The Auburn Plainsman 4.13.17

Festival Guide Inside

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, April 13, 2017 Vol. 124, Issue 28, 12 Pages

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POLITICS

AU alumna sworn in as governor

CONTRIBUTED BY ALBERT CESARE / THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER

Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey bows her head during a prayer before being sworn in as Alabama’s governor on Monday, April 10, 2017, at the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery,Ala.

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

Alabama has a new governor, and she's an Auburn alumna.

Gov. Robert Bentley resigned Monday evening following a plea deal with the Alabama Attorney General's Office in which the governor admitted his guilt to two misdemeanor campaign finance and economic statement of interest disclosure violations. He is not expected to serve any jail time.

"I love the people of this state," Bentley said in his resignation announcement. "I love this office."

With Bentley’s resignation, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, an Auburn

alumna, ascended to the governor's office this evening at about 6 p.m. with a public swearing-in ceremony in the Old House Chambers at the Alabama State Capitol.

"The Ivey Administration will be open, it will be transparent and it will be honest," Ivey said.

The resignation and plea bargain follow a week of fallout over Bentley's relationship and alleged affair with a former top staffer, Rebekah Mason, and whether he used state resources to cover it up or protect his image. Bentley was facing possible impeachment by the Alabama House of Representatives.

In the Montgomery County District Court, Bentley was sen-

CAMPUS

tenced to serve 12 months unsupervised probation and was fined more than $7,000. He has forfeited any rights to run for any future public office and has voided any of his retirement benefits from the state. He will also serve 100 hours of community service using his skills as a doctor.

"The time has come for me to look at new ways to serve the good people of our great state," Bentley said. "I have decided it’s time for me to step down as Alabama's governor. I leave this office that I have held, that I have respected, that I have loved for seven years to focus on other, and possibly more effective, areas of service."

Bentley was facing possible impeachment and two criminal investigations up until Sunday morning, when Bentley was rumored to have made a deal with the Attorney General's Office Special Prosecutions Division to plead guilty to some charges in exchange for no jail time. The deal was far less than the four felony charges Bentley could have faced if the AGO had taken up Ethics Commission charges voted on last week.

The morning started with impeachment hearings in the House, which were abruptly shut down at about 2 p.m. when Bentley was reported to have made a final plea agreement. By about 4:15 p.m., Bentley had been booked at the Montgomery County Jail.

A hearing began at about 5 p.m. during which Montgomery County District Judge Troy Massey accepted Bentley's guilty plea.

The Alabama Ethics Commission, a state body that exists to make recommendations on criminal charges related to Alabama's state ethics laws, found probable cause on four charges against Bentley last week, choosing to refer each of the charges to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office for further consideration and possible prosecution.

On Monday morning, Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey referred the charges from the Ethics Commission on to the Attorney General's Office, allowing the AGO to reduce the charges and make the plea deal with Bentley.

The original charges referred by the Ethics Commission were all Class B felonies, for which Bentley could have faced

» See IVEY, 2

POLITICS

Tuberville talks ‘winning’ Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Tim Cook, Apple CEO and Auburn alumnus, sits for an interview after his talk in the Telfair B. Peet Theatre on Thursday, April 5, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Cook spoke about issues of diversity and inclusion on campus.

Tim Cook on diversity Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For Apple CEO Tim Cook, a 1982 graduate of Auburn, it's difficult to say whether the University is doing enough to foster a diverse and inclusive environment on its campus.

"I’m not sure that anyone can ever do enough," Cook said after a pause.

This subject should not be approached with the question: "Are you doing enough?" Cook said. "It should be: 'Are you curious enough to keep figuring it out and to keep challenging yourself on what more you can do?'"

Cook interacted with students during a talk — dubbed “A Conversation with Tim Cook: A Per-

sonal View of Inclusion and Diversity" — in a packed auditorium at Telfair B. Peet Theatre on Thursday, April 6 The event, hosted by SGA, was announced earlier this week. Seating was limited, and students lined up before 7 a.m. for the chance to see Cook speak.

