The Auburn Plainsman 02.19.15

Check out time-lapse video of Oaks planting online

The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid

Thursday, February 19, 2015 Vol. 121, Issue 29, 12 Pages

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

tradition

Online

ThePlainsman.com VIDEO: Yoga Rave event coverage inside campus File photo (left) / emily enfinger / photo editor (right)

The original Toomer’s Oaks, seen in the middle, were poisoned in 2010 after the National Championship.The new Oaks were planted Feb. 14.

Toomer’s through time Page A4

Parker Hall, Allison Lab to be torn down community

Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor

As the new oak trees were planted at Toomer’s Corner on Valentine’s Day, generations of Auburn fans gathered to see tradition being planted.

Edna Fellows Christmas is 101 years old and calls herself one of Auburn’s oldest fans.

“I saw them cut the trees down, and I wanted to see them put them back up,” Edna Fellows said. “I was so proud

to see them go back up. I think they’re going to be great.”

Edna Earl Christmas, Edna Fellows’ daughter, said everyone in her family except her mother attended Auburn.

Although Edna Fellows did not attend the University, she said she may as well have gone to Auburn from all the time she’s spent in town.

“It’s almost like good overcoming evil,” Edna Earl said, referring to the trees being

replanted after being poisoned.

“It’s showing the Auburn spirit is not to be denied. We’re going to stay in there as a family and make it work.”

Laura Champion and Shy Slaton, parents of another Auburn family, said they have ties to the University after graduating from it in 2001 and 1999, respectively. They said they hope their children will

» See toomer’s a2

Rodeo changes greek life

Page A6

Tiger Lodge holds safety meeting intrigue

city council

Fraternity fixes procedures after safety concerns arose Kris Martins Campus Writer

Page A8

Student mother juggles family and school sports

Page A10

Jacobs explains stadium renovations index Campus Opinions Community Intrigue Sports

Jordan hays / copy editor

It took approximately five hours to plant the new Toomer’s Oaks.

A1 A5 A6 A8 A10

The change of venue for Rodeo 2015 is not the only change being made to the event this year.

Matt Tanaka, philanthropy chairman for Alpha Psi and sophomore in veterinary medicine, explained the major changes to this year’s Rodeo.

As mentioned on the Alpha Psi Rodeo website, this year’s location is Ingram Farm in Opelika, instead of at the Adams Farm location used for the past two years.

Though the farther traveling distance is a concern for some students, Tanaka said Alpha Psi has implemented multiple logistical changes to transport attendees to and from the site.

“When we spoke with the Auburn Police Division, Lee County Sheriff and the University, their concern was the increased amount of traffic,” Tanaka said. “The new location being out of the city would open opportunities for people to drive their cars and

park and tailgate. That’s always been in high demand in years past.”

Alpha Psi also eliminated parking passes, making parking free to all guests. According to Tanaka, the change seeks to “minimize the risk of having forged parking passes and forged tickets.”

This year, everyone 21 and older will have to wear a wristband.

The Alpha Psi Rodeo website said Rodeo’s new additions will “create a more festive mood and slow down the consumption of alcohol.”

Some of the new additions include misting, water bottle and sunscreen stations.

“In seeking advice from the University, the Police Division and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, alcohol is of a certain concern at our event,” Tanaka said. “It being in the nature of a college town and that many people in one area, people like to have fun and drink a lot at Rodeo.”

Capt. Chris Wallace of the

Lee County Sheriff’s Office said there will be a large law enforcement presence this year.

“We want everyone to have a good time, but we’re not going to tolerate any criminal acts, especially DUIs,” Wallace said.

“We’re going to be on high alert, be fair and professional, and we want it to be safe.”

Tanaka said Alpha Psi is first concerned with attendee safety, followed by the longevity of its philanthropy.

Tanaka said he hasn’t heard of specific cases involving safety at the event, but the fraternity is trying to diminish trends related to alcohol.

“The Alpha Psi Rodeo is one of our main fundraising events,” Tanaka said, “That’s where the necessity for the longevity of our event is. At the same time, we have to consider the safety of our patrons, so that is one of our major concerns, the amount of alcohol we see.”

Hannah Strickland, junior in nursing, has attended Rodeo

» See rodeo a2

contributed by the city of auburn

Above is a map of moratorium boundaries passed by the City Council.

White space: proposed boundary of moratorium area. Orange striped: urban neighborhood preservation. Purple striped: proposed US-2. Light blue: University service. Purple solid: Urban core. Green: holding district. Pink dots: college edge overlay district.

Residents react to moratorium

Kailey Miller

Community Reporter

On Feb. 17, 2015, the Auburn City Council passed an apartment moratorium that will stop the development of apartments, condominiums or any other form of ownership

or operation within the University Service zoning district located east of College Street.

The moratorium will be in effect for six months unless

» See moratorium a2

Monogrammed Necklace Sterling Silver $

S.Donahue & S.College Street Next to Kinnucan's 334-502-9999 • www.marquirettes.com

99

Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 19, 2015

toomer’s

DUI reports

» From A1

attend the school as well.

“We’re really hopeful they go to Auburn,” Slaton said. “That would mean a lot to us.”

Slaton said he hopes Max, 5, and Lucy, 3, will appreciate being present for a major moment in Auburn history, even if they are too young to understand it at this time.

“If they grow up here and they end up going to Auburn, they’ll look back on this,” Slaton said. “How many kids can say, ‘I was there the day the old trees were rolled the last time, and I was there when the new trees were put in?’”

Champion said even if their children go to the University of Alabama, they will still have been present for a moment in Auburn history.

Frost Rollins, adjunct instructor of architecture, said her children were less interested in the Oaks than they were in Aubie and the chocolate ice cream she bought them.

Rollins said her twins, Rose and Farryn, 4, have a warped sense of other Auburn traditions.

“When we won the Iron Bowl, they went out on the field after the game,” Rollins said. “Rose was asleep, but Farryn was dancing around like crazy. So now, after every football game, they think that’s what happens. They don’t understand that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Feb. 9-15: Feb. 9 - Geoffery Favors, 58, E. Glenn Avenue, 3:07 a.m.

Feb. 12 - James Lester Evans, 62, S. College Street, 1:28 a.m.

Feb. 13 - Conner Patrick O’Brien, 49, Mell Street at Roosevelt Drive, 3:04 a.m.

- David Edwarda Core, 36, Pride Avenue at Booker Street, 10:20 p.m.

Feb. 14 - Jonathan Anderson Hester, 22, 100 block of N. College Street, 11:13 p.m.

Feb. 15 - Dawn Michelle Spurlock, 42, 1500 block of Marley Lane, 11:42 a.m.

- Jackson Nicholaus Stearns, 22, 1400 block of Richland Road, 3:25 a.m.

A full crime report provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety is available online at ThePlainsman.com.

–Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

moratorium » From A1

it is terminated or extended by action of the City Council, according to city documents.

Property owners, such as Chris Kearns of Badger Properties, who had come to the meeting, were displeased when it was passed.

“We had a multi-million dollar property that was under contract to be sold, and it was canceled by this,” Kearns said. “That’s a pretty big effect right there.”

Kearns said that he doesn’t know what his plan will be now, but that he is not happy about the moratorium passing.

Kearns said if the city proposes something different and doesn’t pass it, then there will more than six months wasted, because they all have to sign leases for another year.

Larry Gerber, proponent of the moratorium, said most of the multiunit housing being discussed was intended for students. Places such as Two 21 Armstrong and 160 Ross were

brought up repeatedly at the meeting, which both have completed or begun construction since 2006.

“Auburn University is not going to expand its student body beyond 25,000,” Gerber said. “I think the last thing we need is to overbuild multi-unit housing for students that aren’t going to be there and results in vacancies and lot of problems.”

Mark Fierro, sophomore in computer science, was concerned a moratorium would affect the liveliness of Auburn’s downtown.

“The effects of this moratorium will last a lot longer than six months,” Fierro said. “This vote could very well change where Auburn is going.”

Fierro voiced concern that developers will now start building farther away from the University, causing sprawl in the city. He discussed other Alabama cities, such as Mobile, which he said become ghost towns after 5 p.m.

“The effects of this moratorium could be very detrimental to the city’s development (and) deprive the city of hundreds of millions of tax dollars and

Jordan hays / Copy editor

Edna Earl Christmas (left) attends the planting of the new Oaks with her mother Edna Fellows Christmas (right). Edna Fellows is 101 years old and calls herself one of the oldest Auburn fans.

Rollins said she appreciates how well the University has turned around Toomer’s Corner by planting the Oaks.

“I think they’ve done a great job of turning it into something that invigorates everyone,” Rollins said.

Champion said she appreciates the tradition above all else.

“For us, it’s all about family tradition, and the Auburn Family is an extension of our family and always will be,” Champion said. “To be able to pass that on to (our kids) so they can have that kind of love from the beginning of their life — it’s important, at least to us.”

jobs that come about from the building of these units,” Fierro said.

Carolyn Carr, proponent of the moratorium, said they have had problems in their neighborhood after Two 21 Armstrong was built. Carr is the president of her neighborhood association located across the street of Two 21 Armstrong on Payne Street.

“We have people that are very interested in preserving some of the older historic buildings, because Payne Street actually is the oldest, still-in-town residential area,” Carr said.

Carr said she was not against students who live in their neighborhood or nearby, and that the problems they are having would exist even if Two 21 Armstrong were not filled with students.

