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THURSDAY, NOVEMEBER 12, 2020
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893
CAMPUS
Faculty say AU’s spring plans are concerning
VOL. 128 • ISSUE 13 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢
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By COLLINS KIETH Assistant Section Editor
Auburn University professors are calling on administration to give them more freedom in choosing how to teach their classes next semester. Currently, plans are for “most” classes to be held in-person. Before Tuesday’s meeting, where around 400 faculty joined a Zoom call for the latest meeting of the Auburn University chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the chapter laid out a summary of their experiences and recommendations concerning the changes being made to the spring 2021 semester. Their summary was divided into three sections. Self-Reported Experiences In order to request a mode of teaching that is not in-person, such as online or partially online, faculty at Auburn must request a change in modality from their dean. However, from feedback gained from faculty representing five different colleges at Auburn, the Auburn chapter of the AAUP determined that there was no consistent process across these colleges for requesting a change in course modality, and in at least one college, there is no choice other than in-person instruction for part-time contingent faculty. The Auburn chapter also concluded that these irregularities in procedures extend to “graduate instructors of record” and teaching assistants. They said it is unknown if there is any way for professors whose request to teach differently to appeal the decision. “It is unclear if any college or the University has an appeal process for faculty who are denied their choice of teaching modality,” the chapter said. In a few cases, faculty have been denied a particular teaching modality, even when the request to change modalities was due to an instructor’s family member’s needs, which the University has said is a valid reason for requesting a change in teaching modality. According to the Auburn chapter, there has also been at least one case where a modality change request was approved at one level, but denied at another level. They also said there is a discrepancy in the University’s guidance about faculty safety between researching, teaching and outreach related travel. Faculty Concerns There are some fields, according to the Auburn chapter, where social distancing and mask wearing make teaching a “difficulty, if not impossible.” In these cases, they argue online instruction would be the most appropriate. Other concerns dealt with potential breaches in confidentiality requirements for health information. For example, the University has said that faculty members could be approved for a change to an online course modality if the health of the faculty member in question is “at-risk.” While the Auburn chapter said this is a valid reason for changing how they teach, they said it is also a tacit publication of their health information, which could possibly impact future promotions or tenures at the University. The faculty chapter was concerned about whether this health information would be kept private by chairs, associate deans and deans who would now have access to this information. » See AAUP, 2
TODD VAN EMST | AU ATHLETICS
J ordyn Peters (15) getting the team ready before the game between Auburn and LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Virus outbreak forces Tigers to reschedule game, cancel practices By JAKE WEESE Section Editor
On Wednesday, Gus Malzahn revealed that Auburn had one more player test positive for COVID-19. This news comes after Malzahn said Tuesday that Auburn is dealing with 12 positive COVID-19 cases within the program and will be pausing all team activities. During Auburn’s bye week, the Tigers had nine players test positive and three staff members, per Malzahn. Auburn also has a “handful” of players out due to contact tracing. Malzahn said that the positives all occurred during Auburn’s bye week, but did not say when they happened. “It really hasn’t been one event,” Malzahn said. “Of course, we had an off week, and I think you can see around the league that any time you get out of your routine, that’s what you’re finding. There’s not one single thing or single person or anything like that. I just think it’s getting out of the routine.” Auburn’s announcement on Tuesday followed the SEC’s decision on Monday to postpone the Auburn and Mississippi State game because of positive tests within the Mississippi State program. While Mississippi State had an outbreak that ultimately led to the cancellation of the
game, Auburn was headed in a similar direction, according to Malzahn. “Well, I mean, to be honest with you, we were concerned about ourselves. We were trying to figure out the numbers for us,” Malzahn said about learning about Mississippi State’s COVID cases. “Then I believe their athletic director and our athletic director got together, and we found out that they did not have enough, you know, players to participate as far as that goes. I think we found out about an hour before it was posted and the statement was put out.” Auburn will have this week off and will not return to the field until Nov. 21 against Tennessee. The game against Mississippi State is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. “Our guys for seven straight weeks did a super job, so we’re just doing virtual things right now,” Malzahn said. “And once we feel comfortable, once Doc Goodlett feels comfortable, we’ll get back going with practice and our workouts, but right now, we’re just preparing for Tennessee as a staff and players, as far as film goes.” As of now, Auburn will be operating virtually as it continues to navigate its first COVID outbreak since before the season began. “Of course our coaches are preparing, but we’re just going to take it day by day and get this thing under control,” Malzahn said. “We knew this year that there would be some
challenges. I’ve told our team that hey there’s going to be a week that we could have some challenges. We’ll get through this, but the No. 1 thing is making sure we get this thing under control before we get back in a routine. I feel real strong we’ll be able to do that in a short period of time.”
TODD VAN EMST | AU ATHLETICS
Coach Gus Malzahn before the game between Auburn and LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
COMMUNITY
Anders gives second State of the City virtually By ELISE SAPPINGTON Writer
Mayor Ron Anders’ second annual State of the City Address delivered a message of remembrance, pride and hope to the people of Auburn. Anders gave his address virtually on Monday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. to members of the community. “Last year, I began by telling you how unexpected and unchallenging 2019 had been for the City of Auburn,” Anders recalled. “I hoped that I would stand before you tonight to talk about the State of the City in a year where things were back to normal. But, 2020 has been anything but normal.” Anders said that the Alabama Department of Public Health
currently reports 65 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths in Lee County. His address was meant to honor the members of the Auburn community who died to the pandemic. “We’ve endured lockdowns and social distancing, and we have worn masks,” Anders said. “We’ve missed gathering with our friends and family so that we can protect one another. We have hit the pause button on our economy locally, nationally and worldwide. Some of us have lost loved ones and others have lost their livelihoods.” Anders remembered the lives of Auburn firefighter and Lee County Commissioner Johnny Lawrence, as well as Auburn’s 2016 Distinguished Veteran and Presidential Medal of Honor re-
CRIME Lee County district attorney arrested on ethics violations Brandon Hughes indicted on Monday morning for several state ethics charges. Page 6
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cipient, Command Sergeant Major Bennie Adkins. Although his death was not related to complications with COVID-19, Mayor Anders also acknowledged the life’s impact of Auburn University’s former Coach Pat Dye as one of Auburn’s “giants.” These losses due to the global pandemic are curtailed by social unrest in response to injustice issues faced by the City of Auburn and the nation alike, Anders said. It was from this unrest that Mayor Anders created One Auburn, a community-wide conversation to unify the Auburn community. “I’m passionate about One Auburn because I believe that our diversity is not divisive,” Anders explained. “It is part of our strength, and together, regardless of individual differences,
we are a passionate and resilient community. Together we stand to face our challenges including any division among us.” This initiative inspired the City of Auburn to engage in book clubs and interviews to evoke connection and understanding among members of the community. “We have stood together to get through what 2019 and 2020 have brought, and we stand together today to prepare for whatever the future may bring,” Anders said. “[It] is what we’ve always done and what we would continue to do because we are indeed One Auburn.” While the pandemic roared, Anders expressed his pride in » See ADDRESS, 6
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
NEWS
Auburn University COVID-19 data Sentinel positivity rate
AU's new weekly COVID cases
7.00%
700
570
600
598
6.00%
500
5.00%
400
4.00%
300
3.00%
200
208
1.80%
2.00%
109
100 0
6.40%
53
17
21
Aug. 21 Aug. 28 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4
16
11
17
8
Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1
24
1.00% 0.00%
Nov. 8
0% 0.27% 0% 0.25% Sept. 6
Sept. 13
Sept. 20
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
Oct. 11
0.48% Oct. 18
0.26% Oct. 25
0.49%0.48% Nov. 1
Nov. 8
CORONAVIRUS
AU reports 24 COVID cases as local hospitalizations rise By EVAN MEALINS Managing Editor
Auburn University reported 24 new COVID-19 cases for the week ending Nov. 8, according to data from its COVID-19 Resource Center. This week reported the most cases in over a month. All 24 cases were reported from the University’s main campus in Auburn. East Alabama Medical Center reported that, as of Nov. 10, there were 29 individuals receiving treatment at EAMC for COVID-19, the most in nearly a month, continuing a trend of increasing hospitalizations in November. The GuideSafe Sentinel Testing Program performed its most tests of the semester, handling 627 tests in the past week, with 0.48% returning a positive result. The positivity rate for sentinel tests the week prior was 0.49%. This marks an increase from the eight cases that were reported last week and the most reported by the University since Sept. 20, when the University reported 53 cases of COVID-19. Recently, Auburn’s football team had to cancel its upcoming game against Mississippi State due to
AAUP » From 1
The group said there is an abnormally low ratio of faculty to other members on the University’s COVID operations committee. Out of 33 members on the committee, only two are faculty members, which the chapter said “dilutes faculty voice and influence on any decisions related to faculty concerns.” In reference to the lack of a consistent method to request a change in modality from a faculty member’s dean, the Auburn chapter expressed concern that these different standards unfairly disadvantage some faculty over others, as well as “disproportionately [burdening] the least powerful faculty at the University.” Finally, the faculty chapter expressed concerns about the validity of COVID data gathered on campus and students’ non-compliance with safety guidelines. While the number of positive COVID tests reported on campus has declined since students returned to campus, the chapter casted doubts on its validity. Professors also felt stu-
concerns over COVID-19. Head coach Gus Malzahn announced that nine players and three staff members tested positive during the recent bye week. Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, began his weekly update video discussing a potential vaccine developed by Pfizer, which the corporation announced on Monday. “That was a very positive set of news, but we have to be, again, be practical and realistic,” Kam said. Kam pointed out that while the news is promising, college students will not be in the first group of people eligible for a vaccine. “There’s only so many doses that will be available in the first round,” Kam said. Kam said that, in his opinion, a vaccine will likely be available in the first quarter of 2021. For Thanksgiving, Kam urged students to think ahead and plan their actions in accordance. If you’re visiting a family member or friend who is particularly vulnerable, you need to be extra cautious and seriously consider getting tested for COVID-19 before leaving, Kam said. If you’re traveling, start limiting interactions with
dent-reported symptoms on the COVID reporting app may not be reliable. The chapter was bothered by issues of non-compliance to mask wearing and social distancing by students. Recommendations The Auburn chapter of the AAUP condensed their feedback and concerns into seven recommendations, all of which are summarized below. 1. Faculty should have the ability to determine the teaching modality that best suits them, within the boundaries of department-level faculty self-governance. 2. If the above recommendation cannot be met, decisions concerning a blanket move to face-to-face instruction should be decided by a vote by the University faculty. 3. Clear standards should be set, and a rubric for teaching exemptions should be provided to all faculty prior to any request for a change in teaching modality. 4. A University-level appeals process for the denial of a change in teaching modality should be put in place, either in conjunction with faculty or with
others outside of your home two weeks before you leave. “So, if you’re thinking you’re going to be traveling 14 days from today or 14 days from tomorrow, you need to start locking down your interaction with others, if you have not had COVID,” Kam said. Auburn University announced updated changes to the spring academic calendar on Friday, Nov. 6, which included the cancellation of 2021 spring break. Kam said that sending thousands of students, faculty and staff away to interact with people outside of the community and then return a week later would be “hard to justify.” The University also has precedence from 2020 spring break. “This year we had spring break, and after spring break is when Lee County became a hot spot for COVID,” Kam said. “We have that history, so in my humble, professional opinion, it would be unwise for us to do that.” The University has also forgone study abroad programs “until further notice,” and due to travel restrictions and the state of the pandemic in Europe, Kam does not expect that to change. “Their wave is actually worse than the initial
clear communication to faculty. 5. Guidance on faculty safety should be consistent across all activities where faculty are involved. 6. The University should be required to publish data on the number of faculty requests for different modes of instruction, the number of these requests that have been approved or denied and the reasons for each. 7. In order to uphold standards of academic freedom, shared governance and what it means to meaningfully consult faculty, the University should have 50% faculty representation or an equal proportion of faculty to other members on any committees related to teaching or research. Following this, the Auburn chapter of the AAUP wrote a statement summing up the reasoning behind the seven recommendations. The statement in its entirety is as follows: “The Auburn University faculty are dedicated to the mission of the University, including the education of our students. Even if the pandemic goes away completely in the next few months, the principles underlying these recommendations remain the same. In
wave that was seen earlier this year,” Kam said of Europe. “It would be way too early to consider doing study abroad in the spring.” The University exchanged spring break for a series of “wellness days” throughout the upcoming semester. Kam said these days are intended to be a “break from the monotony” that COVID-19 restrictions and online classes have created for students. “With no spring break, there’s an effort made to at least give people a chance to mentally recover,” Kam said. He also expects that in-person classes, which are scheduled to resume, at least partly, next semester, will relieve some of the mental health effects brought on by COVID-19 restrictions. “We firmly believe that with more in-person classes, that the mental health will also improve,” Kam said. Kam then discussed the recent cancellation of the Auburn football game against Mississippi State and emphasized that players’, coaches’ and staff’s health must be considered when deciding to play a game. “That’s a decision that has to be made what is in the best interest in the health and safety of those teams,” Kam said.
JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
Some professors have said they don’t think the University is putting their health first.
an emergency, it is perfectly reasonable for central administration to make quick decisions in the interest of safety for everyone. But we have had almost 10 months since the pandemic began, which is plenty of time to meaningfully partner with faculty for decision-making and planning. This has not adequately happened and must now occur. Faculty should be trusted to do what we know how to do best — teach
— without interference and micromanagement by administrators. The operating presumption undergirding the current policies is that many faculty members are trying to ‘get away with something,’ and it is demeaning. We want to work together — among ourselves and with administration — to positively move forward for the benefit of the entire Auburn University Family.”
opinion
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
OPINION
EDITORIAL
Voting isn’t the end; it’s the beginning By EDITORIAL BOARD Fall 2020
Civic engagement doesn’t begin and end on Election Day. Voting gives citizens an opportunity to express how they feel and is the most common and direct way to get involved in the political process. However, residents, especially young people, have opportunities and an obligation to get involved in the political process during the other 364 days of the year. Although some politicians will lead you to believe that voting is the end-all-be-all, there are many other ways to get politically engaged after you cast your vote. There may have never been a more pressing time for the populace to push for change. The country is facing a host of issues, like high inequality, rising temperatures from climate change and poor infrastructure in many communities — just to name a few. So, with Election Day behind us — kind of — and a new year just around the corner, we implore you to look for ways to find an issue that speaks to you and relentlessly fight to make a difference, big or small. Look no further than the politicians that have been at the center of the national spotlight for the majority of this year. No matter which candidate you prefer, they spent the better part of the past couple of years traveling across the country and doing everything in their power to build support for the impending election. If these politicians recognize the need to spend countless hours building support for elections, it’d be prescient for us to spend equal time getting engaged in political issues
outside of the ballot box, which could significantly impact our daily lives. There are instances in which residents are given a more direct role in the legislative process, and it shows the potential for how they could create more change. For example, in Florida, citizens overwhelmingly passed a referendum to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, which may seem strange since President-elect Joe Biden was the only major candidate to support the policy, yet lost the swing state. In four other states, legalization of marijuana was approved in landslide numbers — even in more conservative states — yet neither of the candidates support the measure. In many ways, citizens have a desire to change policy on a range of issues, but might not think that things will get done in Washington. The solution is simple. We must get engaged in every part of the political process, not just the part that gets an absurd amount of ads every four years. We must be our own advocates. An unengaged public is an unrepresented public. Thankfully, because getting engaged is a little easier on campus, there are a variety of student-run political organizations to choose from which students can organize with like-minded individuals to make a change or even just have a fun back-andforth on the day’s news. However, you don’t have to even join a political organization to be a politically active citizen. Volunteering for a nonprofit, educating yourself on issues that matter to you or advocating for an underrespresented community are all ways to make a difference.
MY LY | ASSISTANT SECTION EDITOR
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Low Sentinel testing numbers may not tell the whole story By CHRIS NEWLAND and TRACY WITTE Auburn Professors
Auburn University undertook a program of Sentinel testing to track the prevalence of coronavirus on campus. They have repeatedly announced incredibly low positivity rates. When something is said to be incredible, perhaps it is not credible. The initial announcement of the program was reassuring since, according to a press release on Sept. 14, it would involve a random sample of students, staff, and faculty. This is indeed the best way to track the spread of infection without bias. Unfortunately, the University’s implementation of Sentinel testing violates the most elementary principles of sampling required for making effective public health decisions, rendering the results
of little value. At best, the observed low positivity rate might be viewed as a lower limit, but if it is being used to make important decisions about campus activities, then it could be dangerously misleading. Why do we say this? First, the testing pool is not a random sample but rather a sample of those who agreed to participate. We don’t know why people self-selected to be in the pool, but one plausible reason is that they are concerned about the spread of the virus and would be more likely to take cautionary measures than those who shrugged their shoulders and ignored the invitation to participate. If so, many who are indifferent to the virus, or even hostile to preventative measures are not tested. To our knowledge, the proportion of students, faculty, and staff who have voluntarily agreed to join the Sentinel testing pool has not been made
public. However, there are reports of people being selected for testing two and even three times. Such a thing would be extraordinarily unlikely if the testing pool were being drawn from the entire campus population. Second, even among the select group of people who have voluntarily entered the Sentinel testing pool, the response rates have been as low as 20% or 30%. In other words, about 75% of those invited to test did not show up. We do not know why they did not appear for testing, but there is reason to believe this poor compliance introduces yet another bias. For example, if an individual had recently engaged in risky behavior, they might decline an invitation to be tested. Finally, people who appear for testing showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19 are turned away.
Thus, the positivity rate is only for asymptomatic people and is not a reflection of the virus’s overall prevalence on campus. Good information can be gained by determining prevalence among asymptomatic people, but from our reading of press reports and other materials describing the positivity rate, this important qualifier has not been clear. We are puzzled that more effort has not been devoted to improve the testing and justify the expended resources. Incentives for participating as well as penalties for not participating would certainly make the program more credible. All told, these are reasons to be concerned that the incredibly low positivity rate is not what it appears to be. Both Tracy Witte and Chris Newland are professors of psychological sciences at Auburn University.
COLUMN
Wellness days will not be as beneficial as the University hopes By JONATHAN STUCKEY Columnist
With the newly released decision to cancel spring break in the coming semester, students are utterly upset. Spring break has been a tradition for decades and has served as an academic break but also a period of rest and motivation for the remainder of the semester — allowing students the opportunity to travel and take in the beauty that spring brings. The break has not only served the students a period of rest, but
it has done the same for faculty as well. These decisions were made in an effort to help maintain the spread of the coronavirus. But for many, this ruins the positive effect that spring break can bring: mental wellness, rejuvenation and a time to see family and friends. On that note, this creates a disservice to outof-state students and students who live multiple hours away, as it does not give an adequate opportunity to travel home as spring break would normally do. In lieu of the canceled spring break, students have been offered three “well-
ness days” throughout the semester and a delayed start to the semester. But this brings the question of how beneficial these days will actually be. In some ways these decisions could be counterintuitive. If you haven’t recently met a college student, it is evident that we’ll find ways to take breaks and spend time with our friends. If this means taking our own time in the spring to do this, we will. This then defeats this decision’s purpose, but it’s an action that we’re not above — especially if the spring were to take a bad turn.
COLUMNS & EDITORIALS
The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.
The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.
Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. Submission may be edited for grammar, style and length. Please submit no more than 600 words.
This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.
CONTACT
Letters must be submitted to editor@theplainsman.com before 4:30 p.m. on Friday for publication.
ed decision. If students had to take the new class delivery decision over a spring break — a case that is becoming true — you’d have more content students, however, that doesn’t mean the majority of students are not upset about losing our spring break. Unfortunate and difficult campus decisions have had to be made throughout the past year, and it is our responsibility to accept and comply with them and have hope for a healthier and better future.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Also, it is a possibility that we would see an increase in spring break-like behavior in and around campus without an official break, such as large parties and events like the Rodeo. In this case, these events will be at the hands of Auburn, and wouldn’t that shed a negative light on us? But we live in a world where you win some and lose some, and if we had to see any of this in a positive light, we must be grateful for the decision to have over 70% of classes being offered in-person — a long awaited and highly anticipat-
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CAMPUS
CORONAVIRUS
‘Shocked and disappointed’
Auburn University professors respond with alarm and concern to teaching plans for spring 2021 By TIM NAIL Section Editor
A campus-wide email was sent to Auburn students and faculty on Friday, Nov. 6, in which the University said it “plans to offer more than 70% of its spring undergraduate courses face-to-face.” Professors and lecturers paint a different picture — they say they are not prepared for next semester, and they have a slew of concerns they believe the University administration has not acknowledged. More than 400 faculty joined a Zoom call on Tuesday, Nov. 10 for the latest meeting of Auburn University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors. For nearly two hours, questions ensued about students, courses, fellow faculty and COVID-19 transmission. I. Faculty and Students at Risk The meeting commenced at 3:30 p.m. with AAUP hosts opening the floor to questions almost immediately. The first, from Tracy Witte, professor of psychology, regarded the 50% room occupancy limit imposed on classes and how it would carry on into the spring, as she was unsure if stationary desks in some rooms would allow six-foot distancing. “In the spring [2021] semester I know of at least several classes in our own department that have over 150 students in them, and they’re technically being held in classrooms that could hold 300,” she said. Witte asked if the University believes having this many adults in close proximity in a room would be safe provided they wear masks, as she said the administration has not addressed this issue yet. She said this could pose a risk for non-tenured faculty, who would have to determine if some students might have to attend class virtually. This might lead to negative feedback from student evaluations. Lindsay Tan, associate professor of consumer and design sciences and coordinator of the interior design program, spoke up for those untenured faculty from her position as a tenured professor. “Faculty feel unsafe physically because of the behaviors they have witnessed from students, colleagues and administrators as well as our community,” Tan said. “Many of my team are teaching unfunded overloads this semester ... [and] next semester because we believe in Auburn and we love it.” She said the greatest challenge in her position has been selecting untenured instructors who are immunocompromised or have regular contact with COVID-vulnerable family and friends. “I have to make a decision whether to sacrifice untenured bodies,” she said. “I have to decide which of those people who feels categorically unsafe will take a hit for the team.” Don Mulvaney, associate professor of animal sciences, said through conversations with Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, he was informed that the University said it does not know of any positive COVID cases traced to exposure in a classroom. This was later disputed by Richard Sesek, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, who said he was made aware of one instance where someone claims they contracted the virus from classroom interactions. He said he considers it “disingenuous” for the University to claim no cases have resulted from in-person classes. “I know anecdotally from a person who taught a lab with eight people in the lab that were positive,” Sesek said. “That person was then positive. When they went in and reported everything, they were only questioned about the two days prior to them reporting, which was over the weekend. It’s kinda meaningless; you don’t find things you’re not looking for.” If true, the beginning and ending of class could play a role in exposure for larger classes — a point brought up by Vanessa Falcao, chemistry and biochemistry lecturer. Falcao said with her spring classes, there will be a large influx and outflow of students entering
JACK WEST | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
For nearly two hours, questions ensued about students, courses, fellow faculty and COVID-19 transmission.