After the talk, Cook sat down with The Auburn Plainsman to discuss diversity on campus and in the U.S., LGBTQ issues and the future of Auburn University.

On perspective Cook is a big believer in open discussion. He acknowledged that many people aren't totally on board

» See COOK, 2

When Tommy Tuberville was the head football coach at Auburn from 1999–2008, he was perhaps best known for his six-year winning streak against the University of Alabama.

Now he wants the state of Alabama to win.

"That was great," Tuberville said of his winning streak. "I am a winner. That’s one of the things I’ve been telling people. I’m tired of this state being close to the bottom in a lot of things that we do. We’ve done a lot of great things in this state, but I don’t think we’re getting the most out of it."

Tuberville, who recently finished up a three-year stint as the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, is now considering a run for governor in a state marred by political turmoil and scandal.

He hasn't made a final decision, he said, but he's been on a listening tour for the past few weeks, hearing Alabamians' concerns and gauging whether a run for the

» See TUBERVILLE, 7

CONTRIBUTED BY TODD VAN EMST / OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS

SEC Championship Auburn vs. Tennessee in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004.

CAMPUS

University responds to alt-right group Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

An alt-right group claiming to be a "White Student Union" affiliated with Auburn University as a student organization has been making its rounds on campus, distributing antisemitic fliers and asking students to visit its new website.

The group, claiming to be the Whites of the Alt-Right Educating Auburn Gentiles for Liberation and Empowerment, or WAR EAGLE, began distributing fliers last week

across campus.

Their new website does not provide a way for students to sign up for the group, it only charges those who support its message to distribute pamphlets on campus. The group says they are alt-right, an offshoot of conservatism mixing racism, white nationalism and populism.

The University responded to news of the new "organization" last night in a statement.

"This group isn't an Auburn student organization, and we find the

views expressed in their materials reprehensible and unrepresentative of those of the university," the University said in a statement from the Office of Communications and Marketing.

Auburn Student Affairs said they were aware of the fliers and have been made aware of the group's new website, which doesn't provide contact information or meeting times.

Mike Clardy, assistant vice president of University communications,

» See RESPONDS, 2

News 2

The Auburn Plainsman

IVEY

RESPONDS

up to 20 years in prison per charges and up to $30,000 in fines per charge.

All of the top officials in the Republican-dominated state government had called on Bentley to resign by Sunday night. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh and the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee had all urged Bentley to step down.

“I'm grateful that Gov. Bentley has seen the writing on the wall and made what must have been a difficult decision," McCutcheon said. "When I met with him on Friday, I told him I would be praying for him. I will continue praying for him as he adjusts to the next chapter in his life and reflects upon the legacy he leaves behind."

Bentley's ouster marks a climax of a year of political turmoil in Alabama. Last year, Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, was found guilty of 12 felony ethics violations and was removed from office. Only a few months later, Chief Justice Roy Moore, the head of Alabama's Supreme Court, was forcibly suspended from office after being found guilty of violating the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics.

That marks a full turnover in the top three positions in the Alabama government.

Ivey has served in state government in one form or another since 1979.

In 2002, Ivey ran as a Republican for state treasurer. She was elected and served in former Gov. Bob Riley's cabinet from 2003 to January 2011. In 2010, Ivey initially planned to run against Bentley, Rep. Bradley Byrne and Chief Justice Roy Moore, among others, in the Republican primary for governor, but she then decided early in the primary to run for lieutenant governor instead.

Ivey went on to defeat former governor and Democratic incumbent Jim Folsom Jr. in a statewide Republican sweep. Along with Bentley, Ivey was re-elected in 2014 for a second term.

As lieutenant governor, Ivey presided over the Alabama State Senate.

said that the University was looking into possible copyright and trademark violations associated with the group. Their website displays trademarked Auburn logos and slogans.