“It’s just the traffic density and the drainage issues off of things built like that,” Carr said. “That problem would exist even if the students weren’t there.”

According to city documents, the purpose of the moratorium is so the city can conduct studies on land use,

“

It’s showing the Auburn spirit not to be denied.

We’re going to stay in there as a family and make it work.”

—Edna Earl Christmas

Auburn fan

Jim Little / community editor

160 Ross (above) is not included in the moratorium because it received a zoning certificate before Tuesday, Feb. 17.

zoning and the housing market.

City documents also said this is all to prevent future development from causing deterioration of existing neighborhoods, decreased property

values, increased demand for city services, traffic congestion, negative environmental and economic impacts, harm to the aesthetics of the city and to preserve the character of Auburn.

Rodeo » From A1

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the past two years. She said last year people consumed alcohol whether or not they were of legal age.

“I feel like it’s better that they’re making these changes, especially the drinking, but I also feel like it’s going to hurt them because people aren’t going to go because it’s strict now,” Strickland said. “People who can’t drink are probably not going to go, because that’s really what you go to do, basically. You go to drink.”

Unlike last year, Alpha Psi won’t provide bus transportation to and from the event because the larger size of this year’s location allows for more parking and the farther location made having buses impractical, according to Tanaka.

“Last year we had to utilize a bus system simply to get people on site and allow them to have a usable access route to our event,” Tanaka said. “The event was a lot closer and the bus route was a lot more practical, but this year we will not have transportation to the event.”

Though the absence of alternate transportation raises concerns about drunken driving after the event, Tanaka said Alpha Psi will try to compensate for the lack of buses.

“We want to reiterate a need for designated drivers and also not take away the personal responsibility of making good choices,” Tanaka said. “We would most certainly allow taxis access to our event should someone need a ride home if we couldn’t provide them a way home or if there was no other way. Just like years past, (attendees) will definitely be allowed to leave their cars onsite until noon the next day.”

Carson Pruitt, junior in

file photo

Students can ride and wrestle bulls at the Alpha Psi Rodeo. This year, the rodeo will be in Opelika.

undeclared science and math, went to the Alpha Psi rodeo last year. He said the removal of public transportation is “shafting students.”

“The fact that it’s all on you to find a designated driver — which is awesome — but it’s almost like they’re asking for DUIs if they’re not providing any transportation to and from [the event],” Pruitt said.

Tanaka said the fraternity is exploring alternatives to transportation, but is not ready to comment on specific considerations at this time.

Alpha Psi is working closely with the APD and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, according to Tanaka.

“They are going to be on the lookout a lot more than most students would think in years past for drinking and driving,” Tanaka said. “We’re going to do our best to cooperate with the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Division to have lit police cars stationed every halfmile or mile on the route back to Auburn.”

Tanaka said the change of restroom facilities this year arose from Alpha Psi and the University’s concern about the specific needs for different-sex bathrooms. There will be more portable restrooms scattered in multiple locations to evenly

distribute crowds.

“Having everyone in one area trying to use the restroom, some things could go wrong,” Tanaka said. “We just don’t want groupings of people where you could see any kind of behavior occur,” Tanaka said.

This year, no attendees will be allowed to enter the event in the truck bed of a vehicle, according to Tanaka.

“In our talks with the Police Division and sheriff of Lee County, we feel that it is safest that people come to our event inside of a car and with seat belts on,” Tanaka said. “That’s one thing we’re not going to stand for. You can be injured in a 5-mile-per-hour car wreck in the back of a pickup truck.”

Tanaka said safety measures are a major concern to Alpha Psi because they are directly involved with attendees.

“These are our Auburn brothers and sisters,” Tanaka said. “We don’t want to do anything that’s going to guide them in a direction to make poor decisions. We just want to encourage everyone to be mindful of their alcohol consumption, come out to have good time, be safe and make plans and considerations of their fellow peers.”

Rodeo will be held April 11.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Campus A3

The Auburn Plainsman

Student’s spicy script wins Doritos contest student spotlight

Kris Martins Campus Writer

Blending horror with comedy, Chad Oliver, junior in media studies, visual media option, scored his first script-writing award in a Doritos commercial contest.

Initially interested in competing in the 30-second Super Bowl commercial contest, Oliver also entered a 30-second commercial script for the Doritos Dinamita under the Doritos Legion of the Bold contest.

Though Oliver was not a finalist for the Super Bowl commercial, he was selected in early February as one of the three first-prize winners for his script, earning him $1,000.

Oliver said he received an email from Doritos about using his script for a second contest, which takes the script to the storyboarding phase.

The best storyboards will compete in the final contest, which will transform the storyboards for the screen.

Oliver described his commercial as “Fridaythe-13th style.”

In his script, a man with a chainsaw chases teenagers in a cabin. When the teenagers hide in the bathroom, one teen eats a Dorito Dinamita chip. He starts to sweat from the spiciness until the man with the chainsaw discovers them. The man puts down the chainsaw, takes off his mask and asks, “Are those Doritos?”

Oliver said the commercial concludes with

the logo and everyone having fun eating the chips.

“Since I want to be a screenwriter, and this is the first time I got paid to write a script, it tells that my idea was good enough to pay me $1,000,” Oliver said. “It was the first time I cheered when I was in a house alone.”

Oliver said his passion for film began before college.

“I’ve always loved working with cameras and just making little videos since I was a kid,” Oliver said. “If I could write or direct for movies, that’d be a dream come true.”

Oliver said he learned the correct format and strategies to organize his thoughts and write a full story for screenwriting in Anna Weinstein’s writing for TV and film class last semester.

“I wouldn’t be writing in my free time if it weren’t for her class and her guidance,” Oliver said. “I probably wouldn’t have entered this contest if it hadn’t been for learning the format from her.”

Weinstein, adjunct instructor in communication and journalism, said Oliver is entirely responsible for his success.

“One thing I love about Chad’s success is the fact that this script that won is a comedy script,” Weinstein said. “He was always so serious and studious in class. It just serves as a reminder that screenwriting is work. It’s a job. You don’t write a funny script by being a silly goofball. Humor is a skill that you develop and hone, just like any

The artistic side of science

ellen jackson / PHOTOGRAPHER

Doritos contest winner Chad Oliver draws up ideas for new scripts.

other skill.”

Will Runels, junior in finance, said he told Oliver about the Doritos Super Bowl contest and the two filmed the submission together.

“I never had an idea I thought was worth doing,” Runels said. “I’m more of the technical person. I do the computer program part of it, but Chad comes up with really good ideas.”

According to Runels, Oliver inserted his interests in the Dinamita script.

“When it comes to his creative skills, he draws from something he likes,” Runels said.

“He likes horror movies, and the contest he won looks like horror aspects mixed with Doritos.”

Oliver said he will begin storyboarding when Doritos officially announces the contest guidelines later this month.

“It’s definitely changed the way I see my future unfold,” Oliver said. “I might be looking for internships in ad agencies now, and that’s something I’ve never considered before. I’m considering commercials now since I’ve had a little bit of success in that — maybe pursing that as well.”

Parking

Andria Moore Intrigue writer

Khori Dunn, sophomore in the process of changing her major to interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in biology and art, first realized she could combine her two passions for art and medicine the summer before 11th grade during a forum on medicine at Emory University.

“We went in this room, and the teacher said, ‘Welcome to medical illustrations,’” Dunn said. “I had this eureka moment that this is what I wanted to do.”

Dunn’s mother is a teacher. Dunn said it is from her she learned to pay close attention to detail, which has allowed her to excel in her drawings.

“She always doodles in her anatomy notebook in class,” said Nnedi Obichi, Dunn’s roommate and sophomore in undeclared science and math.

“You can always tell when something is hers because she has her own unique style of drawing.”

Most schools in the United States do not offer an undergraduate degree in medical illustrations, so students such as Dunn, who wish to pursue this career, are forced to major in some form of medicine as well as art.

Brian Wilson, Dunn’s internship adviser, production director and senior medical illustrator for Nucleus Medical Media in Kennesaw, Georgia, said there are many different paths one can take with a degree in medical illustrations.

“We draw medical content: anatomical, physiological, pharmaceutical, et cetera, and then publishers buy our work,” Wilson said. “Medical illustrators originally worked in hospitals and would draw surgeries as they were happening to

ellen jackson / PHOTOGRAPHER

Khori Dunn, whose work is pictured above, said she hopes to someday make a career drawing for science textbooks.

use later for teaching purposes.”

At Nucleus Medical Media, Wilson said artists draw everything from medical procedures in hospitals to those injured in automobile accidents and educational illustrations.

Wilson said medical illustrators’ primary focus, however, is legal cases. Wilson and his team to re-create images used for court cases.

“Say someone is injured in an auto accident, or a doctor messes up a procedure and doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do,” Wilson said. “We can illustrate the incident to show what happened.”

Although Dunn said she enjoyed her time interning with Wilson’s company, she is not certain she would want to work on the legal side of medical illustrations.

“The legal side would be a lot of having to deal with people on a tight schedule and I’m not good at schedules,” Dunn

said. “I would rather do posters or textbooks or pamphlets because I just like labeling.”

Dunn said when explaining her major or future career paths to others, there is always one of three reactions.

“The first is that they’ve never heard of it, the second is that they know someone in the field too and the last is, ‘So you’re going to be drawing textbooks?’” Dunn said.

