The Auburn Plainsman 11.21.13 issue

Livin’ on a Prayer: Iron Bowl to decide SEC West title Special section inside

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID Thursday, November 21, 2013 Vol. 120, Issue 2, 30 Pages

INSIDE

CAMPUS: GREEK LIFE

Sigma Chi fraternity suspended for hazing

ONLINE

Becky Hardy CAMPUS EDITOR

Men’s Basketball vs.

Murray State See ThePlainsman.com for game updates Nov. 23

CAMPUS

A3 ZACH BLAND / PHOTOGRAPHER

Sigma Chi fraternity has had a charter on campus for 75 years.

CAMPUS: ADMINISTRATION

Tsaltas Speaks Student who sparked controversy about how Greek students dress reflects on experience

COMMUNITY

A7

INTRIGUE

A12

Get rich or teach tryin’ Auburn professors earn more in SEC, but faculty is paid less nationally

No more haters in Jordan-Hare

Ben Hohenstatt

SGA taking steps to rid campus of hate speech

How much someone earns is something everyone thinks about, but never discusses.

Unless you’re an employee of a public university in Alabama, such as Auburn, then it’s state mandated public knowledge.

“We post all payments made by the University to vendors or employees on a monthly basis,” said Bryan Elmore, director of budget services.

By using the website AUapps.Auburn.edu/OpenAlabama/ one can look up the salary of Auburn University faculty members.

Elmore said, on average, professors earn $123,000; associate professors earn $84,000; assistant professors earn approximately $75,000; lecturers earn $50,000; instructors earn $28,000; post-doctoral scholars earn $43,000; visiting faculty earn $33,000; and research assistants or associates earn $47,000.

“Salaries are generally done in the ballpark of what other peers are making,” Elmore said.

Drew Clark, director of institutional research and assessment said the figures used to set salaries were partially drawn from a group of 24 State Employment Relations Board flagship universities in a region spanning from Texas to Maryland.

» See FACULTY, A2 Student artist carves and questions Cameron Gray challenges subliminal messages sent by the entertainment industry

INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue

A2 A6 A7 A9 A12

» See SIGMA CHI A2

CAMPUS : SGA

CAMPUS REPORTER

Make art, not fear Student creates program to encourage children to express through art

Auburn’s Sigma Chi fraternity had its charter revoked Monday, Nov. 18, following hazing allegations reported by members of the community starting at the beginning of the semester.

According to Michael Ciatto, grand praetor of Auburn’s Sigma Chi fraternity, the International Sigma Chi fraternity has temporarily suspended the charter until January 2015.

“The charter has been temporarily suspended until such time when we believe the environment at Auburn University is when we can facilitate the restructuring of the chapter according to Sigma Chi’s ideals and put it in a place of prominence on Auburn’s campus,” Ciatto said.

Sigma Chi has been on review by the

international fraternity since Sept. 7 after receiving hazing allegations, such as late mandatory study hours, to the Auburn Hazing Hotline and the International Sigma Chi Fraternity Hotline.

“The hope is in about a year we can come back with strong alumni support, and bring back some members that are still around and rebuild,” said T.J. Harlin, president of Sigma Chi. “We’ve been here for 75 years, and we donate thousands of dollars to Children’s Miracle Network each year through our Derby Days campaign. There’s a lot of good stuff that goes along with this fraternity and we’re hoping in about a year we can come back stronger than ever.”

Auburn University defines hazing as, “Hazing is any action taken or situation

AVERAGE SEC PROFESSOR SALARIES

• University of Alabama: • Auburn University: • Texas A&M University: • University of South Carolina: • Louisiana State University: • University of Mississippi (2010-11): • Mississippi State University: • University of Florida (2012):

$132,906 $123,000 $122,695 $116,432 $107,386 $105,802 $96,609 $89,400

Statistics gathered from each University’s institutuional research website

PHOTO BY JENNA BURGESS

Derek Herscovici CAMPUS WRITER

Even Jordan-Hare Stadium, the geographical and spiritual center of Auburn University, is not immune to hate speech, discrimination or even racial slurs.

A resolution was passed at the Student Government Association senate meeting Monday, Nov. 18, which urged administrators to create a committee dedicated to promoting community, safety and a respectful campus environment inside Jordan-Hare Stadium in response to the numerous reports of hate speech committed during football games.

“Being a student-athlete, we’re in our own little bubble,” said Alyse Scott, goaltender on the soccer team and sophomore in human development and family studies. “People think we’re untouchable, but we’re students here and this topic tonight concerns us. I believe athletes would hate to know this is happening during athletic events, to know people are afraid and unwilling to attend because they feel they will be attacked.”

The resolution was introduced after a letter to the editor, written by Emily Kerzin, a graduate student in clinical psychology, was published in The Plainsman. The letter alleged Kerzin and her family were targets of hate speech inside Jordan-Hare stadium.

The resolution calls for administrators in, but not limited to, athletics, the department of public safety and security, the office of diversity and multicultural affairs and representatives from the graduate school.

The resolution does not create a committee, nor does it specify how the committee should fulfill its goals, but calls for a committee to seek the best solution to streamlining reporting and responses to incidents at other athletic events.

“The only thing we’re recommending is that a committee exists because we felt that we’re not in

“

We chose Jordan Hare because it’s symbolic on campus, but that doesn’t mean this committee is not going to look at all athletic arenas. The committee will be looking at Auburn’s campus as a whole.”

—Sam wilcox LIBERAL ARTS SENATOR

the business of micromanaging the University,” said Sam Wilcox, liberal arts senator. “We chose JordanHare because it’s symbolic on campus, but that doesn’t mean this committee is not going to look at all athletic arenas. The committee will be looking at Auburn’s campus as a whole.”

Although a formal request will be sent to administrators, no timetable yet exists for when the committee will be created or when actions will be taken.

In addition to the creation of the committee, carryover funding requests were approved for the Welcome Week committee, UPC, student media, the graduate school, the Center for Community Service, SGA, the Center for Leadership and Ethics and Intercultural Programs.

An amendment to the SGA voting procedure passed, calling for the randomization of ballot positions, to promote fairness and eliminate confusion among candidates.

A plaque was approved for the Toomer’s Oak recently planted on the AU Greenspace near Keller Hall in the lower quad.

Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

POLICE REPORTS FOR NOV. 14–19, 2013

DUI REPORTS FOR THE CITY OF AUBURN NOV. 14–19, 2013 Wyman Phillippi, 23 Nov. 16, 9:36 p.m.

Wire Road and Lem Morrison Drive Alexander Deason, 21 Nov. 16, 10:49 p.m.

North Ross Street Daryl Smith, 53 Nov. 16, 12:18 a.m.

South College Street and West Thatch Avenue

Samuel Pendergrass, 23 Nov. 19, 2:21 a.m.

South Gay Street and Reese Avenue

— Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety

Sarah Bradford, 23 Nov. 16, 2:19 a.m.

South Donahue Drive and West Magnolia Avenue Jeremy Howard, 22 Nov. 17, 12:11 a.m.

South College Street Justin Grega, 33 Nov. 17, 4:03 a.m.

South College Street and West Veterans Boulevard

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Nov. 14, South Donahue Drive Occurred between 6–10 p.m Third-degree theft of property– theft of Tiger Ignited card Nov. 15, Genelda Avenue Occurred between Nov. 4, 3 p.m.–Nov. 15, 3 p.m.

Third-degree theft of property– theft of iPhone stand, gift card, coasters, sunflower seeds and mixers

Nov. 16, South Donahue Drive and Beard Eaves Occurred Nov. 16, 2–2:30 p.m.

Third-degree theft of property– theft of Auburn vs.

Georgia football tickets and currency Nov. 16, Jefferson Street Occurred Nov. 16, midnight–2:30 a.m.

First-degree theft of property– theft of vehicle Nov. 17, North Gay Street Occurred Nov. 17, 3–3:23 a.m.

Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle– theft of hunting rifle and scope

Nov. 15, West Glenn Avenue Occurred Nov. 15, 2:50 –3:09 p.m.

Third-degree theft of property– theft of AU football tickets Nov. 15, North Donahue Occurred Nov. 15, 9:30–9:50 p.m.

Robbery-Gun– theft of cell phone, clothing, identification card, shoes, necklace, concert tickets and currency Nov. 16, Opelika Road Occurred between noon–9 p.m.

Theft from yard– theft of bike

CAMPUS WRITER

Auburn University’s resident troubadours came out in full force for the last UPC Open Mic Night of the fall semester, many for the first time.

Acoustic guitar acts, spoken word poetry, a cappella songs, stand-up comedy and acts that defy explanation all played to a standing-room-only crowd inside the AUSC Starbucks Tuesday, Nov. 19.

“It’s always hard being the first act because you have to warm the crowd up,” said Steven Dinan, freshman in science and mathematics. “I think they responded pretty well to a lot of the people that played. There was a lot of great talent here.”

Dinan performed “Keep The Car Running” by Arcade Fire, while budding Internet star Bizzy Buffington delivered a stirring rendition of Carrie Underwood’s

SIGMA CHI » From A1

situation created intentionally or unintentionally whether on or off campus, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule... or other activities which are not consistent with organizational laws, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution. Actions, forced or required or implied to be required, which violate federal, state or local law, are considered hazing.”

Harlin said rumors about half of their freshmen pledge class dropping at the beginning of the semester are false.

“We had about five or six guys drop,” Harlin said. “When those things happen, you’ll have guys drop because of financial obligations and others who figure out the organization just isn’t for them. There’s nobody who was ever in physical harm.”

A source close to the controversy said the hazing reported was not physical or alcohol-related hazing. The source also said approximately seven or eight other fraternities have also been reported through Auburn Hazing Hotline this semester.

A pledge, who dropped early in the semester for family-related issues, said he did not drop out of the fraternity because of hazing. The former pledge also

Nov. 18, Wire Road Occurred between 6:30–9:35 p.m.

Auto breaking and entering– theft of laptop, wallet, credit card, make-up bag, hair straightener and damage to vehicle Nov. 18, Bent Creek Road Occurred Nov. 17, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

Second-degree theft of property– theft of four game cameras

Nov. 18, South Ross Street Occurred between Nov. 14, 11 p.m.–Nov. 15, 8 a.m.

Third-degree theft of property– theft of bike

Nov. 19, Shell Toomer Parkway Occurred between 1–2 p.m.

Criminal Trespass– theft of golf cart

“Undo It.” Despite having little experience performing in public, many made light of their situation and warmed up to the crowd once the show started rolling and the audience began to respond.

“I came the last month just to see how it was,” said Diego Aristofanes Dias De Sousa, freshman in English as a second language. “My friend told me it was today and I decided last night that I was going to play.”

Sousa, a native of Brazil, played music from his homeland on keyboard and on a guitar borrowed from Dinan.

Returning performers were greeted with enthusiasm from the audience, though their cheers may have been as much for their unpredictability as their material.

“I don’t bring any actual talent here, I just bring an idea,” said a performer who

goes only by #TunaMelt. “I came across this article about how insomniacs hate good books, because when you’re trying to go to bed you naturally pick up a book and start reading until you fall asleep, but page turners keep people up even longer.” #TunaMelt immediately launched into two deadpan readings of intentionally boring short stories, accompanied by instrumental sound effects.

Crystal Moore and Sydney Irving each performed selections of poetry they had written dealing with stress, life and love, claiming a friend had put them up to the challenge.

UPC’s Open Mic Nights will return Jan. 21, setting the stage inside Starbucks with free food and drinks every third Tuesday of the month.

Performers need only arrive before 7 p.m., when the show starts, to sign up.

said he did not see any physical or alcohol related hazing during pledgeship.

Tyler Peterson, Sigma Chi chapter adviser, said many other Greek systems face the same hazing challenges as Sigma Chi. “It’s still hazing and that’s the bottom line,” Peterson said. “It doesn’t matter the level of severity. Part of our international fraternity’s goal is to eradicate hazing and make sure it doesn’t happen and if we see that happen, we’re not going to be tolerant of it.”

Ciatto said the International Fraternity has not received allegations to the Auburn Hazing Hotline or International Fraternity Hotline prior to this year.

“Any concerns that we have ever had, we have dealt with internally, including the removal of brothers when deemed necessary,” Ciatto said.

Peterson said all current Sigma Chi brothers will take alumni status until January 2015 when they will go through review again with alumni and the international fraternity.

“They wouldn’t have to go through rush, but they would definitely have to meet with alumni and figure out if they’re really interested in moving things forward,” Peterson said.

Ciatto said Sigma Chi will serve as a role model for other fraternities on Auburn’s campus.

“Our international leadership is 100 percent dedicated to stopping all instances of hazing. In regards to the severity [of the hazing] and as such we

felt it was our responsibility to take the lead at Auburn’s campus and set an example that all hazing must be dealt with, regardless of severity. (We) hope that other fraternities would follow suit,” Ciatto said.

Harlin said the brothers of Sigma Chi who were causing the problems were dismissed from the fraternity before the charter was revoked.

“The sad thing is you have a small group of guys who can tarnish the reputation of a large group of people,” Harlin said.

“It’s a shame that (Sigma Chi’s) name is associated with that kind of behavior because the vast majority of the guys [in Sigma Chi] are the most upstanding, gentlemanly people that you’ll ever meet. It’s a shame that they’re forced to deal with these rumors.”

