: Quixote’s
WHAT: Cornhole Tournament WHEN: 7 p.m. WHERE: Moe’s Original Bar B Que
WHAT: Open Mic Night WHEN: 7-9 p.m. WHERE: Student Center Starbucks
WHAT: College Diabetes Week begins WHEN: All week
WHAT: $2 Wells, 15 percent Off Service Industry WHERE: Auburn Draft House
WHAT: $5 Wine Night WHEN: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Moe’s Original Bar B Que
WHAT: Open Mic Night WHEN: 7-9 p.m.
WHAT: Auburn Global’s Storybook Farm Service Day WHEN: 12-4 p.m. WHERE: Storybook Farm
CAMPUS
NIGHTLIFE
WHAT: Organization Workshop: Finance WHEN: 5-6 p.m. WHERE: Student Center 2222
WHAT: National Philanthropy Day WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. WHERE: Haley Concourse
WHAT: Men’s basketball vs. Georgia State WHEN: 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network) WHERE: Auburn Arena
WHAT: Bingo WHEN: 9 p.m. WHERE: Moe’s Original Bar B Que
November 15, 2016
CAMPUS
WHAT: Karaoke with “Jen” WHERE: SkyBar Cafe WHEN: Open at 8 p.m.
WHAT: Career Lunch Series WHEN: 12:30 p.m. WHERE: Ramsay 314 TT
WEDNESDAY CAMPUS
November 16, 2016
THURSDAY NIGHTLIFE WHAT: Wine Night and Bingo WHERE: Auburn Draft House
WHAT: Movie Night: We Have A Pope (Nanni Moretti) WHEN: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Haley Center 2312
WHAT: $.50 Natural and Busch Light Cans WHEN: All Day WHERE: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
MUSIC
WHAT: $1 Wells & $1 Beer WHEN: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: SkyBar Cafe
WHAT: Nature Walk WHEN: 8:30 a.m. WHERE: Kreher Preserve & Nature Center
NIGHTLIFE
WHAT: The Ties that Bind: Geneology Workshop WHEN: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. WHERE: Pebble Hill
WHAT: Cornbred WHERE: In the Skybar at SkyBar Cafe WHAT: DJ Do Less WHERE: Bourbon Street Bar WHAT: Ben Bruud WHERE: 1716
November 11, 2016 SPORTS
WHAT: Men’s basketball vs. North Florida WHEN: 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network) WHERE: Auburn Arena
November 12, 2016
NIGHTLIFE MUSIC WHAT: Union Road WHERE: In the Skybar at SkyBar Cafe
WHAT: Cornhole Tournament WHEN: 7 p.m. WHERE: Moe’s Original Bar B Que
WHAT: DJ Will WHERE: Bourbon Street Bar WHAT: DJ Lee WHERE: 1716
WHAT: Karaoke with “Jen” WHEN: Open at 8 p.m. WHERE: SkyBar Cafe WHAT: $3 20oz Wells and $3 Vegas Bombs WHERE: 1716
SPORTS
NIGHTLIFE WHAT: $1 Mimosas, $5 Bloody Mary’s WHERE: Auburn Draft House
WHAT: “Proof” Presented by Auburn Area Community Theatre WHEN: Nov. 10-12 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. WHERE: Jan Dempsey Art Center
SATURDAY WHAT: $2 Well Drinks & $2 Domestic Beers WHEN: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: SkyBar Cafe
WHAT: Women’s basketball vs Troy WHEN: 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Auburn Arena
WHAT: Taste of the Town Cook-Off WHEN: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: Saugahatchee Country Club
WHAT: $3 Top Shelf Wells and $1.50 Beer WHEN: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: SkyBar Cafe
FRIDAY
MUSIC
COMMUNITY
WHAT: Whiskey Myers w/ Scooter Brown Band WHEN: 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Bourbon Street Bar
WHAT: Pint Night, $1 off Select Beer WHEN: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Auburn Draft House
WHAT: $5 32oz Wells WHERE: Quixotes
WHAT: Blanton Reed WHERE: In the Skybar at SkyBar Cafe
November 10, 2016
MUSIC
SUNDAY
November 13, 2016
WHAT: $1 Mimosas WHERE: The Hound
Auburn dog of the week
WHAT: Football vs Georgia WHEN: 2:30 p.m. WHERE: Athens, Ga. (CBS Sports)
Submit events to our online
COMMUNITY EVENTS WHAT: 14th Annual 5K Trail Run, Tot Trot and Sunday Stroll WHEN: 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Forest Ecology Preserve
calendar at ThePlainsman.com/calendar
PLAINSMAN PICKS PLAYLIST: this week, the plainsman editors chose songs that remind them of this election season. lis-
ten to their picks and follow the auburn plainsman at spotify.com/the_auburnplainsman.
