The Auburn Plainsman 3.30.17

Spring Fashion Issue Inside

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, March 30, 2017 Vol. 124, Issue 26, 12 Pages

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

CAMPUS

COMMUNITY

Tentative impeachment schedule announced

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 in Auburn,Ala.

SAE fraternity can return in two years Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Auburn’s Alabama Alpha Mu chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, suspended in October 2016, will be eligible to re-apply for University recognition in two years.

"After multiple hazing and risk management policy violations over a two year period, their peers on the Interfraternity Council Judicial Court determined suspension of University recognition was the appropriate sanc-

tion," said Chris Lucas, Interfraternity Council adviser.

Specific violations were not made public.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, as a national fraternity, has had nine deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006 — more than any other Greek organization — according to a Bloomberg article. More than 100 chapters have been disciplined since 2007,

» See SAE, 2

After almost a year of talk about a possible impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley, the House Judiciary Committee announced a tentative impeachment schedule Tuesday, which would set a vote by the full House in early May. The tentative schedule includes committee hearings to hear a report on a private investigation by the committee’s Special Counsel Jack Sharman, who was given the go-ahead earlier this month to continue an investigation of Bentley.

Sharman’s written report on his investigation of Bentley would be delivered to the committee, the Governor’s Office and made public by 5 p.m. on April 7. From April 10–13, the committee would hold hearings to allow the special counsel to call witnesses. On May 1, the committee would likely vote whether to send a report to the full House for a vote.

By May 9, the House could consider the committee’s report. At that point, the House could vote to impeach the governor. If he is impeached in the House, he would immediately be suspended from office until the Senate holds a trial to determine his guilt. If he is found not guilty, he would be reinstated as governor.

Both Sharman and Bentley’s attorney, Ross Garber, emphasized that the tentative schedule is just that: tentative.

“There are a number of variables, internal and external, that could have an impact on this schedule,” Sharman wrote in his letter to the Governor’s Office on March 23. “In addition, you have indicated that the Office of the Governor, Governor Bentley personally, or both, may file a lawsuit. Obviously, litigation could change any schedule.”

The committee would give Bentley and his attorneys an opportunity to submit their own findings at hearings before the committee. Bentley could also testify himself.

“He will be welcome to be a witness,” Sharman wrote to Bentley’s attorneys.

Bentley has been under fire since March 2016, when Spencer Collier, then-Alabama Law Enforcement Agency secretary, accused Bentley of main-

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during the annual State of the State address at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, in Montgomery,Ala.

taining an extramarital affair with his former top political aide Rebekah Mason. Bentley’s relationship with Mason, which he has said was not physical, has been the subject of the impeachment investigation.

The committee, the Attorney General’s Office and the Alabama Ethics Commission, have all been looking into Bentley’s behavior surrounding the affair and whether he used state resources and money to facilitate it. The Ethics Commission is set to meet

» See BENTLEY, 2

COMMUNITY

Spring has sprung

Tiger Dining teams with Bee Biodiversity Iniative to experiment with crops Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY REPORTER

Springtime often brings to mind the thought of bees buzzing around patches of flowers.

Tiger Dining has teamed with the Bee Biodiversity Initiative to begin to “experiment” with the heritage crops like American potato beans in their meals.

“We want students to be connected to the land that they’re actually studying here in this wonderful agricultural institution,” said Bashira Chowdhry, a pollination ecologist with the Bee Biodiversity Institute in Auburn’s College of Agriculture.

Chowdry said that as they are collecting more information dealing with the heritage

crops, she encourages people to share their personal stories of local food with the institute.

“I think people eat the culture before they eat the nutrition any day of the week,” she said.

Chowdhry explained the dangers facing the modern ecosystem.

Chowdhry said over time the American diet has shifted from being primarily made up of vegetables and fruits to one of wheat, dairyW and meat. As a result, Chowdhry said many farmers have converted their land into pastures or suitable to grow grains.

“We’re a pretty big meat and dairy culture [now],” Chowdhry said. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it means when it comes

to agriculture that’s where the market is, and that’s what farmers are going to grow.”

Without a diverse range of plants, crop yields are negatively affected by the lack of pollination from bees.

Evidence of declines in bee populations in North America remains iffy, Chowdhry said.

Only the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have collected vast amounts of data on bees over time. Their records have shown a decline, though, in the solitary bee population since the industrial era.

Still, Chowdhry said working in the field it’s noticeable in certain places where there are fewer types of bees than in others.

» See SPRING, 2

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Azaleas in bloom in front of Cater Hall on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 in Auburn,Ala.

News 2

SAE

» From 1 with at least 15 suspended or closed since 2010 and student members pay among the highest rates for liability insurance of any fraternity because of these incidents.

BENTLEY

After the 2011 hazing-related death of a Cornell University sophomore — who was allegedly blindfolded, bound and forced to drink shots of vodka — a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol at all chapter houses was proposed at a SAE national conference.

allow their proceedings to be hijacked and turned into a kangaroo court.”

Garber also took Sharman’s plan for his written report and presentation to task. According to the procedures, Sharman may or may not call witnesses. Garber said the committee members should be able to judge for themselves the credibility of witnesses, not rely on Sharman’s written report.

“In addition to this being an unreliable way to determine the truth, your proposed process would deprive the Governor of the most basic and wellestablished due process protections: the right to confront and cross-examine one’s accusers,” Garber wrote.

The House Judiciary Committee began investigating Bentley in 2016 after several members of the House introduced a resolution calling for articles of impeachment.

The committee met several

» From 1

in early April, at which time they may send charges to the Attorney General’s Office.

Bentley has denied any legal wrongdoing, calling the effort to impeach him “political grandstanding.” Garber criticized Sharman’s tentative schedule, which he believes is unreasonable and rushed.

“Apparently the outside lawyer for the Judiciary Committee has decided that the only way to accomplish the first ever impeachment of an Alabama governor is to violate the law,” Garber wrote. “The Alabama Supreme Court and the Rules of the House of Representatives require that the Governor be given due process. Common sense dictates that an election not be overthrown without fair procedures. I have confidence that responsible members of the Judiciary Committee will not

times last year and even went so far as to subpoena the governor, Mason and others close to them.

But in November, then-Attorney General Luther Strange asked the committee to suspend its investigation because he was afraid it would overlap with “necessary related work” within his office. In February, newly appointed Attorney General Steve Marshall appointed a special prosecutor to oversee an active investigation into Bentley.

The announcement of the tentative schedule comes after several representatives have made their impatience known.

They want to move forward faster and more aggressively.

“We have been empaneled as members of the Legislature to decide on an impeachment resolution, to determine whether the governor should be removed,” said Allen Farley, R-McCalla, earlier this month.

EDITOR’S NOTE

CAMPUS CRIME LOG Date Reported

Type of Incident

General Location

03/27/2017

Theft ofArticle fromAuto

600 Block of DeKalb St

03/27/2017

Theft of Property Fourth Degree

200 Block of Roosevelt Conc

03/27/2017

Theft ofArticle fromAuto

600 Block of DeKalb St

03/26/2017

Leaving Scene ofAccident

300 Block ofW Magnolia Av

03/26/2017

Criminal MischiefThird Degree

100 Block ofWright St

03/25/2017

Burglary

300 Block of S Donahue Dr

03/25/2017

Possession of a Forged Instrument

700 Block ofW Glenn AV

03/25/2017

Burglary - Residence - No Force

1200 Block of S College St

03/25/2017

Public Lewdness

100 Block ofW Magnolia Av

03/25/2017

Public Intoxication

100 Block ofW Magnolia Av

03/25/2017

CriminalTrespass First Degree

400 Block of Duncan Drive

03/25/2017

Theft of Property Fourth Degree

300 Block of S Donahue Dr

03/25/2017

Driving Under the Influence -Alcohol

S Donahue Dr @ S College St

03/24/2017

Public Intoxication

200 Block of Foy Union Cir

03/24/2017

Possession of a Forged Instrument

200 Block of Foy Union Cir

03/23/2017

Failure toAppear-Bail Jumping Second Degree

1500 Block ofWire Rd

03/23/2017

Theft of Property Second Degree

200 Block of Mell St

03/23/2017

Duty to Give Information and RenderAidAfter a

Shug Jordan Pkwy @W Samford Av

03/23/2017

TrafficAccident

300 Block of Mell St

03/23/2017

Possession of Marijuana Second Degree

300 Block of Mell St

03/23/2017

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

300 Block of Mell St

03/23/2017

Minor in Possession ofAlcohol

1200 Block ofWire Rd

03/22/2017

Medical Call

200 Block ofWire Rd

03/22/2017

Theft of Lost PropertyThird Degree

200 Block ofWire Rd

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The student was left to die in the empty fraternity house, according to an article by The New York Times.

The amendment did not reach the necessary two-thirds majority, however.