Amanda Clare, IFC graduate assistant, said the University has nothing to do with Sigma Chi’s charter being revoked.

Sigma Chi will keep the house, but all brothers living there will have to move out by the end of December.

“One of the plans is to renovate the house, so when we come back we’ll have a nice house in a great location,” Peterson said.

Ciatto said he agreed.

“We have every aspiration to return to Auburn’s campus at the correnct time when we can develop a sustainable chapter aligned with our values,” Ciatto said.

SALARIES » From A1

“That’s our peer group,” Clark said. “It’s a rich comparison group.”

The University of Alabama, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State, Louisiana State University, the University of South Carolina, Texas A&M and the University of Florida are also included among the schools that have agreed to be part of the information sharing group.

Auburn also used a group of 34 national land‐grant universities to benchmark its payroll.

“Range between very best and least best is very narrow compared to other human endeavor,” Clark said.

Clark said using these benchmarks Auburn pays its employees slightly less than average.

“In 2012–13 Auburn faculty members received salaries that were at about 91 percent of the average for all faculty members at the 24 leading public institutions in the Southeastern region,” Clark said.

He said that the University’s goal is to meet the averages, which can essentially be done in two ways. One of these options would be to hire new faculty and salary them to push Auburn’s salary averages closer to the average.

While this would work, Clark said it is not the most likely scenario.

“In any five-year period there are many more existing faculty than new hires,” Clark said. “We wouldn’t bring in a new faculty member just to raise averages.”

Simply taking on more employees also is not necessarily reliable to get closer to the benchmarks because there are factors out of the University’s control.

“We could add salaries and they could add more,” Clark said.

“We could cut salaries and they could cut even more.”

The other option, which would increase the pay average of Auburn faculty, is pay raises for existing faculty. It also seems to be the course of action most in line with the strategy outlined on the University’s official website to, “place a key emphasis on attracting, retaining, and developing a

“

In 2012-13 Auburn faculty members received salaries that were at about 91 percent of the average for all faculty members at the 24 leading public institutions in the Southeastern region.”

— Drew Clark DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT

diverse faculty committed to increasing Auburn’s competitiveness and enhancing our academic reputation.”

Elmore and Clark said that pay raises are decided by merit.

“Feedback matters – syllabus, assignments and tests,” Clark said.

Clark said by being a research institute, size and privatization as well as performance evaluations affect how much faculty are paid.

He also said that while there is disparity in pay it is not a particularly wide margin. Elmore described the performance evaluations as being four-tiered and ranging from low to great.

“You have a base salary, and it will increase based on what your supervisor writes as an increase,” Elmore said.

Elmore said another factor that is considered when considering pay raises is the availability of funds.

“In recent years, department funds available has probably played a bigger role,” Elmore said.

“In the past, merit really was the biggest factor.”

Clark said, in general, the education job market is one of the most purely merit-based job markets, so it is logical that positive results earn compensatory rewards.

“It’s always, in essence, ‘what have you done for me lately,’” Clark said.

The Auburn Plainsman

AUBURN AT A GLANCE

w A football signed by the players on Auburn’s 1957 National Championship football team will be on display in the special collections and archives department of Ralph Brown Draughon Library on the final home football Saturday of the season. w Ning Hou, a doctoral student in the department of psychology, was the overall winner and People’s Choice Award winner in Auburn’s Three Minute Thesis competition Wednesday, Nov. 13. w The department of psychology’s graduate program in the College of Liberal Arts has been ranked 15th in the nation by GraduatePrograms.com. w The student team from the McWhorter School of Building Science placed third in the national, open healthcare competition hosted by the Great Lakes Region of the Associated Schools of Construction in Chicago Oct. 17–18. The Auburn Building Science team of seniors Jake Gattis, Tim Murphy, Tim Busby, Trey Heavlin, Kyle Wortendyke and Andrew Carroll were coached by building science professors Paul Holley and Mike Thompson. w The Office of the Vice President for University Outreach has announced the 2013– 2014 call for presentation and poster proposals for the Outreach Scholarship Symposium, or OSS, which will be held February 10–11 at the Student Center. w Meghan Wilson’s furniture design, “The Diverso Game Table,” won the popular vote at the October High Point Market in the Groovystuff by Design: Connecting Education with Industry Challenge. w The Design-Build team of Kevin Hill, William Holcomb, Kevin Laferriere and Jared Taylor from the McWhorter School of Building Science and from the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture placed second in the 2013 Design Build Institute of America Student Competition. w The Auburn University Symphonic Winds will share the stage in concert with the Opelika High School Symphonic Band Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Opelika High School. Admission is free.

Nov. 18, West Samford Avenue Occurred between Nov. 15, 3 p.m.–Nov. 18, 1 p.m.

Third-degree theft of property– theft of bike

Nov. 17, North Donahue Drive Occurred Nov. 16, 3 p.m.–Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m.

Auto theft– theft of vehicle

Performers come out for last Open Mic Night of semester Derek Herscovici

Nov. 18, West Thatch Avenue Occurred between Nov. 11, 3 p.m.–Nov. 12, noon Theft from public building– theft of bike

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Campus A3

The Auburn Plainsman

Freedom 21 wages war on human trafficking Corey Williams Campus Writer

Human trafficking is a problem in other parts of the world, but many do not realize how close to home the issue hits.

Women are sold for sexual purposes right here in Auburn. With the recent invention of classified advertisement websites, exploitation has been made even easier.

Freedom 21, a faith-based, non-profit organization located in Auburn, work to raise community awareness and decrease the amount of people sold for their bodies.

According to its website, Freedom 21’s mission is to wage war against the epidemic of human slavery in our nation, in our world, on our watch.

Alex Jay, sophomore in special education and member of Freedom 21, said what she thinks needs to be done to accomplish that goal.

“Obviously, what we really want to do is end trafficking altogether” Jay said. “To do that, we must eliminate the demand. If the johns (people who pay for sex) did not demand, then there would be no reason to supply. Until we can figure out how to do that, we just hope to help the victims as much as we possibly can.”

Hope Kennamer, junior in communications, is also a member of the organization.

“Honestly, at this point, not much surprises me about human trafficking,” Kennamer said.

“What I’ve found is a lot of women, especially young women, look for acceptance from men.

We want to help them, instead, find acceptance from God, The whole point of Freedom 21 is to

help alleviate the problem with the help of the police force and prayer.”

According to FreedomTwenty-One.org, just a two hour drive from Auburn, Atlanta is the No. 1 hub for human trafficking and child sex exploitation in the United States.

Lori Sewell, president of Freedom 21, started to help the cause by raising money for the larger organization, A21. At the time, she said she did not know how rampant human trafficking is in the area.

“At first, we just wanted to do a 5K to raise money for the A21 campaign,” Sewell said. “We did the race and raised $7,000. Then, we started researching the issue and found out there was a major problem with sex trafficking here in Auburn. It happens in plain sight. No one seems to notice it happens here, so they don’t know what to look for. That’s why we decided we needed to get our stuff together and become our own public charity, and start work to abolish sex trafficking locally.”

Currently, Freedom 21 works with local law enforcement and the FBI to identify and break up human trafficking rings in the Auburn-Opelika area.

Soon, the group would like to open a shelter for victims of sexual exploitation.

“We want to open a freedom house, and we are getting very close to doing that,” Sewell said. “We will provide medical and psychological care to victims. We will also try to give them some sort of vocational training and job support. Of course, we will try to guide them spiritually as well.”

College of Architecture, Design and Construction builds nature-friendly walkway Keely Shearer Campus Writer

A new walkway was built for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Southeastern Raptor Center to allow more people to be able to visit the birds at the center.

Undergraduate students from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction spent two weeks working with one another to rid the walkway of gravel by replacing it with previously used cement.

Marianne Hudson, assistant

director of raptor training and educations said she noticed the problems with the gravel path at the center.

“Our walkway, up until now, has been large gravel rocks,” Hudson said. “These gravel rocks have caused issues for some of our visitors.

Hudson said wheelchairs had difficulty navigating the rocks and so did mothers with infants in strollers and the rocks were too deep and large for wheeled vehicles to be able to navigate

Michael Hein, professor in the School of Building Science, paired with Auburn Facilities Division and private contractors to prepare the site.

Hein led many service learning projects throughout the years and said he felt this project taught him more about the environment.

“It is a way I can continue to use my expertise in engineering to help the environment,” Hein said.

For this walkway, previous concrete was used in effort to

go greener.

“It has been classified as a green pavement,” Hein said.

“The EPA has approved it as a best management practice when dealing with storm water.”

The previous concrete allows for water from storms to soak back into the ground instead of rushing down drains, carrying heavy metals and other destructive substances with it.

Approximately 30 undergraduate students alternat-

ed three-hour shifts in order to get the building of the walkway.

After preparing the framework, the students straightened the 340-foot-long, 6.5-foot-wide railroad ties.

John Young, senior in building science, was one of the students working on the site.

“If anything, getting a hands-on experience really makes you respect the people that do this kind of work for a living,” Young said. “It’s definitely beneficial.”

The walkway was completed Nov. 8, and open for tours shortly after.

“Everything went very smoothly,” Hudson said.

“There will be absolutely no problem now with wheelchairs and strollers and even the elderly to keep their footing on our new substrate.”

Young said he saw the project as a success.

“If we are going to do a project, we are doing it for the University, and so we feel like we’re helping out,” Young said.

1017 Columbus 1017 Columbus 1017 Parkway 1017 Columbus Parkway Columbus Parkway Parkway 1791 Shug 1791 Jordan Shug 1791 Parkway Jordan 1791 ShugShug Parkway Jordan Jordan Parkway Parkway 334 W. 334 Magnolia W. Avenue 334 Rd. W. Magnolia Avenue 334Magnolia W.Avenue Magnolia Avenue 1888 Ogletree Rd. 1888 Ogletree Rd.Ogletree 18881888 Ogletree Rd. OpelikaOpelika 749-3528 Opelika 749-3528 Opelika 749-3528 749-3528 AuburnAuburn 826-1716 Auburn 826-1716 Auburn 826-1716 826-1716 Auburn 826-2476 826-2476 AuburnAuburn 826-2476 Auburn 826-2476 AuburnAuburn 826-1207 826-1207 Auburn Auburn 826-1207 826-1207 2300 Gateway Drive 1650 Opelika Road S. College Street 600 Webster 2300 Gateway Drive S. 1599 College Street 600 Webster Road 23002300 Gateway Gateway Drive Drive 1650 Opelika Road 16501650 Opelika Opelika Road 1599 RoadS. 1599 College Street 1599 S. College Street 600 Webster Road 600 Webster RoadRoad Inside Bread Buggy Inside EagleEagle Chevron Chevron Insiden’Bread n’Bread Buggy Flints Crossing Shopping Ctr. InsideChevron Eagle Chevron Tiger Chevron Inside Inside Bread n’Flints Buggy n’ Buggy Crossing Flints Shopping Flints Crossing Crossing Ctr. Shopping Shopping Inside Ctr.Eagle Ctr. Inside Chevron Tiger Chevron TigerTiger Chevron 749-2309 821-7835 887-7460 821-9996 OpelikaOpelika 749-2309 Opelika Opelika 749-2309 749-2309 AuburnAuburn 821-7835 Auburn Auburn 821-7835 821-7835 AuburnAuburn 887-7460 Auburn Auburn 887-7460 887-7460 AuburnAuburn 821-9996 Auburn Auburn 821-9996 821-9996

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Campus A4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Horticulture Club sees new growth in organization Kyle Nazario Campus Writer

Savannah Duke crouched down to the ground and plucked shoots from the plant in front of her.

Duke, senior in horticulture and president of the Auburn Horitculture Club, then dropped each one into the white plastic bag next to her.

“We’re going to be selling them tomorrow to game-day traffic,” Duke said. “This is our first harvest because this is actually our first garden since we’ve started the club back, so it’s kind of exciting.”

After several years of inactivity, the group started again this semester. “(The club) went dormant for a few years, and with this group of students, we decided to bring it back,” said Jay Spiers, associate professor in the department of horticulture and adviser of the Auburn Horticulture Club.

“We’re lucky to have all these students interested in gardening and fruit and vegetable production,” Spiers said.

Despite great attendance in the ’60s and ’70s, the club died from lack of interest.

“People kind of lost sight of it,” Spiers said. “It was down to, maybe, a handful of students interested in do-

ing things. When they graduated, it just kind of ended.”

In 2013, the club has 40 students.

“We haven’t been a very active club for the past five years, so this year we’re trying to revitalize everything and boost attendance and membership and be more active in the community,” said Ariana Parsons, freshman in horticulture and club historian.

The club contributes to the community by harvesting collard greens, beets, kale, three types of lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage for the Auburn Campus Kitchens project.

“Once professors are finished using the gardens behind the Old Rotation next to the Hill dorms, they let students take their plants home,” Parsons said.

The Horticulture Club harvests food from its own winter garden and from gardens students leave behind.

Duke said the club is also planning to help install teaching gardens within local schools.

“Once fall starts up, we can get out there and help establish gardens,” Duke said. “When it’s time to be planting tomatoes, peppers, anything like that, we can teach children and teachers about growing.”

In addition, Spiers said interest in local food has grown recently.

“There’s a big movement toward locally grown produce, and buy fresh, buy local and knowing where your food comes from and people wanting to know how to grow their own food,” Spiers said. “I think with all these documentaries and all these books... people have started to notice.”