and exiting the room in a short period of time. “I’m teaching classes of 200 students in Foy with a classroom for 400,” she said. “I’m going to have 200 coming in and 200 coming out of Foy in 10 minutes. How can it be ... organized in such a way where it is not my responsibility but ... [of] the University to make sure we have a safe environment for students?” II. Masks and Mandates Face coverings are not handled well by the University, several faculty said. They believe Auburn has made a poor effort in ensuring individuals on campus wear masks based on behavior they have seen this semester with limited visitor numbers. Tan said she thinks the University’s COVID-19 face protection protocols have been at odds with its status as a Carnegie R1 research institution. “[At Auburn], we have made a dedicated commitment to putting evidence-based decision making first, to believe in the scientific method, to put data in front of feelings and politics,” she said. “I am disappointed we have made decisions such as allowing face shields in lieu of face masks ... [of which] there is no evidence face shields provide protection for the wearer or the people around them from COVID-19.” Her claim is backed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which “does not recommend use of face shields ... as a substitute for masks,” as stated on a page on its website about operating schools amid the pandemic states. Joanna Sztuba-Solinska, assistant professor of biological sciences, is a virologist who said she has been “shocked and disappointed” by what she feels is apathy by the University in exposing high-risk individuals to the coronavirus. “I’ve worked with many different viruses in the past, and this one is no joke,” Sztuba-Solinska said in the meeting. “I’ve seen a very dangerous trend of students not wearing masks inside our buildings, which concerns me greatly.” As the pandemic lingers on, faculty said they understand the fatigue of wearing face coverings, but those like Susan Youngblood, associate professor and associate department chair of English, suggested a financial incentive to keep people on campus following masks guidelines. She did not specify a specific financial incentive for following guidelines. “I think we need some teeth in the mask mandate on campus,” she said. “We need something other than faculty members who happen to see them in the hall telling students to put their masks on because that’s not going to be effective.” III. The Costs of Teaching in Person Many faculty in the meeting felt continuing a mostly virtual approach to courses would be preferable to not complicate class scheduling. Science and some business courses at Auburn require an additional hands-on laboratory course that students attend one day a week separate from the lecture class — an aspect that has been disrupted by the nature of COVID-19. Shashank Rao, professor of supply chain management, said he has a lab course of 30 students in a room fitting exactly that number and would have to split attendance to ad-
JACK WEST | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Professors voiced concerns about the validity of sentinel tesing.
here to the 50% capacity rule and safely distance students if his class is in-person in the spring. “There is no option but to have half the students on a Monday schedule and half the students on a Wednesday schedule,” he said. “There is just no way to do it if we are going to go on ground.” Paris Strom, professor of educational psychology, weighed the balance of what he called “necessary and unnecessary risks.” He cited service learning within the college of education as an example of an unnecessary risk, where students perform volunteer work in public schools. “Doing an internship ... is required by the State Department of Education, [but] service learning is not — you can do it through other means, stuff that’s not in the public schools,” Strom said. “We are all seeing the jargon on [University] email and postings about minimizing risk. How can you say you are using the word ‘minimize’ when we know the only way to truly minimize risk ... would be to have classes on Zoom?” IV. COVID-19 Testing One way the University has sought to “minimize risk” has been through COVID-19 testing, which proved to be a contentious topic during the meeting. Students were required to register for a reentry test before returning to campus, but it was unclear to faculty on Tuesday afternoon whether the same will be done in the spring, during which 70% of classes will be in-person. “When the students come back in the spring before we start all of the process, is there going to be any widespread testing ... so that we know where everyone stands as we move forward?” asked Scott Ketring, associate professor and director of the marriage and family therapy program. Todd Steury, associate professor in wildlife biology and statistics, said the administration told professors “there [are] no plans to do any testing before spring” at an earlier meeting this semester. “I would be surprised if there were no testing,” said Robin Jaffe, associate professor in theater, in response to Steury. The possibility of spring reentry testing is still uncertain. Sztuba-Solinska said she personally believes Auburn’s level of testing, in general, is inadequate when compared to other colleges and universities. “We should all be tested twice a week at least,” she said at one point in the meeting. “The procedure’s crawling, and I don’t understand — [Auburn’s] an R1 research institution, we have resources, we have funds for this. We need to protect each other and our students, and that’s the first thing that needs to be solved.” V. Sentinel Testing Through a partnership with GuideSafe, an initiative launched by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn has performed sentinel testing throughout the fall where students, faculty and staff are randomly selected to receive tests, although participation is voluntary. The University announced on Monday, Nov. 9 that it will manage sentinel tests in-house in the spring. Regardless, professors think these tests have
been poorly issued. Anthony Moore, professor in the college of veterinary medicine’s department of clinical sciences, said he has received two requests for sentinel testing in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, he said others he knows have not received a request in weeks, if at all this semester. Another example came from Chris Newland, professor of psychology, who said he knows a graduate student who has received three sentinel tests. “If this is a large pool, how could that possibly happen?” Newland asked. “This is not a pool that is representative of the student body, and as it exists right now, any information that we have from sentinel testing is of zero value. In fact, it may even be counterproductive.” Susan Youngblood agreed, citing a Sep. 14 article from the University in which Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, associate dean of clinical affairs and outreach for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, said Auburn’s target for sentinel testing is to test “between 800 and 1,000 people each week.” The most sentinel tests done in a week is 627, for the week ending Nov. 8. Newland in particular was frustrated that people can decline sentinel testing and still receive a green screen through the daily GuideSafe Healthcheck screener, which he said he and Tracy Witte raised in a recent letter to The Plainsman and the University’s COVID-19 Resource Center. “We asked that sentinel testing be linked to the GuideSafe program,” Newland said. “Why is that anybody ... can refuse the sentinel testing and still get the clearance from the GuideSafe system? If they refuse sentinel testing, they should not be cleared, it should be assumed they are positive.” Steury said this is being considered for the spring under the University’s management. VI. No Confidence As deliberation about what the spring 2021 semester should look like and how the University should approach it, proposals of votes of no confidence persisted throughout the meeting. At first, they were aimed toward Provost Bill Hardgrave. A vote of no confidence is meant to show that the majority of a body does not support a policy instituted by its administration. Michael Stern, associate professor of economics, said his meetings with Hardgrave “do absolutely no work whatsoever in order to facilitate the things [Hardgrave] said will be done.” He said the provost did not meet with faculty in his department in preparation for both the fall and spring semesters to ensure COVID-19 safety. “When I confronted him at the last [University] Senate meeting about what to do, he said we’ll have a conversation,” Stern said. “I emailed him after the meeting ... [and] that was two weeks ago; to this day, no one has had a conversation with me.” Mulvaney declined Stern’s request for a no confidence vote, which resulted in Stern leaving the meeting. According to the rules of the AAUP’s meetings, such an action would need to be added to the agenda. Mulvaney said the proposal will be raised at the next chapter meeting in spring. Luke Oeding, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, said he thinks fellow faculty should exercise caution in seeking votes of no confidence. “I know that the resources we have in [my] department are low because of former actions taken by my older peers who did votes of no confidence a long time ago,” Oeding said. “I want to encourage us to not try to go to a nuclear option because things are not going as well as we want them to.” With this in mind, faculty decided to not hold a vote of no confidence on the University’s existing plans for the spring semester, supported by the AAUP chapter’s recommendations to the University. To comply with the rules of the meeting, they elected to issue a motion asking that the University “implement the AAUP guidance for the start of the Spring 2021 semester.”
TIM NAIL | SECTION EDITOR
The Auburn chapter decided against a vote of no confidence on the University’s plans for the spring.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
PAGE 5
PHILANTHROPY
CONTRIBUTED BY CLAYTON BUCHANAN
Auburn and Alabama student veterans on the University of Alabama campus after the 2018 Operation Iron Ruck march.
Veterans march to UA this year in Operation Iron Ruck By SARAH GIBSON Writer
This November, student veterans from Auburn University and The University of Alabama will begin their annual march across the state, traveling the 151 miles from Jordan-Hare to Bryant-Denny on foot. Called Operation Iron Ruck, this march’s goal is to raise awareness for veteran suicide. While the destination changes each year, the goal does not. “I have seen first-hand the effects of veteran suicide, so I was really interested in Operation Iron Ruck,” said Clayton Buchanan, junior in professional flight and philanthropy director of the Auburn Student Veterans Association. “This event really does mean a lot to me.” Depending on where the Iron Bowl is hosted each particular year, the march will start from the away team’s stadium and will finish at the home team’s stadium. The game will be played in Tuscalosa this year, which is why the march will start in Auburn on Nov. 25. The march is accomplished with a shift system that includes marching, resting and supporting, split into seven mile increments. During the “ruck march,” participants carry a rucksack, which weighs 22 pounds. This tradition corresponds to the Mission 22 suicide campaign, which provides help for veterans with post-traumatic stress, brain injuries or any other problems in which they may need help. The rucksack will contain toiletries, undergar-
ments, canned goods and any other items that are collected by the two schools’ athletic and veteran departments. Monetary donations along with these items will be given to charities helping veterans such as Mission 22, 3 Hots and a Cot and Alabama State Veterans Homes. “I transferred into Auburn as a junior and became involved with the University Veteran Association here,” Buchanan said. “They really helped me with transitioning to a bigger college, I really enjoyed being involved with the organization and wanted to help them in any way I could. This is one way in which I saw they needed help.” Buchanan explained that his position helps plan and organize Operation Iron Ruck. He mentioned that the event has a lot that goes into it, especially with planning and figuring out the logistics of it. “Operation Iron Ruck is the Philanthropy Director’s main event that they focus on planning,” Buchanan said. “I wanted to be as involved as possible with this event, so this is why I applied for my position.” Last year, the event had about 50 participants in the march itself. They also have many support vehicles which helped to keep the ruck march going. On Thanksgiving Day, the participants completely stopped marching and ate a Thanksgiving meal provided by volunteers. “We have many people who support us and participate in the event,” Buchanan said. “This year we are still taking volunteers – currently we have about thirty – but this is a joint event with the University of Alabama, so we usually have
about thirty on each side.” One of the main effects of COVID-19 on the march’s logistics was felt through the rotations of the different shifts. For the resting shift, student veterans typically sleep in an RV, but cannot this year due to health and safety regulations put in place. In order to work around these regulations, the event is looking for a way to transport participants while they are resting in a more open-aired vehicle, as well as looking to getting open-aired tents for the Thanksgiving Day stop. Another newly started tradition of Operation Iron Ruck is the transferring of the game ball from the stadium where the previous iron bowl was played to the stadium it will be played at for the current year.