Dunn said what she loves most about becoming a medical illustrator is it puts a label on her passions of biology and art.

According to Wilson, she has just what it takes to succeed.

“She’s really smart, very talented and she has a great sense of design, especially with graphic images,” Wilson said. “We tend to be very literal and we don’t get a lot of artistic freedom, but Khori is able to add her own edge to her work.”

upcoming events

Dates to Remember: Thursday, Feb. 19 • African American History Bowl in Student Center Room 2222-2223 from 5-7 p.m.

• “Once Upon a Mattress” premieres in Telfair Peet Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 20 • Guest Artist Recital: Maggie Chen and Yu-Hsuan Liao at 7:30 p.m. in Goodwin Music Hall • Tiger Nights: Aubie in Wonderland from 7 p.m.-12 a.m. in the Student Center Saturday, Feb. 21 • Plant Invaders from a Different World at Donald E. Davis Arboretum at 8:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 • Auburn Sings from 7-9 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom Wednesday, Feb. 25 • Communication and Media Career Day in Student Center Ballroom at 8 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 26 • Multicultural Center Educational Series: “Beyond the Skin to the Content of Our Character” at 5 p.m. in Foy Auditorium • Cooking Workshop: Italian from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Spide Hall 238

RAYE MAy / CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

Parking hang tag prices have increased over the years for students.

Parking services officials explain

increase in student hang tag prices Tracy Awino

Campus Reporter

Auburn University Parking Services proposed an increase in the cost of permits for 2014-15 to make parking on campus more efficient and safer, according to Don Andrae, parking services manager.

Rob Garcia, student chair of the University Traffic and Parking committee and junior in finance, said the committee wants new parking areas on campus if parking permit prices are increased.

Garcia said the price of an A-Zone permit, given primarily to faculty and staff, should be increased if the prices for student parking permits increase.

“The next major expense that Parking Services is going to have, as far as building structures and what the University master plan indicates, is that it is going to benefit A-Zone pass holders, so when it comes to increasing hang tags, it needs to increase A-Zone,” Garcia said.

Andrae said for the permit year of 201112, the price for a proximate commuter parking pass and proximate resident parking pass was $160. A regular permit, such as A-Zone, cost $60.

In 2014-15, the permit prices were increased from $160-$180 and $60-$80 for proximate parking and regular parking, respectively, according to Andrae.

“By the increases of the past, we see that students are bearing all of the burden of any increased need for traffic and parking,” Garcia said. “And while we faced tuition increases in most of those four years and while we are looking ahead at probable tuition increase, it doesn’t make sense that student hang tags are continued to increase without A-Zone at least matching.”

The A-Zone permit holders do not have guaranteed parking spots, and they often have to come in early and stay during lunch periods to ensure they will still have a parking spot, according to Andrae.

“We need to be aware that in the next traffic and parking committee, I will be looking to limit how much more student hang tags [prices] can increase without A-Zone matching, and I’m hoping to rally student support behind it,” Garcia said.

“

We have over 6,000 faculty and staff and there are only 3,000 spaces for them.”

—Don Andrae

Parking services manager

Andrae said a percentage of the increase in the permit fees was going into the contingency fund to restore it to the level it needed to be.

The contingency fund is known as the “deferred maintenance” fund at Facilities. The deferred maintenance fund comes from the general fund of the University, which is used to perform general maintenance.

“Since I have been here, in the four years, we’ve changed numerous signs trying to make it easier to understand where to park, and in the past, all those signs that were requested by Parking Services came out of what we call the contingency fund,” Andrae said.

Andrae said the same space an individual is paying $180 for now was $30 three years ago.

“We have over 6,000 faculty and staff and there are only 3,000 spaces for them,” Andrae said.

Even though the proximate parking permitholders pay $180, they are still guaranteed a spot to park, unlike the spaces for RO, C, A and B, according to Andrae.

Andrae said faculty and staff would be willing to pay more for privileges proximate parking offers for students.

Allen Sutton, director of the Multicultral Center, said he thinks faculty and staff should be guaranteed parking because most commute to campus.

“I do think that, as a faculty or staff member, considering that a lot of us have to use our vehicles to come to campus, that we should be guaranteed a spot, especially something that is closer to where we are working or actually where we are participating on campus,” Sutton said.

Sutton said he would be fine with a price increases in faculty and staff passes so long as parking was guaranteed.

“I’m OK with paying more money if I know I have a spot,” Sutton said.

Campus A4

construction

student government

Resolution proposed to support free textbook plan for students Nicole Fulkerson Campus Reporter

Emily Engfinger / photo editor

The University plans on tearing down Fred Allison Laboratory, pictured above.

New academic complex to replace Parker Hall and Allison Laboratory Nicole Fulkerson Campus Reporter

At its most recent meeting, the Auburn Board of Trustees approved the initiation of a project to build a two-building academic and laboratory complex to replace Allison Laboratory and Parker Hall.

The buildings will be called the Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex and will serve as a part of the University’s master plan to enhance student success.

According to University architect Jim Carroll, the ACLC, along with the soon-to-come Mell Classroom Building, will help increase student engagement on campus.

“The reason we are adding these spaces is to increase the opportunity for student success,” Carroll said. “This project is transformative for Auburn University. The two-building complex will house classrooms and laboratories for the College of Sciences and Mathematics.”

Facilities Management underwent studies to determine which buildings on campus required the most maintenance and operation, and that was Allison Laboratroy and Parker Hall, according to Dan King, associate vice president for facilities. “(Allison and Parker) are in serious disrepair,” King said. “The new buildings that would go on that site can provide capabilities far in excess of what Parker and Allison can

currently provide the University.”

SGA president Logan Powell said the University will incorporate interactive-learning styles, such as easel learning.

“Easel-style is where you sit down at a round table with interactive maps and televisions,” Powell said. “It allows visually interactive learning, and I think COSAM students really desire that and want to see that from the campus.”

Carroll said this type of learning could change the landscape of how Auburn students learn.

“We wanted to reach out to the colleges and schools and see if they were able to rethink their classroom strategies and to see if they could utilize more problem-based and engaged learning,” Carroll said.

The University is now going through the selection process for a designer and a construction manager by interviewing potential firms.

“We are excited to start the next phase of work,” Carroll said. “We look forward to get our designers and our construction managers on board and make this project a reality for Auburn.”

A date has not been set for demolition, but the classrooms are planned to be ready for use by fall 2018.

“This is something that students can really benefit from,” King said. “It will bring great things to this university.”

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Thursday, February 19, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman

Auburn students may never have to pay for textbooks again if the latest bill proposed by the SGA senate passes.

At its meeting next Monday, Feb. 23, the SGA senate will vote on a proposed bill that could provide students with free or inexpensive online versions of textbooks.

Presented by senators Walker Byrd and Justin Mathews, the proposal would provide students with free or inexpensive “open textbooks” through nonprofit organization.

“We as students should have purchasing power of the books we buy, but we don’t,” Byrd said. “The professors require a book, and, often times, you have no control over how much that book is going to be.”

According to Byrd, 63 percent of students choose to not buy a textbook because of the cost.

“The average cost an Auburn student pays for textbooks is $1,200, and that’s only if they are taking 12 hours,” Byrd said. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between having to buy food and having to buy textbooks — they should have both.”

The proposal includes a plan to provide textbooks at a low

cost to all students.

“Open-education resourcses are teaching and learning materials that have been posted online under open licenses granted for everyone to use freely and legally,” Byrd said. “It levels the playing field so all students have the same opportunities.”

This would also benefit professors, Byrd said. “(Professors) can mix multiple open-education resources together to fit their needs,” Byrd said. “They have free reign to mix, distribute, amend or change anything in the book if they deem the material not fit for their class.”

However, according to Byrd, the resolution would cover only some, not all textbooks.

“As these nonprofits grow, they will hopefully start tapping into the higher-level textbooks, but right now it’s freshman- and sophomore-level courses,” Byrd said. “It wouldn’t be all textbooks.”

If passed, it will be taken to administration, according to Mathews.

“We will take it to University senate and then to higher administration,” Mathews said.

“We want to talk about how we can begin implementing this because it is a radical solution

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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Students dance at the second annual Yoga Rave on Monday, Feb. 16.

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to a big problem.”

Byrd said this decision could greatly benefit students of all backgrounds.

“This has the potential to totally transform student life at Auburn because it saves students a lot of money,” Byrd said.

In other senate news: - Passed a bill to request $300,000 of the student activities reserve fund to construct a student, faculty and alumni memorial.

At the Feb. 9 meeting, senate was presented with a project to build a student memorial on campus, remembering the students, faculty and alumni who have passed away.

The memorial would replace the existing Garden of Memory at the corner of Mell Street and Samford Avenue across the street from the President’s Mansion.

The next step is to present it to administration. and according to Byrd, they are already on board.

“We have pledges from the administration saying that they are in this too,” Byrd said.

“This will be something we tackle fairly soon as we step into office.”

- Passed a bill of the ratification of the School of Nursing’s council constitution.