The club’s members said they enjoyed the work they do with the Horticulture club so far.

“I just love planting stuff,” said Meghan Reid, junior in horticulture.

“I love being able to eat your own food that you’ve grown yourself.”

ChunKun Jiao, graduate student in physics, said he joined the Horticulture Club to connect with his heritage.

“I lived in the countryside in China for more than 20 years, and my parents are farmers,” Jiao said. “I feel I have that connection to the land. I’d like to do some gardening, and they provide us a good chance.”

The club is open to any student interested in gardening.

The club meets Thursdays in Funchess Room 160. Prospective members can email Duke at sld0017@Auburn.edu.

All photos by kyle Nazario / Campus Writer

ABOVE: Members of the Auburn Horticulture Club work in the garden.

LEFT: (From left to right) ChunKun Jiao, Christopher Combs, Jay Spiers and Meghan Reid harvest food.

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01/15/13

01/15/13

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Campus A5

The Auburn Plainsman

all photos by Sarah may/ assistant photo editor

Contestants from the 17 panhellenic sororities performed a choreographed dance as the opening act of Delta Sigma Phi’s 2013 Miss Fall Rush Pageant at the Auburn Arena.

Delta Sigma Phi crowned 2013 Miss Fall Rush Keely Shearer Campus Writer

Auburn’s Delta Sigma Phi fraternity held the 2013 Miss Fall Rush pageant Monday, Nov. 18, at the Auburn Arena.

After deliberation, the hosts announced Molly Pinnix, freshman in communication and member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, as Delta Sigma Phi’s 2013 Miss Fall Rush.

The pageant started at 7 p.m., and all admission fees benefited Delta Sigma Phi’s philanthropy, the March of Dimes Foundation.

There were 17 contestants competing against one another, each representing one of Auburn’s Panhellenic sororities.

Seventeen contestants kicked off the pageant with a choreographed dance performed by all, as the opening act.

They were judged based of the three main events that took place during the pageant: game-day wear, the talent competition and eve-

ning wear.

One of the contestants, Lizzie McLendon, freshman in biomedical science, was representing the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

McLendon said she was nervous going into the pageant, but ended up have a great time competing.

The women spent many hours working to prepare for the pageant.

“We started working on it at the end of September,” McLendon said. “We’ve been meeting twice a week, every week.”

Representing the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Macy Lang, freshman in pre-nursing, was another contestant going into the competition.

“I was really nervous we were all going to be competitive, but we have all just been so loving towards each other and have supported each other through all of it,” Lang said.

The Miss Fall Rush pageant raised $10,000 to contribute to the March of Dimes Foundation.

Alpha Chi Omega’s Molly Pinnix is crowned 2013 Miss Fall Rush.

Column controversy over clothing choices and Greek life Derek Herscovici Campus Writer

Controversies may come and go, but it’s the most unexpected ones that last.

Three years ago, Kelly Tsaltas’ opinion column titled “Come on ladies (and gentlemen), we can do better” divided the student population. Commenting on their fashion choices, the opinion piece prompted some of the most impassioned responses in The Plainsman history.

Tsaltas included her critical opinion of how sorority women and fraternity men dressed on campus.

“I thought that it would be a funny blurb that, maybe, would make people laugh,” said Tsaltas, senior in psychology. “I went home and opened up my computer and got on Facebook and had 100 friend requests, 200 messages and 90 notifications and I was like ‘Jesus Christ, what have I done.’”

Despite Tsaltas’ humor, and the acknowledged freedom writing a column provides,

Kelly Tsaltas many in the Greek community took to the internet to express their dissatisfaction, resulted in more than 100,000 page views within 24 hours.

Comments on Tsalta’s article were disabled approximately the day after the comments turned to personal threats and personal attacks, some including Tsaltas’ home address.

“People didn’t understand that it was a column, it’s just my opinion, and columns are places where you can talk about any issue that you please, ” Tsaltas said. “Political columnists talk about things that are way more controversial than Nike shorts.”

Responses to the column became increasingly negative until The Plainsman staff felt forced to respond, and explained in an editorial that while the freedom of speech is shared by all, the right to attack someone in writing online is not.

“It’s one thing to disagree with her personal views on any topic,” said Rod Guadjaro, 2010 editor-in-chief of The Plainsman. “But when you disagree with her, and then go beyond to threaten her or her parents’ lives over her opinion on something, that’s where we drew the line and decided to write something that explained our view on it.”

Jake Sciotto, Auburn alumnus, boasted in a letter to the editor that he received a job after responding to Tsaltas’ column.

Sciotto said he now agrees with Tsaltas’ state-

ments and understands her reasoning in the article.

“In retrospect, I think she was definitely ahead of the curve on social commentary,” Sciotto said. “Around three years ago was when the big T-shirt and leggings look got really big, and I think today it’s more of a joke to everyone rather than something worth having a heated debate on.”

Tsaltas left The Plainsman shortly after her column’s publication because of personal differences with the staff.

Tsaltas also decided to change her major and career path after leaving The Plainsman.

These days, Tsaltas said she rarely gets asked if she’s the author of “Come on ladies (and gentlemen) we can do better,” but still encounters the occasional rumor surrounding the infamous Plainsman article.

“A myth about (the article) is I wrote it because I was a bitter girl who rushed and didn’t get a bid,” Tsaltas said. “I didn’t rush, it wasn’t for me, and I’m not bitter about that either.”

Through personal experience, professor makes a difference Becky Hardy Campus Editor

People take on many roles in their lives.

Single mother of two, professor, co-director for BraveHearts, project coordinator for the social work programs in Lee County and cancer survivor are only some of the roles Angie Burque takes on everyday.

Sitting in a mountain full of BraveHearts paperwork that take up half her office in the Haley Center, Burque is no stranger to being overwhelmed by her life.

But, she takes a simple approach to her workload.

“It needs to happen,” Burque said.

“If I’m not doing it, will it happen? I don’t have a lot of times where I have to convince myself to do something because that’s what I’m here to do.”

Burque started BraveHearts, an organization for teens and young adults with special needs in 2010 because she saw a hole in the need for programs for her son, Drew, who has autism. “(BraveHearts) was to create a safe, positive place for teenagers and young adults that have moderate to severe disabilities and for that place to be there for them to express themselves and create things that are the

outcomes of their efforts, as well as have social interactions,” Burque said.

Burque shines like a light in a dark room in the lives of the teens at BraveHearts two times per month at the Opelika Sportsplex, where BraveHearts activities are held.

Burque said BraveHearts is fortunate enough to be able to use the space in the Opelika Sportsplex for free.

“I want a little space of the world to be a little bit better than it was for my being a part of it,” Burque said. “I don’t need my name attached to it. I just need and want for that little space to be a little kinder and a little more understanding and more affective interacting with a population that is awesome, but so invisible in a lot of ways.”

Burque said she always had the passionate desire to help others outside of the “circle” become inside the “circle.”

Starting as a cheerleader in junior high and high school, Burque was already showing her maternal instincts.

“If you were a cheerleader, you were a cheerleader for the whole school,” Burque said. “I was very driven to be a good cheerleader, so I could touch and include and acknowledge all those other little subgroups in the school that may be invisible because

“

Life is going to be difficult and some people are going to have more degrees of difficulty than others. But we can chose to try to become the best that we can in whatever circumstances .”

—Angie Burque Social work professor

they aren’t the ‘best group.’”

A few years ago, Burque gave her 18-year-old son a camera to express himself through taking photos.

Since then, Drew has been opening up his world to his mother.

“I would be able to know a little bit more about what’s going on in his head,” Burque said. “He’s very talented. He has a really good eye for pictures.”

The lit up Ferris wheel at a festival in Dothan is only one of the many pictures Drew has taken.

Drew’s picture is sitting in Burque’s memory box located on her bookshelf in her office.

Although the office is cluttered with paperwork and books, Burque found the picture of the Ferris wheel almost immediately as if she shows people her son’s artwork everyday.

In response to Drew’s photography, BraveHearts will incorporate a photo gallery at the end of each year to display the teens’ artistic talents.

“We’re starting a traveling photo exhibit,” Burque said. “It’s open to anyone who wants to come. We’re hoping sometime in the next year to find another venue, like the Student Center. It’s a look into their unique self.”

BraveHearts is also looking to get a few iPads so the members can increase their musical range with Garage Band.

Although still living through the affects of chemotherapy treatment from earlier in 2013, Burque never speaks of her struggles in a negative way.

“That’s just what life is for me,” Burque said. “It’s the best of the human condition for those who are capable to work for and look out for vulnerable populations and those who have a much smaller voice.”

Danilea Werner, BraveHearts codirector and colleague of Burque, said it’s easy to work with Burque because she’s so passionate about BraveHearts.

“Her passion is contagious,” Werner said. “I’m constantly amazed at how she gets everything done. When you talk about hard work and passion, you can learn about that from her.”

Lee Anne Brantley, junior in social work and BraveHearts volunteer, said Burque does a phenomenal job at taking on her many roles on a daily basis.

“She has so much going on, and she contributes in so many ways to teach and provide for the less fortunate,” Brantley said. “She has made an impact on the University and the community.”

Burque learns lessons from her grandfather, who continued laying bricks for a living even after he lost one of his arms.

Burque said she looks at life simply.

“We can’t control everything in life,” Burque said. “Life is going to be difficult and some people are going to have more degrees of difficulty than others. But we can chose to try to become the best that we can in whatever circumstance that we’re in.”

Opinion

A6

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Social Media on The Plains Arx in response to “Editor’s Preview: Tigers face tough task at start of ‘Amen Corner’” As a lifelong Dawgs fan with family that graduated from Auburn, there is this one day a year that we are indeed, the house divided. But, as with all of these annual contests, there is no animosity; Auburn and UGA represent the best of our region in talent on the field and off.

My best wishes to the Tigers and if the War Eagle soars tomorrow, your colors will fly here as you go on to take the SEC West!

SEC!

In response to our post “Delta Sigma Phi’s Miss Fall Rush crowned Nov. 18”

Tyler Wallace: OH MAH GAH In response to our post “Considering our close win over UGA, how will we stack up against Bama? Can Nick Marshall overcome his passing problems?”

Susan Black McMasters: The only problem Nick has is the game plan and lack of executing what he does best in games! No worries, with a week off, we will be ready for a good mixer!

In response to our tweet “Sigma Chi Fraternity’s charter revoked following hazing allegations”

@WQuinley: Wow. That’s ridiculous. Some of these kids now are just way too soft. Nothing alcohol or physical and they tattle? Sad sad

This week’s poll question: What should we call Auburn’s last touchdown against UGA?

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion Our View

Eating our words never tasted so good Part of being a good journalist is the ability to admit your mistakes and do your damnedest to correct them.

It’s rarely fun, but it has to be done.

A great example from the past few years is Ira Glass’ apology for producing a false story on NPR’s “This American Life.”

He found out his information was wrong, said sorry, and went about correcting the mistake.

Granted, his hour-long mea culpa was a bit heavy handed, but it let the listening public know he cared about the truth even if it makes him look foolish for a while.

Now it’s our turn to make an apology, but we are nowhere near sad about.

In fact, we’re downright giddy.

In our Sept. 5 editorial, “Lessons from the season opener,” we called for caution and patience concerning head football coach Gus Malzahn’s return to The Plains.

There was a great deal of hype surrounding the beginning of this season, and we were leery of what seemed like an unfounded craze.

Although the Tigers were winning the first few games into the season, they had yet to face the real challenge of the SEC. Nick Marshall was relatively unproven as quarterback, and we had no idea how the rest of the team could perform under a completely new staff.

Malzahn’s abilities were a mystery as well.

Yes, he played a major role in the Tigers 2010 BCS Championship win, but he had Cam Newton, Michael Dyer and Nick Fairley.

This time around, he was the man in charge, and his team was a bunch of guys

emily brett

coming off one the worst seasons in the history of Auburn.

But he proved us wrong, and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Malzahn and the Tigers have worked hard to accomplish nothing short of a miracle.

For a team to rebuild this fast is completely unheard of.

We’ve all heard the sports media and how confounded they are at the Tigers’ success.

After the Tigers’ angelic win against UGA,

however, many sports journalists have become believers.

Auburn is the knight in shining armor that can save the NCAA from the ugly, fire-breathing monstrosity that is Bama.

Marshall, Sammy Coates and, now, Ricardo Louis have grown into absolute threats for Bama, and now the insufferable, toothless horde of Bammers knows it.

Sometimes it feels good to be wrong.

Sometimes it feels better than being right.

Letter to the Editor

Darcy criticism woefully misinformed Garrett Walden’s uninformed response to the exposé on Darcy Corbitt alludes to a very real problem that exists in the popular imagination: the incorrect conflation of gender identity and sexual orientation.

The formation of one’s gender identity is relative to a host of factors. Judith Butler, in her seminal work “Undoing Gender,” argues that gender is the process “by which the production and normalization of masculine and feminine take place along with the interstitial forms of the hormonal, chromosomal, psychic, and performative that gender assumes.”

Gender is the product of the way that ideas about femininity and masculinity are produced and naturalized.

One performs their gender.

The act of performing gender necessitates the creation of an intellectual space to process these communicated meanings that are understood in terms of the relationship to the masculine and feminine. After all, to be not quite feminine or not quite masculine is still to be understood in terms of the relationship to the feminine and the masculine.