SAE eliminated the pledging process and the term “pledge” from its vernacular in 2014

SPRING » From 1

“There’s no reason we can’t start the conservation process,” she said.

The goal of the Bee Biodiversity Initiative is to capture a better understanding of Alabama’s bee population.

“When it really comes down to preserving pollination and protecting bees, it’s going to be a matter of also preserving our health and our culture,” Chowdhry said.

During the last year, the Bee Biodiversity Initiative started the Heritage Food Project as a way to try to preserve pollinators and promote healthier eating by getting people in the Auburn community, and Alabama as a whole, interested in growing a diverse range of plants again.

The Heritage Food Proj-

“

to combat the hazing issues. Once recruits are initiated, they become new members and must be initiated within 96 hours of receiving their bids.

Representatives from Auburn’s Alabama Alpha Mu chapter of SAE declined to comment on this story.

When it really comes down to preserving pollination and protecting bees, it’s going to be a matter of also preserving our health and our culture..”

—Bashira Chowdhry

POLLINATION ECOLOGIST

ect is doing so by linking the efforts with the history of the culture of certain crops.

“We want to keep the state the way it is. We want to celebrate that heritage,” Chowdhry said. “This is a great way we think if we can not only help bees and peo-

ple be nutritious, but also just help Alabama be Alabama a little bit more.”

The Heritage Food Project is primarily focused on legumes with importance in Alabama but has also explored the use of lady peas, crowder peas and violets, which can be used to make jelly.

“It’s a really wonderful feeling to be reconnected to your food culture,” she said. “It just gives you a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling inside. There’s no way to really quantify that.”

Many markets in the Auburn area sell locally grown produce. Hornsby Farms in Auburn sells their pickled okra, preservatives and other fresh vegetables, all grown in Auburn. George’s Farmers Market, located just north of Auburn, sells produce harvested from their farm as well as items from other local vendors.

COMMUNITY

After publication time last week, newly named Auburn President Steven Leath responded to The Plainsman’s request for comment. Read our updated article about his appointment at ThePlainsman.com.

P

Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

Student hit by truck, seriously injured C hip B rownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

An Auburn University student was seriously injured along West Magnolia Avenue on Tuesday night after being hit by another student driving a pickup truck, according to Police Chief Paul Register.

The pedestrian accident occurred near the intersection of West Magnolia Avenue and Cox Street, where a 27-year-old female student

was crossing the street at about 8 p.m.

She remains hospitalized in unsatisfactory condition at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia, Register said.

"It was significant injuries, but I think she was alert when she was transported," Register said. "At this point, we're not aware of any change in her status. It was some serious injuries."

The driver of the pickup truck was a 20-year-old male student, who stayed at the scene following the accident and cooperated with police.

He wasn't injured.

"He did what motorists should do when they're involved in something like that," Register said.

The Auburn Police Division is investigating the accident, the cause of which remains unknown.

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ORGANIZATIONS

DIVERSITY

‘Confessions of the New Black Woman’ breaks stereotypes Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS REPORTER

KAE HENDERSON / PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: Regina Sanders, Auburn alumna, speaks at the Black Girls Rock Awards Show.

MIDDLE: Tables at the event were decorated with flowers and programs.

RIGHT: Flowers are set up on stage to be given to award winners at the event.

NSBE hosts ‘Black Girls Rock’ ceremony Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS REPORTER

The National Society for Black Engineers hosted its first “Black Girls Rock” event, an Academy Awards-style ceremony honoring outstanding black students and faculty members at Auburn.

The event was organized by Charles Keyes, who introduced the event and announced the evenings’ awards, which included a student “shot-caller” award and a faculty “rock star” award.

Throughout the event, Keyes told audience members of “all colors” to love and appreciate their own beauty and joked that the non-black audience members were “honorarily black” for the evening.

The event formally began with a speech from Auburn alumna Regina Sanders, who graduated in 1995 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Sanders encouraged Auburn’s black female students to “See clearly, act confidently and walk humbly.”

After Sanders’ address, several female students entertained guests with singing and dancing before faculty awards began.

Winners of the faculty awards included Julia Charles, who received the “rock star” award and Adrienne Duke, who received the “living legend” award.

“I think that Auburn University really needs to have more spaces and more awards and more acknowledgement of black faculty, black staff who do so much behind the scenes to make things

happen for undergraduates and for graduate students,” Duke said. “I know it may seem like we don’t exist because there are very few of us here, but we do exist.”

After faculty awards was a brief intermission, where audience members were served dinner and dessert and danced to music. Three students also gave a spoken word performance dealing largely with the experience of being black in white spaces.

Among student winners was Bria Butler, junior in chemical engineering, who received the “shot-caller” award for her involvement in various leadership positions.

“This representation is important beyond words,” Butler said. “I’m just so honored to be in the midst of all these people.”

PHILANTHROPY

The Ladies’ Society of Collegiate Success hosted a series of talks and performances intended to start conversations between black men and women about issues pressing black women as “double minorities.”

Speakers at the event included Kiara Butler, sophomore in rehabilitation and disability studies; Amber Arthur, senior in finance and English professor Julia Charles. Charles is currently teaching classes on both revolutionary African American literature and 20th century African American literature.

Butler and Arthur led an open discussion on mental health issues relevant to black women, specifically anxiety, feelings of prejudice and the “myth of the strong black woman.” “[Black women] are not allowed to be vulnerable, they’re not allowed to be sensitive, they’re not allowed to cry, they’re not allowed to feel sadness or feel worthless,” Arthur said.

“They have to literally be strong for everyone else, and we just wanted to talk about that myth and kind of break it apart just so y’all know that it’s okay to have those moments of weakness.”

Following Butler and Arthur’s mental health talk was Charles’ discussion of the hypersexualization of black women through a cultural lens, referring to modern social commentaries such as Beyonce’s 2013 single “***Flawless” or Jordan Peele’s recent thriller “Get Out.” Charles said she wished to open a dialogue between black men and women in the audience. She attributed much of the hypersexualization of black female bodies and double standards about black women to Western notions of respectability politics.

“When I went on the job market, there were questions about whether or not my locks were ‘locked’ enough or if they looked ‘too black’ or if I should have waited to grow my locks when I got to Auburn, or what I should do with my hair in order to procure employment,” Charles said. “If you look or speak in a particular way, depending on the environment you’re in, your words may be weighted a particular way, or they just might respect your opinion a bit more because you look a way that is acceptable to them.”

SENATE

FILE PHOTO

SGA prepares for coming syllabus bank rollout Romy Iannuzzi CONTRIBUTED BY CARTER GUSTIN

TOP LEFT: Relay members come together at the end of last year’s event.

BOTTOM LEFT: Aubie stands alongside guest speakers at Relay last year.

RIGHT: Relay coordinator introduces speakers during the event.

Student relays to honor grandparents Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Relay for Life will be hosted this year on Saturday, April 1 on the University Green Space to take action against cancer.

Carter Gustin, junior in media studies, has been involved with Relay for Life since his high school days.

“The first time I got involved with relay was my sophomore year of high school. I joined the committee as part of the leadership and over the course of the next two years moved up until I was co-chair my senior year.

Then I arrived at Auburn and again joined as a director my freshman year, a member of the exec board my sophomore year and this year a chair of the event,” Gustin said. “This year is the 6th consecutive year being on the leadership of a Relay For Life committee.”

Gustin said this year there will be a Dinsey “Wish Upon a Cure”

theme.

“Everything that we have will have different Disney twists on them,” Gustin said. “We will have a Mr. Relay princess walk, which I am super excited to see happen.”

There will also be several different games and activities at every team tent with a Disney spin on them, Gustin said.

“We will have different speakers and survivors,” Gustin said.

“Then to finish the night on a good up beat we will be hosting a zumba event to try and make sure everyone is good and awake.”

Gustin said Relay is extremely special to him.

“Anyone who relays has a reason why they relay,” Gustin said.

“I am not sure if I have a single favorite memory from relay, but what I do have are memories that I love that come back to me from family members affected by cancer.”

Before he was born, Gustin’s

grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Gustin said he relays for him because he’s been his lifelong role model.

“Without the help and donations of the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, I am not sure that I would have ever met him,” Gustin said. “Every year he comes to relay with me and gets to experience it with me.”

Cancer also affected Gustin’s life when his grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer during his freshman year.

“She was given only months to live and managed to fight for six months before eventually losing her fight with cancer,” Gustin said. “She is someone that was really special to me, and I miss her every day.”

Though Gustin said he can’t pin down a favorite Relay memory, he enjoys getting to spend the day with his grandfather remembering his grandmother.

“One of the reasons that Re-

lay is important to me is relay is a time that I can spend with my grandfather in person and with my grandmother in spirit,” Gustin said. “Auburn students should get involved with Relay because it’s one of the few organizations that you can participate in that has affected almost every person on the planet in some way,” Gustin said.

“Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer. If it’s a sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin, everyone knows someone who has been affected.”

Gustin said he believes everyone can somehow relate to the struggles associated with cancer.

“It is one of the most common diseases on the planet, and the more people that we have fighting to stop it the sooner we can find the cure, and we will find a cure,” Gustin said. “We at Relay for Life will continue to fight until the words ‘you have cancer’ never have to be said again.”

CAMPUS REPORTER

Student Government appointed its new committee chairs as well as various council positions in individual schools.

Though the 201718 committee chairs have been fully active for several weeks, Liberal Arts Senator and President Pro Tempore Schyler Burney presented and successfully passed the bill, previously discussed at last week’s future orders of business, to formally appoint the chairs.

Chairs include Bailey Sullivan on academic affairs, Dixon Simmons on budget and finance, Emily Stone on code of laws, Michael O’Key on inclusion and diversity and Hannah Clarke on student affairs.

SGA also passed school council appointment bills.

These bills included the appointment

of Brandon Burgess as vice president of the College of Liberal Arts student council and Sophie Brint as president of the School of Nursing student council.

SGA Vice President Justin Smith said SGA members should receive information to prepare for the rollout of the long-gestating syllabus bank project.

Smith said senators would receive a “draft” of information to pass on to some of the University’s higher-up faculty.

“We need an email sent out to every associate dean and preferably to every department head in the college,” Smith said.

The syllabus bank was spearheaded by previous EVP of Initiatives Trey Fields in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Its launch is scheduled to coincide with registration for fall and summer classes this spring semester.

Campus 4

Thursday, March 30 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

FACULTY

Dr. Moose prepares to celebrate ninth birthday on The Plains Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Dr. Moose is the canine psychologist available through the University student counseling services, and he has a big birthday coming up in May. Doug Hankes, director of student counseling services, is a licensed psychologist and works with Dr. Moose.

“Dr. Moose worked as a detection dog with Auburn University Canine Performance Services before he was retrained to become a therapy dog,” Hankes said. “He will be 9-years-old on May 2.”

Hankes said Dr. Moose works in individual and group therapy sessions when it has been determined the clients would benefit from animal assisted therapy.

“He also goes out on campus and does outreach events,” Hankes said. “Dr. Moose is very good at destigmatizing mental health issues.

Students will approach a dog much quicker than they will a mental health professional.”

While being trained, Hankes said Dr. Moose received perfect scores.

“Dr. Moose passed both his Therapy Dog International AKC Good Citizen tests,” Hankes said. “He trained for about three months before he took his tests. Not surprisingly, Dr. Moose had perfect scores.”

Hankes said Dr. Moose is easily everyone’s favorite staff member at Student Counseling Services.

“Everyone loves him,” Hankes said. “He has allowed many clients to experience breakthroughs in their therapy by his presence and interaction. He is especially effective with clients who have trauma-related issues.”

Hankes said Dr. Moose’s tasks are simple but very effective.

“Dr. Moose just puts everyone at ease and makes them happy.”

FILE PHOTO

Dr. Moose gets pet by students in the Student Center.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CONTRIBUTED BY CARTER-WILLIAM PALEK

LEFT: Palek is now serving as Head Camp War Eagle Counselor.

RIGHT: Palek also serves as an RA in the Village.

Student credits campus involvement for exponential Twitter growth

Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

The name Carter-William Palek might ring a bell for several students across campus. Or as Palek himself puts it in his Twitter bio -- you’re probably his cousin.

You might know Palek, senior in political science and business, from Camp War Eagle, Eagle Eye TV, the on-campus residence halls, the Rec Center or his Twitter page. But don’t make the mistake of calling him Carter.

“That’s my father’s name,” Palek jokes, as he prefers to go by Carter-William.

Palek’s made himself a recognizable face on campus through his involvement over the years in several organizations.

“I definitely keep myself busy,” Palek said.

“I’m the head counselor for both Camp War Eagle and High School Leadership Conference, but I’m also an RA in the Village, a Group Fitness Instructor at the Rec and the former head of Eagle Eye TV.” With so many responsibilities, Palek said there’s always a job to be done, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“To answer your next question, no I don’t get a lot of sleep,” Palek said. “Having so many different jobs is fun because it brings you into contact with a lot of different people you wouldn’t ever run into, and it automatically gives you something in common that you share. At this point, almost all of my friends are people I met through some campus involvement. I’m never just like ‘oh hey this guy I know.’ It’s always like ‘Oh we spent all summer together, he’s one of my CWEple.’”

With approximately 2,000 Twitter followers

and counting, Palek’s known for his humorous posts. However, he said he’s not sure how he grew such a following.

“The Twitter thing sort of started my freshmen year,” Palek said. “My suitemates and I were potluck roommates, and I kept a chronicle of all of our awkward interactions on Twitter, and those tweets became really popular and it sort of just grew exponentially from there.”

Palek said he believes sharing his stories as an RA has resulted in some of his most popular posts.

“A lot of times I tweet weird stories that happen to me as an RA, and I think people really appreciate those because it offers a very behind the scenes look at what can very possibly be the strangest job on campus,” Palek said. “Who else knows what to do when someone poops in the washing machine? Answer, dump in a whole load of fabric softener, run it on hot and call maintenance.”

When asked if this increase in attention has changed his behavior on social media, Palek said it’s definitely made him think twice before posting.

“When I started meeting people and realizing they already knew me from the Twitter account was when I started trying to be more careful with what I put out there,” Palek said. “I interviewed for one position on campus, and at the end of the interview the President told me they all followed me on twitter and thought I was funny, and it was a little creepy. People know a lot more about you than you ever do them.”

Palek’s attended his fair share of callouts and said he’s learned a lot from the time of his first callouts for FLP to now.

“I was so nervous and so tense that I wouldn’t get it and, spoiler alert-- I didn’t,” Palek said. “I was pretty upset at first, but looking back that dose of reality, that you won’t always succeed in everything, is exactly what I needed so early on in my college experience. For too many people, that’s a lesson they learn too late.”

Palek said he thinks some people learn too late in life that they can’t always succeed.

“I’ve been to a lot of callouts since then, some where I got it and some where I didn’t,” Palek said. “I’ll tell anyone who will listen that, even as involved as I am, I’ve been rejected at callouts seven times. In fact, I didn’t even make Camp War Eagle the first time I tried out. Even when you don’t get it, it’s a good learning experience. Every failure or success you encounter grows you as a person.”

Not being used to having strangers knowing him by his online presence, Palek said he’s found himself in hot water before.

“With a large following too, I have to be conscious about who the tweet will get back around to,” Palek said. “I’ve gotten in trouble before by my supervisors for sharing an RA anecdote that, in hindsight, I really shouldn’t have put on social media. But it’s also been really cool to see what a voice social media can give you. Especially in a place like Auburn.”

One way Palek said he’s been able to voice his opinion through social media to affect change is in regards to the football ticketing policy put into place this past fall.

“Like a lot of students this fall, I was not a big fan of the new student athletic ticket policy,” Palek said. “It was well-meaned but poorly implemented, and I was very vocal about that

on Twitter and always got a lot of engagement when I brought it up.”

Palek said he began to see reforms take shape as he and several others voiced their opinions on Twitter.

“I think it’s easy to dismiss someone’s verbal opinion but when that opinion is staring back at you with 1,000 retweets and tons of bad PR is a lot harder to ignore,” Palek said. “It can be very uniting too. Whenever major events occur on campus, severe weather, an unbelivale victory, a rabid racoon AU Alert, people instinctively jump to social media. It really helps build an ever larger sense of community at Auburn than what’s there already naturally.”

As for what he’d like to check off his list of things to do in his time at Auburn, Palek said, “Well I’ve actually never ridden a Tiger Transit -- I’ve always lived on campus,” Palek said.

“Maybe go to Fat Daddy’s?”

Though there are things he’d like to do for fun while he’s still on The Plains, Palek said his greatest accomplishments can’t be checked off on a list of tasks.

“In all seriousness though, I think the biggest sense of accomplishment comes from knowing the people under you in an organization are ready to take over the reigns when you leave,” Palek said. “That’s sort of where I am with CWE right now. I and the other head counselors have spent so long training the new counselors, the last thing I really want to do before I leave is see how they grow into their own leaders through this coming summer. Oh, and also try the strawberry lemonade at Toomer’s. I hear good things.”

DIVERSITY

Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence begins dialogue with students

Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS REPORTER

The department of special education, rehabilitation and counseling hosted a cross-cultural student dialogue. The event was hosted in the hopes of gathering feedback on both the current state of cultural awareness in classrooms at Auburn and how to introduce it into the curriculum.

The event was held on Monday, March 27 at the Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence.

Attendees were prompted with

questions about social justice, cultural diversity and class curriculum, discussing them in smaller groups before introducing their ideas to the entire audience.