Print Deadline Noon three business days prior to publication

Opinion

a5

Thursday, February 19, 2015

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

our view

We need to talk: it’s not us, it’s you Topic:

the university has announced plans to tear down parker hall and Allison laboratory

SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS

Viewpoint:

Responses to “OPINION: Student media is not your public relations firm”

we applaud the steps the university has made; now they should look to further campus

Mae Maragret Davis “I agree with everything said here about what purpose student media should serve, but I completely disagree with the statement “advertising is public relations.” Those of us who have degrees or are working towards degrees in public relations can tell you that PR and advertising are not the same. It is true that there are some jobs in the PR industry that require you to do some aspects of advertising, but to say “advertising is PR” is not entirely accurate, and if one of these groups were to hire a PR firm just looking for advertising, many of them would be disappointed.”

improvements The Auburn Board of Trustees has approved plans to demolish Parker Hall and Allison Laboratory as well as the construction of a new lab complex and classroom hall, which will be called academic classroom and laboratory complex.

The University plans to make the new classrooms and laboratories state-of-theart. Currently, the University is beginning the process of selecting architectural plans and project management firms.

While a demolition date has not been set, the new classrooms and labs are set to be ready in 2018.

We applaud the University for taking the first steps to improving classrooms with the destruction of Parker and Allison.

Parker and Allison, each built around the 1960s, are in serious disrepair.

At times, when it would rain, the ground floor of Parker would flood.

The Office of Information and Technology moved some offices from Parker into a new building, in part, because of the flooding.

The building itself was built on unstable ground and has begun to sink.

We will not miss sitting in the dingy lighting of a poorly ventilated classroom.

As the University readies itself to make these changes, they should look forward to further improvements on buildings around campus.

We recognize that demolition is not always the answer, and at times, refurbishing

Nora Bahr “Well said Kyle!”

Kelsey Gainer / graphic designer

or a simple paint job is all a building needs.

Asbestos and mold are problems bigger than a paint job, but both can be fixed without demolition.

With Parker and Allison, however, the buildings are so old and damaged that demolition is the only option.

While Haley Center will be a massive project because of it’s size, location and number of classrooms and offices inside, needs construction work badly.

We have seen classrooms in Haley that has been taped off with plastic coverings as workers pass through in hazmat suits to clean out asbestos.

The Hill dorms, as well, have mold and need more renovation.

According to the Auburn Villager, the Hill was last renovated more than 20 years ago.

Plans to renovate the Hill have been set to happen in four sections each taking approximately one year to complete, but only funding for the first section has been secured.

Staff members who lived in the Hill dorms have seen visible mold growing in between the heaters and in the bathrooms.

In comparison to the new South Donahue dorms and the Village complex, the

question of the week: Do you think the University should make further plans to renovate around campus?

Yes, we need a lot of improvement

Responses to “Chicken Salad Chick is now open in Foy Hall ”

Pia Kulakowski “By that logic, how could they ignore the all the demands to return Einstein’s bagels?”

Responses to “Parker Hall and Allison Laboratory will be replaced with new academic complex” @maryfkathryn “@TheAUPlainsman PRAISE DA LORD”

No, our buildings are fine Who cares? I’m graduating

Vote online at ThePlainsman.com Hill looks like a set from a horror movie.

The University has approved plans to demolish arguably the worst buildings on campus, and we consider this a great advancement, but they should not stop the construction and improvements around campus.

This is just the first step towards improvement.

@dbauburnfan “@TheAUPlainsman since Parker Hall be gone does that mean we can erase my calc 1 grade too it will be a rebuilding benefitting everyone!” @BobbyofHomewood “@TheAUPlainsman @AuburnU It’s about time. Worst time of my life was summer of ‘95 Calculus in Parker Hall. #AirConditioningRoulette” @Go_For_Grounds “@TheAUPlainsman @AuburnU Finally.” @AU_History “@TheAUPlainsman @AuburnU @EnfingerPhotoAU @N_ Fulky Good riddance.”

her view

Auburn Family slogan simply doesn’t hit home Kris Martins campus@theplainsman. com

We don’t define our realities from the beginning. Our families train the eyes that see right from wrong, they shape the mouth that learns what is appropriate and what is best left unsaid and they try their best to position the feet that eventually walk to what we would define as a successful life.

Isn’t that what family means — shelter, support, belonging and love? Some would say yes, but there are many sides Auburn omits from its popular label, “Auburn Family.”

On photos dressed with waving orange and blue shakers, posters scattered in the hands of football fans and on navy T-shirts, the words “Auburn Family,” “Family All In” and “Welcome Home” enforce the idea that Auburn University is a second family to anyone who decides they want some association with the University. This may give students a sense of belonging,

especially during the first semester or year in a new place, and I believe Auburn wants to create a positive image for students to walk into, but can Auburn really earn the title of family in peoples’ lives just by saying so?

When I was looking for a college to choose, I heard and read so much about this “Auburn Family.” I heard it as a sales pitch. I knew it was an attempt at persuasion, but it lacked sincerity to me.

I wasn’t looking for another family, so I didn’t want to be part of the “Auburn Family.”

Rather, I wanted to be a part of “Auburn University.” A family can’t be bought with tuition, scholarships, good test scores or essays. Families don’t get to approve their members. The relationship of school as family was implausible to me, and that “family” as a sea of orange and blue in a football stadium even more so.

Though I think it’s a brilliant marketing attempt to associate college and family, and I see parallels between the two — learning, growing, belonging — I think the phrase misses the mark.

Perhaps family is the wrong word.

Why is it that we don’t call it the family of the United States, the family of Alabama or the family of the human race? One distinguisher may be

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

Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on Monday for publication.

Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.

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Jim Little

Family implies we choose to be selfless for people we love — we accept the secrets, the achievements and the failures. It is a selfless life.

It is a daunting task. It requires honesty.

There is a difference between being a student and a family member, a fan and a family member or a graduate and family member.

The Auburn Family is a reality I believe is well meant by the University, but it is a marketing slogan. It is used to construct the reality that if you join the University, if you have the slightest association with Auburn, you are a part of the family.

But it is impossible for Auburn University to love you. Auburn University cannot cry with you; it cannot empathize. It’s simply too large.

Though Auburn University can’t provide families, it can foster family-like connections. We often find neighbors, brothers, sisters and life-long friends to support us.

Those should be appreciated at another level while we save family for where it belongs in the hierarchy of relationships.

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that I’ve disagreed with each others’ beliefs and activities, and people are reluctant to try to understand one another like a family would.

Also, families aren’t large scale. They’re intimate. True relationships and trust are found in the smaller places of a family and are earned over time.

These are traits a university cannot achieve, no matter how many of us love what we’re studying or the sports teams or our organizations.

There are stark divides, or cliques, in large groups. We either bud off into our own smaller cluster or we never quite find our niche. Nevertheless, Auburn University students share a similar foundation: the University. Which is what defines a community, rather than a family.

We’re also in families because that’s what we’re born into. Over time, we have associated the people who have invested time and energy and, quite literally, DNA into who we are as our family. It cannot be forced upon us the moment we step on a college campus.

Just because we choose Auburn University does not mean we choose to devote our lives and energy into every aspect of the school. That’s impossible.

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Community Thursday, February 19, 2015

A6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

Plans take shape for new high school

City

housing

Pierce Ostwalt Community Writer

Auburn City Schools has been working to solve the issue of future student growth for quite some time.

The solution to this problem is coming in the form of the new Auburn High School, which is projected to be complete in April 2017, with classes starting in August 2017.

“The system started really looking at how to approach the student enrollment growth,” said Karen DeLano, superintendent of Auburn City Schools. “In the fall of 2012, we hired a facility planning group to work with us. They brought some demographers and did a growth study.

What we suspected and were able to confirm is that we had grades six-12 with their buildings reaching capacity.”

According to a growth study conducted by the city, in the 2004-05 school year, there were 5,046 students. In 2012-13, there were 7,422, with today’s number reaching more than 8,100 total students in the system.

“Auburn is the fastest growing school district in the past five years in the state,” said Daniel Chesser, public relations specialist for the Auburn City School’s board of education. “It’s a good and bad problem to have.”

Student enrollment growth for the City of Auburn has grown in recent years and trends show no intention of the growth rate slowing, according to DeLano.

“In 10 years, we’ve grown by 3,000, and that’s pretty significant, in my opinion,” DeLano said. “We’ve had three different studies done.

Usually, when you get a growth study, they will level off somewhere and you can expect for it to stop. None of the three indicates that (the growth rate) is going to slow down.”

The planning stages of the new building are slightly ahead of schedule, according to DeLano, but no physical progress can be seen.

“Site work could start as early as next month,” said Matt Clegg, president of the board of education. “The architect is still finalizing plans for the building, and we expect actual construction of the building to start later this year.”

The new school will be located on Samford

Kris sims / multimedia editor

Approximately 600 residents live at Tiger Lodge.

Tiger Lodge has meeting Jim Little

Community Editor

Contributed by the city of Auburn

A site plan shows what Auburn High School’s new campus could look like once it’s completed in April 2017.

Avenue next to the Church of the Highlands.

The school board is also pursuing the possibility of offering several new curriculum options the current high school does not offer.

Some of the new potential programs being discussed by the board include aviation, pre-engineering and bio-medical science programs, depending on feedback from students.

Future design plans also include more efficient use of technology such as, smart TVs, allowing students a modern learning experience, according to Clegg.

“We want to have space be flexible to accommodate modern classroom technology,” Clegg said. “We are looking for a building that will stand the test of time and have flexible space that can be adapted to how education will be delivered over the next 50-75 years.”