“The official game ball is taken from Auburn to Tuscaloosa, where the presidents of the Alabama and Auburn Student Veterans Association will have a ceremony on the field to present the game ball to the officials,” Buchanan said. “This started as a tradition last year.” Started by the former president and vice president of the Auburn Student Veteran’s Association, the ruck march was intended to bring awareness to the 22 veterans who are lost to suicide each day. By bringing awareness to this issue, the former president and vice president hoped to help prevent it from happening, according to Buchanan. The first march took place in 2018. “We are still taking in donations for this event which can be found on our Facebook page,” Buchanan said.
CONTRIBUTED BY CLAYTON BUCHANAN
The Auburn Student Veterans Association has close to thirty volunteers to help work the march.
ACADEMICS
Students react to spring 2021 calendar modifications By KAYLA BHODOO Writer
Auburn University recently announced that modifications will be made to the calendar of the upcoming spring semester, as well as having the majority of classes offered in-person. These changes have left some students feeling frustrated, while others are hopeful for the effects that the changes will bring. “I cannot think of the benefit of canceling spring break,” said Grace Johnson, freshman in exploratory science. “I do not think that replacing spring break with ‘wellness days’ is helpful because of all that we’ve been through this fall se-
mester.” Rosa Waite, sophomore in visual media, said she looks at canceling spring break as a benefit because the University is adding wellness days to the calendar in place of spring break, as well as changing the dates on which classes will end. “While most students that I’ve talked to aren’t super happy about the new schedule, I think they’ll be glad to have the days off when they happen,” Waite said. “I’m kind of excited about ending the semester earlier than usual.” Johnson said she appreciates that the University is giving students wellness days, but still feels that is important to have a spring break. “The University probably had good
intentions by attempting to introduce wellness days; however, the end result will still be unfortunate for most of us,” she said. “It frustrates me because spring break is something that people plan months ahead, whether it’s formal plans or planning to do nothing which can be refreshing, and now it’s just gone.” Despite this, both students say they are looking forward to having more face-to-face and blended courses that will be offered in the spring semester, as opposed to having most of their classes online. “I feel that students will get more attention, better help and a higher understanding of materials with in-person [and] blended courses,” Johnson said.
“Almost everyone I know that is taking online [or] asynchronous courses either hates them or has struggled with them in a way that negatively affected their grades including myself.” Waite said she is she thinks having more in-person options is the best way to ensure that classes somewhat start to go back to normal. “I’m excited to do more in-person classes,” Waite said. “Doing blended classes will be a good way to start getting back into the habits of going to class, studying and being on campus.” The biggest difficulty this semester for Johnson, she said, is the fact her classes have been online, and she feels that it is safe to return to in-person
classes if students do their part and wear a mask. “Some struggles include internet problems, mental health issues, the inability to find certain necessary materials and the lack of structure,” Johnson said. “Going anywhere right now is a risk regardless of feelings, but I plan to continue to obey mask mandates for my own safety and others.” Waite said she is fine with either blended or face-to-face courses just as long she gets to be in a classroom setting. “At some point, the University has to move back towards normalcy, and I think next semester is a good time to start,” Waite said.
MEDIA
Harbert Podcast gives advice for uncertain times By CAROLINE CRAIG Writer
The Harbert College of Business has introduced a new
podcast to better connect with students and alumni following the spread of COVID-19. The Harbert Podcast was started on Oct. 18 by the col-
CONTRIBUTED BY THE HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
lege’s media production group. They have produced six episodes which are hosted by Dr. Sarah Gascon and Currie Dyess. Gascon is an an alumna of Auburn University where she received her doctorate in the School of Kinesiology. She also is the CEO and co-founder of ESCAPE Therapy. Dyess studied business management at Angelo State University and is an entrepreneur of personal health and wellness products. Ward Swift, Chief Marketing Officer at the Harbert College of Business, said the podcast is intended to help students and young alumni with business advice and insight. “Our alumni wanted to find ways to directly connect with students and young alumni in order to share their experiences on how to navigate through times of uncertainty and to let them know that the Auburn
alumni family, as always, is here to support them,” Swift said. Each episode of the podcast features different Auburn alumni, who speak and share their experiences along with business tips for the real world. Some of the guests include: Ashley Arner, co-founder and CEO of Dream Catalyst company; Laura Glenn, a director of investment advisory services for Public Trust Advisors in Atlanta, Ga.; and Kyle Tothill, co-founder and partner at three business service firms. “[The] topics include insight for graduating students and young business professionals, the latest developments in new business methods and real-world application of best practices,” Swift said. The podcast tries to provide topics that interest and give advice, according to Swift.
To do this, they offer multiple platforms for listeners to provide feedback about the episodes. “For the series to be of greatest value to our students, we need to know what topics they are most interested in and who they might like to hear from,” Swift said. Production of the podcast usually takes two to three days. During that time period, the production uses different types of narrative and technical work to put it together. They conduct pre-interviews and interviews, which are then transcribed and edited. “Narratively, we must frame and structure the interview – in both how it’s recorded and how it’s edited – so as to create something that will hold the audience’s interest and will be of value,” Swift said. The podcast has received
great feedback and a large group of listeners with over 600 downloads in its first 30 days. This would put them in the top 50% of all podcasts. Swift said it is important to note that while the podcast is intended for students and young alumni, it is an available resource to all people who wish to listen. “We also are confident in the podcast’s ability to speak to any audience searching for practical business and career advice,” Swift said. “The Harbert Podcast seeks to inspire business and encourage the success of the next generation of business leaders.” The podcast can be found on the Harbert Podcast website or on Spotify and Apple podcast platforms. They plan to produce at least one episode per week for the duration from 2020 to 2021 and beyond.
community THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
COMMUNITY
GOVERNMENT
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN
ADDRESS » From 1
City employees. “I’m proud of what our City management and staff have accomplished in 2020,” he boasted. “Undeterred by the pandemic, City employees have worked tirelessly and selflessly, putting themselves and their families at risk for our community while making sure that the City services have continued without interruption.” The City of Auburn was not left alone, even at the height of quarantine. Anders commended the civil servants for their continued operations in response to the needs of the public. Public staff remained available to help answer questions from the public, which caught further praise from the mayor. Virtual meetings replaced in-person ones while curbside pickup options and online retailing were utilized in order to continue operations of businesses. Anders continued to commend those in the community who came alongside others who were hurting. “You have also worked to help those in our community who fell on hard times during the pandemic through our local nonprofits,” Anders said. “We came together to make a real difference in the lives of local families.” Anders said that the United Way of Lee County distributed over $26,000 in order to meet housing and utility needs. He highlight-
ed the efforts of Food Bank of East Alabama in forming a contactless drive-thru in order to navigate the pandemic and its restrictions. Organizations like The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County, Auburn Dream Center, the Food Bank and Auburn City Schools banded together to combat hunger in the wake of the pandemic. Anders took a moment to applaud the work of healthcare workers over the last year as they tended to the Auburn community. “I commend our healthcare workers on the front lines of this health crisis,” Anders said. “Our nurses, our doctors, the EMTs, every day, you are putting your health second to those you treat. And, as a community, we are forever grateful and indebted to you.” Anders was proud of the community’s accomplishments despite the ongoing pandemic. The Auburn family demonstrated its resilience and its ability to work together, he said. While the City’s businesses experienced economic crisis, the City carried on. Efforts by the City’s department of economic development and the Workforce Action Center fought to grant unemployment benefits to individuals in need, both finding and creating jobs for them when possible. These efforts were more than successful, not just recovering jobs lost but also increasing the number of jobs available, Anders said. “[Jobs] are now higher than they were in January before COVID hit,” Anders said. “As of October, the economic development team has brought 638 industry jobs to our com-
munity with a net gain of nearly 200 jobs so far this year.” The City can be hopeful for higher employment in the future, Anders said. Strategic contracts and partnerships being made with outside industries will create over 220 more jobs. Anders commended the service of the Auburn City School System. “For Auburn City Schools to start the school year on time and open its classrooms safely, while also providing remote learning opportunities for students, is something to be celebrated,” Anders continued. “It would seem the pandemic is only strengthening the relationships that make our school systems so successful.” Despite hardships presented in 2020, the City of Auburn is improving and growing, Anders said. The City tended to 120 potholes and 302 yards of sidewalk were tended to. The City is cleaner, with 12,610 bags of litter having been collected, 2,810 tons of material recycled and 16,000 tons of garbage picked up. Anders quoted the City’s inspection permits, revealing community growth of over 600 new single-family homes and 45 new commercial buildings this year. The City of Auburn can expect to see new growth in areas beyond housing, Anders said. He seeks to grow the city’s art district, establish a new well to bring in more water for the City and build a public parking deck downtown to promote Auburn as a destination. The health and safety sector of Auburn
is also growing, with a new medical center run by East Alabama Medical Center and the building of a sixth fire station. Anders put the new Auburn 2040 plan in the spotlight, which will kick off in April 2021. As the City is expected to change in 20 years, this initiative is intended to stir individuals to begin thinking about what that change might bring, he said. To conclude his address, Mayor Anders gave out six Lamplighter Awards to individuals in the community who quietly serve to make Auburn a better, safer place. The first award was given to Katie Basden, who assisted and continues to promote the EAGLES Program at Auburn University. The program serves as a comprehensive transition program for students with intellectual disabilities and graduated its first class of students this year. The second lamplighter, Collen Jennings, tends to the 35 flower baskets that decorate the streets of Auburn. The third award was given to the Auburn University Medical Clinic director Dr. Fred Kam for the impacts he makes on every student he encounters. The fourth lamplighter is Odalys Silvera, the vision and power behind the Esperanza House, a support for low-income Hispanic children. The fifth is the president of the Auburn City Schools Board of Education, Charles Smith. The sixth and final Lamplighter Award was granted to Karen Turner, who is the president of the board of Auburn Opelika Habitat for Humanity.