Felix Huang, first-year graduate student in community planning, said professors may be nervous about bringing multiculturalism into the classroom for fear of showing cultural biases.

Huang said professors may also have a hard time finding ways to logically apply these concepts to their areas of expertise.

“It’s going to be very difficult for [professors] to just actively encourage it, especially if it’s a science or something,” Huang said. “Not only because of incorporating topics like that but also because of perception of possible bias they may have.”

Adeola Fayemi, manager of diversity and inclusion, said many professors put their research first and teaching second.

“One thing I have heard is about the research focus of most professors, the focus will be on research and not teaching and [they] think

about cultural diversity issues as extraneous to the subject matter,” Fayemi said. “One thing I’ve done [in my training] is to create a safe zone before the class starts, so they know that this is a safe place that helps people feel more comfortable.”

Marilyn Cornish, one of the program’s lead coordinators, said the goal of the project was to gather and apply feedback to better the student experience.

Cornish said the program will be followed up with dialogues aimed more at faculty.

“We’ve been having conversations among faculty, among others about the extent to which we are or are not addressing culture and social justice issues in the classroom, and through some of those conversations we’ve realized a lot of it is faculty either not knowing how or not being comfortable or having specific worries about what’s going to happen,” Cornish said. “We thought it would be important to have people come in, talk about these issues and hopefully break down some of those barriers.”

Opinion Thursday, March 30, 2017

5 ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

OUR VIEW

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Former SGA president: Leath coverage is ‘disappointing’

GRAPHIC BY DANNY TRAN

Easing gun regulations isn’t the way Spring 2017 Editorial Board

Alabama Senate Bill 24 would allow people to carry a concealed firearm without a permit within state lines. It was recently approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and it’s now on the way to the Senate floor. We hope to see the bill’s demise. If it passes, we are concerned Alabama will become a more dangerous place to live.

It would loosen restrictions on carrying guns near courthouses, jails, prisons and other government facilities. Additionally, gun owners would be allowed to carry firearms at organized protests.

Allowing this is especially bad given the typical context protests operate within: an atmosphere of discontent and sometimes anger that could culminate into violence.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Lineville, defends it by claiming it would serve to protect the Second Amendment. Specifically, Allen claims removing the need for a permit and the background check getting a permit entails would clarify to people their right to bear arms is given to them by the Constitution.

Removing background checks from the process is a move

that will serve to place more guns into the hands of people who should not have them.

It’ll also make it easier for good citizens to carry guns without other people knowing, which has been the center of the message Sen. Allen is conveying.

It is our view that the disastrous consequences of having more guns in the hands of people who may be mentally or emotionally unfit to have concealed weapons outweighs the convenience of everyone else who wants to have a concealed gun without having to pay a small permit fee and undergo a background check.

Lee County’s Sheriff Jay Jones also stands against the bill, stating, “It would increase the likelihood of individuals having firearms that shouldn’t have them in the first place.”

Paying a small fee of $5-20 and having to undergo a background check is a small price to pay for protecting Alabamians from gun violence, and no amount of personal convenience can diminish that fact. Moreover, to forego life-saving background checks and to disguise it to Alabama’s voters by claiming it’s what our Founding Fathers would’ve wanted is immoral.

The recent articles surrounding the appointment of Dr. Steven Leath as Auburn’s next president are both disappointing and frustrating to read as an Auburn student, as well as the former representative of the student body. While it is valuable for students to be informed on the background of their future University president, it is not valuable for the future president to be drug through the mud for the sake of gaining readership.

While serving on the presidential search committee, I was able to interact with and interview the top university leaders across the country. We asked these candidates questions across the board, but most importantly, we wanted to find out how they would serve Auburn students on a daily basis.

Dr. Leath is far and away the best president for the future of Auburn and the student body. Dr. Leath has an impressive background when it comes to students. From his and his wife’s dedication to engaging with students on a weekly basis to sacrificing late hours of the night to encourage student safety, Dr. Leath has proven himself as a president who is in it for the students.

Beyond student interaction, Dr. Leath has quite the track record of leading a complex organization at Iowa State University. He greatly increased the research dollars at Iowa State, brought in recordbreaking gifts for a $1.1 billion campaign and implemented programs that positively impacted the state - like the one that guarantees a quality education at Iowa State for local elementary school students.

This process was conducted so that Auburn could attract and ultimately hire the most qualified president in the nation. Forums were held on campus to gather feedback in September - including a forum where roughly 40 students from all backgrounds were asked about qualities they wished to see in their next president. This was a valuable time for students to voice their wants, needs and concerns, and what was said in that room was taken to heart by Mr. Raymond Harbert, Auburn University trustee and chair of the search committee, and the entire search committee – even to the point of being included in the public announcement of the position and the packet that described Auburn to potential candidates.

Because of these things, I know that Dr. Leath is right for Auburn.

I voice my full support and confidence in Dr. Leath as the next president of Auburn University. He will tirelessly work for the betterment of Auburn in all that he does.

To the student body – I encourage you to welcome Dr. Leath with an open mind and make your own judgments about him when he gets to campus. I know you will not be disappointed in what you find in our next leader.

Jesse Westerhouse is a former SGA President and was a member of the Auburn University presidential search committee.

HER VIEW

It’s time for Alabamians to work to seal the ‘brain drain’ Emily Hale COLUMNIST

“Thank God for Mississippi.” It’s a joke that is often mentioned among Alabamians in reference to our low rankings in just about every indicator of community health and economic opportunity.

In 2015, we tied with Mississippi and West Virginia for having the second-highest rate of adult obesity. According to Education Week’s annual Quality Counts report that analyzes several topics such as academic performance, equity and school finance to rank and prescribe a “grade” for the state. The national average for these grades is 74.4 percent. Alabama received a 52. In terms of GDP growth,

we rank 41st. Our annual median household income ranks at 47th in the nation. Our unemployment rate is ranked 45th in the nation at 5.8 percent and is happening in sync with a ranking of 43rd in business startup activity.

Of the available jobs, we rank 32nd in terms of percentage of jobs that are in high-tech industries.

An overall bleak economy coupled with uneven distribution of educational resources across the state leaves many with no access to social mobility and leaves little incentive for those who do receive a quality education to stay in the state of Alabama. Our investment in our youth is to be reaped elsewhere.

I attended Spain Park High School in Hoover, Alabama. My experience included access to a multitude of AP courses, intellectual activities of high caliber, such as Speech and Debate, and to a plethora of supplemental resources. This is not the case for the majority of schools outside of suburban, wealthy ar-

eas. Many students are left behind at such an early age that the odds continue to be stacked against them as they enter the job market.

Those students who are not equipped with the skills to succeed in the job market are put into a perpetual cycle of living paycheck to paycheck without the financial comfortability to plan long-term. The youth that have access to an adequate education and are filled with immense potential are eager to leave for cities such as Atlanta, Nashville or bigger destinations like Washington D.C. and New York.

From my two years in chemical engineering to my year and a half in political science and experience in a wide array of campus contexts, a common theme has emerged. Students cannot wait to leave the state of Alabama and go somewhere they have access to opportunities to truly develop their potential.

Issues like public health, public education, generational poverty and reducing the unemployment rate are incredibly complex issues

The Auburn Plainsman

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that require a multidimensional approach.

Tackling these issues will require investing in our youth equally. If our investments into bright, young minds leave to achieve greater opportunity - we are stuck with perpetuation of our social and economic ills. And our investment is lost, only to be reaped and enjoyed by the societies that are already equally investing in their citizens and communities. It is imperative that we invest in creating a prosperous, accessible economy that will retain the unique and capable talent Alabama produces.

This issue needs to be addressed at its roots: balancing our investment in the prosperity of Alabama citizens to reach all Alabamians.

It’s time that we focus on reversing the brain drain out of our beloved state and begin to quit thanking God for Mississippi. Let’s be thanking the passionate, native problem solvers that have incentive to invest back in our state.

Emily Hale is State Council Chair for Alabama College of Democrats.

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Community Thursday, March 30, 2017

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Community

HISTORY

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR (LEFT) CONTRIBUTED BY PAT TREMAINE (RIGHT)

Growing up in the historic Wittel Dormitory

Pat Tremaine looks at pictures of Wittel Dormitory from her childhood (left). Construction workers on the original Wittel Dorm, now Auburn Hall, take a break in 1937 (right).

Pat Tremaine reflects on her childhood at the historic Auburn women’s dormitory ahead of its planned renovation into a hotel

Sam Willoughby

COMMUNITY REPORTER

Pat Tremaine, 72, remembers seeing her first Auburn football game in 1957, the year the Tigers finished as undefeated national champions.

She remembers seeing the very first game at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum in 1969, when LSU’s baggy-socked “Pistol” Pete Maravich dropped 46 points in a 90-71 loss to Auburn. She remembers walking with her friends to the Tiger Theatre downtown to ogle at the “local celebrities” — the Auburn student athletes.