Viewing gender from a performative lens enables us to understand that gender is not what one is but what one does. If what Ms. Corbitt does is, to quote Garrett, “unacceptable on moral grounds,” I would argue that this type of thinking only perpetuates the existence of hegemonic social structures that make it difficult for othered individuals to navigate within the established systems of day to day life.

Given that his only source is a small quote from a married, opposite-sex, Christian apologist couple, I will assume that Garrett practices some form of Judeo-Christianity.

To impose his own standard of morality, inherently informed by his faith, upon issues that he clearly does not understand is problematic.

I found there to be a profound lack of empathy in his writing. When Garrett assures us that we can permit all beliefs without affirming their validity, he speaks from a position of privilege and implies that his own beliefs are universally affirmed as truth.

We are all privileged in some way, but what

matters is how we investigate and account for that privilege. Simply because her perceived morality does not align with his is no reason to insist that her behavior is immoral.

Garrett closes his letter by insisting that these issues are increasingly relevant to the preservation of American society.

The America of which he speaks is foreign to me.

My America is supportive and inclusive.

It is accessible and empathetic. The America that I know is made all the better because Ms. Corbitt is in it. It is a place where people are judged not by their faith, the color of their skin, the person that they love, or the amount of money they have, but by the content of their character.

This is my America. Auburn prides itself on being a family. Families love and support. We should do more of that.

See skw0007.tumblr.com for a more thorough response.

Keary Watts Senior History

•The Miracle in jordan-hare

His View

•hail mary, Hail yeah!

•Thanks for the tip

Last week’s poll results:

Get out and experience the SEC culture

What do you think of the attendance policy ?

Will Gaines Sports @theplainsman. com

41% It’s fair

41% It’s terrible

18% I don’t go to class anyway

The Plainsman Wants to hear your voice!

Send us your tweets, photos, facebook posts and letters to the editor.

We want to know what you think about the issues.

Like us on Facebook and follow us @theauplainsman

Leaving Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 9, with the Tennessee River to my side and the historic Neyland Stadium behind me made me stop and think about just how special SEC football truly is.

Sure, everyone knows about the seven-straight national championships, Heisman Trophy winners and tons of talent on the football field, but there is more to SEC football than just what happens on the field.

It is fans crowding the streets of college towns in the early hours of the morning for ESPN College Gameday or just to get a head start on the lucky tailgate spot.

Now many will say this is just

an unhealthy obsession with football, and that may be true, but it is also something people should step back, watch and understand just how special it is.

It’s also important SEC fans forget their hatred of opposing SEC schools and enjoy the special characteristics all of them have to offer.

Before traveling to Knoxville and Baton Rouge, I had always heard bad things about LSU and Tennessee, especially how obnoxious their fans are.

The stadium is old and nasty, the food is not as good or my favorite the fans are hateful and mean.

After making trips this year, I found all of those statements can be true, but I also found out they are not bad things.

Neyland Stadium is old and not as modern in certain parts of the stadium, but that is what makes it so special.

It makes you stop and think about all of the history that took place where you are standing.

At LSU, they do have strange tailgate food such as alligator, but hey, it’s actually not that bad.

In Tuscaloosa, more than 100,000 Bammers do sing “Rammer Jammer” at the top of their lungs, making sure they make an already difficult loss even that much more difficult.

LSU fans do yell “tiger bait” at you, and will occasionally moon you.

But traditions and fans such as this are what make beating them so much more enjoyable.

I’ll be biased for just a moment and make sure I emphasize that gameday in Auburn is possibly the best in the entire country, but that does not mean no other place can compare.

Being a student at Auburn provides many opportunities, and being able to travel to some of the

best atmospheres in sports is one of them.

Students need to take advantage of those opportunities.

Not to mention how much better Auburn plays when they look up and see all of the seats behind the end zone covered in orange and blue.

My point to all of this is everyone needs to get out and experience all the SEC has to offer, and not be so biased to your favorite team you forget to realize you are part of something special.

Something special that is so much bigger than you, your favorite team, football or sports in general.

SEC football is a culture, and if you do not get out and experience it while you can, you are missing a unique experience only the fortunate can share.

If you do get out and experience our SEC culture, you won’t regret it.

The Editorial Board Kelsey Davis Editor-in-Chief

Elizabeth Wieck Managing Editor

Ben Croomes Opinion

Jordan Dale Copy

Dustin Shrader Online

Becky Hardy

Justin Ferguson

Campus

Special Sections

Will Gaines Sports

Anna Grafton

Daniel Oramas Multimedia

Photo

Rachel Suhs Design

Chandler Jones community

Ashley Selby intrigue

Mailing Address

Submissions

Policy

Auburn Student Center Suite 1111H Auburn, AL 36849

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students as well as from faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.

The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. This editorial is the majority opinion of the 13-member editorial board and are the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

Contact Phone 334–844–4130 Email opinion@theplainsman.com

Community Thursday, November 21, 2013

A7 ThePlainsman.com

Community

A snap chance to see through new lenses Annie Faulk Community Reporter

Who knew a simple disposable camera could teach kids moral lessons such as how to be better leaders and citizens?

This semester, with the help of Auburn students, a group of children ranging from 6–12 years old, learned how to express themselves through photography, writing and drawing in a pilot program called Be You: A Citizen Photography Project.

“There’s a disconnect on what’s being focused on in the schools, so the family environment and the personal characteristic environment at home are separated,” said Mary Afton Day, senior in public administration and civic and community engagement. “We realized that art, critical thinking and writing were main issues that needed to be focused on.”

Day organized the program as part of her capstone project, along with assistance from the Ridgecrest Housing Community.

She encouraged the kids to discover what makes them unique, how to express themselves and how to solve issues in their community they are passionate about.

“I learned that it doesn’t take much to help kids or make an impact because even if they don't admit it, they enjoy having someone there who listens to them and have someone to talk to and engage with,” said Morgan Allison, senior in mechanical engineering. “It doesn't take much.

Even if you don’t see results, over time, the stuff that you do really does make an impact.”

Day said she wanted the kids to learn about themselves, because she said she feels individuality is not a bad thing, and it can be taken and ran with to really create a better leader and citizen for tomorrow.

The group met Tuesday afternoons to discuss how to be better leaders in the community and

Zach Bland / Photographer

TOP: Jamiyah and Mary Afton Day sit at a computer looking at Jamiyah newest piece.

RIGHT: One of the many submissions at for the Be You photography project.

be creative in solving issues facing their communities.

One week, Day gave the children a disposable camera and told them to photograph scenes demonstrating their uniqueness.

“My favorite part was when we took the pictures and we had to write about them,” said 9-year-old Jamiyah. “I took a picture of a flower.

My granddad, he died in the U.S. Army. The flower and my granddaddy are connected because I put flowers on his grave.”

Another week, the kids were asked to think about leadership characteristics.

They were given a popsicle-stick frame made out of four sticks, and asked to write one leadership quality on each stick.

Jamiyah said the lesson helped her “learn about leadership - like help anyone she should be nice. Because you have to follow those to be a good leader.”

Allison said he worked with one student in particular throughout the project and said he was lucky to mentor the boy.

“I think I helped him change because he needed someone who was there, who he could count on and someone who listened,” Allison said. “Not saying that he didn’t have that, but he needed someone in the program to show him that he didn’t need to act like a tough guy.”

Day said the object of the project was not to change the children’s outlook or their maturity, but to allow them to be children in a constructive environment.

“They have grown up so much faster than any of us realized,” Day said. “Even though I was 10– 15 years older than most of these kids, it was unfathomable to what they have seen, what they have heard and the way they act.”

Day said he understands that even though they’re young, they have dynamic feelings like

all people.

“You are pretty much dealing with small adults, size–wise they are small, and they’re mature in some ways more so in the world than you would expect for an 8-year-old,” Day said.

The pilot project began in the Ridgecrest Community, but will spread to the other five Auburn Housing Authority communities.

“Be You was really an effort to show them their greatness. I know that’s not a wonderful way to describe it because it doesn’t have a deep meaning,” Day said. “It’s hard to put words to what those kids accomplished, especially what they taught me and definitely the other volunteers.”

Auburn citizens express concerns about racial discrimination Council member Arthur Dowdell again raises issues of racism in Auburn through the allegedly racially-charged Turner case

“

Annie Faulk Community REporter

The Auburn City Council met Tuesday, Nov. 19, to discuss board vacancies, traffic developments and the purchase of the Auburn Depot, but Council member Arthur Dowdell dominated the meeting with claims of racial discrimination.

Two men spoke on behalf of Christopher Turner during citizens’ communications. Turner, an African-American firefighter, is suing the Auburn Fire Department for alleged racial discrimination after he was demoted from lieutenant to firefighter.

Turner’s attorney, Julian McPhillips, demanded the council eliminate the fire department assessment test, which screens candidates for promotion.

“Eighteen years and we have not had a black promoted, only because we have allowed the assessment center to be there, and it should be deleted,” Dowdell said during the meeting. “It should not even be there, but we got it there. To me, it’s there only to predicate things upon black firefighters.”

Dowdell said he was concerned, being an elected official, with what he has seen in this city.

“Do we really look like Amer-

IN OTHER COUNCIL NEWS • •

Do we really look like America?

We aren’t going any place. We got black and white, rich and poor.”

•

—Arthur Dowdell city Council Member

Dowdell ica?” Dowdell said. “We aren’t going any place. We got black and white, rich and poor.”

In contrast, Dowdell admited the Auburn Police Division fit his qualifications and reflected America.

“We believe our hiring and promotional practices are raceneutral,” said Charlie Duggan, city manager. “Race does not play a part in our decision making. We hire and promote the most qualified candidates for the job.”

Duggan assured professionals with experience and background in fire service run the assessment center.

“They come in, and they rate individuals on a number of criteria, not just the test. They put them through a number of exercises,” Duggan said. “We believe the most qualified are identified and promoted.”

While McPhillips was at the stand, he passed envelopes filled with case details to all

council members and the press.

Mayor Bill Ham said he did not want to answer further questions, because the lawsuit lists him, along with many other city officials, as defendants in the case.

“I thoroughly, faithfully, believe this city is fair in all of its practices and the council has no authority in hiring anybody,” Ham said. “I personally think that’s a good thing. It’s unfortunate that these accusations are out there, but certainly that’s what lawyers do.”

Dowdell followed the accusations aimed at city officials with concerns for school principals have expressed race-related issues in the school system.

“I’m not going to retire from this city council, or somebody defeat me, until we see change for all of the people in the city of Auburn,” Dowdell said. “And let the record know that I was the first to say students should have a voice in this city council. Let’s be realistic, we all know why we

Photos of the week

don’t allow students to be here when we have elections.”

In reply, Ham said for the past two city elections, Auburn University was in session for the fall semester.

Dowdell also spoke out about the local news source, the Opelika-Auburn News as another a racist entity.

“To me, the Opelika-Auburn News has become the most racially unbalanced paper I have ever seen,” Dowdell said.

“When it comes to blacks, they put them on the front page.

When it comes to some of the same crimes that whites commit, they put them on the back pages.”

Dowdell said the newspaper was the one of the most racial paper in the United States.

“It is our goal at the Opelika-Auburn News to be fair to all individuals and to be factual,” Patrick Johnson, managing editor at the Opelika-Auburn News said. “And I think we do that very well.”

• • •

•

• • • •

Current city code restricts solicitation from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Phelan proposed the code be altered to 8 a.m. until dark.

The council approved an alcoholic beverage license for J and S Food Mart at 1700 Opelika Road, and an additional no-parking zone stretching from 600 to 604 Edgewood Drive.

It also approved a development agreement between the city and Eastwynn Theaters’ Carmike Wynnsong Cinemas, for rennovations.

Approved four planning commission recommendations dealing with the Auburn Club Fitness Center, Initial Outfitters, Project Special K and Vapor Craft of Auburn.

Approved a sewer study conducted by Raftelis Financial Consultants Inc. to evaluate the sewer system’s sufficiency rates and operational fees.

Approved a contract with C.W. Smith Decorating Co. to complete sealant and wall restoration work at the Douglas J. Watson Municipal Complex. The cost of the restoration is $201,083 to include labor, equipment and materials.

Approved a preliminary engineering agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to install stagger traffic signals to control traffic in the City. The council approved to match the funding of the project. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $760,500 with federal funding through the Metropolitan Planning Organization of $608,400, 80 percent, and City match funding of $152,100, 20 percent.

Approved various drainage and utility easements for 160 North Ross St. and 2025 Brenton Lane.

Appointed Rex Griffin to the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The term is effective immediately and will end March 8, 2017.

Appointed Bobby Poole and Doug Klinkenborg to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The terms expire March 8, 2017.

The council approved the Industrial Board to purchase the Auburn Depot, located at 104, 120 and 124 Mitcham Ave., for economic development.

Drag no longer too queer Chandler Jones Community Editor

Zach bland / Photographer

Lily Laces performs at the Stir drag show Nov 16.

Four years ago, when Imberlie DiArmani was serving at Fort Benning. Ga., he decided to perform in drag.

“It was very nerve-racking, hiding my stuff from inspections,” DiArmani said. “It’s hard to hide a wig and heels.”

Monday through Friday, DiArmani was military, and on the weekend he became she and reigned as queen.