Auburn is not the first campus to experience what the Anti-Defamation League refers to as "fliering incidents." There have been more than 100 incidents of white supremacists fliering on American college campuses this school year. Sixty-five percent of the incidents have occurred since January.

The white supremacist fliers and posters have been reported in more than 25 states, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center is monitoring the group in Auburn and has placed other white nationalist groups on their Hate Watch List. SPLC Outreach Director Lecia Brooks said the SPLC doesn't have enough information on the Auburn group to place it on the list yet.

"We've been watching white student unions since 2012," Brooks said. "We haven't identified them as a real group yet. I don't want to give them

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COOK » From 1

with the idea that diversity is an important issue. But, he said, that could be remedied with honest communication.

"If somebody has a strong opinion that diversity isn’t important, I’d encourage them to listen and allow for they might be wrong," Cook said. "My strong belief that people who do that will come to the conclusion that it is incredibly important. No matter how they look at it."

Economically, Cook said, diversity in the workforce is essential. The GDP will rise, and product quality will improve.

"Or, even if they view it on a humanity basis: what's just and what's right," he said. "No matter which way you look at it, or if you look at it both ways, I think they’ll come around to see that it’s incredibly important."

On LGBTQ issues Cook is a notoriously private man.

Rumors about his sexual orientation swirled for years, but Cook chose not to discuss his personal life until three years ago. In a Bloomberg Business editorial, Cook publicly identified himself as a gay man for the first time.

"While I have never denied my sex-

Thursday, April 13, 2017

this impression that they've got this huge profile based on this one incident of fliering."

The group reportedly has three levels of membership, trial membership, which is extended to those of "white ancestry and good character." Full membership is extended to those who are "dedicated to [their] cause." According to their website, non-white individuals will not be considered for membership.

A third membership, auxiliary membership, is extended to "allies," or non-white people.

"The content found on the site includes discriminatory membership criteria for those not white, calling out every diversity organization and office affiliated with Auburn, and scientifically inaccurate reading materials which are quite simply racist," said Dylan Clark, the president of Auburn's Spectrum. "This has been deeply upsetting to multiple friends, many of whom belong to a minority, and are worried the continuation or allowance of such student activities may jeopardize their safety."

White student unions date back to 2010 when Matthew Heimbach, a student at Towson University in Maryland, founded a chapter of Youth for Western Civilization. He then started a White Student Union there, which sparked a whole move-

uality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now," Cook wrote. "So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

Cook told The Plainsman he hadn't yet accepted his sexuality when he was a student at Auburn in the 1980s.

"Would I have felt accepted? That’s a bit of an academic question," Cook said.

"But I think the reality is it would’ve been incredibly hard. Not necessarily because it was Auburn. I think I would’ve had the same answer with any university across the United States.

If you think about it, it was not just frowned upon, but in many states it was illegal. Marriage wasn’t even legal until recently."

The optimistic part of Cook, he said, thinks society is moving in the right direction when it comes to LGBTQ rights.

"The impatient side says we’re not moving fast enough," Cook said. "Everyone deserves the same human rights.

I don’t hear anybody asking for special rights — just the same rights. I think that’s true not only in the gay community but many other communities as well."

On gender in STEM Cook graduated with an industrial engineering degree in 1982 and has re-

ment to create these types of groups, especially online groups.

But this year has marked a large increase, Brooks said.

"There was a huge increase right after the election," Brooks said. "It really started during the campaigns when white nationalists offered him their support in the person of Steve Bannon, primarily."

The WSU website has no contact information and offers no means for someone to sign up for membership. Brooks said that might be because they just want to give attention to their ideology through the fliering.

"Anybody could just post a WordPress blog space," Brooks said. "It could be simply based on what they've seen in other news reports on college campuses. They may want to do something similar, just get some attention to get things going."

The University has made it clear the organization does not have any sanctioned status. SGA President Jacqueline Keck said this is an opportunity to present a united front.