But most of all, Pat remembers her time spent in Auburn’s historic Wittel Dorm, built by her grandfather Samuel Wittel in the 1940s as a residence for professional women in town. Because of increased enrollment after World War II, it soon became the first private women’s dorm in Auburn. Along with female college students, over the years it housed three generations of the Wittel family, including Pat. Pat lived in the dorm’s three-story private residence along with her parents and grandparents, even throughout most of her years in college.

“I had to have the same rules that Auburn [students] had,” she said.

“I couldn’t be a minute late ... girls had to be in at 8:30 during the week. You could not wear any pants at all [during the week].”

Samuel, his wife Estelle Wittel and the rest of the family would

CULTURE

often invite the young women living in the dorm over for dinner or tea. In her youth at Wittel Dorm, she says she always felt like she was in college.

“I was right there with the dorm and all the people,” she said. “I knew who everybody was. It was just a great place to grow up.”

While in high school, she would sell flowers to students to pin to their suits before football games. Afterward, she would walk to the stadium to get a ticket for a dollar. She never missed a game.

Pat says there are a lot of differences between Auburn in her collegiate days and today. Classes at Auburn were $75 per quarter and textbooks cost $30 a piece. If you went down East Thach Avenue far enough, you’d run into farmland. Stores closed early on Wednesday afternoons.

Though the town has changed since her youth, Pat said she is still a fan of the downtown area and how the city has kept it.

“Everything was so convenient [then], you didn’t have everything spread out. Everything was downtown,” Pat said. “Downtown [today] looks really great. The downtown hasn’t really expanded much.”

Since its construction in the early 1940s, the dorm has changed hands a couple times but has remained a women’s dorm. Soon, the building that has served as a home for generations of collegiate women will be converted into a 40-bed boutique hotel.

In January, the Auburn Planning Commission approved the

requests of the new owners of the dorm, who plan on converting it into a boutique hotel. The new owners, according to plans, intend to keep the structure of the building mostly the same, adding only a wraparound porch on one end and building a brick driveway for valet service.

Today, Pat lives in Alaska with her husband Les Tremaine. The couple moved there in 1969 after Les graduated from Auburn’s veterinary school. Pat said she’d love to live in Auburn again but is moving to North Carolina soon to be closer to her children.

Regardless of the building’s purpose, it is clear the impact Wittel Dorm has had on both Auburn and Pat. “It’s a wonderful project,” said Ex Officio Planning Commissioner Dan Bennett about the hotel plan in January. “It’s really important not only to the history of this community, but to our future as well.”

In 1999, it earned recognition from the Auburn Heritage Association as “one of Auburn’s most significant examples of classic nineteenth-century design.”

Pat said she hasn’t been inside of the building in almost 15 years but is eager to see how the new owners will handle renovations for the new hotel.

“My grandfather always sat by the window in the sitting room,” Pat told The Plainsman in January. “I still look at that window when I go by and can almost see him still there.”

BUSINESS

Lyft begins operations in Auburn

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

FILE PHOTO

International flags hang in the Auburn University Student Center.

Women’s group promotes multicultural inclusion Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY REPORTER

The shock of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 left many around the country looking for answers on what to do next. Auburn resident Nighet Ahmed was one of those people.

Ahmed began to meet with other women in the Auburn area to figure out how to productively react to attitudes that began to shift toward hate and violence after Sept. 11.

In the year following the attacks, the FBI reported a 21 percent increase in hate crimes, including a 1,600 percent increase in hate crimes against Muslims from 2000 to 2001.

The International Women for Peace and Understanding was started by Ahmed and the other women as an interfaith multicultural group to promote goodwill and compassion between different groups.

IWPU first came together informally when they met

at Ahmed’s house in December 2002, a year when multiple religious holidays — Christmas, Hanukkah and Eid al-Fitr — all fell within the same time span.

“We did not have an agenda. We did not have a name,” Ahmed said. “We just came together to celebrate each other’s differences.”

IWPU decided one of the best ways to counteract misunderstanding was through education.

“There’s a lot of international presence [in Auburn],” Ahmed said. “If these are people who are sharing the space with us, then you’ve got to know them, right?

You’ve got to understand them.”

IWPU aims to increase awareness of all cultures. At their internal gatherings, they share their own personal stories, host speakers to discuss topics like the prison system in Alabama and immigration and tour different reli-

» See MULTICULTURALISM,7

The ride-hailing service Lyft, Uber’s main competitor, launched operations in Auburn last week.

Residents were able to request a ride via Lyft’s mobile app beginning at noon on March 23.

“Lyft has spent the first three months of 2017 bringing better transportation options to cities across the country,” said Jaime Raczka, head of early stage markets and expansion for Lyft. “Today, we are excited about continuing this growth and bringing safe, friendly and reliable ridesharing to new communities.”

Lyft was founded in 2012 and is now available in more than 300 cities.

Lyft’s arrival in Auburn comes nearly seven months after Uber, another popular ride-hailing service, returned to The Loveliest Village on The Plains.

In August, the Auburn City Council passed an ordinance amendment to al-

CONTRIBUTED BY LYFT

The ride-hailing service Lyft launched in Auburn last week.

low transportation networking companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in Auburn.

The services are required to display proper signage, obtain commercial liability insurance, pay a permit fee with the city and perform background checks on their drivers.

The background checks can be au-

dited by the city up to twice a year.

The company is also looking for new drivers, and those interested can visit Lyft’s website to learn more about becoming a driver.

Lyft launched in other Alabama cities last week, as well, including Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.

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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Community 7

The Auburn Plainsman

POLITICS

Opelika GIG internet service could expand to Auburn Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY EDITOR

For the third year in a row, Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, is going to battle in Montgomery over a set of bills that would allow Opelika Power Services to expand its internet service outside of Opelika’s municipal jurisdiction.

Whatley has proposed three different bills this legislative session, and Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, has proposed another that would do just that.

The bills are intended to allow OPS to expand its internet service into underserved neighborhoods in North and South Auburn, according to the sponsors and Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller.

All of the bills would allow the utility provider — owned by the citizens of Opelika and operated as a department of the city of Opelika — to expand its services outside of the city. OPS has been a public utility since 1911.

One version would allow it to expand into the four counties surrounding Lee County. Current Alabama law doesn’t allow municipal service providers to expand beyond their municipal jurisdiction.

A second version of that bill would require a state referendum.

A third version of the bill would only allow OPS to expand into the rest of Lee County, including the city limits of Auburn. Whatley said he is pushing this version of the bill hardest this year because it is “most likely to pass.”

In 2010, the people of Opelika voted in a referendum to OK a plan that would allow Opelika Power Services to take out a revenue bond of more than $20 million to establish its internet services, which included more than 425 miles of fiber infrastructure.

Another $23 million revenue bond was used to update OPS facilities and upgrade the power grid to a “smart grid.”

“We needed fiber in order to fully deploy smart grid,” Fuller said.

The capital was used to make Opelika the first “GIG City” in Alabama, a designation for internet services that offer gigabit download speeds.

Though OPS is a part of the city government, the bond is not backed by the full faith and credit of the city. Instead, it is backed by OPS’s revenue.

When the city began pursuing the plan, Opelika was only being serviced by one internet service provider, Charter Communications.

“They were charging predatory prices because there was no competition,” Fuller said.

Some areas in Auburn and Lee County are still only serviced by one ISP, and other areas have no broadband internet service at all.

Whatley said he wants Opelika Power Services to be able to expand to provide service to areas that are currently underserved by traditional private internet service providers, which include WOW!, Charter Spectrum and AT&T in Lee County.

“Many of those areas in Auburn, some of them right across the street from Opelika, they don’t want to serve because there are not enough homes per mile,” Fuller said. “We think we can do better than that.”

Some families in northern and southern Auburn neighborhoods, OPS’s likely expansion territory,

CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY EDITOR

In 2013, Opelika Power Services, a community-owned public utility, became the first to provide gigabit download speeds to a city in Alabama.

pay hundreds of dollars per month for cellphone data plans because high-speed broadband internet is not available in their area.

The Auburn City Council has tried to work with the big three internet service providers in the city over the past year, enticing them to begin servicing some underserved areas like the Plainsman Hills, Autumn Ridge and The Preserve, but with not much success.

“They are still, at this point in time, not meeting all the needs of the people,” said Ward 2 City Councilman Ron Anders. “If the city of Opelika can provide that service for those people in that part of our city, then I’m all for it.”

Anders said he is not one to usually recommend an expansion of government function, but he believes an OPS expansion, in this case, would be positive for the people of Auburn. He recalled one mother who was paying almost $700 in cellphone bills so her daughter could have internet access for homework. Their home is not being served by any broadband provider.