CRIME
Lee County district attorney arrested on ethics violations By JACK WEST and STEPHEN LANZI Editor-in-Chief and Section Editor
On Monday morning, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office announced the indictment of Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes, for several charges of violating the state ethics act and conspiring to steal a pickup truck. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told The Plainsman he was booked on seven counts and posted a $31,000 bond. Hughes was booked into the Lee County Jail Sunday night at approximately 5 p.m. and subsequently released on bond. Among the seven charges were five counts of using office for personal gain, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of first degree perjury. Jones said he was released after the booking that resulted from an investigation by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Hughes surrendered to the jail after being indicted on seven state ethics charges. Hughes was arrested again in Montgomery on a second perjury charge, staying in jail for two days. Hughes is being charged with perjury for allegedly giving false information to the Alabama Ethics Commission, which is located in Montgomery. The commission investigated Hughes’ actions earlier in the year. Hughes was indicted by a Lee County grand jury on Nov. 6, which found that there was enough evidence to accuse him of several crimes. The grand jury charged him with violating the state ethics act, conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and first-degree perjury. Hughes has not yet had a trial and has not been found guilty. Hughes was indicted on five counts of violating the state ethics act for using his office for personal gain. This includes paying private attorneys with public funds to settle a matter that benefited himself and his wife, the AG’s office said. He was also charged with the illegal
hiring of his three children to work for the Lee County DA’s office. The final ethics act charge was for illegally using his office for his personal benefit by issuing a subpoena to a private business to gather evidence for his defense to potential criminal charges. Hughes was also charged with conspiring to commit first-degree theft. It is alleged that Hughes and others agreed to steal a pickup truck from a business in Chambers County. It is also said that Hughes and others took a Lee County search warrant into Chambers County and used it to force the business to “release lawful possession” of a 1985 Ford Ranger. The final charge, perjury, comes from the allegation that Hughes provided false information to the grand jury under oath. If Hughes is found guilty of any of the charges, the jail time for each ranges from one year to 20 years in prison. According to the AG, the five violations of the state ethics act charged in the indictment are Class B felonies, each punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000. The charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and first-degree perjury are Class C felonies, each punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Clark Morris, with Assistant Attorney General Jasper Roberts of the Special Prosecutions Division. AG Steve Marshall recused himself from the case due to prior experience with Hughes. On Nov. 10, Opelika State Representative Jeremy Gray released a statement calling on the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the US Department of Justice to investigate all convictions and indictments procured by Hughes. Gray said that the investigation should also allow Lee County residents to report additional known instances of Hughes misusing the DA’s office.
FILE PHOTO
Hughes took office as the district attorney for Lee County starting in January 2017.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 7
NATURE
City promotes biodiversity with wildflowers By KATIE CARROLL Writer
As the seasons change, the many patches of blue and orange flowers sprinkled around Auburn begin to fade. The flower, accompanied by “Wildflowers at Work” signs, are part of the public works department’s wildflower program. According to Daniel Ballard Auburn Public Works Department landscape and sustainability division manager Daniel Ballard, the department began the wildflower project to support local pollinators and counteract invasive species. The wildflower program was established this year and partners with the Auburn Beautification Council and Auburn University’s Davis Arboretum. Since the program’s first year, Ballard said the public works department planted only six wildflower sites and has monitored their progress. The sites are at the recycling center dropoff, Boykin Community Center, library outdoor classroom, Town Creek Park, H.C. Morgan Water Pollution Control Facility and in a right-of-way on East Glenn Avenue. Ballard said that the wildflower sites did well, and he hopes to increase the number of wildflowers planted next year. “The mixed proportions seemed to work quite well,” he said. “The cosmos [flowers] are having an encore right now and look wonderful.” Ballard said the wildflower program has two different wildflower seed mixes — the orange mix and the “Loveliest Village” mix. These types of wildflowers were not only chosen for their orange and blue colors, but because they are all native or naturalized to the Auburn area. According to Geoff Williams, assistant professor in Auburn University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, native wildflowers are essential to an area’s native pollinator population. Native wildflowers are better adapted for the local conditions and are able to bloom for a longer period of time. It is essential to have a flower mix that blooms from early spring until late fall so pollinators, such as bees, have a consistent food source throughout the year. Bees rely on the flowers’ nectar as a source of carbohydrates and its pollen as a source of protein. “You really want to have native plants to support the native bees, but you also need native bees to support the native plants,” Williams said. “It’s an intricate connection between all of the organism and components of our environment.” According to the City’s Urban Forestry Spe-
MEGAN TURBYFILL | PHOTOGRAPHER
Native wildflowers are currently planted at six sites around the City.
cialist Anne Randle, the mix of flowers chosen is not only useful as a consistent food source for local pollinators, but it will also attract more pollinators to the Auburn area. “[The wildflower program] is not just targeting butterflies or honeybees, but it’s targeting a really wide variety of pollinators that can use that space,” Randle said. Thousands of insect pollinators reside in the Auburn area, but they are relatively undocumented. One of the most well-known examples of a pollinator is the honeybee. Williams said pollinators are hugely important to Alabama as a state because we rely on agriculture to produce food and many crops require pollination. Bees are responsible for the production
of watermelons and cucumbers in the state. On an individual level, many Auburn residents with small gardens rely on bees to pollinate tomatoes and peppers. “Pollinators are responsible for a crazy amount of food that we eat,” Randle said. “Vegetable and fruit production depends on pollinators. For all of our farmers here growing food, it’s necessary to have that local pollinator population.” Not only does the wildflower program help Auburn’s economy by supporting pollinators, it also decreases the amount of maintenance required by the City. Ballard said that these wildflower sites keep the city from having to mow.
“You get a beautiful right-of-way with flowering plants that’s less maintenance than the turf that was growing in that spot previously,” Ballard said. The wildflower program helps restore damage done by invasive plant species. Randle said that the City of Auburn has been doing invasive species removal and must follow this removal by reintegrating native plants. “Part of the objective is that it looks aesthetically much nicer than it did before when it was grown up, but also that’s the final step in restoring an ecosystem,” she said. “It’s not just removing what is bad but it’s putting the good stuff, the appropriate stuff, back.” Randle said that it will be impossible to get rid of some invasive species in the Auburn area, such as kudzu and privet, but it is important to push these species out as much as possible. By replacing invasive species with native flowers, it restores the variety of plant life needed to support local wildlife. “By removing [invasive species] and bringing back in the mix of native [plants,] they sort of balance each other out,” Randle said. “You get that balance with animal and insect population as well.” Not only has the public works department been planting these wildflower mixes, but they also made seed packets available for public use. Ballard said that the public works department, the Auburn Beautification Council and Donald E. Davis Arboretum worked together to make hundreds of small seed packets of the orange mix and “Loveliest Village on the Plains” mix for the public. These seed packets are available at various City facilities like the public library, city hall and parks and recreation buildings. “What we are trying to show and encourage people to do is to take a little bit of space and a little bit of time and make things better where [they] are,” Randle said. “By doing that, it spreads, and we do more and more as a community. We all kind of have to do it together.” Randle said that giving out these seed packets is a way to show citizens they can get involved in helping the community’s ecosystem. Randle also said that so much of the Auburn community consists of homeowners and students and if everyone did something as small as planting a seed packet, it would make a lot more progress than expecting one institution or program to do all of the work. “[The wildflower program] certainly helps us maintain that vision of the Loveliest Village on the Plains,” Ballard said. “It’s not only a beautification project, it is a project that furthers the City’s commitment to being a good steward of its natural resources.”
ELECTIONS
Lee County sees same voter turnout as 2016 general election By CHARLIE RAMO Section Editor
On Nov. 3, Lee County prepared its polling places for the long lines of registered voters expected to turn out at each location. According to Lee County Probate Judge Bill English, the turnout was not above average, unlike what was expected in other parts of the country. Lee County saw 57.5% voter turnout last week, while the County saw 57.6% during the general election in 2016. English was expecting over 60% voter turnout. English clarified that Auburn had only 59,000 votes in 2016 while there were 71,000 votes in this election, so there is now a greater number of registered voters. The 2020 election saw 12,616 absentee ballots in Lee County, while the previous record was 3,094 in 2016. All ballots that were counted were postmarked by the day before the election and arrived by noon on Election Day. English received multiple calls from concerned residents who were not receiving updates on their ballots. He said that many ballots were processed before their statuses were updated online. “We could’ve gotten a ballot processed today and it might be a week before we get it posted to the state’s website,” English said. “We were getting multiple trays of mail every day for the last month.” English believes many people took the availability of absentee voting as an excuse to vote early. Many of those who voted early at the County courthouse waited in longer lines than were seen at polling places on Election Day, which English found ironic. The longest waits on Election Day were at the Frank Brown Recreation Center in Auburn and Providence Church in Beauregard, which both saw a maximum of 90 minutes. Lines at the courthouse often stretched two to four hours. English drove between all of Lee
EVAN MEALINS | MANAGING EDITOR
Lee County Probate Judge Bill English had reports of lines up to 90 minutes long on election day.
County’s polling places on Nov. 3 and encountered no issues that lengthened the amount of time it took to vote. Some polling places saw lines forming as early as 5 a.m., English said. They saw another rush around lunchtime and expected a third rush after working hours, though it never came. The lines generally got shorter as the day went on. There was a rumor that Beauregard had a nonfunctional ballot counting machine, but English explained that the machine in question was for helping disabled voters in marking their ballots, and it was indeed operational. Multiple polling places had only one ballot collec-
tor, but those locations typically have only one collector, he said. Though the Alabama Secretary of State listed the County’s election results as unofficial for days after the election, the only votes left uncounted were provisional ballots, English said. The Board of Registrars later determined the eligibility of each provisional ballot on an individual basis before they were sent to be counted. “The only avenue for potential fraud I see is if someone intercepts the mail or [applies for someone else’s absentee ballot,]” English said. “That is why, for most of [the election process,] we had the ID requirement.”
Out of the over 12,600 absentee ballots from the 2020 election, English expects no more than a “handful” of ballots to be flagged as potentially fraudulent. “We had a total of less than 600 provisional [ballots] in Lee County,” English said. “My rough rule of thumb is maybe half of those will be counted, so [I expect] a change of plus or minus 300 [additional ballots.]” The City of Auburn currently has four polling places for general elections, though there has been a proposal for a fifth on the University’s campus. Since students vote based on their address and not workplace or school, an on-campus polling place
would include on-campus residents and possibly nearby downtown residents, depending on the boundaries drawn for the voting precinct. English is unsure of how the fifth polling place would affect voting in the future, as it would require redrawing the voting precincts. Also, the University would have to dedicate parking and space to vote, both for students and nearby Auburn residents. “Some of the districts in Auburn are too big,” English said. “I would love to be able to reduce them, but I can’t say, ‘If you work on campus or go to school on campus, you get to vote on campus.’ That’s not how the law of representation works.”
sports
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
SPORTS
BASKETBALL
‘He’s grown tremendously’: Stretch stepping up By HENRY ZIMMER Writer
JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
Stretch Akingbola shoots the ball during Auburn’s game against Georgia in Auburn arena.
Babatunde “Stretch” Akingbola is a bit of a mystery. Playing behind senior centers Austin Wiley and Anfernee McLemore, Akingbola only saw limited action during his freshman year. Now as one of only two true centers on Auburn’s roster, what can Auburn expect from the 6-foot-10 sophomore? For starters, Akingbola plays defense. In his first minute of Division I play, Stretch swatted away two shots against South Alabama, towering over the Jaguar offense. Appearing in 13 games, Stretch averaged 2.3 minutes a game but posted 0.4 blocks per game in that limited playing time. His defensive ability around the rim should not be a question. “I love to block shots,” Akingbola said. “That’s my job. I feel like I am going to have to do that this year.” Since he began his career in basketball, Stretch has prided himself in rim protection. At McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, Stretch made the All-State team twice, posting 3.0 blocks per game. “That’s my thing, let’s put it that way,” Akingbola said. “I love to play defense. I mean, you have to be good at something on the court. If I’m good at defense, I can help my team.” While defense is a point of pride for Akingbola, offense is where the young big man needs to grow. Wiley was one of the best in the nation at pulling down boards around the offensive rim and creating extra chances for a team heavily dependent on shooting threes. His put-back ability was solid and is something Akingbola needs to emulate to keep the Tiger offense flowing. Akingbola is a capable rebounder, but improved skill in that area will only better the team overall.