DeLano and the board are also working to keep the new building as environmentally friendly as possible and are seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to Delano, at two well-attended community forums discussing the topic citizens were asked to take an online survey from

which two things were learned: the community only wants one high school and the community thinks 3,000 students in one building would be too crowded.

“The community has pretty much stood firm that they only want one high school,” DeLano said. “We have had a lot of discussions about what happens when this high school gets full.

The new high school will hold 2,200 students, but we know that by 2024, we will have 1,000 students per grade level.”

The current Auburn City Schools buildings will still be used in addition to the new building, but the grade levels in each will be reallocated to provide the most comfortable and efficient learning environment for the students.

“We want to stay true to the community roots — the Auburn High School tradition,” Chesser said.

With the student enrollment growth rate on the rise, school board officials will have to face the issue of creating a second high school again in the near future.

“Within the next eight years, we may have to build a second high school, but we’re not planning seriously on that yet,” DeLano said.

Safety was the primary topic discussed at a residents’ meeting held at Tiger Lodge apartment complex on West Longleaf Drive on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

The meeting was the first one held since the formation of a resident task force after the Dec. 14, 2014, shooting that killed Auburn football player Jakell Mitchell.

Mark Evans, public relations manager for Tiger Lodge with Threshold Agency, said approximately 20 residents came to the meeting out of the approximately 600 total residents.

Evans said they plan to hold meetings with residents at least once per semester.

“The big issues we hit on tonight were the courtesy [security] patrols,” Evans said. “We talked about the front gates, some new things we’re doing there.”

Evans said they also talked about their policies, such as a zero-tolerance policy for drug use.

Representatives from the Auburn Police Division gave residents saftety tips at the meeting.

Tiger Lodge staff will also look at police reports for any indication residents have violated their lease, according to Evans.

“Some people may say you can go and rebrand the property,” Evans said. “In my mind, that doesn’t solve the problem. The way you truly solve the problem is you fix the issues.”

housing

Lee County Habitat For Humanity to complete 60th house Kailey Miller

Community Reporter

Lee County Habitat For Humanity will be dedicating their 60th housing project to a family Thursday, Feb. 19. The recipients of the home are Lakeasha Wright and her 13-year-old son Lecorious Wright.

“We’re a nonprofit Christian housing ministry,” said Mark Grantham, executive director for Lee County Habitat For Humanity. “We partner with others in our community to sponsor and build homes.”

The East Alabama Medical Center Cornerstone Foundation was one of the sponsors for the house. Lakeasha works in medical records at EAMC. The other sponsor for the home was WeHelp Coalition of Auburn Churches.

“We’ve been able to partner with others and help 60 families realize the dream of home ownership here in our community,” Grantham said.

Lakeasha said they are staying in an apartment complex in Opelika until they can move into the house after the dedication.

Lakeasha also said she thinks their lives will change a lot after they move.

“I will be a homeowner,” Lakeasha said. “It’s

emily enfinger / photo editor

A new home, built by local volunteers, is ready for a family to move in on Luverne Avenue on Thursday, Feb. 19.

something new, and you don’t really know what it’s like until you become one.”

Grantham said they look at three basic criteria for the recipients of the homes.

“We look at the need of the family, what’s their current housing situation look like,” Grantham said. “We look at their ability to partner with us because the family has to volunteer and contrib-

ute 500 volunteer hours to work on other homes, as well as their home to qualify for our program.

We look at their ability to re-pay a loan. Once we build a home, we turn around and sell it to the family at a no-interest mortgage.”

Grantham said they must be able to afford a $350-per-month house payment.

Grantham said Habitat for Humanity does not

discriminate against individuals because they are an equal-opportunity housing builder. Most of their houses are built for families, but they have built homes for individuals as well.

“I put in work, and I put in my hours at the house also, so I was around to see it progress from the ground up,” Lakeasha said.

Lakeasha said she is looking forward to not renting anymore. Lecorious said he is excited about the yard, and having a three-bedroom house with his own bathroom.

“It’s a blessing because I don’t think it would have been possible for me to get a house if it wasn’t for them,” Lakeasha said. “It’s an opportunity for me to get one of my dreams accomplished — to own a house.”

The dedication ceremony for the house is at 614 Luverne Ave. and will begin at 1:30 p.m.

“I thought it would be a fun experience,” Lecorious said about when he first learned they would be working with Habitat For Humanity. “They’re very friendly.”

Grantham said they had many Auburn University students helped in the building of this home.

Students who want to volunteer for Habitat For Humanity can email Grantham at mark.a.grantham310@gmail.com.

Education

Community theatre gives college students chance to teach acting Rachel King

Community Writer

Stage lights set the scene as actors take the stage. Music cues, and the show begins.

The Auburn Area Community Theatre is devoted to bringing popular productions to life, and that takes a lot of people willing to volunteer their time, according to Melanie Brown, children’s program director.

“We love it when the college students get involved,” Brown said. “In the children’s classes, you can see the instant look of awe on their faces when the college kids are teaching.”

Auburn theatre majors have the opportunity to teach alongside instructors, such as Brown in acting classes for children ages 9-12.

Gabriella Anderson, senior in musical theatre, and has been working with the children’s classes for several months.

“It’s great being able to share what I love with kids who might not have experience with acting outside of these classes,” Anderson said.

Anderson said teaching the classes helps further her career by giving her experience.

Teaching to others helps learning, and it’s also

a nice way to get away from the busy schedule of classes, according to Anderson.

“We did ‘Hairspray’ not too long ago, and the University students came in to help us,” said Andrea Holliday, artistic director for AACT. “They made it a spectacular show, especially the dance numbers.”

However, there are many other ways for students not involved with the arts to get involved.

Directing, lighting, costume and set design, as well as auditioning for upcoming shows, are a few ways Auburn students can get involved with the community, according to Holliday.

Holliday said community theater is a great way to feel at home for those who have theater experience and those who don’t.

“We have a lot of fun here,” Holliday said.

“We are just a big family, and it’s easy to participate.”

The theatre works around class schedules, according to Holliday, who said working with Auburn students has been a pleasure because of how well-rounded the student body is.

“Whatever time and talents you have to offer, we’ll love you,” Holliday said.

emily enfinger / photo editor

Gabriella Anderson, senior in musical theatre, leads a children’s class at the Auburn Area Community Theatre.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Community A7

The Auburn Plainsman

events

New Oaks usher in clean start for Toomer’s Corner Ashtyne Cole

Community Writer

For the first time in almost two years, Toomer’s Corner no longer looks as if it’s missing something.

Four years ago, the trees were poisoned in an act of vandalism, and on April 20, 2013, the Auburn Family gathered together, more than 83,000 strong, to participate in “One Last Roll.”

With the removal of the trees, rolling plans were altered. The University and the City of Auburn worked together to bring a rolling alternative for fans.

Two cables were constructed and hung from the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue.

Construction on the new Samford Park and a revision of Toomer’s Corner began.

The construction ended in August 2014, and the news that new trees would be coming to the corner began to spread.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, two carefully chosen trees were planted into the fresh, untainted soil.

Fans from old to young gathered around the trees with looks of admiration and hope that these two trees would last.

To Gary Keever, professor of horticulture, the hardest part was deciding what trees would be chosen.

“It was a very involved process, and so many people were willing to donate trees from all over the country,” Keever said. “We decided to go with live oaks, the same as the original trees, and we chose three trees out of 9,000.”

The current trees that have been planted are 35 feet tall and 30 feet wide. They are approximately 15 years old, compared to the original oaks, which Keever said were approximately 85 years old.

Now that the oak trees have been planted, the main issue is their protection.

“We’re trying to get the word out that rolling of the new trees will not begin until the fall of 2016,” said Mike Clardy, director of communications and media relations. “It’s a good day for Toomer’s Corner having the trees back, and we want to protect them as much as possible.”

The University will remain in charge of cleaning the trees after rolling, but some changes will be implemented.

“In the interim, any rolling that occurs off campus will be cleaned up by the city as it has always been with a combination of washing, street sweeping and specialized tools for collecting paper,” said David Dorton, director of public affairs.

According to Clardy, the plans of rolling cleanup have not been finalized, but the technique of pressure-washing will be opted out for hand cleaning.

“We want to see how the trees are acclimating,

ALL PHOTOS BY Jordan Hays / copy editor

TOP: A new oak arrives at Toomer’s Corner. BOTTOM LEFT: Workers remove excess dirt after planting the Oaks. BOTTOM RIGHT: Aubie holds a twig off an oak.

so we will be cleaning the trees by hand,” Clardy said. “Sure, it will take longer to clean them by hand, but their safety is our first priority.”

Originally, a company in Montgomery cleaned the trees.

“They would use a fire hose equipped with an adjustable nozzle that we decided on in 2008,” Keever said. “They used lower pressure on the lower limbs and high pressure on the top limbs to minimize damage or plant loss.”

According to Keever, whether the trees are rolled before 2016 will depend on how the trees appear, and the University will decide between hand removal or pressure washing.

The next phase of downtown renovations will include improvements at the intersection of Samford Avenue and College Street and improvements around the historic train depot.

A citywide celebration will be held downtown on A-Day in April 18 to celebrate the return of

the trees, and, afterward, more renovations of Toomer’s Corner and the intersection will be added. The renovations will include a permanent tiger paw that will be stamped on the street and 30 new trees, planted from the acorns of the original Oaks.

“We have been waiting four years for the trees to return,” Keever said. “We look forward to celebrating with Toomer’s Corner back to the way it is supposed to be.”