“There are people in a quandary,” Anders said.

“They are looking for help, and if OPS can be that help, then I’m all for it.”

Private-sector providers have chosen not to expand into some underpopulated areas of the city because they do not meet their density requirements. OPS has said it is willing to serve these areas.

“I would love for private industry to serve Beauregard, North Auburn, South Auburn, but they have made an economic decision not to, and I have Opelika that is willing to,” Whatley said.

Whatley said the expansion was also important for business in Lee County.

“Twenty years ago people asked what your wa-

ter looks like, what your sewer looks like and how your schools were,” Whatley said. “Today they ask what your digital footprint is. What is your ability to move large sums of data at high rates of speed between my parent company and where I am here?”

The expansion is particularly important to provide high-speed services to first-tier support businesses in and right outside of Opelika on the Interstate 85 corridor that provide parts and support to the KIA automotive plant across the border in Georgia.

“Right now, the answer is we can’t provide you with that high-speed service because we don’t have it,” Whatley said. “This bill would hopefully change that.”

Several groups, including the Alabama Cable Telecommunications Association and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, have spoken out against Whatley’s plans and OPS’s service in general, saying that the project is government overreach.

“Fundamentally, we don’t believe that this is a government function, providing cable broadband, TV service and phone service,” said David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, based out of Washington, D.C. TPA has tracked municipal broadband internet services in dozens of cities across the U.S., documenting what they say are failures. Cities like Provo, Utah; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Memphis, Tennessee, have tried similar plans, but to no avail, Williams said.

OPS officials have said they look to Chattanooga as a model for good service. Their service provides GIG access, nearly 50 times the average internet speed in the U.S., for less than $70 per month, according to a CNN report. A New York

Times report called the internet service Chattanooga’s new “locomotive.”

Opelika Power Services currently offers GIG internet access plans for less than $95 per month.

Less expensive plans with 100 megabit speeds, still vastly faster than other internet plans, are less than $65 per month.

Williams doesn’t buy it.

“Every city wants to be the next Silicon Valley.

They want to be the next GIG city because they think that by building these broadband networks, that’s what is going to do it for them,” Williams said. “It sounds like a good idea, but it just doesn’t work because government is not good at providing things like this. They should not be in this business.”

If the project goes under, they say it would be on the backs of Opelika taxpayers.

“Part of our major critics’ emphasis has been on that we are using taxpayer money,” Fuller said.

“There’s no way it could affect taxpayers because there are no tax dollars pledged to security for the bonds.”

But since the internet service launched in 2013, the city’s utility provider hasn’t broken even on the project. As part of OPS’s original five-year business plan, the utility expected to take a loss on the internet service division. After the first five years, they expected to make a profit.

“At some point, we hope it will make a profit,” Fuller said. “That will give us more money to invest in infrastructure, public safety, libraries, schools. We’re not just giving it away. A lot of them just don’t want to compete with us, but they also don’t want to serve those neighborhoods.”

Whatley’s bill will go before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on April 5.

CRIME

Lee County Sheriff’s Office warns of phone scammers pretending to be deputies Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

If you receive a phone call from someone who says they’re a Lee County sheriff deputy, and they ask you to pay court fines over the phone, just hang up.

That’s the advice from Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, who said scammers are calling Lee County residents claiming to be a deputy named James Marshall. Other times they claim to be a sergeant working with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

On the call, the person informs people they have missed grand jury or jury duty or have an unpaid traffic fine that could result in arrest if fines are not immediately paid.

The scammer then tells individuals to purchase cash cards or money orders at stores like Walmart then call back and give them the number for the money order. The “fines” are usually around $500. If they pay the fine, the scammers tell them, they can avoid arrest.

“Of course, it is a complete

scam,” Jones said. “The sheriff’s office does not solicit any funds by making phone calls in regards to actions that are ongoing or pending in courts.”

And neither does the Lee County Circuit Court. All unpaid fines are addressed in person with a deputy coming to your door or over official letterhead through the U.S. Postal Service.

“We do not do it on the phone,” Jones said. “Simply hang up on the individual. Do not cooperate at all.

It is a typical type of scam where someone is trying to get money by relying on the person’s fear.”

Jones said that the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has received complaints about calls like these about this time of year for the past two to three years. The phone numbers are usually 334 area codes, but the callback number is usually based out of an Atlanta area code.

“This is not the first time that we have had this, and we certainly want to get this information out there and

keep people safe,” Jones said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the phone scams, but no arrests have been made yet.

The individuals use complex computer software to hide their location and the IP address used to make the online calls.

“It’s difficult to get a handle on it,” Jones said.

Jones said it was difficult to say whether the same person is conducting all of the phone calls, but it is usually a male.

MULTICULTURALISM » From 6

-gious places of worship. Part of their mission of education comes in the form of community outreach.

Past community work efforts from the group have included planting a peace garden with the Boys and Girls Club in Lee County, fundraising for the budget-constricted Little Tree Preschool on Auburn’s campus and working with Auburn University’s Model U.N. club.

In one instance, the IWPU circulated a list of books to local schools that dealt with themes of inclusion and peace put together by a member who was a librarian. School media centers picked age-appropriate books from the list, and the IWPU purchased the selected books and donated them.

IWPU has also hosted two cultural community fairs where they invited international student groups to share different aspects of their culture,

including cuisine and music, with the Auburn community.

This year, IWPU is focusing on working with Auburn’s College of Education to fund an annual scholarship for graduate students from underrepresented groups such as firstgeneration students or those from the Black Belt region.

IWPU members come from different countries and backgrounds including Turkey, Egypt, China, Panama, Germany, Pakistan, Alabama and other regions around the U.S. One of the main tenants of the organization’s members is to embrace the diversity and cultural differences that exist between them.

Interest in the organization has been growing, Ahmed said.

She credits it to the growing international community at Auburn as well as the number of international businesses opening in Alabama. Ahmed said membership is fluid but she

“If these are people who are sharing the space with us, then you’ve got to know them, right? You’ve got to understand them.”

Nighet Ahmed

FOUNDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FOR PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING

estimated there are about 60 women currently participating.

“The first couple of years, we were slow [in growing].

We wanted to build up a core group,” she said. “People are really interested in the group now, so it’s more open for people to come in and join.”

IWPU is holding its international dinner fundraiser for the scholarship this Saturday, April 1, at the Grace Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.

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Sports

Thursday, March 30, 2017

8 ThePlainsman.com

Sports

BASEBALL

KENNY MOSS / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Trophy after the game Auburn baseball vs Alabama in the Capital City Classic on Tuesday, Mar. 28, 2017 in Montgomery,Ala.

Tigers take down the Tide in Capital City Classic Will Sahlie ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

For the past nine years, the MAX Capital City Classic has provided an early opportunity for Auburn or Alabama to grab midseason bragging rights. For the eighth time in nine tries, Auburn did not let the opportunity slip away. Defense and a stellar bullpen performance led No. 17 Auburn to a 4-3 victory over Alabama Tuesday night in front of a sellout crowd at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery.

Four Auburn pitchers held the Crimson Tide to five hits to lead the Tigers to its 11th win in its last 12 games. Auburn starter Christian Camacho went 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. No other Auburn pitcher would allow an earned run.

Corey Herndon relieved Camacho and immediately induced a double play in the bottom of the fourth to get Auburn out of a jam.

Herndon, who earned his first career win, fired 1.2 hitless innings, giving up one unearned run while striking out one.

Freshman Ryan Watson threw 2.2 shutout innings following Herndon out of the Tigers’ bullpen. He struck out three Crimson

Tide batters and allowed just one hit.

Andrew Mitchell slammed the door on Alabama with 1.1 perfect innings to pick up his first save of the season. “[Corey] Herndon did a great job, Ryan Watson. I look at the first three guys that got in the ballgame. I’ve got a freshman. I’ve got a first-year junior – a junior college player. It was his first time to ever play in the game, then I’ve got another freshman, Ryan Watson, that gets us all the way to the point,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson. “I was wanting Andrew [Mitchell] to throw the ninth, but we brought him in to finish the eighth inning. Just to see those guys and see how much they are going to grow from that is neat for us to see. You can’t put our players, especially new players on our team, in a better environment.”

Auburn jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning with a tworun single by Daniel Robert accounting for most of the damage.

The Tigers also got a run on an error after Will Holland beat out a bunt single and an error allowed Josh Anthony to trot home.

The Crimson Tide (12-13) got on the board in the third on a RBI single by Cobie Vance. Alabama used sac flies in both the fourth

and fifth innings to tie the game at 3-3.

In the sixth, Auburn moved Robert to third with two outs. The Tigers needed a clutch hit, and Anthony provided just that. His infield single drove home Robert and provided what proved to be the winning run for the Tigers.

“We just have really good team chemistry, and we really fight to the end. We really just get it done,” said Auburn second baseman Jay Estes, who was named game MVP after making two key defensive plays.