This year, the 3-point shooting will be no different for Bruce Pearl’s team. To keep defenses honest, Akingbola said he may even see himself getting involved in the mix from downtown. “For me, I’m probably not going to shoot [threes] a lot, but I will once in a while,” Akingbola said. “Me and Dylan [Cardwell] probably aren’t going to shoot a lot, but we’re working on it every day.” This offseason has not been ideal for any player, but Akingbola said he has had the time to get in the gym and practice shots of all kinds to upgrade his scoring ability from all over the floor. “My offense is a big thing for me. My defense is kind of right there. I’m still working on it,” Akingbola said. “My offense, I’ve been working really hard. This offseason, we’ve been getting in there [the gym], every day after practice sometimes. I’ve been working on my inside game and my postups. I’m trying to make my shooting percentage 70% if I can this year. That’s the goal, and I’ve been working hard on that.” As an extremely young team, leadership was assumed to be hard to come by for the heavily underclassman Tigers. Sophomore guard Tyrell “Turbo” Jones said Akingbola has stepped into an on-thefloor leadership role and is a vocal leader on the squad. “He’s grown tremendously,” Jones said. “Him being a vocal leader on the court is really big for us. That’s his role that he wanted to take on. He’s been doing a pretty good job of that.” Akingbola is a raw product offensively, with much of his skill set focused on defense. His overall skill set needs to grow, and as the young team develops, Akingbola will too. For certain though, his towering frame and shot blocking ability will cause problems for opposing teams once the season beings. Auburn and Akingbola start on Thanksgiving Day against St. Joe’s.
BASKETBALL
IRELAND DODD | PHOTO EDITOR
Unique Thompson defends a Tennessee player.
With new roster, Coach Flo puts pressure on defense to win games By DYLAN FOX Writer
After a down year for the Tigers, head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy is counting on a revamped roster to make her trademark press defense a success. With only five returning players from last season, three of which saw the floor, she’s aware that coaching her defense into her team isn’t an easy process. “If you know our defense, it honestly takes about a year to actually learn it the proper way,” Williams- Flournoy said. “Right now, I just need them to rotate and get to the right spot so we don’t give
up a wide-open layup.” Redshirt sophomore Honesty ScottGrayson, who redshirted last year after transferring from Baylor, agreed that learning the defense is challenging, but she wants to prove that the team’s determination will make it work. “When they threw the defense in there, I kept messing up, and I still mess up to this day,” Scott-Grayson said. “[But] as long as we’ve got positive energy, and we’re up and we’re clapping, getting up on people, it’s going to be a tough time.” After losing eight players in the offseason, many thought that the team
might become less selective in their recruiting, but Coach Flo asserted that the new players were hand-selected because of their defensive skills and commitment. And we were very particular on who we recruited. If they couldn’t play defense or didn’t understand the defense that we want to play, then we really just didn’t recruit them,” Williams-Flournoy said. “But the fact that they have the energy, the effort, the desire, and sometimes that’s really all it takes to be a very good defensive player.” Among the newcomers, the Tigers are very excited about Alycia Reese, a
JUCO transfer out of Chattahoochee Valley, who gained praise from the squad and coaches alike for her tenacity in practice. “The coaches always have to tell her, ‘oh, we’re doing drills just let them catch the ball,’” Senior Unique Thompson said. “Like Coach Flo said, she has to work on other things of course, but she’ll tell you the one thing that she wants to do is guard the ball.” Along with the challenges facing an almost entirely new roster, Coach Flo has had to deal with a variety of issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused several players to miss
significant practice time. “We know it’s been challenging, dealing with COVID, dealing with the acclimation period, and actually being able to have all 15 (players),” Williams-Florunoy said. She also has made it clear to her players that the pandemic will continue to cause roster issues this season, and that they must be able to adapt. “I don’t want them to get caught up in who’s starting, who’s not starting at this point right now, because of the world that we’re living in,” Williams-Flournoy siad. “They all have to be ready to play.”
BASEBALL
Fitts found a way during COVID; now it’s paying off in fall practice By MATTISON ALLEN Writer
Auburn baseball is back in business with fall practice starting after the 2020 season got cut short due to COVID-19. One player in particular has been preparing for this moment in some creative ways. Sophomore pitcher Richard Fitts was just getting started in the spring as he made six appearances for the Tigers, one as a starter. When the season was cut short, Fitts had to come up with a way to continue practicing at home. Fitts headed back home after March and had nowhere to fully practice as most cities had shut down all parks. Fitts and his dad took this opportunity to build an
at-home, mobile baseball mound. “I was really wanting to work on my off-speed pitches, my fastball command, stuff like that,” Fitts said. “My dad loves having little projects and with him just sitting at home all day, he figured that he could start building it. We actually made it where it could fold up and go in my truck if we needed to, so it’s very mobile, but it ended up just staying at the house.” Before the shutdown, Fitts was practicing with former Auburn player Bailey Horn who was drafted to the White Sox. Fitts ended last season with a 2.77 ERA and struck out 16 batters total. Those numbers have only gotten stronger as the fall practices have started.
Since the fall practices have started Fitts is throwing at a 96.6 velocity. He nearly reached 98 mph in practice and struck out the side in his first inning. “I’m pleased with where I’m at right now,” Fitts said. “There’s always room for improvement, so that’s what I want to work on over the rest of this offseason. Yeah, my velo is up right now, but I never really stopped from the spring and I think that has a lot to do with it.” Part of Fitts’ offseason goals was to not only increase his velocity, but to keep it consistent. Last season he was able to get up to 95 mph, but his velocity fell throughout the innings. He worked with Auburn strength coach Chris Joyner virtually to
figure out the right combination of exercises and practices to fully expose his potential. As for the upcoming season in February, no starters have been officially named. Fitts said he hopes he will be able to fill a weekend starting position and holds fast to that goal throughout these fall practices. “It’s definitely a position I’m going for,” Fitts said. “I’m open to be whatever. I’ve said that since day one as far as being a bullpen guy or being a starter. I accepted that role freshman year as a relief guy, and I was happy in that, but this year, I want to make a difference from the starting aspect. I think I definitely have an opportunity to do that. I’ve just got to keep working at it.”
IAN LOGUE | PHOTOGRAPHER
Richard Fitts pitches against Illinois-Chicago.
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LIFESTYLE
WELLNESS
Theater department hosts mental health events By ABIGAIL WOODS Writer
ABIGAIL MURPHY | SECTION EDITOR
One of the actives for the festival is potting plants.
Event planners Anna Vu, Grace Moebes and Gianna Carter have been planning the Mental Health Awareness Festival since September. The event will take place from Nov. 12–15 via Zoom, and they have gone through many steps to make the festival come together. The organizations taking part in this festival include the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness Services, A Sound Mind, AU Players, Student Counseling and Psychological Services, CHAARG and the Office of Sustainability. The festival is being supported by the University’s Theater Department. According to Anna Vu, the theater class was tasked with coming up with an event for the fall semester. “We brainstormed through many different events but ended up on the Mental Health Awareness Festival, because due to the given circumstances with COVID, it became clear that we all felt strongly about promoting mental health in a creative and sustainable way,” Vu said. Vu, Moebes and Carter knew they wanted to make the festival both creative and sustainable. They wanted to “incorporate the idea of self-expression” because they believe
in the importance of having an outlet where one can be themselves. As explained by Carter, senior in theatre management, some of the events taking place at the festival are origami, yoga, beading workshops, cooking tutorials, creating your own stress balls, a workout with CHAARG and potting your own plant. The activities will occur in different breakout rooms “in hopes of showing students how they can cope with attacks to their mental health in creative ways,” Carter said. She hopes this will help make the academic stress feel more manageable. “We want to let students know that mental health doesn’t have to be something you’re scared to talk about and that it is something most people deal with,” Carter said. Carter said the experience of coordinating this event alongside Vu and Moebes has taught her a lot. “I’ve learned that there are many craft activities that have been proven to assist with coping with everyday stressors and tips on how to create sustainable events,” Carter said. While maintaining an engaging environment via Zoom proves to be difficult, Carter has “learned and explored new ways” to keep people interested. Moebes, senior in theatre management,
said she hopes the festival can help break down stigmas. “For me, this festival is a way to break the taboo on mental health and start an open-minded conversation,” Moebes said. Moebes also said she has enjoyed using her creative side in the planning process of the festival. “I feel art can be really helpful in opening up and expressing your emotions,” Moebes said. Vu said because of the virus, people had to make many changes in their lives. People are working from home, limiting contact with each other, not getting to see loved ones and many students cannot go into classes. “Anxiety is heightened related to your own health status,” Vu said. “[Along with] boredom and feeling unmotivated because you may not be able to work or engage in regular day-to-day activities.” Vu said the purpose of this festival is both to discuss mental health and provide healthy coping outlets. “College students are struggling now more than ever due to the many overwhelming events taking place in the world today,” she said. “We hope our festival allows for students to start an open-minded conversation about the importance of mental health and learn creative ways to improve their own.”
ENTERTAINMENT
The Brook and the Bluff perform a live stream concert By BECCA BENNER Writer
The University Program Council’s Major Entertainment Committee held a virtual concert of Auburn’s The Brook and the Bluff on Oct. 27, 2020. Leading up to the concert, the UPC Instagram page also announced a giveaway in which one lucky winner would have the opportunity to meet with the band virtually before the show. Dalton Odom, junior in public relations, was the winner of this giveaway. He said he wasn’t sure what to expect with a virtual meet and greet. “I thought it kind of defeated the whole purpose of a ‘meet and greet,’ but I had so much fun,” Odom said. “It was cool just to chat with a band that I’ve listened to for a long time. You still don’t get that experience every day.” Director of the Major Entertainment committee, Julia Kern, coordinated the virtual concert. “Major Entertainment’s virtual concert featuring TBATB – The Brook and the Bluff – was overall a success for our very first virtual concert,” Kern said. She said there were some benefits and challenges that came with doing a virtual concert. One thing the committee had to do was book
the band early. “We booked the band in early September, and we were so excited to get to work with Alabama natives and Auburn alums,” Kern said. “Of course, we would have loved to have this concert in person, but UPC as a whole has had to be very creative in its event planning this semester.” Kern said working with the artist through virtual mediums was a different experience, but she was happy with the concert in the end. It also was a great way for students to release from the day-to-day school work, she said. “We are continuing to create unique experiences for Auburn students to help get their mind off of how COVID-19 has affected this semester,” Kern said. “I believe this virtual concert did just that and also provided some joy and entertainment along the way.” Kern said she believes the virtual concert was a success. “The Brook and the Bluff has a cult-like following in Auburn, and they definitely showed up to support the band, even if it was just through a livestream,” Kern said. Elaina Eichorn, sophomore in marketing, was one of the virtual audience members. “The virtual Brook and the Bluff concert really brightened my day,” Eichorn said. “I watched it off my laptop, and it was so good to hear them play live music again. I’m a huge fan
FILE PHOTO
The virtual concert featured a meet and greet .
of their songs.” She has been to three other concerts of theirs and she said while virtual was a different experience, she enjoyed it all the same. However, Eichorn said there were some aspects of live performances she missed. “I missed being in the crowd with other fans; it was always really fun when everyone did the little step-touch dance to their songs,” she said. Eichorn said this concert did have its bonus-
es though. “They played two new songs, which was very special to hear before they released it to the public,” she said. The concert did provide a music outlet Eichorn had been missing, she said. “Overall, I’m so glad that UPC was able to get The Brook and the Bluff to Auburn and give the students something that we’ve all been missing,” she said.