"My hope is that students would see this as an opportunity to move forward in unity and speak to the importance of respect and inclusion," Keck said.

mained involved with the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, even serving on its alumni advisory board 17 years after his graduation and has endowed a professorship and scholarships.

He's disturbed, however, by gender disparities in science, technology, engineering and math careers. Not just at Auburn, but throughout the country.

"I think the U.S. will lose its leadership in technology if this doesn’t change," Cook said. "Women are such an important part of the workforce. If STEM-related fields continue to have this low representation of women, then there just will not be enough innovation in the United States. That’s just the simple fact of it."

According to Auburn University's 2015 enrollment statistics, approximately two times more men were enrolled as undergraduate industrial engineering students than women. Approximately three times as many men were enrolled in the college's graduate program.

Auburn's enrollment statistics actually bode well for the future of women in industrial engineering. Right now, only 17.1 percent of industrial engineers in the U.S. are women.

This is not enough, though, Cook said.

"The job growth in STEM fields will outpace all others by a fair amount for the foreseeable future," Cook said. "The reality is, you'll end up having a whole set of jobs that aren't filled. You'll lose talented workforce that should exist. I think it’s imperative for the whole country to get behind changing that."

On the future It's hard to deny the University has seen considerable change in the last two months. For the third time in Auburn history, a woman was elected SGA president. Her vice president is an African-American man.

"I think it says a lot about the students," Cook said. "As usual, it’s the younger generation that pushes the older generation to walk away from these old dogmas and prejudices. Most people can’t even tell you why they exist anymore."

These ideas have become deeply ingrained in society, Cook said, and it is up to current and future generations to reverse them.

"A part of being a great citizen — for every generation — is to expand the definition of human rights," Cook said. "If that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be sitting here and you wouldn’t be sitting here either."

3/22/2017 5:43:23 PM

Campus

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Thursday, April 13, 2017

ThePlainsman.com

Campus

FACILITIES

CALEB HOOD / PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: President Jay Gogue, Board of Trustees members and the Harbert family were in attendance for the groundbreaking.

MIDDLE: Bill Hardgrave, dean of the College of Business, speaks to the audience during the ceremony to thank the Harbert family.

RIGHT: Harbert College of Business shovels are laid on the ground for the groundbreaking ceremony.

College of Business hosts groundbreaking for $40 million facility Kressie Kornis CAMPUS WRITER

The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming second building to house graduate programs, classrooms and meeting spaces for students.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday, April 7, at 2 p.m. and included complimentary Toomer’s lemonade and free T-shirts for the first 400 guests.

Molly McLeroy, sophomore in marketing, said she attended the ceremony with a couple of her friends because it was a great opportunity to be a part of Auburn’s history.

“Since Auburn has one of the youngest business programs in the SEC, it’s amazing to see how much the college has grown in 50 years,” McLeroy said. “I’m thankful and excited to see the college continue to succeed and develop throughout the near future.”

Bill Hardgrave, dean and Wells Fargo professor for the College of Business, gave the opening remarks at the ceremony.

“We’re here today to celebrate the ceremonial start of the creation of our new building, and it truly is a celebration,” Hardgrave said. “It’s been 27 years since our last groundbreaking.

Now, I told our team, ‘No pressure, but we only get to do this about once every 27 years, so this

better be one heck of a celebration.’”

Hardgrave said the new building will start at the border of Magnolia Avenue and Donahue Drive aligned with Lowder Hall, with a courtyard between the two. The building will be about 100,000 square feet with 10 classrooms, along with a three-story open atrium and a cafe.

“This new building will enable us to do things we didn’t even really dream about or think about it existing in 1992 when Lowder Hall was built,” Hardgrave said. “Technology is different now than it was then. As we’ve worked through designing this building, we’ve designed it to really meet everything that Lowder Hall has not, so it will perfectly com-

TRUSTEES

Board passes projects and finalizes Leath’s contract

plement the building.”

The building will have flexible space and social space, Hardgrave said.

“This is 100 percent for the students,” Hardgrave said.