“We still had a lot of strikeouts tonight,” Thompson said. “I’m so thankful our team is finding a way to win and hanging in there when we’re not playing our best baseball.”

Sam Finnerty took the loss for Alabama, allowing one run in 2.1 relief innings. Starter Garret Rukes allowed three runs with five strikeouts in three innings.

Auburn (21-6, 5-1) returns to action this weekend as No. 6 South Carolina comes to Plainsman Park for a three-game series between the SEC East and SEC West leaders. First pitch Friday night is set for 6 p.m. CST.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

BASEBALL

Daniel earns SEC honors

Jack Winchester SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn’s Davis Daniel has been named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

The right-hander earned his first career SEC win on Sunday on the road at Georgia with six shutout innings.

He struck out six Bulldogs and allowed just five base runners in his first career road start.

Daniel improved to 2-0 on the season and helped Auburn to its sixth-consecutive series win to open the 2017 season. The Tigers are

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman

SOFTBALL

20-6 on the year, the fastest Auburn has reached 20 wins since 2004.

The Montgomery native has 25 strikeouts in 26.1 innings on the season with only six walks.

He is the second-straight Auburn freshman to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors joining teammate Will Holland who received the award March 20.

Auburn is nationally ranked No.17 in the D1baseball.com, USA Today and coaches polls.

The Tigers came in at the 18 spot in Baseball America’s poll.

MATTHEW BISHOP / STAFF PHOTOGRAPGER

Haley Fagan (2) gets a handshake from Auburn Head Coach Clint Myers during Auburn vs. Creighton

Myers gets win No. 1,500 Nathan King

SPORTS REPORTTER

WADE RACKLEY / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Davis Daniel Auburn baseball vs Lipscomb on Sunday March 5, 2017 in Auburn,Ala.

Now in his fourth season with the Auburn Tigers, head coach Clint Myers’ team has never been swept in a conference series.

Kaylee Carlson and No. 4 Auburn kept that streak alive on Monday night, defeating the Florida Gators, 1-0. Myers also picked up career win No. 1,500.

It took just one run for the Tigers to down the second-ranked Gators, as Carlson held the home squad in check to the tune of three hits allowed.

Carlson (15-1) also turned in four strikeouts.

The lone score in the contest was logged by Auburn sophomore Kendall Veach in the second inning.

The first baseman, who finished 1 for 3 on the night, smacked her team-leading eighth home run of 2017 over the wall of Katie Sea-

shole Pressly Stadium, handing the Tigers the 1-0 lead.

The remainder of the Auburn roster converted only two other hits, coming from Carlee Wallace and Haley Fagan.

Carlson kept the Gator offense at bay, shutting out Florida despite allowing five walks and stranding seven Florida players on base.

The grueling SEC schedule won’t let up, as the Tigers (28-5, 3-3) will spend this coming weekend in Athens, Georgia, for a Friday through Sunday series with the No. 16 Bulldogs. Auburn is 5-5 this season in games against ranked opponents. Georgia (26-7, 2-4 SEC) opened conference play with a 2-1 series win over Kentucky before being swept by LSU. The first pitch for game one in Athens is set for 6 p.m. CST on Friday night. Fans can catch the action live on the SEC Network+.

EQUESTRIAN

Equestrian falls to Georgia

Jack Winchester SPORTS EDITOR

The Auburn Equestrian team was down early, but did not quit. The Tigers were down 6-3 after the first half of competition before storming back in the second half.

It was not enough, and the comeback bid fell just short as No. 1 seed Georgia held for a 10-9 win to capture the 2017 SEC Championship Saturday at the Auburn University Horse Center.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our rides from start to finish today,” head coach Greg Williams said. “I thought we rode well enough to beat anybody. Today didn’t end the way we would have liked, but I’m looking forward to our chances at nationals.”

Auburn (9-4) cut the Georgia lead at the conclusion of Flat as the Tigers went 3-2 in the event.

After the flat, it all came down to Reining as the Bulldogs held a slim 8-6 lead with five matches remaining. The Freshman Kara Kaufmann kicked things off for Auburn with an outstanding ride, scoring a 144.5 to earn MOP honors. Junior Alexa Rivard followed with a 142-139.5 win over Graysen Stroud, locking things up at 8-all.

The Tiger performances were not enough to contain Georgia, and the Bulldogs held on and took the next two wins to seal the team victory.

Auburn continues the postseason at the NCEA Championships. The multi-day event is set for April 13-15 in the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Lauren Diaz competes during the SEC Equestrian Championship on Saturday, March 25, 2017 in Auburn,Ala.

FOOTBALL

SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn wide receiver Kyle Davis could miss the remainder of the Tigers spring practices, head coach Gus Malzahn said on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure if he’s going to be back before the end of the spring,” Malzahn said. “He will be back for the fall. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we initially thought.”

Davis missed last spring in its entirety due to a shoulder injury.

The rising sophomore wide receiver did not return to practice after spring break as expected and is still dealing with “personal business.”

Davis is one of Auburn’s most experienced

AUBURN STUDENT MEDIA GROUP

G L O M E R A TA A N D C I R C L E DISTRIBUTION Both The Glomerata yearbook and Auburn Circle literary

Auburn reciever could miss remainder of the Spring Jack Winchester

S T UD E NT A F F A I R S S P OT L I G H T

returning receivers, despite only being a sophomore.

Last season, Davis played in all 13 games and caught 12 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns.\With no Davis, Auburn started spring practice with Eli Stove, Nate Craig-Myers and Jason Smith running with the first-team offense and Ryan Davis, Marquis McClain and Griffin King on the second.

“It’s a loss. It’s a loss to all the receivers,” Stove said. “We all love KD. He’s a great person. But he can come back and be strong and get better. We’ll be all right.”

The Auburn Spring gootball game is set for April 8, at 1 p.m. CST. in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

magazine will be distributed while supplies last.

When: April 11-13 each day until 2:30 p.m Where: Student Center, Tiger Transit loop, Haley Concourse, and Thach Concourse Students unable to pick up a copy of The Glomerata during distribution hours may receive one by coming to The Glomerata office, Suite 1111, in the Student Center.

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facebook.com/AuburnStudents

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Auburn Students

Sports 10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Tigers win Capital City Classic

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Auburn Tigers lean over the dugout to watch the final out.

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Josh Anthony (3) gets an out at third.

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Christian Camacho (5) pitches the ball during the Capital City Classic.

Quarterback Woody Barrett ready for sophomore season Tyler Roush SPORTS WRITER

With six quarterbacks now on the roster for Auburn, redshirt freshman Woody Barrett falls further behind in recognition. The dual-threat talent from Winter Garden, Florida, sat out the 2016 season as a member of the scout team.

As spring football edges nearer, Barrett looks to throw his name into the ballot for the starting quarterback position for the 2017 season.

Both he and Auburn’s newfound prodigal son, Jarrett Stidham, stand at 6-foot-2, with Barrett having the edge on size at 231 pounds. His dual-threat capabilities, which became evident later in the season for last season’s starter, Sean White, are only rivaled

by Netflix phenom John Franklin III. Franklin proved unwise for an unruly quarterback carousel, struggling to throw the ball downfield.

“I’m no quarterbacks coach, but I think he has one of the strongest arms in the group,” said running back Kerryon Johnson of Barrett. “He’s got a cannon. He believes in his arm.”

Barrett will be participating in his first spring game on The Plains, allowing the public to watch him play for the first time since

stepping into an Auburn uniform. It is hoped that, with concerns to how last season’s rotation fell through, Barrett will create stability among presumed madness.

“Woody is a talented guy,” said Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey. “He’s still trying to figure out his first spring. I’m excited about his progress.”

Lindsey is transitioning away from an Arizona State offense where the Sun Devils accumulated 3,111 total passing yards for 2016. The Sun Devils also ran for 1,578 yards despite boasting the third-best total in rushing touchdowns for the Pac-12 at 27.

In comparison, Auburn threw for 2,203 yards on 136 fewer attempts, rushing for 3,527 yards on 170 more attempts. It is assumed that, as Lindsey transitions to Auburn, he will look to utilize the quarterback position with more assumed flair.

Stidham’s arrival on The Plains not only presents danger to Barrett’s chances for making a move, but challenges White’s future as a Tiger.

White completed his season in a Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma, suffering a broken right arm.

Throwing for 1,679 yards on a 63.9 completion percentage and nine touchdowns in 2016 might have implied White would staple

himself at the helm until graduation. However, as White is continuing to recover, the conversation continues to drift from already established Tigers in favor of Stidham.

In an attempt to capitalize on White’s recovery process, Barrett brings controversy over whether the starting position is already determined.

His competitive play since spring practice began has taken notice of many, with implications of further growth and fury entering April.