ARTS
HANNAH SKIPWORTH | PHOTOGRAPHER
Elementary and middle school students contributed design ideas for the mosaic benches.
Outreach program creates Auburn’s mosaic works By SARA BLEVINS Writer
In the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, between the tall oak trees and the sunlit pond, mosaic benches are placed around the pathways. These benches are one of the many sights to see when taking a stroll. Kay Stone, who previously worked for the Auburn University Museum of Natural History before retiring, oversaw the creation of these mosaic benches. Along with Stone, Linda Munoz, a mosaic and stained glass artist, helped with the creative process and creation of the benches. These benches were a community project and Stone organized an effort
to get elementary and middle school students involved in the creation of the benches. “The primary participants were school students from D.C. Wolfe Elementary in Macon County and South Highlands Middle School in Bullock County,” Stone said. “Auburn students and volunteers helped throughout the process.” The mosaic benches in the arboretum are not the only projects that were carried out and completed; there are many other mosaic creations that have been placed around campus. “Over the 10 years that we incorporated mosaic art into the outreach program, we completed 21 benches, 20 plus stepping stones and three mosaic
quilts that hang in schools,” Stone said. “One of the neat aspects is that we were able to incorporate math, chemistry and history activities into the projects.” The inspiration for the benches comes from a variety of different places. “Some were representative of school colors, names, mascots,” Stone said. “Most had a nature theme such as the tree and biodiversity benches at the arboretum.” Stone helped with the organization of this outreach program and began working with Linda Munoz around 2008 on the creation of these mosaic projects. “I was looking for art projects that could supplement classroom subjects,
enhance the aesthetic of public places, give students a sense of pride and ownership in their communities,” Stone said. Munoz is a retired registered nurse turned mosaic artist. Stone mentioned that her creativity helped the creation of these mosaic benches. Munoz also brought to light a connection between the mosaic benches at the arboretum and another mosaic project called “A River Runs Through It” located in Mentone, Alabama. The leftover mosaic pieces that had been used for the benches in the arboretum were donated to the “A River Runs Through It” project by Kay Stone. They were used to create a mosaic staircase leading to a waterfall in
Mentone, Alabama. Munoz helped carry out the “A River Runs Through It” project as well and continues her work in mosaics today. “Kay donated hundreds of dollars worth of glass for the project,” Munoz said. “All of the glass that was donated from that went on to help create 43 of the steps going down to the waterfall.” This project created a connection between Auburn and the many others who will walk down these steps. From one art piece to another, the shattered mosaic glass binds the Auburn community and the greater Alabama community together. “We couldn’t have done that without Auburn’s contribution,” Munoz said.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
PAGE 11
TRADITIONS
CUISINE
Sushi chef holds cooking classes By ABBY WINSKOWICZ Writer
FILE PHOTO
Aubie Claus returns for the holiday season in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.
Aubie Claus is coming to town By LYDIA MCMULLEN Writer
The Auburn University mascot is returning in his orange and blue Santa suit for an annual Christmas event to take pictures with members of the Auburn Family. Aubie Claus will be at the Gogue Performing Arts Center from Nov.12 -15. Groups have reserved time slots through a pre-qualification lottery to spend time with Aubie and have their picture taken by Village Photographers. “It’s a super fun event where we get to see a lot of the Auburn Family, and they get to start their Christmas season off with Aubie,” said Bailee Sneed, the director of development for the “Aubie Program.” The “Aubie Program” has put precautions in place according to the Center for Disease Control recommendations, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Auburn University policies to host the event safely. Sneed said the “Aubie Program” wanted to do what they could to preserve the tradition to their best of
their ability. Before COVID-19 limited the capacity, Aubie Claus hosted between 900 and 1,000 families over three days. However, this year, the precautionary efforts have limited the capacity to 590 families over four days. “We would rather decrease the number than cancel the event,” Sneed said. The beloved tiger has been a part of several other events this year including football games and the Tiger Tour. “It’s been nice for a lot of people to see Aubie,” Sneed said. “He is a bright spot in their day.” In the past, appearances by Aubie have involved physical contact. “Aubie is a very hands-on mascot; he loves to hang out with people and hug on people,” Sneed said. “He’s had to readjust his character a little bit and be at a farther distance.” The poses for the photographs at Aubie Claus this year will look different in order to comply with safety protocols. Instead of a hug, people may pose back to back with Aubie or stand at a further distance in photos. “We have to remind people to keep
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a good distance,” Sneed said. “We have to make sure we’re protecting Aubie and protecting ourselves.” In spite of all of the adjustments, Sneed is grateful to be a part of the “Aubie Program” and continue helping Aubie make appearances around the community, she said. Sneed said in his essence, Aubie is the goodwill ambassador for Auburn University, and having him bring joy during difficult times is important. “It’s been awesome to see the Auburn community have so much gratitude for us,” Sneed said. Groups typically receive their photographs a week after the event. Sneed said Auburn families often use their photo from Aubie Claus as their annual Christmas card picture. Coloring pages, T-shirts and the Aubie calendar are also available for purchase at the event. Aubie calendar sales and ticketed events such as Aubie Claus raise funds toward the Aubie program, which allows Aubie to compete in the UCA Mascot National Championship. Aubie has won the competition nine times.
Students in the Auburn and Opelika area got the chance to learn how to make their own sushi at a class at Resting Pulse Brewery on Nov. 10. This class is taught by sushi chef Kelly Viall and requires no cooking experience. It was a class for beginners. Viall has been a chef for a long time, and she worked with a variety of foods before working with sushi. “I learned to work with sushi on the job when I was living on the gulf coast,” she said. “I cooked for over 10 years before I ever touched sushi, but once I started, I was hooked.” She has years of experience teaching these classes outside of her experience as a chef. “I’ve been teaching these classes for eight years and teaching them full time for almost five years,” Viall said. “I’ve taught about 12,000 people in 16 different states so far.” Viall said her inspiration for teaching sushi classes were her customers at restaurants. While she was working at the sushi bar, she said customers would come up and ask her if she could come to their house and show them how to make it. She decided then that it would be a good way to make extra money on the side, and attendance for these classes skyrocketed, Viall said. She has taught these classes in many different settings. “My public classes are usually held in breweries, and we have about 25 people for those,” Viall said. “I do a lot
of in-home parties and have done events for libraries, students through their University Programs, high schools and more.” At the sushi class, students get a sushi roll made by Viall, and then they get to learn to make their own. They leave the night with two sushi rolls. “I usually make a tuna roll for the students, and then they roll their own California roll during class,” she said. “I do teach an intermediate class where we break down an entire tuna loin and make all sorts of things, from spicy tuna nachos to poke bowls.” The class starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Nov. 10. Her sushi classes last approximately two hours–depending on the size of the group. She said when COVID and quarantining began, she modified her classes for online, and she still offers them for those who prefer to not attend in-person. “I basically taught the class to my GoPro just as if I were standing in front of a large group,” Viall said. “The online classes come with a shopping list that works for Shipt, Instacart and Amazon. Viall said she started the online classes to help people be safe as well as provide an enjoyable activity. “The basic idea was that you could stay at home, be safe, watch the class and learn something, plus order all of your supplies and have them delivered right to your door,” she said. Viall teaches these classes in many different locations around Alabama, and she said to be on the lookout for more soon. JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER
TIGERMARKET
Abbigail Hickey, Auburn Universitys campusPrint dietitian speaks with The PlainsDeadline: man on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Auburn, NoonAla. three business days
prior to publication.