“Help!” by The Beatles
Madison Ogletree, photo editor “Help.”
“It’s the End of the World As We Know It” by R.E.M. Emily Shoffit, sports editor “Pray for us all.”
“It’s All Going to Pot” by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard Corey Williams, editor-in-chief
“Merle and Willie said it best: ‘Best I can tell the world’s gone to hell And we’re sure gonna miss it a lot.’”
“Six Pack Of Beer” by Hank Williams III Dakota Sumpter, managing editor “‘Been real high, been real low.’”
“Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood Chip Brownlee, community editor “I was quietly singing it all night long.”
“It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Lily Kamm walks to Toomer’s Corner.
Claire Tully, campus editor “When in doubt, blame everyone else.”
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Lifestyle 15
The Auburn Plainsman
COLUMN
Staying fit with a busy schedule and a lack of ambition Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR
You’ve got an upcoming test and work all week; there’s that meeting that could have easily been settled in an email; you’re almost certain your laundry pile is big enough to have it’s own ZIP code; you barely have time to go to the grocery store when you’re down to the last slice of bread; you’ve got to schedule time out of your day to ridicule yourself for volunteering to bring brownies to the bake sale; and it’s likely your parents haven’t heard from you in so long that they’ve organized a search party. Every season of life presents its own challenges. It seems the older we get, the more hectic our lives become and there’s little to no time to do the
things we want. One thing is particular that tends to take a back seat is fitness. We place so much importance on everything else on our “To Do” lists that it doesn’t seem possible to take an hour out of our days to workout. However, health is so important that it’s insane we neglect it so much for things other people tell us are important to get done. So, remember: it’s okay to be selfish and take care of yourself a little. Here are some ways to motivate you and make your health a priority again. Lay out your workout clothes the night before and put them on first thing in the morning. Even if you don’t workout immediately after you wake you, having those clothes on will serve as a reminder throughout the day to hit the gym at some point. Having new fitness clothes you’re
excited to wear also helps more than you think, so treat yourself to a new outfit when you can. Sign up for a class. I promise you will be twice as likely to actually workout when you’ve invested money in it. It doesn’t even have to be much. Some gym memberships are just $10 a month with free training. Think if it this way: if you take just a couple classes a week, then that fee will pay itself off in full and then some. Workout with a friend. Having someone to keep you accountable is a great way to make sure you’re on track, especially when it’s a friend that cares about you and your well being. It also helps to have a shared goal with someone that you can both work toward. Try working out consistently for two weeks. The more you workout, the more you enjoy it because it reduces stress and anxiety by giving
you a chance to escape from the world and focus on yourself. Give it a couple weeks and you’ll begin to look forward to your gym sessions. You may even find working out becomes your ideal study break or pick-me-up after a long day. Track your progress. You can track your success by measuring your waist and arms or take before pictures every week. The more progress you see, the more likely you are to put in even more work for continued results. The feeling is unbeatable and gives you immeasurable confidence and motivation to keep going. Once fitness becomes a part of your routine, it won’t phase you or seem like a chore. You wont have to check it off your list because it’s something you’ll do without much thought. It’s just as much a mental challenge as it is physically, making the rewards all the more satisfying.
FASHION
Sarah’s style: How to dress like the Kardashian-Jenners Sarah Partain LIFESTYLE WRITER
The Kardashian-Jenner clan is undeniably one of the most fashionable families in history. Yeah, their celebrity status is controversial, but I am definitely a fan of the fam that’s always a step ahead of the fashion world. For my sorority semi-formal last week, I took inspiration from the current staples of Kimmy K’s closet. Form-hugging midi-dresses, jewel-encrusted chokers and perspex heels straight out of the ‘90s frequently appear on the celeb apparel tabs of the Cosmopolitan Magazine snapchat story. Crushed velvet is ragin’ for fall 2016. I found a Lulu’s burgundy velvet knee-length dress with a shallow “V” cowl neck and fell in love. The color’s rich tone exudes luxury at an affordable price $42 to be exact]. Kim and Khloe often rely on the classy midi-silhouette to accent their natural curves. The style is flattering for any body shape, especially with a scooped neck and a ruched tummy. Following the literal footsteps of Yeezy’s Season 2 shoe collection, I found a banging pair of perspex heels from Public Desire. Their recent collaboration with up-and-coming model Hailey Baldwin features all the latest trends with perspex-heeled everything, kneehigh boots and sheer latex booties. My $44.99 pair of glitter-cored heels looked so much like the Kardashian-Jenner’s go-to shoes that I was frequently asked if they were real Yeezys. The clear straps elongate the legs and are some of the most comfortable heels I own. I chose a one-layer strand
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH PARTAIN
Sarah Partain, lifestyle writer, models a Kim Kardashian inspired look in the arms of her formal date.