The t’s Secre t Ou

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

contributed by stephanie Weldon

Two children play together at The Little H.A.P.I.E.Tree Preschool, which hopes to raise at least $10,000 Feb. 27.

Learning Tree to host fundraiser Kailey Miller

Community Reporter

The Learning Tree, Inc. is having the Boots and Bow Ties Gala to raise money for their local preschool, The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool in Auburn.

The preschool is part of The Learning Tree, which is a residential program for children with intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviors, according to Whitney Hester, regional director of The Learning Tree.

“Three kids live in each home, and we focus a lot on community inclusion, getting them out and doing things in the community,” Hester said.

“We also have a school, so they come to our school.”

Hester said they do activities with the children, such as grocery shopping, bowling, going to the movies and taking them to get their hair cut.

The residents in the residential locations must be between 6-21 years old. For younger children, there is a preschool.

Hester said the preschool in Auburn relies heavily on fundraisers for their expenses.

“Here at The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool, we provide

preschool services for the kids in the Auburn city school district who have developmental disabilities and need some services to hopefully try to catch up to typical peers by the time they get to kindergarten,” said April Rapp, director of the preschool. “We’re a partnership between The Learning Tree, Auburn City Schools and through Auburn University. We have a number of partnerships where students come out and provide support as well.”

Hester said the preschool has opportunities for Auburn University students to help through an undergraduate practicum in the psychology department and service-learning students from the education department.

Students can attend the gala to meet some of the parents of the children who attend the preschool.

The Boots and Bow Ties Gala will be Friday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Lazenby Farm.

Tickets are $50 per person, and they include dinner, beer, wine, musical entertainment, a silent auction and competitive card games.

“This is the first one we’ve done,” said Stephanie Weldon, resource development coordi-

nator with The Learning Tree.

“We’re going to try to do it every year.”

Weldon said the event will have a variety of food, such as pork tenderloin, shrimp and grits, roasted veggies, shrimp fritters, mashed potato bar and chicken bites.

Hester said the attire for the event is casual chic rustic.

“I think that the inspiration for the theme really came from Lazenby Farm,” Hester said.

“It’s a really good venue. We’re really excited to have the gala out there.”

Weldon said they were looking for a rustic atmosphere for the event and that she fell in love with the Lazenby Farm setting when she saw it.

Weldon said being their first time doing the fundraiser, they hope to raise at least $10,000 for the preschool.

“I am most looking forward to really taking an opportunity to just teach people, educate people about what it is that we do in a fun and casual environment,” Hester said.

All of the proceeds at the event will go to benefit The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool and the residential school in Tallassee.

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Intrigue Thursday, February 19, 2015

A8 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

student spotlight

From diapers to desks: single mothers as students

Andria Moore Intrigue writer

Moriah Gilbertson, freshman in undeclared science and math, planned to go to college. She planned to major in medicine, make new friends and obtain her dream job as a radiologist.

She never expected she would be doing all of that while also caring for her 1-year-old daughter, Elliyah.

“I wanted to have kids later, after I finished college,” Gilbertson said.

“She just came a little early.”

For Gilbertson, a typical day consists of waking up at 6:30 a.m., getting bottles ready, changing and dressing Elliyah, dropping her off at day care at 7:30 a.m. and then going to class.

After a full day, with studying between classes on campus, Gilbertson picks up her daughter from day care and heads home to get ready for her night job at Tiger Town.

“If I didn’t have her, I would probably just work whenever I wasn’t in school,” Gilbertson said. “Right now, I have to work my schedule around her.”

Ellen Abell, extension specialist and associate professor in human development and family studies, said children raised by one parent have the potential to be as successful as those raised by two.

“A child’s needs are the same,” Abell said. “The opportunity to spend time with someone who loves you— there’s no substitute for that.”

Kate Thornton, director of global education and the hunger and sustainability initiative, is an example of how successful one can be as a single parent.

Thornton adopted her two sons from Ethiopia a few years ago against advice from some of her friends.

“Everyone was trying

to give me an intervention,” Thornton said. “I felt like God had told me to do it and he would take care of me.”

Thornton also said she felt because she was working, earning her graduate degree and chose to have children, her situation was probably different than other single mothers, such as Gilbertson, who were unexpectedly thrust into motherhood.

Late-night study sessions are no longer the only thing keeping Gilbertson awake.

“I used to be up all night, especially if Elliyah was sick,” Gilbertson said.

“It is hard to keep my eyes open in class sometimes.”

According to Abell, the key to difficult parenting situations such as these is to have an effective and loving support system, something these two mothers have in common.

“The relationship is not just between the parent and the child,” Abell said. “You also have to ask, is the University being supportive? Are the professors and students supportive and understanding of problems that may arise? And what is their family network like?”

Thornton’s network has been her friends, family and now-husband, who legally adopted her two sons after their marriage. Gilbertson said her support has come primarily from her mother and friends, who she said do whatever they can to help.

“My mom does help me a lot, especially when I go to work at night,” Gilbertson said. “And my friends are all coming for Elliyah’s first birthday party next week.”

Abell said one of the most important factors to remember in these two particular situations is both Gilbertson and Thornton are working hard to do what’s best for their children.

“The fact that they are in college and going to school is a very positive and supportive aspect,” Abell said.

“And their opportunities are greater to provide for their children.”

Gilbertson said although she would probably be working more and leading a more normal life had she not become a mother, she feels Elliyah makes her a better person.

“I feel like she motivates me to work harder and do better in school because I want to be able to give her everything I can,” Gilbertson said.

photos by ellen jackson / photographer

Moriah Gilbertson (above), freshman in undeclared science and math, said her mother and friends help her care for Elliyah, her 1-year-old daughter (left).

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Intrigue A9

The Auburn Plainsman

alumni

Graduate collects donations to bring pet rabbit home

Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor

When Bassma Omar came to the United States in 2012, she said the culture shock was tough.

She had to leave behind her friends, family and everyone she knew back home in Kurdistan, Iraq.

Omar was studying for her master’s degree in civil engineering at Auburn. After returning to Auburn from a trip home to visit her family, she said she walked into a pet store on a whim.

When Omar saw a small, 10-week-old Netherland dwarf rabbit, she took him home that day and named him Oreo.

Omar’s friends said the two were inseparable. “(Omar) treated him as her son,” said Suning Zhu, graduate student in business and friend of Omar. “Oreo is a part of her life. I think she cannot live without him.”

However, Omar and Oreo are currently separated by more than 6,000 miles.

Omar, who came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship, had to return to Iraq without Oreo.

Haitham Eletrabi, Omar’s friend and post-doctorate researcher in civil engineering, said he and Omar spent a month researching a way for her to fly home with her pet rabbit, but there were no options.

Eletrabi is running a campaign on Indiegogo. com to raise $1,400 to send Oreo home to Omar through an animal shipping company. He has raised $428 so far. The campaign ends Feb. 22.

“The cause itself might not be as strong as, say, a dog that has cancer, but the point is that the pain of the separation is real for the rabbit and for Bassma,” Eletrabi said. “Other stuff might be proclaimed as worth more, but this is big for both

of them. Think of it as being separated from a family member.”

Eletrabi said Omar and Oreo were like family when they were together. Omar would keep the door to his cage open, allowing the rabbit to wander freely around her apartment.

According to Eletrabi, Oreo would usually use his freedom to follow Omar everywhere.

“This is really close, even for a rabbit,” Eletrabi said.

Omar said she even took Oreo to the park on a leash and let him run around, though Eletrabi said Oreo would stick close by Omar.

With his owner gone, Eletrabi said he’s been doing his best to take care of Oreo. He said this task has its own challenges, as Oreo has many personality quirks.

Eletrabi said the rabbit has different moods and refuses to play except on his own time. He is also a picky eater and will not eat carrots, though he loves snacking on exposed wires. Eletrabi said he has had to hide all the wires in his home.

However, Eletrabi said he can only take care of Oreo until he has to leave the United States.

He hopes to ship Oreo back to Omar before then.

“I hope the Auburn Family will help reunite Oreo with his mom again,” Eletrabi said. “He was her family here, and I’m sure it will be great having him back home. I can feed him, I can be there for him, but I can’t love him as much as she does.”

Omar said she hopes to achieve her goal of bringing Oreo home with her.

“I wasn’t aware of animals’ value until I had Oreo,” Omar said. “Oreo taught me really how precious they are.”

The campaign is at igg.me/at/oreo.

emily enfinger / photo editor

Bassma Omar said she liked to take her rabbit Oreo (above) to the park to let him run around.

environment

app of the week

STOP SHOUTING! Human noise stresses out fish Anne Dawson

Intrigue Writer

Just like people, loud noises stress out fish, according to Carol Johnston, professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences.

According to The New Yorker, the French scientist Étienne Lombard studied the effects of noise on human hearing in the early 1900s.

His findings, called the Lombard effect, suggest when noise is increased, human speech volume increases.

Since then, those findings have been extended.

Johnston said she specializes in researching the behavioral ecology and conservation of fish.

Johnston said she has studied the Lombard effect and how sound affects fish for 20 years, looking at how increased volume affects stress hormones in fish and believes traffic noise caused by humans results in higher stress levels in fish.

Johnston said loud noises alter the fishes’ hearing in a negative way.

“It’s like when you go to a rock concert,” Johnston said.