“Anytime you are a highly recruited guy and you redshirt, it takes a little bit to get back in the flow,” said head coach Gus Malzahn. “But he knows he’s competing now, and you can see a difference in him.

“You can tell Woody’s more confident than he was and starting to settle in.” Malzahn said.

With all of Jordan-Hare glaring, daring him to prove more worthy than Stidham, Barrett faces a task that might not only define his own career, but the path of Auburn football moving forward.

“Woody literally believes he will score every play,” Johnson continued. “To a point, that’s what you got to love. I think he’s got a good chance to be very good.”

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Lifestyle Thursday, March 30, 2017

11 ThePlainsman.com

Lifestyle

ENTERTAINMENT

Collecting and scratching records for a living Jessica Ballard COPY EDITOR

Citing the origins of his career as a DJ back to the Fisher-Price turntable he had growing up, music has always been a vital part of life for Lee Bradberry. Now, Bradberry shares his passion for music

by DJing regularly in Auburn bars like Quixotes and 17-16 under the stage name DJ LEE. B r a d b e r r y ’s p r o f e s s i o n a l m u s i c c a r e e r b e g a n about three years ago.

His venture into the DJ world took off through friends already working as DJs and in bands locally, such as Ben Bruud and Blackberry Breeze.

“I had known previous DJs that were working around here. I knew Rainer, who used to play over at Skybar and then came over to Quixotes. ... And there’re other guys in town that I learned from,” Bradberry said.

Bradberry had one friend in particular, DJ Bemix, who frequently played at Quixotes. When Bemix left Q’s, he made a big push to get DJ LEE in his spot, said Bradberry.

Since then, DJ LEE has consistently played at Q’s. He also recently began DJing at 17-16 about once or twice a month.

“I walk that fine line between being introverted and extraverted. I guess if I was just at the bar, I’d be more in the background, but now I help the party out,” Bradberry said.

When DJing, Bradberry plays mostly Top +40 songs with an open format style.

He said he decides what to play by gauging the crowd’s reactions to his choices.

“If people don’t like what you’re playing, they’ll leave the floor. Some of them will even tell you. For s o m e r e a s o n t h e y h a t e B e y o n c e ’s ‘ S i n g l e L a d i e s ’ sometimes,” Bradberry said.

Bradberry said one of the more entertaining aspects of being a DJ is observing and interacting with the crowd.

“A fight broke out to a Fergie song once. Two guys just started fighting. I got on the mic and asked them, ‘How’re you going to fight to Fergie?’” Bradberry said.

Bradberry also mentioned girls who like to dance on stage and touch his tech equipment.

“I’ve got a system in place now where they can

CONTRIBUTED BY DJLEE

(touch the epuipment),” Bradberry said. “That’s what you have to do, just let them touch it, and then they’re fine. ... Throw it into internal mode so it plays off the computer, and then they can touch whatever they want except for the computer and nothing happens.”

Originally from Virginia but with family roots in Auburn, Bradberry spent summers growing up in Auburn.

He knew he would probably attend the University eventually since most of his family is from Auburn and his grandmother worked for the University.

“It was tradition to come to Auburn, so I came to Auburn,” Bradberry said.

During his time attending the University, the DJto-be studied finance. He plans to eventually return to school and finish his degree.

Bradberry noted how Virginia’s location in between the North and the South affected the music he listened to.

There’s a lot of stuff coming from New York and

the East Coast and then a lot of stuff coming from the South, Bradberry said.

“I listen to a lot of hip-hop, so especially in the 90s there were huge style differences (between the North and South). Now, not as much,” Bradberry said.

Lee’s work with music isn’t limited to the bar scene, however. He’s also worked on various friends’ albums.

Most notably, however, is his interest in collecting records.

Bradberry said he’s recently gotten into collecting 45s, the rarest format to collect.

“I really love funk. I was a big fan of funk and R&B, and now it’s become a contest to try to source the most obscure funk record I can find,” Bradberry said.

Bradberry said he usually travels to Atlanta to look for different records, but he also looks online for rare ones.

“Music and touching music has just always been there for me,” Bradberry said.

Lifestyle 12

Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PLAINSMAN PICKS PLAYLIST:

ARTS

this week, the plainsman editors chose their favorite karaoke songs. listen to their picks and follow the auburn plainsman at spotify.com/the_auburnplainsman.

“Wannabe” by Spice Girls Kris Martins, enterprise editor “There’s nothing more spicy than the Spice Girls.”

“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey Madison Ogletree, photo editor “Who doesn’t need a pep talk while on stage?”

“Start Of Something New” by High School Musical cast Weston Sims, opinions editor “Zanessa 4ever.”

“Raining Blood” by Slayer Dakota Sumpter, managing editor

KAE HENDERSON / PHOTOGRAPHER

“Nothing better to get a crowd in the mood.”

Kids paint at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art with K-12 Art Club on Sunday, March 26, 2017 in Auburn,Ala.

Coloring with kids at Jule Collins Karl Hackmiller LIFESTYLE WRITER

One Sunday a month there’s fun for families both inside and outside of Jule Collins Smith Museum.

The K-12 Art Club, led by local art historian John David Carcache, offers a place for kids and their parents alike to learn about the museum exhibits and the skills necessary for the success of their own artistic expressions.

Children piled into the small café that, on Thursday nights, often serves as a place for adults to partake in poetry and red wine.

Despite the very different atmospheres, there was excitement in the air as children and adults chattered with their neighbors.

Carcache and his assistant scurried around the café preparing the table with place matts and water colors. In ten minutes, the tables were full and Carcache was visibly surprised by the crowd.

“Last time we had 16 people show up,” Carcache said. “Today, we have something like 32.”

The children quietted down and Carcache led them to the museum lobby where they sat in a circle under a mammoth, pas-

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tel-colored blown-glass chandelier, “Amber Luster,” by Dale Chihuly. In the circle, Carcache explained the tedious process of blowing glass and gives back story to the piece and its artist, but the children got more excited when it was their turn to talk.

Carcache said an important goal of these youth programs is to give a voice to the children and establish the language for them to appreciate and talk about art.

“How does this make you feel?” he asked the circle of 5-7 year olds. “Happy?” asked one girl. “It makes me feel silliness,” added another. Soon, the group was off to a running start.

Carcache led the kids and their families back into the café, which was once loud with chatter. The children weren’t the only ones painting, their parents joined in.

Carcache and his assistant were busy immediately, talking to the kids about what they were painting and even instructing them on technique.

There was a crash as one kid spilled his water across the floor. “Are you getting this?” Carcache’s assistant asked.

By the end of the day, she was relieved and surprised that with 32 kids in the museum café, there was only one spill.

“Fancy” by Reba McEntire Corey Williams, editor-in-chief “Here’s your one chance.”

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

ACROSS 1 “Anaconda” rapper Nicki 6 Sizable chunk 10 “Yuck!”

13 Carne follower, in Mexican fare 14 Roll at the airport 15 Former Vietnamese emperor Bao __ 16 Reason kept to oneself 19 Barack Obama, astrologically 20 Old Venetian magistrate 21 Boy in the first family 22 Wig out 25 Country singer Clark 28 Cold weather word 29 Thorny thicket 34 1953 automobile innovation 35 Catch something 38 Put away 39 Some caviar 42 Johnny Olson catchphrase 43 West Indian sorcery 47 Young partner 48 Bum rap 53 Low-cost home loan org.

54 Lug 55 Letters left of center?

58 Leisurely lakeside activity, and a clue for the circled letters 62 “If __ again I meet him beard to beard ... ”: Shak.

63 “Yuck!”

64 Whiz 65 Carefree syllable 66 Fun 67 Sarcophagus holder DOWN 1 Stake-driving hammer 2 Part of a chain 3 Defense acronym 4 Thirst quencher 5 Rattle

6 Bend 7 Slow passage 8 Guitar players, slangily 9 Dust jacket info 10 Safe to put away 11 Encourage to score, as a base runner 12 Brandishes 17 First name in despotism 18 Zap 22 Set up 23 NYC commuter line 24 Ordinal ending 25 TV sched. uncertainty 26 Aunt with a “Cope Book” 27 Divide 30 El __ 31 Maroon 5 singer Levine 32 Counter square 33 Lake of Lombardy 35 Auto company founder Citroën 36 Golf bag item 37 Not the best of times 40 Universal donor’s type, briefly

41 Uvula doc 42 “Evita” role 43 Counterbalance 44 Loan officer, e.g.

45 Twain’s New York resting place 46 “Make it snappy!”

49 Country about 12 times longer than its widest point 50 Underwear brand 51 Zero

52 Literary monogram 55 Green attitude?

56 Sound often not allowed?

57 “It __ Right”: 1956 Platters’ hit 59 Lunchbox staple, familiarly 60 Cinephile’s TV choice 61 Tool sometimes used for steering

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Bruce Haight ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

08/19/16

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