Charles McCrary, former Alabama Power Foundation CEO and current president pro tempore of Auburn’s Board of Trustees, thanked the Harberts for their donation and investment in the University and the students.

“Raymond and Catherine [Harbert] are so generous and so humble about what they can do for Auburn, and we’re so thankful that they’ve found it in their heart to do it,” McCrary said.

ORGANIZATIONS

Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

The Board of Trustees met to discuss topics such as facilities, finances and academic affairs.

The meeting was held on Friday, April 7, at the Hotel at Auburn University & Dixie Conference Center.

On the agenda for facilities resolutions was the renovation of Jordan-Hare Stadium’s press box and the construction of a concourse on Mell Street in front of the new classrooms.

The Auburn-Opelika News reported the Board approved the stadium project, which will replace the current press box with luxury seating and construct a press box in a new location.

The trustees also passed the resolution in support of the project to make improvements on Mell Street and West Samford and Thach avenues. Phase I of this project is estimated to cost $4 million, which is to be funded by University general funds, according to the Board’s agenda.

This project would make improvements from West Thach Avenue to the end of Library Service Drive, where there will be a concourse constructed for pedestrians and bicyclists in front of the new Mell Street classrooms.

Dan King, associate vice president of facilities, said this phase of the project will greatly change the main campus.

“This first piece is really important and pretty exciting in that this will be a project that will be sort of transformative to the main campus in terms of student and pedestrian friendliness and compatibility,” King said.

The Board discussed the possibility of tuition increases, which would raise the next two years’ tuition by 3 percent.

The OA News reported this resolution to increase tuition passed.

This was also the first official meeting of the Board since announcing the appointment of University President Jay Gogue’s successor, Steven Leath of Iowa State University.

The trustees approved Leath’s contract as University president during the meeting, according to the OAnews.

Leath’s contract will last five years with an annual salary of $625,000 with a deferred retirement bonus of $1.25 million.

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Lauren Kaing, sophomore, jumps on a bungee trampoline.

UPC hosts ‘Hops and Pops’ Loren Kimmel VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Renderings of the Mell Concourse.

Leath’s contract also states his car allowance will be $31,250.

Leath will be reimbursed for any moving expenses, according to the University. Though he will eventually be living in the President’s Mansion on campus, it is currently undergoing renovations. In the mean time, the University plans to provide housing in Auburn until the renovations are complete.

SENATE

SGA discusses freshman football ticketing, tuition increase Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS REPORTER

SGA discussed changes to football ticketing distribution and an upcoming tuition increase during its Senate meeting on Monday, April 10.

EVP of Programs Faith Webb gauged the room regarding football ticketing policies for freshman students during executive announcements.

Webb and the Senate discussed ticketing options for freshmen, and the Senate agreed it was more fair providing freshmen with six games in comparison to two years ago when some students received full season packages, while others received four tickets or less.

“In my [first] year, when I registered, I was able to get a full season,

but some of my peers were not able to do that. They only got three games for the year, so last year what we found was that students who got six-game packages weren’t able to go to two of the home games, which were bigger games,” Webb said. “But this year, [if] we gave a six-game package, that would either be Alabama or Georgia that they weren’t getting, so they would get Alabama or Georgia.”

The Senate agreed offering freshmen six games was better than offering them four or less.

SGA President Jacqueline Keck also announced a tuition increase over the next two academic years, which was decided on by the Board of Trustees during its meeting Friday, April 7.

Keck said the Board based the tuition increase on various factors, including faculty salary increases and new facilities under construction.

“Under the Obama administration, they changed the FAFSA due date from January to October, so the students that are need-based, [the office of] financial support can know in October what they’re going to receive from the government and also what’s needed from scholarships to cover their college costs,” Keck said. “For us to create scholarship packages effectively, we needed to know what tuition was going to be for the 2018-19 school year.”

Keck said the increase will be a 3 percent increase this year and a 3 percent increase next year.