Johnston said anthropogenic, or human-generated, noise is a stressor for fish.

Fish that live near bridges are constantly stressed out, Johnston said, be-

cause they are always hearing the noise from passing cars on the roads.

Zhanjiang Liu, Associate Vice President for Research and Associate Provost of the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said the research Johnston is doing and the discoveries she has made are beneficial to everyone.

“Studying ecology is important to study so we can detect language and problems,” Liu said.

To do the research, Johnston used underwater microphones and a cortisol assay to measure hormone levels.

One experiment to test the effects of volume was conducted by Jenna Crovo, graduate student in fisheries allied aquacultures.

Crovo said she took recordings of traffic noise and looped it in the experiment. She played this sound for a group of blacktail shiners and measured the cortisol hormone content in them.

The fish hormones passed from the gills into the water, according to Crovo. She said she measured the cortisol in the water using the enzyme immunoassay, a biochemical test to measure the concentration of a substance.

Crovo discovered the hormone levels in the fish had increased.

Next, she played the loop for two hours. She said the fish began to lose their hearing and could not hear other specific sounds they could before.

This was tested by first playing the traffic noise.

After listening to the traffic noise, she had to increase the volume so the fish could hear it.

The experiment took place last summer and lasted several months.

The experiment tested the effects after only two hours. Crovo said she was not sure if the pattern would continue after that.

“We want to see what happens from there,” Crovo said.

Liu said the research could potentially help the researchers manage the species of fish and how they react to noise.

When it comes to how fish respond to anthropogenic noise, Liu said, the more they know, the better.

According to Liu, future studies would come closer to fixing the negative impacts humans are having on fishes’ hearing.

Photos contributed by Carol Johnston

Carol Johnston conducts a survey on the endangered boulder darter fish in Shoal Creek.

Kyle Nazario / intrigue editor

Duolingo tracks your daily language-learning progress.

Learn foreign languages quickly with Duolingo Kyle Nazario intrigue@

theplainsman. com

After years of letting my high school Spanish wither away, I decided to give it a boost with Duolingo. The app has a great deal of critical praise and popularity for being an easy way to learn a new language.

Duolingo offers common Western languages, such as Spanish, French and German.

The company is working on more courses in Turkish, Hungarian and Vietnamese.

The app is a great way to learn some basic foreign language skills, especially if a user is starting from scratch.

While learning a European language is less useful in the English-speaking United States, knowing a little bit can be a godsend while traveling. What was left of my high school Spanish saved me from spending the night in a Madrid bus terminal when I visited Spain last year.

Duolingo uses great app design to make the learning process as painless as learning a foreign language can be. It uses a simple, clean interface to alleviate confusion and focus on learning.

Learning takes place through foreign-language exercises in interactive form. Users transcribe spoken phrases, translate short sentences and build vocabulary skills.

Duolingo reminds you every day to practice for 10 minutes to build comprehension. Us-

ers who stick with it can learn a surprising amount.

This is the hard part, of course. Duolingo eases the pain of learning a foreign language, but it does not take it away entirely. The user is still being taught and forced to think.

Learning and translating sentences is an active experience that requires engagement.

For users hooked on the passive entertainment of Yik Yak and Twitter — myself included — this is a noticeable change.

I confess I found myself turning off Duolingo’s notifications after a few sessions so I could study in peace. When I have 15 minutes between classes, I’d rather take a break from learning instead of memorizing more information.

Speaking of which, Duolingo lacks a lot of the rigor of traditional language classes. The user’s motivation and the app’s daily prodding are the only pushes to learn. After a while, memorizing verbs got old.

Still, people with more motivation to learn can get a lot out of Duolingo. The app is beautifully designed and does a great job teaching users the basics of a language.

The app’s creators also deserve praise for their ingenious approach to monetization.

Duolingo is free for users — no upfront cost or in-app purchases. In return, users translate strings of text for outside clients during learning exercises.

Duolingo is available for Android and iOS. Kyle Nazario is the intrigue editor for The Plainsman. He can be reached at intrigue@ theplainsman.com.

Sports

A10

Thursday, February 19, 2015

scoreboard M. basketball (12-14, 4-9)

ThePlainsman.com

Raising the bar

football

Sports

opinion

LAST WEEK Loss vs. Alabama, 79-68 Win at Georgia, 69--68 UPCOMING Feb. 21 at Kentucky Feb. 24 vs. LSU

emily enfinger / photo editor

Auburn guard Antoine Mason catches his breath during the second half of the Tigers’ loss to Texas A&M. Mason and the Tigers have lost five consecutive home games after a hot start in the Auburn Arena.

W. basketball (9-16, 0-12)

File photo

The Auburn University Marching Band performs in Jordan-Hare Stadium during a 2014 regular-season game. In addition to a new scoreboard, a new audio system and updated public address system have been approved for construction.

LAST WEEK Loss vs. Arkansas, 54-36 Loss at Missouri, 59-49 UPCOMING Feb. 19 vs. Ole Miss Feb. 22 at Georgia

Gymnastics (3-3)

RECENT Loss vs. LSU 197.350-197.300 UPCOMING Feb. 20 at Missouri Feb. 27 vs. Georgia

Swimming and diving

Jacobs: Stadium renovation aimed at improving overall fan experience David McKinney Assistant Sports Editor

Big changes are coming to Auburn: a massive video board for Jordan-Hare Stadium and renovations to many parts of the stadium.

Jay Jacobs, Auburn’s athletic director, said these changes are the product of the desire to give Auburn students, fans and alumni exactly what he thinks they deserve.

“Our students, student athletes, fans and Auburn people deserve the best,” Jacobs said.

With regard to the video board, Jacobs said as soon as he knew the opportunity to have the biggest board in college football was on the table, he jumped on it.

“I asked the video board people, ‘With our current structure that we have in the south end zone, how big of a board can we put in that structure?’”

Jacobs said. “They came back and said, ‘We can do one approximately 190-200 feet [wide], 50-60 feet tall.’

They said it would be the biggest in college football, so I said, ‘Let’s do that.’”

The Auburn Board of Trustees approved the board last week and will cost an estimated $13.9 million, which will be paid first by the University, then reimbursed by athletics.

Even with the price, Jacobs said he hasn’t received any negative feedback.

“Nobody has said (the board isn’t a necessity),” Jacobs said. “The SEC

“

It’s really not an expense.

It’s an investment. We’re one of the few schools in the nation that played in front of a sold out crowd every ball game.”

—Jay Jacobs

auburn athletic director

file photo

did a survey, and there were 60 different criteria, and Auburn met or exceeded expectations from fans on all but four.”

Those four that did not meet or exceed fans’ expectations included the video board and public address system in Jordan-Hare, which Jacobs said the installation of the new board will resolve.

“That price tag addresses both of those,” Jacobs said. “It’s not just a video board, but it’s also a new sound system, so we’re responding in a proactive way to the requests and desires of the Auburn Family. We’re doing exactly what the fans have asked to do.”

Jacobs also said with the Auburn faithful staying so loyal to the program, the program owes fans everything they can give them.

“It’s really not an expense,” Jacobs said. “It’s an investment. We’re one of the few schools in the nation that

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs gives a speech in 2013.

played in front of a sold out crowd every ball game. We don’t have a problem like some of these other schools do about begging our students to come to games and stay. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure that continues to happen.”

The board will be up by next fall for the start of the 2015 football season.

In more immediate changes, Jacobs said the two oak trees that were placed in Toomer’s Corner on Saturday, Feb. 14 will help Auburn fans and students move on after the original trees were poisoned in 2010.

“These trees exemplify what Auburn is all about,” Jacobs said. “We took something that someone meant for evil and we turned in to something great. We took something that someone tried to destroy, and we’re actually making it even more attractive.”

men’s basketball

RECENT (M/W) Win at Missouri (162-138 / 162-137) UPCOMING Feb. 17-21 SEC Championships

Equestrian (4-4, 1-3)

RECENT Loss vs. Georgia 10-9 UPCOMING Feb. 28 at South Carolina Blythewood, South Carolina

Defense falters with tests looming Eric Wallace Sports Editor

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl did not mince words following his Tigers’ 7968 loss to rival Alabama on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

“That’s about as bad as we’ve played this year,” Pearl said. “I told the players we’ve got to be accountable. It starts with me. I did not have a good game plan tonight.”

While many of the team’s recurring issues, such as a lack of rebounding or size, were exploited, Pearl pointed to the defensive end as the main problem against the Crimson Tide.

“We couldn’t stop them,” Pearl said. “They drove right around us. They posted us up. They killed us on the boards.”

Guard Antoine Mason, who scored 24 points on

9-of-13 shooting, echoed his coach’s concerns.

“It’s not about the offense; it’s our defense,” Mason said. “We didn’t stop anybody in the second half.”

While Pearl and Mason both said defensive struggles ultimately sank the Tigers, the team also suffered from a lack of team contributions.

KT Harrell, Mason and Cinmeon Bowers scored all but nine of Auburn’s points on the night.

“I only had three guys that could score,” Pearl said.

“They had all but nine of our points and that’s just an example of our roster, our limitations and our lack of depth. It’s the things we’ve struggled with all year.”

Pearl said the loss to Alabama will weigh heavy on him until his shot at the

“

That’s about as bad as we’ve played this year. I told the players we’ve got to be accountable. It starts with me. I did not have a good game plan tonight.”