rhinestone choker to bring a little bling. I wanted simplicity, but if I were Kim and the diamonds were real, I would go all out with thick necklaces too. As much as I love dressing up, on a day-to-day basis I can’t pull off wearing designer dresses and stilettos to class like the older Kardashian sisters. Kendall and Kylie’s street style can easily be translated to everyday closets. I recently purchased an oversized mauve distressed sweatshirt from Charming Oaks that would blend right in with Kylie’s athleisure wardrobe. Paired with Adidas leggings or over-the-knee leather boots, the cozy top looks nicer than sweats but doesn’t try too hard. Though I haven’t figured out how to bring the corset-over-a-t-shirt look off the streets of Las Angeles, the youngest Jenner’s favorite camouflage is easy to find this fall. A cool way to make a cheap statement top is to follow the sisters and DIY a t-shirt. Kendall has been wearing vintage shirts with a “V” cut into the front, leaving the neckline intact but adding a flattering flash of skin. Using a camo top can blend some of their favorite casual looks. Kendall showcases her supermodel legs daily in vintage denim and menswear-inspired outfits. Whether she’s wearing cutoff shorts, frayed skirts or mom jeans, the look can be copied easily and comfortably. Detailed belts and simple tanks can complete the nofuss outfit. The Kardashian-Jenner clan is a frontrunner in the world of fashion. I love how they can dress beyond the nines but be spotted the next day with a fresh face and sneaks. Their individual styles are well worth copying.
Lifestyle 16
Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Auburn Plainsman
‘Auburn’s Got Talent’ ENTERTAINMENT
COLUMN
Communications class raises money for charity Lily Hendrix
LIFESTYLE WRITER
A professor assigned his students to chose a nonprofit organization they wanted to support by creating a fundraiser. Collectively, the students chose to support the Macon County Humane Society and began to set goals to reach and suggested ideas of ways to raise money. The Macon County Humane Society is a non-profit organization established in Macon County, Alabama that strives to address pet overpopulation and alleviate animal cruelty in the community. “It is a local nonprofit that is ran completely out of someone’s home and has no actual building, and the woman in charge comes home to all these animals every day,” said Michaela Bostick, junior in broadcast journalism. “It really spoke to our heart which made us all want to help out this humane society.” Other than the love and caring for animals, the students decided to raise money for this small organization because of their limited resources. The class decided to pursue the idea of a talent show held in Auburn to raise money that would be Auburn’s own twist of “America’s Got Talent,” called “Auburn’s Got Talent.” Because so much planning is required to make this happen, students split up into organized groups that each focused on a job needed such as planning, advertising, logistics,
GOATS » From 13
“We were hiking at Chewacla one day, just trying to get them used to following us,” Shoulders said. “We got hot and went into the water after.” Shoulders did not have a Twitter account at the height of the meme attraction and had to find out from a family GroupMe. Shoulders assumed the popularity would die down after a day or two, but “it kept going and going and going.” “I had an Instagram for [Rusty] and one for me, but I deleted them after a while because it got weird after a while,” Shoulders said. “I started my Instagram back though.”
finance, and administration. Each group worked together which was exactly the professor’s goal; communicating in small groups. With loads of communication and networking, benefit nights were made and held at favorite restaurants like Niffer’s. At these events 10 percent of the profits raised went to the charity. Students held talent show auditions in the Student Center for comedians, rappers, dancers, or any person with strange talents that want to share. To spread awareness, the advertising group promoted the talent show with the help of the planning group and their knowledge of the event. Facebook pages, flyers and logos were made. “We had a bunch of good ideas and everyone was brainstorming but last minute someone suggested a talent show and we thought it would be fun for the students to show their talent,” Bostick said. Budgeting was necessary for this fundraiser to happen. Students created flyers and logos to share on social media and began networking friends, family, sorority sisters, and even requested to have Aubie attend the show. They planned to hold the talent show during “dead week” on Nov. 30. The talent show will be held Nov. 30, in Langdon Hall, where sound equipment will be provided. Tickets will be $5. For more information, check out the Facebook page, Auburn’s Got Talent. Students are free to submit auditions to auburnsgottalent@gmail.com.