In February, after he moved to Auburn, Balcony Bar asked him to start a drag show. Now, since Cinco de Mayo, they have held a weekly Sunday show for Stir.

DiArmani said they’ve got the show down to a science. They have help from DJs around town and said they are professional about everything.

Devin Ward, owner of Stir, said he recently decided their performance deemed them worthy of Friday night.

“It has taken off,” Ward said.

For the last seven months, Ward said the show has drawn huge crowds.

“I didn’t know what to expect at first,” Ward said. “It was so busy every time I didn’t get to actually watch the show until a few months ago.”

The show sees an average of six to seven queens and every so often a king. The show features music, dancing and some pyrotechnics.

“We don’t discriminate between color, race or sex,” Ward said. “All we are really about is a having a good time.”

Ward said he’s passionate about the show because it’s become an alternative for people who want to do other things.

Community A8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 21, 2013

‘Well, good golly Miss Molly, you’re rocking and rolling’ Today’s pop culture embraces MDMA, or Molly, as an iconic representation of freedom and fun Ben Hohenstentt Campus Reporter

It’s March 2013 in Destin, Fla., and Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything” can be heard as the song plays continually.

“Popped a Molly, I’m sweating. Woo!” It echoes out again. The song’s music video has already amassed more than 10 million views on Youtube. It’s most famous line is iconic among a certain demographic.

The lyrics reference MDMA, a drug sold in a crystalized powder form. It goes by Molly, and it is the active ingredient in Ecstasy, but Molly enjoys a breakout all of its own.

“I really just did some,” giggles a young woman after shouting along to the song. “It’s great.”

She and many other beachgoers roll, the most common euphemism for being high on Molly, and they aren’t shy about it.

The beach is dotted by young adults wearing tank tops with slogans such as, “Has anyone seen Molly?” and “Roll face, not tide.” They have no desire to hide the recreational drug use.

“People take Molly to have fun,” said one experienced Molly user, who estimated he had taken the drug more than 30 times. “It’s the entire point of the drug.”

This connoisseur said he thought MDMA’s price and effect make it more cost-effective and fun than cocaine, marijuana or alcohol.

Bernie Olin, associate clinical professor and director for drug information at Auburn University, elaborated on what motivates MDMA use.

“It provides a small energy rush and euphoria,” Olin said. “People take it for the psychedelic effects too.”

Spending a day immersed in party culture, it seems Molly is becoming the Millennial Generation’s party drug of choice reflected by MDMA’s sudden prevalence in pop music lyrics.

The electronic dance music, or EDM, has surged in popularity recently with dance mu-

sic producers and DJ’s, topping the charts and having long been associated with Ecstasy and MDMA. Recently, other genres of music reference Molly by name in songs, most notably in Hip-Hop. Brandon “All Day” Bagaason, a rapper and hiphop studies faculty member at McNally Smith College of Music, overtly confirmed the rise in Molly interest.

Bagaason said references to the drug by successful artists contribute to its sudden popularity.

“If (rappers) want to be on that level, to be on that playing field, they might think that they need to talk about it,” said Bagaason, the Minnesotabased rapper.

He also said their influence extends to other people.

“If I’m a young person, and I hear that, and I want to rap I might think it’s something to check into,” Bagaason said.

He said the emergence of MDMA references in the genre could be part of racial identity in the U.S., and songs about taking or selling drugs are part of an expected narrative within black culture.

Bagaason also offered up the theory that Molly’s sudden popularity is observable, but it might just be a trend.

“Not everyone who is talking about it is taking it,” Bagaason said.

According to Olin, director for drug information at Auburn, Molly’s spike in notoriety doesn’t indicate an epidemic.

Olin’s said Molly’s popularity results from a rebranding and not an emergence.

“Chemically, MDMA is the same as Ecstasy,” Olin said.

Olin said while Molly carries a reputation as being a purer form of Ecstasy, it could easily contain other substances.

A frequent user of Molly disagrees with this idea.

Anna Grafton / Photo Editor

Most frequent MDMA users enjoy using Molly during social and recreational activities, lending to its increase in recent popularity.

“You can tell, it’s different,” he said. “It’s a cleaner high, and you don’t grind your teeth as much as with Ecstasy.”

Olin said actually getting pure MDMA is unlikely, and Molly drug dealers often cut the drug with caffeine to maximize profits.

“It’s an illegal drug,” Olin said. “The people that sell it are only motivated by profit, and it maximizes profit to make it less pure.”

Olin said the characteristic distinguishing the two drugs is their form. Ecstasy is normally sold in a tablet or pill form, and MDMA, a white, crystalline powder.

He cited statistics from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, DAWN, as evidence that Molly’s prevalence is overstated.

“It has grown considerably,” Olin said. “However, it still makes up an extremely low percentage of recreational drug use.”

Despite a reported increase to 22,498 emergency department visits from 21,836 MDMA accounts for less than two percent of DAWN’s reported emergency department visits.

More than two thirds of these visits involved people younger than 25.

“MDMA has a relatively low chance of caus-

ing an overdose on its own,” Olin said. “But people often mix Ecstasy with other drugs, especially alcohol.”

Olin said MDMA raises the body’s temperature. In combination with alcohol’s dehydrating effect, this makes the two a potentially deadly combination.

“Alcohol is my favorite thing to mix with Molly,” the MDMA enthusiast said .

Olin cautions against the possible long-term effects of using the drug because of potential problems with pathways in the brain burning out and potential depression.

Olin said the euphoric and psychedelic nature of the drug means it is usually taken sporadically, but if taken regularly; he said Molly could be habit-forming.

“The last two letters in MDMA stand for methyl amphetamine,” Olin said. “Of course there could be potential for addiction.”

Frequent users of Molly may not find they physically depend on the drug, but rely on it as a social crutch.

“I’ve heard of some people that roll a few days a week,” the habitual Molly user said. “They have problems having fun without it.”

Minister turns philospher then challenges Christian beliefs Nick Hines Community Writer

A Florida State University windbreaker and hat stand out on Auburn’s campus. The man’s white beard and glasses hint at wisdom, and his purposeful stride makes it easy to spot Delos Mckown as he walks around the University where he used to teach.

Mckown was head of the department of philosophy at Auburn until 1995.

“I have been off the scene for so long,” Mckown said. “I used to be well-known on this campus. I had a horrible reputation.”

He was an important figure in Alabama’s freethinking community and still inspires and teaches people about religion through the books he has authored.

As a child, Mckown wanted to be a cartoonist and graduated with a bachelor’s of fine art at Alma College in Michigan.

At 19 years old, he began preaching with the hopes of becoming a minister. Mckown enrolled at the Lexington Theological Seminary “under the influence,” of another minister who had been taught there, Mckown said.

“I was under the illusion that I had received a call to the ministry,” Mckown said. “But I was very young in those days.”

While in Lexington, Mckown’s beliefs flipped.

“Not because of research, it was because of personal experiences,” Mckown said. “I realized I had been sold a bill of goods.”

Mckown went on to earn a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Kentucky, then a Ph.D. at Florida State University.

Since retiring in 1995, Mckown spends more

Zach Bland / Photographer

Delos Mckown was once an important figure in Alabama freethinking community.

time at home. Earlier in his life, he spoke regularly as an active member of the Alabama Freethought Association.

The organization’s goal is to separate government from sponsored religion and remove it from schools.

Mckown said he believes this goal is in line with the Founding Fathers’ wish for a country free from religious influence.

“I just wish that we were truer to our Founding Fathers,” Mckown said. “They didn’t do a perfect job by any means, but they did a pretty good job at creating a new country. And there

was a time when those classic values in the constitution held us together. There has to be something (classic values), or else our society would become anarchic.”

Mckown lives as a self-described agnostic, someone who admits to not knowing if a god exists or not. This position is “more defensible” than deist or atheist, he said.

A deist believes in a god, but not the Christian God. Instead, a deist believes in a god who “doesn’t pull on someone’s heart strings,” Mckown said.

Defending his position is what Mckown en-

joys.

A quick Google search of his name returns numerous chat room sites talking about his many books, speeches and debates.

In one speech transcript that was given in 1989 titled “How to Handle Bibliolaters,” Mckown outlines what a person should do when confronted with evangelists.

The speech even included an anecdote from a debate with a reverend in Auburn’s ballroom.

Regardless of his notoriety online, McKown doesn’t spend any time thinking about his accomplishments or past achievements, he said.

He wants to see change in our country, and all inquiries into how he has made a difference resulted in conversations about religious inequalities, or how Americans can retain a separation of church and state.

“The best thing an individual can do would be to take a busload of school kids to see the dinosaur bones and things of that sort,” Mckown said. “You counter it not directly, but by showing things.”

Now in his mid-80’s, Mckown hesitates to talk about his accomplishments. He has written four books about debatable religious figures and philosophies.

A quick read of any of his speech transcripts gives more insight into Mckown than any other writer could describe.

“The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.”

Mckown’s most notable quote speaks to his personality. He speaks through irony. Some of his statements don’t mean anything literally yet provoke deep insight into our culture’s beliefs.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Pierce Ostwalt Community Writer

Since 1976, Steve Lang has a Christmasthemed light show at his home on Fontaine Drive.

However, recently the show moved locations because of Lang’s inability to continue the show.

Now, in the show’s second year, at National Village, from Nov. 29–Jan. 5, the lights display will be an annual fixture for years to come.

The display is open every night between 5–10 p.m. and free for all who want to attend.

In past years, there have been an estimated 30,000 viewers for any given year.

“I have been going to (the show) with my kids forever, and I wanted to see it continue,” said Don Conner of Conner BrothRaye May

ers Construction Company.

Conner Brother’s Construction Company is responsible for the development of both National Village and the light show.

With work for the show beginning in August, significant amount of effort is put into the re-creation of the show each year.

The show uses more than 185,000 lights on hundreds of handmade light fixtures for the synchronized display. A special function uses a radio station channel and repeats an 18-minute series of Auburn Christmas favorites that correlate with the light show.

“People can watch it from their cars and listen to the music or they can get out with their kids if it’s a nice night and just sit and watch on the grass. Its pretty cool,” Conner said.

The show continues to grow each year

thanks to Conner and brothers.

“We are growing it each year,” Conner said. “This year we are starting to convert lights to LED for more efficiency. (The show) is not Callaway Gardens yet, but we are going to continue to expand it.”

While National Village will hold this year’s show, it’s not the main purpose. National Village is a living community.

On property are several amenities for homeowners to enjoy: boating and fishing, resort style pools, tennis facilities, nature trails and on top of that a membership to all three golf courses of the Robert Trent Jones Trail is also available.

Opelika’s Mayor Gary Fuller and his family will be in attendance for the shows annual opening and said he encourages everyone else to come out for the show, according to National Villages’s Facebook.

Sports

A9 ThePlainsman.com

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sports

‘We want Bama’

Sarah May / assistant photo editor

VS

Austin Bigoney / The Crimson White page design by raye may / Assistant Photo/Design Editor

The Auburn Defense, with the help of Ryan Smith (No. 24, above), will attempt to contain the potent Alabama offense, led by senior quarterback AJ McCarron (No. 10, below) in the 2013 Iron Bowl, Saturday, Nov. 30.

Iron Bowl to determine SEC West Will Gaines sports editor

Gus Malzahn tried not to think about what the 2013 season would be like when he first arrived in Auburn as the new head coach.

He did not want to think about the possibility of him picking right up where he left off during his three years on The Plains, or of him not being able to improve a team that just finished a program-worst 3-9 season record.

“I never let my mind go there,” Malzahn said. “I know I sound like a broken record, but we’ve just been trying to get better every game, and I felt like if we did that then at the end of the year we would have a chance to be a pretty good team.”

Now, he has his team one win away from earning a spot in the SEC Championship Game, and beating Auburn’s archrival, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide.

“This team has exceeded my expectations,” Malzahn said.

For seniors such as defensive end Dee Ford, a season like the one the Tigers are having is something special.

“It’s definitely something special,” Ford said. “Especially after what we went through last year of pushing

“

When Bama comes to town, they better be ready.”

—Ricardo Louis Wide Receiver

through that season. This is a special team. These are the same guys as last year, and I think Georgia realized these guys have a different mentality.”

Even after, arguably, one of the most exciting finishes to a game in Auburn’s history in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, once the game was over all the focus went to Alabama.

“We started thinking about it once the clock hit zero, and coach Malzahn says ‘on to the next,’ in the locker room,” said running back Tre Mason. “(the Georgia) game is over with, and we can’t go back and change anything.”

Excitement for the players and the city of Auburn will be at an all time high for the season, but the players know they need to stay focused.

“It’s going to be hectic, but we’ve got to remain focused,” Mason said.

“We’ve got to keep working toward

our dreams.”

Preparation is what the players are focused on now because they know what a win in against Alabama will mean for their season, but getting ready for big games is not new for the Tigers.

“We knew the implications going into the (Georgia game) and what they will mean in the Alabama game,” said tight end CJ Uzomah.

“We will be preparing for Bama like never before, and we’re not looking past that.”

Even after the season the Tigers have had, which include going 101, Auburn will still probably be a big underdog when the Crimson Tide comes to town.

The players said they have confidence they can get the job done.

“Of course you’ve got to have the confidence,” Mason said. “We’re going to continue working hard, and what happened against Georgia is over with and we’re going on to the next one.”