—Bruce Pearl

auburn men’s basketball coach

Crimson Tide next season.

“I think if you’re going to be successful anywhere, you have to beat your rival,” Pearl said. “I couldn’t beat them this year. I think that’s a negative mark on this team and this program as we try to rebuild.”

The more immediate challenge is facing an imposing finish to the regular season.

The Tigers’ next three opponents, No. 1 and unde-

feated Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M, are all currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Pearl said game planning for the talented Wildcats will be difficult, to say the least.

“We play Kentucky on Saturday, and that is a whole other subject,” Pearl said. “The other five games are games that are going to be the second time we see teams.”

Attendance a constant in home losses Eric Wallace sports@ theplainsman.com

The Auburn Arena is a misleading place this spring.

The large, raucous crowds that have congregated in the Arena for men’s basketball games might convince the casual observer that it’s the home of an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

And yet Auburn is hardly that.

At this moment, the Tigers are not even an NIT team in coach Bruce Pearl’s first season at the helm.

It can’t even be said that the Tigers are better at home, as they’re currently mired in a five-game losing streak in the Arena.

There have been flashes of improvement during conference play, but Auburn’s flaws as a team have been routinely exposed by the bigger, more athletic competition of SEC teams.

The Tigers haven’t caught many breaks either, with Tahj ShamsidDeen’s injuries and the health of Antoine Mason’s father the most impactful of all.

Yet a constant through the struggles has been impressive crowds, which have created a passionate and, at times, game-changing environment.

This definitely wasn’t the case for Auburn basketball over the last decade.

To quote a former co-worker, Auburn’s student section was “a joke” in recent years, and who could blame them with the poor results on the court?

That’s no longer true. With the exception of the Arkansas game, The Jungle has been filled to the brim for every conference game so far this season.

Even the general admission seats, which were often half empty under former coach Tony Barbee, are filled- in for the most part.

Pearl and his staff deserve an immense amount of credit for marketing and building energy around the team this season.

The idea of selling out season tickets is something Auburn has not thought about in basketball since 1999, when Chris Porter was on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Fan support even played a role in conference wins against Missouri and South Carolina, according to Pearl and his players.

With Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M up next for the Tigers, the wins figure to be tough to come by in the final weeks of the regular season.

Moving forward, it’s hard not to imagine the potential for the Auburn Arena if Pearl builds a contender in the coming years.

Even with that random DJ. Eric Wallace is the sports editor for The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman. com.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Sports A11

The Auburn Plainsman

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LARGE PIZZA ANY WAY YOU WANT IT!

Caitlin Atkinson launches herself during the vault portion of Auburn’s gymnastics meet against LSU. Atkinson and the Tigers posted the highest point total in school history, but came up short against LSU.

Up to 3-Toppings and a 2-Liter

This Week in $ Auburn Sports

49

12

Gymnastics

No. 9 Auburn fell at home to No. 2 LSU Feb. 13, 197.350-197.300 despite scoring the highest point total in program history on Friday, Feb. 13.

Coach Jeff Graba attributed the performance to both his gymnasts and the energy from the home crowd.

“We talked in the locker room before we came out about embracing the energy, and we feel like we’re clicking right now,” Graba said. “I just wanted them to make sure that they sold themselves, and I thought that we did that in a really good way today.”

Auburn began on vault, tying the program’s all-time record of 49.500. Lexus Demers and MJ Rott led the Tigers, both posting a season-high 9.950.

“Me and the coaches have been working nonstop in practice to see my vault landing,” Rott said. “I’m just really glad it showed up today. It’s a big meet, going against No. 2, and it showed up when it needed to.”

Next up for Auburn was bars, where the Tigers scored a 49.200, led by Caitlin Atkinson’s 9.875.

Auburn then went to beam and scored a 49.275, led by Megan Walker’s 9.925, which tied her career-high score.

Auburn finished on floor, scoring a 49.325. Rott led the Tigers with a 9.900.

“Floor finally showed up,” Graba said.

“We finally all decided to get on the same page and go big. It’s still not our final floor lineup. We’re still not there yet, but I thought the girls that were there did a phenomenal job.”

Auburn fell to 3-3 and 1-3 in the SEC. The Tigers return to action Friday, Feb. 20 at Missouri at 8 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl announced Feb. 13 sophomore guard Tahj ShamsidDeen will undergo surgery on both shoulders and will miss the rest of the season.

“Unfortunately, this has been his fifth or sixth dislocation and a couple on each shoulder,” Pearl said. “He has never had a separated shoulder up until this year. He is going to need surgery on both shoulders, and he is going to shut down. His first surgery will be next Thursday.”

Shamsid-Deen, who re-injured his left shoulder during the Tigers’ midweek loss to Arkansas, played 23 minutes per game while averaging 6.1 points.

“At this point we don’t want there to any more damage,” Pearl said. “He has been a real warrior battling through pain.”

Equestrian

Despite a furious comeback after trailing at halftime, the No. 4 Auburn equestrian team couldn’t overcome an early deficit and fell to visiting No. 5 Georgia by a score of 10-9 Saturday, Feb. 14.

Auburn gained only one point in horsemanship, with senior Lucy Igoe defeating Heather Schmidt 70.5-0.

Georgia led 7-3 at halftime, but Auburn was able to mount a spirited effort in the second half, taking reining 3-2 and equitation on the flat 3-1.

“We almost came out with a win,” said coach Greg Williams. “Tory Hoft had a killer ride. One more point and that does it, but she came out with a win.”

The Tigers (4-4, 1-3 SEC) were able to gain wins in equitation over fences from senior Demi Stiegler and junior Elizabeth

Benson, who is now 8-0 in fences on the season, was named Most Outstanding Performer after topping Meg O’Mara 87-85.

In reining, junior Allie Dusha was named MOP after defeating Charley Thiel 71-69.5, and senior Demi Stiegler finished the match by knocking off O’Mara 91-88 in the flat, earning her second MOP of the season. “(Stiegler) had a great ride, but it was too late at that point,” Williams said. “You can’t have it where one group gets in a hole. But great riding by Georgia. They did a fabulous job.”

Auburn’s next meet will be Feb. 28 at South Carolina.

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Women’s Basketball

The losing streak continued for the Auburn women’s basketball team Sunday, Feb. 15.

After starting 9-3, the Tigers now sit at 9-16 (0-12 SEC) after a 54-36 home loss to Arkansas.

Overall, the Tigers shot just 23.7 percent in the game, their lowest mark of the year.

Tra’Cee Tanner was the Tigers’ leading scorer with 12 points, and also grabbed seven rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Auburn.

The Tigers kept it close early on, but found themselves down nine at the half, and were outscored by the Razorbacks 2415 in the second half.

Next up, Ole Miss will come to town to take on the Tigers at Auburn Arena on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m.

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Tahj Shamsid-Deen (13) dribbles through traffic against Ole Miss. Shamsid-Deen, who can be seen wearing shoulder supports on both shoulders above, is scheduled to undergo his first surgery on the injuries Thursday, Feb. 19 and will miss the rest of the season.

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Sports A12

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 19, 2015

golf

File photo

Former Auburn golfer Jason Dufner accepts an award after having a street named after him during the 2013 Auburn-Georgia game. Dufner’s second annual Celebrity Golf Classic is scheduled for March 23 at Moore’s Mill Club.

Dufner’s charity golf returns Andrew Monson Sports Writer

For the second consecutive year, former Auburn golfer and current PGA professional Jason Dufner is teaming up with Blessings in a Backpack to feed less-fortunate children in Lee County.

Jason Dufner’s Charitable Foundation is hosting its second annual Celebrity Golf Classic March 23 at Moore’s Mill Club and its inaugural Dufner Dash and Bash starting at the ALFA Pavilion at Auburn University on March 20.

The Dash and Bash will consist of a 5K and 1-mile fun run starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by a free community block party at 7:30 p.m. The block party will have live entertainment, concessions and games.

The Celebrity Golf Classic will have teams of four. People will bid to have celebrities play with their team before the event.

All proceeds will go to the Blessings in a Backpack program.

Dufner and his wife Amanda started their charity in 2009.

He said Amanda discovered Blessings in a Backpack, which feeds underprivileged children who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program on weekends.

“Amanda first found out about Blessings in a Backpack through the PGA Tour Wives’ Association,” Dufner said. “She participated in some events they hosted around the country and was

impressed with the impact it had on families and communities. There wasn’t anything like that here in our area, and once we learned about the need and the number of kids who needed help here, it was an easy decision.”

Last year, the Celebrity Golf Classic raised $160,000 to feed Lee County children. Bonnie Upright, senior vice president of Olympus Foundation Management, praised the community’s contribution to the event and the foundation.

“The inaugural golf classic was amazing,” Upright said. “With a first-year event, you never know quite what to expect, but the Auburn community and Opelika community have been amazing in their support.”

Though it was the first year, Dufner said he knew the people of Auburn would team up to help his foundation’s cause.

“The money we raised showed how generous and giving this community is,” Dufner said. “As an Auburn grad, I’ve always known how special it is and the results of the tournament were a great example of that.”

Dufner said he hopes with the added exposure and success of last year’s event, his foundation can feed more children this year.

“We definitely hope this year’s tournament can help us add even more kids to our program,” Dufner said. “Right now, we provide food to about 1,000 kids every weekend, but there are another 1,500 more here in Lee County who need our help.”