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Business issue since 1979 4 Compares 10 Cyberspace gatekeepers, for short 14 Org. supporting museums 15 Skink or skunk 16 German refusal 17 Very loudly, in music 19 Logan of “60 Minutes” 20 Savvy about 21 Archipelago unit 22 Culture medium 23 __ Jordan: sports brand 24 Simple top 25 Hill group 27 Iconic 1962 role for Gregory 29 Frittered (away) 30 Prefix with -lithic 31 New Mexico tribe 32 Sanctify 33 Boggy area 34 Forest floor litter 39 13-digit ID since 2007 41 Caravan stops 42 “Salvator Mundi” artist 46 Between-course refreshers 48 Whiteboard accessory 49 Skedaddled 50 Wager 51 Discover alternative 52 Functional 54 Spillane’s “__ Jury” 56 Like many breakfast bars 57 Like some smiles in an orthodontist’s office ... and like three puzzle rows 59 Quelques-__: a few, in French 60 Novelist Graham 61 “__ you quite finished?” 62 Hawaiian staple 63 Smoothing tool 64 Score half
DOWN 1 Data, e.g. 2 Like a hospital ward with a tiny population? 3 Jaguar documentation 4 China’s Chou En-__ 5 Where it originally was 6 Some canoodling 7 “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” actor Hirsch 8 Put a handle on 9 Adds, as an appointment to a busy schedule 10 Away from shore 11 Action star Steven 12 Hook, for one 13 Caught 18 Parliament figures 26 Prose pro 27 Msg. to the squad 28 Scientific calculator function 29 Many a dad joke 31 __ master
33 “The X-Files” org. 35 Bugs, to a toon hunter 36 “It’s quite clear now” 37 Arrive 38 Air fryer sound 40 Country legend Earl 42 Pious 43 “7 Rings” singer Grande 44 Even more expansive
45 Laying-down-thelaw words 46 Like most peanuts 47 Low-scoring tie 49 Mature on the vine 53 “Sharknado” actress Reid 55 Fall setting 58 “Save me, and hover __ me with your wings”: Hamlet
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Jeffrey Wechsler ©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
11/12/20
11/12/20
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020
The Auburn Plainsman
MIKAH ABBOTT ANNA ADAMS WESLEY ADKINS MEGAN AHERN BROOKE AKERS RICHARD ALARCON KENDALL ALBY LAINE ALBY ALLEN ALCANTARA REBECCA ALEXANDER RYAN ALLES MARY ALLMAN ANDIE ALTEMEIER APRIL ALVAREZ CAMPBELL ANDERSON TRAEMOND ANDERSON JOSHUA ANDREWS WHITNEY ARCHER PEDEN ARNOLD ROBERT ARNOLD GILLIAN ASH BNDREW ASHBURN HANNAH AYERS MICHAEL BAERGEN ALYSSA BAILEY GRACE BAILEY JODIE BAKER ALEX BALDWIN MICHAELA BARDOLF MCKENNA BARLOW DYLAN BARR CRISTIAN BASS KAYLA BATCHELOR ELIZABETH BECK RUSSELL BECK MEGAN BENEDICT SEBASTIAN BENINTENDI GRACE BENNETT MICHAEL BENNETT SKYLAR BIEDENHARN KAMI BLACKMON BAILEY BLANTON STEVEN BLOCKER EMMA-RUTH BOLES KATHERINE BONNEY RACHEL BOONE TAI BOOS MORGAN BORRELLI ANTHONY BOSTANY MATTHEW BOTTOM TAYLOR BOUDREAUX AMANDA BOWDEN EMILY BOYD ELIZABETH BOYLE ALLYSON BRACKETT SHELBY BRAMBLETT JAMES BRESLIN BEAU BROOKS FREDERICK BROWN KIRSTEN BROWN RACHELLE BROWN SAMMIE BROWN WITTNEY BROWN UNNE BRUNS ELIZABETH BUCHANAN MARY BUNDRICK KORIE BURGESS MADISON BURGESS MARY BURTON ANNA BUTLER BENAIAH BUTLER FRANCIS BUTLER ASHLYN BYRD DANA CABELA LARKIN CARDEN WILLIAM CARR KENDALL CARSON MEGAN CASTANEDA CHARLES CHAMBERS HALEY CHAMBERS KIRETHIA CHAMBERS EMMA CHANDLER ZACHARY CHIN DANIELLA CHIODI LAKE CLARK PRESTON CLARK LINDSEY CLEARY ARIANA COHEN MAKAYLA COLEMAN MARY COLLINS JASMINE CONAWAY GREGORY COOK CAROLYN COURTNEY SARAH COX THOMAS COX TYLER COX SHANNON COYNE LAUREN DAVIE CHRISTIAN DAVIS COLLYN DAVIS SPENCER DAWSON WESTON DAWSON MICHAEL DEAN TYLER DEATON LORIANNA DELIA ISABELLA DEMCO GRACE DEMENT
EMMETT JOHNSON III ALEXIS JONES ANSLEY JONES ASHTON JONES JENNIFER JONES KATELYN KAHLER RYAN KAHRS THEADORA KARAHALIS GRACE KEHOE HANNAH KELLAR KAYLA KELLY EMMA KENDRICK LAUREN KENEALY STEPHANIE KESSELRING GERALD KIGERL SARAH KILGORE HAILEY KING KATHLEEN KINSLOW HILLARY KIRKHAM MARTIN KLOSER JOHN KNOX JESSICA KOZAR ABIGAIL KRIKORIAN SAVANNAH KUBALA MARIAH KUBIK MEGAN KUCERA SCOOTER LACY HARPER LALLIER TAYLOR LANCE JACK LATHAN JOSHUA LAZENBY KEVIN LEAHY BAILEY LECROY ZACHARY LEE MELISSA LEO ALLISON LICAVOLI HUNTER LINDSEY HANNAH LITTY JULIA LIVENGOOD ZACHARY LODIGENSKY ALLISON LOEHR JOHN LONG LUKE LONG JORDAN LOVELACE HALEY LOZAK LINDSEY LUCAS MARGARET LUCAS MARISSA LUCIDO GILLIAN LUHRS MADISON LUTHER NATALIE LUTHER LAURYN MALONE KATHRYN MANSEL JULIA MARINO SHELBY MARSH AIDAN MARSHALL KAITLYN MARTIN LINDSEY MARTIN MADISON MASK KATE MASLOWSKI SARAH MASSEYY NOEL MATTHIAS JUSTIN MAULDIN HANNAH MAY TAYLOR MCBRIDE JUSTIN MCCAGHREN MADYSON MCCONNELL JOSHUA MCCREIGHT JENNA MCCULLAR JAMES MCDONALD EMILYMCELHANEY SHAWN MCGINNIS AIDAN MCGLYNN MORGAN MCGUIRE REGAN MCKENNA CONNOR MCLEAN MARGARET MEEK TRENT MEIGS SHANNON METCALF ALEXANDRIA MICELI ANDREA MILLER ANDREW MILLER ALLISON MOLNAR JESSICA MONTGOMERY ELIZABETH MOONEYHAM TRAVIS MOORE SUSAN MOREL MARY MORRIS GIBSON MOSELEY PERI MULLINAX THOMAS MURPHY LAURENMURRAY RYAN NAGY COURTNEY NAPPI JENNIFER NAY CALEB NICHOLSON ALI NIX MARY NIX AVERY NOBLES JAMES NORTON CONNOR NOVAK BRANDON O’BANION SEAN O’CONNOR RYAN ODEN DALTON ODOM MARY OLIVER THOMAS ORRISON
PHILLIP DESROSIER ERIN DIAZ MARY DUDLEY NICOLE DUNBAR ALEXIS DUNN CHRISTOPHER DUNN PHILLIP DUNN THOMAS DUNN KENDAL ELIJAH KAYLEIGH ELLER JONATHAN ENGLE ASHLEY ESTES JOSHUA ETHERTON KAYLA EVANS ALYSSA EZEKIEL COURTNEY FARNI MACKENZIE FARRELL GABRIELLE FICARA ZACHARY FICO LINDSEY FISH AMBERLEE FISHER TRISTEN FITTS CHASE FLATAU YAZMIN FLORES ABIGAIL FLOWERS MYANDI FLOWERS-BRASHER SYDNEY FLOYD CHARLES FLOYD IV JULIE FOSHEE ELIZABETH FOSTER KEISHIA FOSTER JESSICA FOUNTAIN ELIZABETH FRANCISZKOWICZ KATIE FREEMAN ROBERT FREEMAN JOSEPH FUGATE EMILY FULK KAYLIE GANN COURTNEY GARNER MADISON GARNER DANA GAROFOLO NATALIE GEORGE CAMERON GESICKI KATHLYNN GILLIAM EMILY GOFF CARSEN GRANT LAURYN GREY CAROLINE GRIFFIN MIA GUERRA JAMES GWIN MEGAN HAGMAIER KAHLEA HALADWALA ANNA HALL GRACIE HALL JONATHAN HALL EMILY HAMILTON LADY HAMILTON ETHAN HANCOCK REAGAN HANDLEY NICHOLAS HANNAH BRYAN HARDAKER LAINE HARRINGTON HOPE HARRIS GARRISON HATCHER HALEY HAWKINS ARIANNA HAYNES CATHERINE HEATH JOSHUA HEATH BRIANNA HEINZ HUNTER HENDRICKS KATIE HENRY LANDON HENRY LOGAN HENRY TUCKER HEPTINSTALL MAKYLA HERRERA LAUREN HICKS AMELIA HILL CHRISTOPHER HILL JENNA HOGAN TYLER HOGUE GRANT HOLBROOK CAELAN HOLCOMBE MADISON HOLDBROOKS MEAGHAN HOLLAND BRYAN HOLMES SHELDON HOLMES JOHN HOLT JACOB HOUSTON TAYLOR HUGGINS RYAN HULETT MATTHEW HUNTLEY ELIZABETH HYATT WILLIAM ILLIANO LOGAN JACKSON VIRGINIA JAGER MATTHEW JAMES TYLER JAMES JONATHAN JANEWAY JOHNATHAN JENKINS ELIZABETH JERKINS SIERRA JETT BRIDGETTE JOHNSON EMILY JOHNSON EVAN JOHNSON LOGAN JOHNSON PRESLEY JOHNSON VICTORIA JOHNSON
ELIZA OWENS SCOTT OZANUS CARA PARKER MADISON PARRISH KATHERINE PARSLOW TRACE PATTERSON BENTLEY PAYNE LUCAS PEACOCK RYAN PHILLIPS CAROLINE POND ELIZABETH PONDER MELISSA PONTIUS MARISSA POOLE BRINKLEY POPE OLIVIA POPE ALAINA POWELL AMANDA PRIDE VICTORIA PRUENTE JILLIAN RAGER KELSEY RAINWATER TIANA RAMOS SALMA RAOUF JACOB RAUGHTON ADDISON REAGAN KELSEY REAGAN PATRICK REDMAN MARVIN REESE BAILEY REID KAYLA REID BAILEY RENFROE ABIGAIL RICE ROBERT RICHARD SONYA RICKS CHEYENNE RITTER MARY RIZZO JAMES ROBERTS MADELEINE ROBERTS RACHEL ROBERTS JENNIFER ROBERTSON GARRETT ROBINSON HUNTER ROBINSON TANYA ROBINSON LINDSEY ROGERS MAXWELL ROSSO JAMES ROTH MARGARET RUSSELL PHILLIP RUSSELL ALLY SALCHERT KAREN SAMAYOA KRISTIN SCHMIDT MEGAN SCHROCK JOHN SCHUTTA REGINA SCHUTTA REBECCA SELF JESSICA SHANK JUSTIN SHANKS ALAYNA SHIPMAN SHELBY SHIVAR PATRICK SHOCKLEY MORGAN SIEBER KAREN SILVERS SARAH SITTON KALI SKIDELSKY MATTHEW SKINNER ANDREW SLONE CHRISTOPHER SMITH ELIJAH SMITH HARTLEY SMITH JULIA SMITH LINDSEY SMITH LOGAN SMITH MAKENLY SMITH NOAH SMITH OLIVIA SMITH LAUREN SMYTH SAMUEL SMYTHE ORUM SNOW EPIFANIO SOSA BRIANNA SPARK OLIVIA SPINOSA NICOLE STACEY CHARLOTTE STANLEY BENJAMIN STARKEY SYDNEY STEWART EMILY STINSON CARSON STOREY CALLIE STUART LANDON SULE LINDSEY SULLIVAN MARLINE SYRIBEYS EMMA TALBOT LAURYN TANKERSLEY STEPHANIE TAYLOR KATELYN TEBOU EDEN THARPE CODY THOMAS ZOE THOMAS REED THOMPSON CAITLIN TIEDE CADE TIPOLD EMILY TOLAR JACKSON TOLBERT MARGARET TORBERT ANNA TRANTHAM BROOKS TRIPLETT GUS TUCKER ANNA BANKS TURBER-
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VILLE ANNA TURNER ANDREA VALDEZ STEVEN VAUGHAN ALYSSA VESS MITCHELL VINES LINDSEY WAGGONER ALEXANDER WALKER FAITH WALKER WYATT WALKER EZEKIEL WALTERS MORGAN WALTERS KAYLIE WARD EMILY WARNER AMANDA WARREN HAGEN WASDEN DAVID WASHBURN TAMAR WATTS ZANE WEST CORINNE WHITE CONNOR WHITMORE PRESLEIGH WILEY HUNTER WILHELM ADDISON WILLIAMS CHANEY WILLIAMS JOSIE WILLIAMS SARAH WILLIAMS CAROLINE WILLOUGHBY MASON WILLS EVA WILSON TRISTAN WILSON ANNA WISNIEWSKI MAXIMILIAN WOHLLEBEN CHARLEY WOODALL MORGAN WORD KATE WORKMAN ALEXANDRA WYROSDICK ALEXANDRIA YOUNG ANDREW YOUNG BRITTANY YOUNG LOGAN YOUNGBLOOD MARY YOUNGBLOOD KIRAN ZEEDAR JOELLE ZELLER HALEY ZIEGELMEIER CATHERINE ZWIERCAN