Ricardo Louis, who made possibly the greatest catch in Auburn history, was slightly more confident when he was asked if he thought Auburn had a chance against Alabama.

“When Bama comes to town, they better be ready.”

Team Statistics Auburn

Alabama

39.0

Points per game

38.8

22.0

OPP. points per game

10.2

320

rush yards per game

207

179

pass yards per game

238

29:49

Time of Possession

33:02

87%

Offensive RED ZONE %

85%

12

Interceptions

9

7.04

Yards per Play

6.91

447

Penalty Yards

410

76.5%

Field Goal %

85.7%

Sports A10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Whitaker uses hope to conquer adversity Taylor Jones Sports Writer

Auburn University is seen by many people as more than a school.

Many people view Auburn as a close-knit family.

To Auburn defensive lineman Jeffrey Whitaker, this is important, because to Whitaker, nothing is more important than family.

Whitaker was raised in Macon, Ga., in a house where he was the youngest of nine.

He explained his family was raised on several important principles.

“I was raised on hope, faith and love,” Whitaker said. “I was taught that as long as you have hope, you always have something to hold on to.”

While he describes his childhood as a happy one, he also says it was tough. At age 12, he lost his mother to cancer. This prompted him to move to nearby Warner Robins to live with his aunt following his ninth-grade year.

“I love where I’m from, but Macon has a

sort of street mentality, and I didn’t want to get caught up in that,” Whitaker said. “After my mama passed, I really wanted a new start and I knew they were good in football, so I figured I could put myself up against the best.”

According to Whitaker, it was around this time he met two of the most influential people in his life.

Brent Allen, a private trainer in the Warner Robins area, met Whitaker during his sophomore year. Whitaker considers Allen to be his uncle and said his role in his success was “vital.”

Allen said he knew what Whitaker wanted.

“One day we were talking on the phone and I asked him if he was willing to work hard enough and to do whatever was necessary to get a scholarship and have a shot at the NFL,” Allen said. “He called me back and said, ‘Mr. Allen, I’m ready to go to work.’”

Soon after that phone call, Allen and Whitaker began training. Allen also set rules off the field for Whitaker and his other students to live

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by, including how they dress.

“I challenge my guys to put a big ‘S’ on their chest,” Allen said. “Most people make that ‘S’ stand for selfish, but I challenge my guys to make theirs represent ‘sacrifice’ and Jeffrey really really ran with that concept.”

At the same time, Whitaker met Bryan Way, the head football coach and athletics director of Warner Robins High School.

If Way is certain of one thing, he makes it clear that Whitaker stands out from the crowd.

“He’s right up there with the very best defensive players I’ve seen for as long as I’ve been around Warner Robins football,” Way said.

The statement should not be taken lightly, as Warner Robbins has produced some incredible talent.

Safety Eddie Anderson played football for Warner Robbins, and then was picked in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

Former Auburn star running back James Brooks was also a star for the Demons.

Whitaker began playing football in middle school, but never had a close relationship with a coach until he met Way. “Coach Way always worked hard to get my name out there and to put me in a position to be successful,” Whitaker said. “He has a beautiful family and they basically took me in and adopted me.”

In his first year at Warner Robins as a sophomore, Whitaker saw immediate playing time, starting at defensive tackle.

While Way was impressed with Whitaker’s skill, he said was even more impressed by what kind of a person he became.

“It didn’t take long for us to realize his leadership skills on and off the field,” Way said. “It wasn’t long before everyone on our team looked up to Jeffrey, both for his playing ability and for being the person he is.”

Both Way and Allen stress Whitaker’s strong sense of morals as a key aspect of his leadership skills.

“When everyone else is doing something bad and they try to pull him into it, he’s going to do what’s right,” Allen said. “He was popular, but with his popularity he still treated everybody the same.”

After establishing himself as a defensive force for the Demons, Whitaker started looking at playing collegiately.

In the beginning, Auburn wasn’t on Whitak-

Anna Grafton / Photo editor

Jeffrey Whitaker before the game against Ole Miss.

er’s radar.

“Honestly, I didn’t even really know where Auburn was,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker was recruited heavily by schools such as Clemson and Georgia, but one day everything changed.

“One day I got a call from someone who sounded really country, and it turned out to be Tracy Rocker [Auburn’s former defensive line coach],” Whitaker said. “I came to Auburn to visit and Rocker was very straight with me.”

Ironically, Rocker was battling former Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner, who is now on Auburn’s coaching staff.

Whitaker said he believes the family aspect was the main attraction at Auburn.

“Auburn took me out of Macon and Warner Robins with my family there, and put me in a whole new family,” Whitaker said. “Auburn means everything to me.”

While he is currently recovering from surgery repairing a torn meniscus in his knee, Whitaker and his mentors have high hopes for his future.

Allen believes for Whitaker, the sky is the limit.

“If he finishes strong at Auburn, I think he could go first or second round,” Allen said.

Whitaker is earning a degree in communications and said one day he’s likely to get into broadcast journalism.

“The most important thing is that I want to be a success in life.” Whitaker said. “I want to be a great father and a great husband along with being a great leader in my community.”

Pat Dye impressed with Malzahn’s first season Will Gaines Sports Editor

Former Auburn head coach Pat Dye has been involved with the game of football for a long time.

From a player to a coach, he has experienced college football at the highest levels, winning four SEC Championships during his time at Auburn, and the job of new head coach Gus Malzahn, and the current players, have impressed the Auburn coaching legend.

“There are some things on this football team that are as good as anybody in the country,” Dye said. “Our overall team speed is as good as anybody in the country right now, in my opinion. Our receivers can run by just about anybody.”

Dye is an old-school coach, and said he loves to see Auburn be able to run the football. This season has been exactly what he likes to see.

Auburn currently ranks first in the SEC in rushing offense, and third in the country, averaging more than 320 yards per game.

“Tre Mason is as good a running back as you could want,” Dye said. “There may be some better, but he’s good enough to go play with anybody in the country, especially with our offensive line.”

According to Dye, the running game has not been what has made the offense take off this season.

He said he believes it’s quarterback Nick Marshall.

“He’s been the key to the whole season,” Dye said. “You just think about it, the three drives against Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Georgia, the game is on the line.

One bad play and the game is over, and he didn’t have one.”

Marshall’s passing ability has been put into question up

Anna Grafton / photo editor

Former quarterback Stan White and head coach Pat Dye.

to this point in the season, but Dye believes most of the issues have not been Marshall’s fault.

“His passing percentage would be really impressive if we hadn’t dropped so many balls,” Dye said.

Dye reflected on last year’s team by saying they were young, and that was partly the cause of the disappointing performance.

Last season, Dye was not shy about saying the team was young, and that was the cause of the issues.

Dye was criticized by many for his opinions in the national media, and was accused of defending former head coach Gene Chizik.

Now that Malzahn is the head coach, Dye still stands by his comments that the team’s biggest shortcoming last season was lack of experience.

“There’s no question, they were just young,” Dye said.

“Greg Robinson is a great football player, but last year he was just a redshirt freshman Pat-

rick Miller started at the other tackle and he was a true freshman. Center Reese Dismukes was just a sophomore.

“Tre Mason was just a sophomore, and (we had) no experience at quarterback. You combine these with installing a new offense and defense and it was a perfect storm for a disaster.”

Even with his reasons for last year’s poor performance, Dye said he is impressed with what Malzahn has done in his first season as head coach.

“It’s the best job of coaching that I’ve ever seen at Auburn,” Dye said. “There hasn’t been a game they haven’t had the players ready to play. The job he and this staff have done is more impressive than what they did in 2010 from a coaching standpoint.”

The Tigers will now look to take its success into the Iron Bowl against No. 1 Alabama with a chance to win the SEC West and play in the SEC Championship Game.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sports A11

The Auburn Plainsman

Tiger Nutrition provides energy to athletes Eric Wallace Sports Writer

To meet the nutritional needs of the nation’s top athletes, the Auburn athletics department relies upon the professional help of Scott Sehnert and his assistants at Tiger Nutrition.

“Britteny (Bearden) and I are here to cover any kind of bases that are needed nutrition and hydration-wise,” Sehnert said. “That relates to health and performance. Any sort of team meal planning, individual counseling, group and team education.

We’ll go to the grocery stores, evaluate supplements, do body composition assessment and analysis,” he said.

Sehnert said ensuring Auburn athletes are in peak condition is a two-way process, and requires constant communication with Auburn’s strength and conditioning coaches.

“We work hand-in-hand with the strength staff to make sure they are fueled well for the workouts and then recovering well,” Sehnert said. “They go fast and they go long, so they have to be ready for it.”

Tiger Nutrition also helps athletes choose supplements that boost performance and workout recovery, without breaking NCAA regulations on banned substances.

“There are permissible and impermissible dietary supplements,” Sehnert said. “Permissible supplements would be like our Gatorade shakes. You then have impermissible supplements, like Creatine, and even caffeine in larger amounts.

Banned substances are also impermissible, but creatine and caffeine to a small amount are not banned,” he said.

Sehnert said part of his role as a sports dieti-

cian is to help Auburn’s athletes make smarter and healthier decisions about which supplements to utilize.

“There will be athletes that provide their own recovery shakes and bars, so they’ll ask us about that and get an evaluation from us that way,” Sehnert said. “The overriding message to them is that you can trust very, very, very few companies. Supplements can cause all kinds of positive drug tests.”

With Auburn’s Wellness Kitchen Training Table set to be completed in 2014, Sehnert and Tiger Nutrition hope to provide students and athletes with a state-of-the-art alternative to traditional campus dining.

“We’ve wanted to design a training table that meets or exceeds any in the country,” Sehnert said. “We’ll have a lot of fresh food that will be produced there versus the traditional dining

hall and cafeterias with a hot line.”

Sehnert said one of Tiger Nutrition’s biggest challenges will be to design a tasty menu that also provides necessary nutritional benefits.

“We’ll still do pizzas and burgers, but the chef we’ve hired has a background in working with combine athletes and he knows how to prepare foods that taste good, but also get the response we’re looking for,” Sehnert said. “It’s trying to meet where 18–22 year olds want to eat, but just having that twist on it that improves recovery and performance.”

A variety of innovative tools and professional experience make Tiger Nutrition integral to the safe and healthy development of Auburn’s top athletes.

“The moral of the story to most kids is that they should take what we give them, and just leave it at that,” Sehnert said.

Players getting healthy during calm before the storm Kyle Van Fechtmann Sports Writer

After an emotionally draining last minute win over the Georgia Bulldogs Nov. 16, the bye week could not come at a better time for Auburn as they are given an extra week to improve before playing Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

“I think mostly everybody, if not the whole team, is already focused on Alabama and put that (UGA) win in the past,” said senior fullback Jay Prosch. “It was definitely something that we can reflect on after the season, but right now I think our minds are on ourselves for this week and on the next game.

I think we’re ready to continue moving forward.”

“It’s going to be a big week. Last week was definitely a big game for us.

It’s going to give us momentum going into this next game,” said senior linebacker Jake Holland. “(This week) we’re going to be able to really focus on ourselves, correct mistakes and make ourselves better as a team. The actual week of the game we will focus more on Alabama.”

Although the stakes are always high in the annual Iron Bowl, this year the stakes are even higher with a trip to the SEC Championship on the line.

But the team knows how impor-

tant it is to continue to prepare like they have been all season.

“Obviously we have two weeks from the game, but we all know it’s a huge game and we’re going to play our hearts out,” Prosch said. “We just have to prepare like we normally do.”

Preparing for this game with the same mindset they have had all season starts with Head Coach Gus Malzahn. “(Malzahn) is really trying to focus on fixing things with ourselves first and getting things exactly right,” Prosch said. “We’re still working on Bama a bit but mainly just trying to get ourselves right.

He’s been the same coach that he’s been.”

Both the offense and defense are using this bye week to their advantage by working on things they need to improve on before they play Alabama.

“There were some times in the (UGA) game we maybe had some calls mixed up and some timing issues,” Prosch said. “Just working on our communication and our alignment and assignments.

If we can get all of that down I think we’ll definitely be in a position to execute like we need to.”

“Defense we really just need to

work on our run fits and stopping the run. (Alabama) has a really good run game, so definitely work on that,” Holland said. “And communication, it’s going to be loud like it was last week, so get used to that again.”

According to Holland, they have been blasting music in the indoor practice facility to try to make it as loud as possible during practice to help the team work on communication.

“That’s what we call our dirty show.

Defense runs their blitz game and then our pressure game,” Holland said. “Offense runs their pressure protection stuff,”

Tigers and Tide set Rugby wins SECRC championship for legendary game Taylor Jones sports writer

Justin ferguson sports@ theplainsman. com

Now that we all have had time to catch our collective breath from the final quarter of last Saturday’s GeorgiaAuburn game, let’s take a moment to realize what is about to come to The Plains Nov. 30.

Like many others who love the sport, I consider the Iron Bowl to be the biggest rivalry in college football. It’s the biggest, nastiest, fiercest, proudest and all-around best annual game you can find anywhere.

The Iron Bowl holds that high honor in the college football world because of all those moments that are so famous, their names are etched into our minds — The Run in the Mud, Punt Bama Punt, Bo Over the Top, The Kick, Tillman’s Reverse, The First Time Ever, The Inch, Honk If You Sacked Brodie, The Drive and The Cam-Back.

Many of those famous moments came in games with massive amounts of hype behind them.