Fame through goat ownership wasn’t the goal for Shoulders. After getting rid of his horse and being unable to bring his dog to Auburn, he decided to purchase a goat. “In between a horse and a dog, a goat,” Shoulders said. Shoulders said he wanted to go on trips and once he found out people could own pack-goats, he liked the idea of having one to help him on his trips. Shoulders said owning a goat is very low-maintenance and relatively easy. Rusty lives on a farm about 20 minutes away from Shoulders. He tries to make it out to the farm to see Rusty as many times as he can during the week. Owning a goat in college may seem strange to many, but both
owners claim that it is cheaper and less work than owning a dog. “They both love people so much, because they’ve been around them since they were babies,” Steinkopf said. Steinkopf said the goats both have distinct personalities. “Rusty in really funny and Nova is more loving and in your face,” Steinkopf said. “When we’re in the car, Nova tries to get really close and in the front seat. When I try to take a picture of Rusty, he tilts his head like, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’” Shoulders and Steinkopf hope to make Nova and Rusty therapy goats. For another look at Rusty and Nova, flip to page 16.
CONTRIBUTED BY NATHAN COKER
Local muscial Q&A: Bobby Rocknrolls Alex Wilkerson COLUMNIST
This week for the local musician spotlight, we talked to Nathan Coker, frontman and founder of the group, Bobby Rocknrolls. Coker formed the group when he was attending Auburn. The band is composed of Nathan Coker on vocals and guitar, Alex Horn on bass guitar and Abby Anderson on drums. A: It’s really funny, the Bobby Rocknrolls thing was never meant to be me, Bobby Rocknrolls is like the spirit of rock n roll, we are Bobby Rocknrolls, it’s like Power Rangers, you can’t have Voltron without all the pieces. Q: How long have you been involved in the Auburn and Opelika music scene? A: Well I picked up music about six years ago. I picked up guitar when I was 19. I’m 25 now, so I’ve been playing for six years but I’ve only been gigging for the last three and a half. I’ve been putting in the time. It’s been a high priority for me. Q: If you could describe your genre, what would you say it is? A: I’m still trying to figure that out honestly. My guitar playing has grown with my writing and along the way the style has kind of changed. I started out in the blues which is kind of my first love and I’ve been drifting more into indie rock, soul music would be the best way to describe it, I like to think I have soul. Q: What would you say are your main inspirations? A: “Well I had like an epiphany that I wanted
to play piano, I worked on playing piano for like a month but it wasn’t going very well. Then I heard this John Mayer song and I thought, ‘Wow this is really really nice, I want to do that.’ Q: What John Mayer song was it? A: It was “Why Georgia.” There’s this little guitar riff and it’s so bubbly and awesome.I bought a used guitar and had no idea what I was doing. I just started playing that riff over and over again. John Mayer kind of set me off in a certain direction as far as jazz and blues. Beyond that Jimi Hendrix is probably my greatest inspiration of all time. Stevie Wonder and James Brown too. Those are probably my three biggest inspirations. Q: What is your favorite venue in the Auburn and Opelika area? A: I love Eighth & Rail, that was one of the first places I really played. I know the owner there and he’s a really nice guy. Eighth & Rail is just where I got my start. Q: What is your goal in music? A: It’s always changing. When I first picked up guitar I set off like a bullet from a gun and I had three goals. I wanted to learn how to write, sing and play really well. I’ve gotten to a point where I know I can stand my ground with those three things. I’ve definitely gotten better. I want to get even better, but as I’ve gotten older - I’m 25 now - I’ve seen more of what the music business is like. I’m in a really unsure place about where I want to go. But if I could find a way to keep making my own music that is authentic and personal to me, and also find financial support somehow, like through a record deal, that would be pretty sweet. I just want to keep playing man, as long as I find a way to keep playing that’s about as good a plan as I’ve got right now.