The Drive and The CamBack saved national championship seasons. The 1989 Iron Bowl, the first one ever played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, earned Auburn a share of the SEC Championship.

But the legends that created those moments never did what the 2013 Auburn Tigers and the 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide will get to do two days after Thanksgiving.

The Iron Bowl has never decided the SEC West champion — until now.

Gone are the days of sharing titles. It’s going to be “winner goes to Atlanta” at JordanHare Stadium.

If you want your hands on the championship of the best conference in the country, you will have to defeat your hated rival on the biggest regularseason stage of them all.

The 2013 Iron Bowl will be an unprecedented game in an unprecedented season for both teams.

Alabama has claimed the last two national champion-

ships and will enter Auburn on a 14-game winning streak. The most dominating dynasty in the BCS era can end the days of computer polls and usher the days of playoff football in with one more crystal football.

But Auburn can change all of that in one game. After the most humiliating season in modern Auburn football history and a complete reset of the program, Auburn is 10-1 and projected to be in a BCS bowl by season’s end.

Yes, the same Tigers that have been blown out by Alabama in two straight Iron Bowls can knock the Tide off their championship course and claim the West’s coveted spot at the Georgia Dome.

The last time Auburn was in this position, a junior college transfer quarterback led Gus Malzahn’s patented Hurry Up, No Huddle offense while a “bend, don’t break” defense made a name for themselves with red zone stops and fourth-quarter heroics.

Hey, that sounds oddly familiar.

Has this team kept the defending Heisman Trophy winner from securing a home victory?

Has this team rallied back from multi-score deficits in the second half?

Has this team won a game in the final seconds with a moment that you just had to see to believe?

Check, check and check.

Now this 2013 Auburn team — a team that seemingly has all the luck/destiny/fate/karma/whatever you call it — faces the defending national champions in another game with massive title implications.

Is an Auburn victory against No. 1 Alabama probable? Not according to the oddsmakers out in Vegas, the talking heads and conventional wisdom.

But is it possible?

Hey, I watched a surefire game-ending interception somehow fall right to an in-stride receiver who wasn’t looking for a 73-yard, fourthdown score that left an entire country speechless.

This is Auburn football.

Haven’t we learned by now that anything is possible?

The Auburn Rugby Club’s 7’s team has transformed from a fledgling program into an Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SECRC) powerhouse.

The Tigers 7’s team, which is an alternative style of play from the typical 15 man rugby team, started participating in tournaments in 2010.

The 7’s teams are usually comprised of the faster and more experienced players who also participate on the 15’s team.

Senior club president Sebastien Kamyab explained that the 7’s team hasn’t had much of a chance to participate in games this season.

“We haven’t had many opportunities to play this year because the 7’s season is played during the summer,” Kamyab said.

“We played one tournament in Pensacola where we went 6-0 and won the tournament.”

The tournament that Kamyab was referring to was the Pensacola 7’s Tournament, which included various men’s teams along with Florida State and hosted by the University of West Florida.

The Auburn 7’s team defeated West Florida in the final, starting the 7’s season at 6-0.

This past weekend, less than four years after beginning the tournaments, the Tigers went undefeated in the SECRC tournament in Knoxville, winning Auburn’s first 7’s conference

Contributed by The Auburn Rugby club

Sebastien Kamyab playing against Florida in the SECRC tournament championship game. championship.

The SECRC has representatives from each SEC school except for Texas A&M. The tournament began with pool play, and then the teams that made it out of the pool stage make it into a bracket to determine the champion.

Auburn faced Alabama in the first pool game, defeating the Crimson Tide 22-10.

The Tigers then defeated Mississippi State 22-12 to advance to the bracket, after having a slow start against the Bulldogs.

In bracket play, the Tigers defeated Missouri in the quarterfinals, and South Carolina in the semi-finals, setting the Tigers up to defeat Florida and claim the SECRC crown.

Kamyab said he is excited about this monumental win for the club, and looks forward to what comes next.

“Since we won the SECRC championship, we go on to nationals,” Kamyab said.

“We’re playing with all of the best teams in the nation, like Army, Navy, Penn State and Wisconsin,” he added.

Easterling credits the team’s 11-0 start and conference championship to the team’s chemistry.

“We’re one unit,” Easterling said.

“We’re very close to one another and we know how to play with each other. We trust each other.”

The Tigers 7’s team will participate in the 7’s National Tournament from November 23-24, in Greensboro, N.C.

Intrigue Thursday, November 21, 2013

A12 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

GAMES OF THE SEASON

The year’s most anticipated games have just been released for new consoles.

Check out the most recent new console game releases!

“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” Released Oct. 29

emily enfinger / Photographer

Cameron Gray runs his print block through the press in the printmaking studio in Biggin Hall.

Art student’s thesis questions entertainment stereotypes Jordan Hays Intrigue Writer

“BATTLEFIELD IV” Released Oct. 29

“MADDEN NFL 25” Released Nov. 15

“FIFA 14” Released Nov. 15

“CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS” Released Nov. 15

In the printmaking studio in Biggin Hall, Cameron Gray, senior in art, transforms blank sheets of wood into a platform for societal commentary.

Students and faculty will get the chance to view Gray’s senior thesis in the Biggin gallery until Nov. 30.

Gray’s medium is woodcut, a type of relief printing.

In this style, an image is carved backwards onto a block of wood, coated in ink and run through a press where the image from the block is stamped onto a sheet.

“I think that this woodcut is an incredibly innovative commentary on today’s entertainment in relation to the entertainment of the past,” said Diana Lucas, senior in English literature and art. “Media has changed drastically over time and there are still some things about it that haven’t changed, like as the twisting of reality.”

Gray’s exhibition is titled “That’s All Folks,” a double nod to a famous cartoon line and Gray’s final semester at Auburn.

The exhibit explores stereotypes placed onto others found in television. He bridges these glanced-over implications found in shows, from childhood cartoons to reality television.

“Most people think I create this imagery,” Gray said.

“Most people don’t think this actually exists. People just want to push it to the side and not believe in it.

But it happened, so I like to bring awareness to it.”

All of Gray’s work depicts a reality television shows in the form of a 19th century minstrel show poster.

Minstrel shows were a form of entertainment in which white men would perform skits, dances, and music in blackface.

While the implications of the work have the capaci-

ty to weigh heavily on the mind, Gray attempts to create artwork that can be found topically humorous.

“I like the idea of art that either makes you laugh or it makes you think about what you’re saying,” Gray said. “I love art that makes me laugh or makes me think about it. One thing I’ve always been trying to get to is, ‘Why am I laughing?’”

One of Gray’s pieces depicts the main character from “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” where Honey Boo Boo is shown striking one of her signature poses.

Gray brings to light the negative implications and stereotypes that result from this show, and how his art attempts to reveal them.

“This is people putting what they think we are out on television,” Gray said. “That’s all it is. When you go up North and tell them you are from the South they’ll go, ‘Oh, you’re just like Honey Boo Boo or anything like I have seen on television.’ No. This was fueled out of anger, because I hate when people think of me a certain way because of what they’ve heard. Why not just try to talk to me and understand me as a person rather than going based off what you’ve seen?”

An underlying constant through all of Gray’s work on display is bringing attention to what Gray referred to as the “other.”

“These are stereotypes created by this superior class that felt as though they were superior at one point and tried to push down this ‘other’ that they didn’t understand,” Gray said.

Gray said his study abroad experience in Italy opened his eyes to stereotypes about his race and made him feel like the “other” himself.

“The only person I saw like myself were the people who came from Ethiopia, and they would be panhandling on the streets,” Gray said. “I always felt like peo-

emily enfinger / Photographer

Duck Dynasty, a wood block print crafted by Gray.

ple thought that’s what I was when I would try to talk to people. They would be kind of hesitant because they thought I was trying to sell them something because that’s the only time they’ve seen people like me.”

Though Gray’s works broach controversial topics, Evelyn Holladay, senior in art, said she vouches for its aesthetic quality and craftsmanship.

“His marks are really clean,” Holladay said. “He has this interesting style that is very intentional.”

Gray’s exhibit will be open for all students to view in the Biggin Hall gallery until Nov. 30.

Auburn joins the wizarding world Plainsman Picks Playlist the intrigue Staff’s favorite covers!

Ashtyne Cole Intrigue Writer

“NBA LIVE 14” Released Nov. 19

consoles

The holiday season’s latest buzz is surrounding the brand new consoles from X-Box and Playstation.

PLAYSTATION 4 Released Nov. 15

XBOX ONE Released Nov. 22 Have thoughts on the new systems and games?

Tweet at us at @TheAUPlainsman!

Similar to the wizards in Harry Potter, the students in Auburn’s Harry Potter AUror Alliance swoop in to save the day through the magic of service.

Auburn’s chapter of the HP AUrors Alliance serve the University as a club dedicated to volunteering, fundraising and serving Auburn.

According to the group’s motto, the club strives to destroy real-world horcruxes such as inequality, illiteracy and human rights violations.

Anyone familiar with the series can recognize the group’s goal to promote goodness on campus in all ways possible.

Some of the groups events and programs are, of course, following the Harry Potter and wizarding theme.

The group hosted the Free the Elves clothing drives, Accio Books book drive, Yule Ball and many other events geared toward helping others.

Brittany Dennis, senior in english and creative writing, serves as president of the club after serving two years as vice president.

Dennis started the group with some friends in 2011.

Dennis said this year has been a huge rebuilding year for the club, adding new members and new leadership.

“Both of us grew up on Harry Potter, and we knew about the great work HPA was doing nationally and internationally so we started the group from the bottom up,” Dennis said. “We quickly had a gathering of people who wanted to reach out through service, but also wanted to have that shared love of these books and movies to bond over.”

The group functions with the help of Anna Bertolet, associate professor in the department of English.

“We were incredibly lucky to find Dr. Bertolet to be our adviser,” Dennis said. “From our first meeting, she was excited and willing to do everything she could to help.”

Melissa Darce is a senior in psychology and also a member of HPA. Darce became a member in spring of 2012.

“i wanna dance with somebody”

By Ben Rector It’s such a fun song and Ben really knows how to cover this Whitney Houston classic.

Ashley SElby

Intrigue Editor “Dancing in the dark” emily brett

“I joined because I had previously been a secretary of service for two other clubs, and I was looking for another outlet of service,” Darce said. “I knew the passion for Harry Potter across Auburn’s campus would transcend to service projects.”

Darce described the club as a larger group of young adults striving to use their passion for Harry Potter and transfer it into service and active discussion of themes and lessons from the series.

The group has participated in Harry Potterthemed craft night, game nights, movie nights and parties, all in the spirit of bonding over a shared love of a series.

Rebecca Schrenk, senior in German international trade, said she joined as a “ridicuously excited charter member.”

Schrenk served as the first secretary of membership for the Auburn chapter, setting up craft nights making quills and wands and even a sorting ceremony.

“My favorite part of the group was participating in ‘Hunger is not a Game,’” Schrenk said. “All HPA chapters took part in the can drive during the weekend the Hunger Games movie was released.”

Dennis said she believed it was necessary for the chapter to take time out of college to relax and, “let’s be honest, just be nerds.”

Darce also said she enjoys both the outreach efforts and the social aspects of the club.

“Basically, I joined for the active participation of a service organization,” Darce said. “I’ve stayed as long as I have because of the awesome people.”

By Eddie Berman and Laura Marling I’m a huge Springsteen fan, so I was wary at first. They surpassed my expectations with perfect harmony.

KAILEY MILLER

Intrigue Reporter “you’re the one that i want”

Ashtyne Cole

By Angus and Julia Stone It’s a cover from the movie “Grease,” which is one of my favorite movies, so of course I love it.

Intrigue Writer “redemption song”

By Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer Johnny and Joe’s vocals flow seamlessly together in Marley’s song. It’s a simple melody with honest, challenging lyrics.

Becky SheeHan

Intrigue Writer “wagon wheel”

By Darius Rucker I love Darius Rucker’s voice and his version is so much more upbeat and catchy to me.

MARY-KATE SHERER

Intrigue Writer “Band on the run”

By Foo Fighters I squealed like a teenybopper at a Bieber bonanza when I found out my favorite band covered one of my favorite artists.

JORDAN HAYS Intrigue Writer What’s your favorite christmas song?

Email us at INtrigue@theplainsman.com to see your picks in the 12/5 issue!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Intrigue A13

The Auburn Plainsman

Lee County Flannel Club stays on their toes The Auburn University improvisation troupe brings ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ to campus Kailey Miller Intrigue Reporter

The Lee County Flannel Club isn’t a group of people who talk about flannel, but a group of students who perform improv.

Ellie Lerner, junior in interior design, is president and one of the founders of Lee County Flannel Club.

“We’ve been together for two and a half years, almost three,” Lerner said. “We just officially became a club this semester.”

Before the group became a club, they would meet and practice in whatever room was available in Telfair B. Peet Theater.

Lerner said the club applied for permanent status a year ago, went through the year of probationary status and then got approved to be an official organization.

The group practices two types of improv: long form and short form improv.

“Short-form improv is a lot like doing games, like ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’

You’re just on your toes the whole time,” Lerner said. “Long form is more of an artistic kind of form of improv, and it’s kind of like the only really major theater part of improv where you basically get up there and you do, you know, a play that’s never been seen before and will never be seen again.”

Lerner said the scenes can range from three minutes to an hour long.

Eddie Robison Rivera, junior in industrial and systems engineering, said a lot of their practices revolve around warming up and diving straight into improv.

They then talk through the different scenes and what went well, or what they could work on to make it better.

“It got me out of my shell,” said Ronda Eady, senior in information systems management. “It helps me think on my feet, and that’s something you need.”

The Lee County Flannel Club got its name in a way as unique as their style of acting.

“The funny thing about improv is it’s kind of like a ’90s thing, and a lot of the guys tend to wear flannel,” Lerner said.

“We just kind of like came up with it, the Lee County Flannel Club.”

Lerner said the club has about 10 members, but they held tryouts, Nov. 13, to find approximately three more members.

The club has performed for the student body in places such as Langdon Hall, the Haley Center and the Student Center Ballroom.

Lerner said the group is looking into competing in the future.

“Now that we are an official organization, we’re going to be able to apply for

“

My favorite part is getting to forget about all the school work and commitments and other things I have going on and be able to act and make things up off the spot.”

—Eddie Robison Rivera member of lee county flannel club

funds and we really want to take a trip to Chicago,” Lerner said. “We might want to do College Improv Tournament or, at least, go watch it.”

Lerner said improv is a good activity to calm your nerves, and it makes your brain sharper. Lerner said keeping improvisation humorous is the hardest part.

“My favorite part is getting to forget about all the school work and commitments and other things I have going on, and be able to act and make things up off the spot,” Robison Rivera said. “I love being able to make things up off the top of my head and really get to be creative in that sense.”

The club offers practice, open to the public, once per month. For more information on the Lee County Flannel Club or visit the club’s Facebook page.

No Makeup November challenge: reflections on beauty and adequacy other to generate capital.

My role as a fashion commentator, blogger and advocate was shaken when I questioned the morality of praising one appearance over another — praising one person instead of another based solely on appearances.

With my face stripped bare, I was able to see myself.

My strengths and weaknesses had always been there, and I realized they weren’t connected to what I look like at all.

My thoughts and emotions, and everything I am, are independent from what I look like — I carry them with me, and my body is just the package it all comes in.

I was able to see others more clearly too, because behind every face and between every spoken word there is a vibrant soul.

Behind every face, sometimes beneath layers of makeup, there is a story that wants to be told.

I have fallen in love with those stories.

I am addicted to the possibilities that await.

I don’t know if I will continue the no-makeup challenge for my entire life — that was never the goal, honestly — and I’m not going to cancel my “Vogue” subscription anytime soon.

The point is that for me, No Makeup November completely changed the way I look at

Becky Sheehan intrigue@ theplainsman. com

The challenge was to test my mettle without the security blanket of makeup, to enliven the spirit inside that has been there all along and to share my story.

What I am walking away with is so much more than I set out to discover.

The first week was tough and weird as I broke in this new outlook.

The part of myself that loves routine and normalcy groaned as I stretched its limits and cracked the walls of its comfort zone.

During the early days, a biting inferiority complex forced my eyes to the ground.

A foreign strain of guilt pulled my shoulders round, and I was tripped up by a very middle-school-Becky level of shyness.

As I began exploring the ideas of beauty and society, my world opened up.

Like a mathematician, for the first time in my life, I saw the world as formulaic.

The fashion and beauty industries I had admired no longer resembled art.

They were revealed to me as massive corporations feeding on insecurity and jealousy, turning women against each

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these former idols.

My outlook on beauty and humanity has been vaccinated with reality.

Because we are human, after all.

Perfection is unattainable, and I think it’s time to celebrate everything that makes us real: our screw-ups and stutters, our scars and quirks, our passions and our anxieties.

It’s time we stood up for ourselves, even if it means combating the negativity in our own heads.

I had a professor who addressed our nervous, audition-weary senior theatre performance class: “ You are enough,” Dan LaRocque stated.

He was referring to the heavy audition process that awaited his graduates, letting us know casting directors wanted to see our personalities in the monologues we chose.

He said it with such urgency we knew it meant something more.

He was bestowing upon us the right to believe in ourselves, the permission to believe that we are exactly as we should be, and that we were great.

He repeated himself over and over in that moment, the words hitting us like snowfall, letting the last few hang in the air.

“You are enough.”

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Intrigue A14

The Auburn Plainsman

‘Jordan- Hare Miracle’ tweets Auburn chatter after “the catch” Nov. 16, 2013

The Secular Student Alliance offers sanctuary on conservative campus Jordan Hays

@brleiter

Intrigue writer

WAR EAGLE IM RUNNING AROUND OLIVE GARDEN AND I DONT CARE Dear God I still cannot believe what I just saw. #WarEagle

@E_zach_ly

@johnccarvalhoau Today was the first time I cried since Marley and me #Auburn #WarEagle

You know it’s a good win when complete strangers hug you and scream war eagle at the top of their lungs. Now this is some auburn football.

@cassidyynorris I just skipped in the grocery store & hugged a random guy in an #Auburn shirt. We had a little celebration on the soup aisle. #wareagle

@3girlsmom Clearly Jesus has taken the wheel of the Gus Bus.

@OMGillespie I hugged every single person in a 10 feet radius within these stands #auburn

@mia_mochi I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life. That was absolutely insane. #Auburn #onemore

@TylerPugh I think the last time I rolled around on the floor for that long was when I was an infant. #stress

@juliecarr13

#relief #wareagle #Auburn

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A good way to start a fight is to talk about religion. Tell someone they are wrong about their beliefs and an ideological boxing match will ensue.

“I might not be right, and I accept that.”

This is the mentality with which James Doolittle, sophomore in aerospace engineering, and many other members of the Secular Student Alliance approach the topic of religion.

The Secular Student Alliance meets once per week to discuss pressing issues on the topic of religion.

The Alliance has created an open forum where individuals can tackle the sensitive topic of religion in a calm, open-minded manner.

The average meeting consists of one hour of formal discussion led by either the president or the vice president of the Alliance.

Each weekly topic is predetermined and sent out to members, who are then encouraged to do the appropriate amount of research in order to maintain a professional atmosphere.

Though the group consists of many agnostic-atheists, Alex Nall, senior in communication and president of Secular Student Alliance, said she tries hard to fight the stereotype associated with atheists.

“Secular Student Alliance is a group dedicated to the acceptance of those on campus with alternative beliefs, or the lack thereof,” Nall said. “We are also dedicated to outreach, making people around campus know who we are and that we are not conforming to the stereotype you hear about those with or without religion.”

Many members of the Alliance feel as though these stereotypes are inaccurate and lead to discrimination.

“

There’s no real reason to be afraid. Even though we accept people who are antitheists, we don’t accept people who are belligerent about it.”

—Alex Nall President of Secular Student Alliance

“I think a lot of people don’t really understand what atheism is,” Doolittle said.

“It’s the disbelief in God, but the way a lot of people look at it is, ‘they don’t believe in God, therefore they are not good people.’ There is something about the fact that we don’t believe in a God, or whatever you happen to worship, that makes us (appear to be) incomplete or broken, wrong, evil or whatever.”

Doolittle also explained how negative stereotypes created fundamental misunderstandings of what it means to be agnostic-atheist.

“People really like to confuse those two terms. Agnostic is not in itself a noun.

It’s really a descriptor. Agnostic-atheist means that you don’t believe in a God, but you cannot empirically prove the existence or nonexistence of one,” said Doolittle. “God, just looking at it as a concept, exists outside the realm of human understanding just based on the nature of what God is, and so there is no way we could scientifically or reasonably prove the existence or nonexistence of that God. That’s the way I look at it.”

Doolittle acknowledges there are many

atheists who are not open-minded and attempt to proselytize.

“I don’t think highly of people (who proselytize), especially when they are doing exactly what they don’t want other people to do,” Doolittle said. “You know, trying to shove a view down somebody’s throat.”

According to Parker Stripling, vice president of the Secular Student Alliance and sophomore in aerospace engineering, the Alliance is in no way trying to convert students.

“If a person’s religion makes them happy, allows them to be a good person and doesn’t impede the lives of others then I have absolutely no problem with it,” Stripling said.

Despite having his own system of belief, Stripling maintains open-mindedness to all religions.

“I think if evidence, real hard evidence, was presented in front of me I am more than likely to believe it,” Stripling said.

Even Doolittle maintained an openmind with religion and the potential for his conversion to a religious belief.

“I am totally open to the possibility that someone, should they have strong, empirical evidence to present to me that a deity exists, then yeah, I would be 100 percent open to that,” Doolittle said.

The Secular Student Alliance is open to students of any and all beliefs.

Nall encourages students who have religion to join in on the discussion.

“There’s no real reason to be afraid.

Even though we accept people who are anti-theists, we don’t accept people who are belligerent about it,” Nall said. “The main purpose of this group is to have a place where people can have a discussion about what they want to talk about and feel safe and comfortable.”

Student to brave pre-Iron Bowl Black Friday to score big deals Maddie Yerant Intrigue Writer

For many Auburn stores and residents, Nov. 29, 2013 will be more than just the day before the Iron Bowl. Millions of shoppers wake up early Friday morning to take advantage of the discounts offered on Black Friday.

Taylor McCormick, junior in public relations, said she is one of the many shoppers who brave the crowds.

“I started shopping on Black Friday when I graduated from high school,” McCormick said.

“I really loved it. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed because that’s when my mom bought all our Christmas presents. But now, I go with her.”

Brody Betz, junior in environmental science, said he also started shopping on Black Friday at the end of high school.

“I went with a friend my senior year,” Betz said. “She was a huge shopper, and she loved to spend money. She dropped hundreds at every store.”

According to McCormick, the amount of money she saves every year is worth getting up early and dealing with big crowds.

“You save so much money,” McCormick said. “You can get

a lot of good deals, especially if you’re smart about where you go and what you do. You save on those big-ticket items.”

McCormick and Betz both said they prefer shopping at large stores such as Target and Best Buy for good deals on more expensive items.

Therapy manager Ashley Bynom said she agrees the holiday is different for smaller stores and boutiques.

“We don’t have the big doorbuster sales that have people lining up outside, but we definitely offer deals you normally wouldn’t get. I think that gets people excited.”

Bynom said she expects the home-game location of the Iron Bowl to bring in a larger crowd than last year, when the game was played in Tuscaloosa.

“Last year, since the Iron Bowl was away, we did a little pre-Black Friday sale the weekend everyone got out of school and went home,” Bynom said. “Home game Fridays are always kind of crazy, and then you combine it with Black Friday. We’re expecting a big day.”

Betz said he said he thinks the image of Black Friday as crazy and dangerous is a misconception.

“

Home game Fridays are always crazy, and then you combine it with Black Friday.

We’re expecting a big day.”

Bookmark online favorites with Pocket Ashtyne Cole intrigue@theplainsman. com

—Ashley Bynom Manager at Therapy

For McCormick, Black Friday isn’t just about sales.

“It’s also a really fun time for my mom and I to go together,” McCormick said. “I remember when I was little, after we’d cleaned everything up from Thanksgiving, my mom would take all the catalogues with the Black Friday deals and cut them out. I wanted so badly to go with her, but I was too young. Now I get to be a part of that with her.”

Betz said he agrees the day is about more than saving money.

“It’s the experience for me,” Betz said. “That first time I went with my friend, I didn’t even spend that much money, but I just love going out at that time. That’s really when Christmas season starts for me.”

My iPhone is cooler than yours, mine has a pocket.

OK, I’m being a little dramatic, but I do have an app that lets my iPhone have a virtual pocket. Let me just say, it’s one of the best apps I’ve ever downloaded.

I read...a lot. Sometimes, it’s just not the time or place for reading something and I leave the page pulled up on the internet and it somehow gets deleted or forgotten. It’s tragic.

Pocket is super easy and convenient. I’m not very app-savvy, and I don’t have to have the latest and greatest apps out there.

When I do take the time to download an app, it has to meet my criteria. It preferably needs to be free.

I don’t see the need to download something for $5 because I know I’ll never use it.

It needs to be easy. I’m not going to use it if I have to watch a 10-minute tutorial.

Lastly, I need it to be current and useful.

Pocket is all of these things and I’ve given it a prime app spot on my homepage.

I like being able to have all of the articles, pictures and things I come across that inter-

est me in one place.

It even works from your computer. It’s so convenient and I don’t have to have a million windows up saving stuff I’ll probably never read. When I’m bored, I look for new information on my phone via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Now, I can actually feel intelligent by reading articles and things I’ve saved. Pocket has become a new source of information for me and something I check regularly on my phone. More than 300 apps are now synched with Pocket and you can save things directly from the app.

They communicate with each other and save the things I need and are much better than a screenshot. Twitter, Zite, Flipboard and Reeder are all compatible with Pocket and easily save what you need.

The app also has Instant Sync, which keeps Pocket updated even when the app is closed.

For example, like every Auburn fan, I have been watching the game-saving hail mary of the Georgia game.

I like watching “The Prayer in Jordan-Hare” play over and over and cry a few times while viewing.

I have the video saved to my Pocket so whenever I feel the need, I can watch the crowd-inspiring moment as many times as I want, and it will always be there.

I also save Pinterest recipes to my Pocket and pull it up while I’m cooking because it is much easier than searching on Pinterest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Safe travels over break

Keep up with the latest news on the Iron Bowl at ThePlainsman.com