CAMPUS WRITER

The University Program Council hosted Hops and Pops on the Green Space. The event came complete with multiple inflatables ranging from a large moon bounce to a bungytrampoline.

From 12-2 p.m. the Green Space filled with students, inflatables and popsicles catered from Steel City Pops. About an hour and a half into the event, Hops and Pops had run out of popsicles.

“It is actually really great, we’ve had almost 400 people come so I am really excited about that” said Event Director Kendall Davis. “We expected 200 minimum to come, so we’ve had a really good turnout especially for a Friday.”

This year makes the second celebration of the outdoorsy event encouraging Auburn students to come together and enjoy an afternoon out on the Green Space in the sunny weather. This year the event is a partnership with SGA’s Family Fridays.

“This was not really my event, but I was so excited

about it I wanted to partner up with them and help them out for the day,” said UPC Director of Fine Arts Maddie Hickman. “We used our kind of event planning to partner with [SGA] because Family Fridays are such an established thing.”

Hickman said partnerships like Friday’s event are an initiative to make Family Fridays more well-known on campus and show that these organizations and many others like it are inclusive and welcoming to everybody.

“Family Fridays are always just a way to bring people together, have lunch, sit on the greenspace in the beautiful sun and everything” Hickman said.

Planning for this event began in January and consisted of reaching out to vendors including the inflatable company from the past year’s event, contacting Steel City Pops and handling publicity and PR for the event.

Davis encourages students attending UPC events, saying they are always free and fun events usually including food.

Campus 4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 13, 2017

SPEAKER

Humanitarian speaks on hunger and politics Kressie Kornis CAMPUS WRITER

The University Office of International Programs and the Auburn-Keimyung Korea Center presented a lecture titled “Hunger and Politics in North Korea: A Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma,” with Doug Coutts, former United Nations humanitarian coordinator and World Food Programme representative.

Coutts has stayed in Bangladesh, North Korea, Namibia, Nepal, Washington, D.C. and, most recently, in the Union of the Comoros Islands, off the East Coast of Africa.

Coutts shared his first-hand experiences working and living in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. Coutts helped establish the Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn, where he now serves as a senior adviser, while he was a World Food Programme senior advisor for the University from 2008-12.

Coutts developed and taught Auburn’s first “World Hunger: Causes, Consequences and Responses” undergraduate course, as well as the first hunger studies capstone senior seminar.

He also created the hunger studies minor and helped establish the Institute for Hunger Solutions at Auburn.

Before joining the United Nations, Coutts

worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a founding member on the professional staff of the Select Committee on Hunger and as an economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Coutts used the acronym DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, when referring to North Korea because that’s how North Koreans refer to themselves.

“What I’m going to try to do here is put you in the shoes of folks in North Korea, the DPRK, which I know is hard to do sitting in Auburn, Alabama,” Coutts said. “For me, it’s important to talk about the perspective from their side, and it helps you, I’m hoping, to understand a bit as to why things happened the way they happened and why they will probably continue to.”

Referring to North Korea’s Public Distribution System, Coutts said, “All your needs are met, in principle. Toothpaste, trousers, underwear, shoes, food, are all supplied by the government. There are special places, specials shops where you go to get your annual allowance.”

“For food, the rations have gone down,” Coutts said. “The official ration in North Korea is 700 grams per person per day. That comes out to be around 2,500 calories a day. That’s minimum calories. None of us in this room have had anywhere near that few calories today. The min-

imum to sustain life is that.”

Coutts said he has lived in many countries that are supposed to be poor and look poor, but DPRK is not poor in the sense someone would expect.

He then showed a photo of an older woman beside a high rise in Pyongyang gathering weeds to supplement her diet, what he called alternative foods.

“People are left to their own devices,” Coutts said. “Pyongyang is a very modern city with high-rises and all that, but if you walk into an apartment building, the elevators have no power. It’s all up and down steps. This is the enigma.

It took us a long time to really understand what we are experiencing. There’s the visual, and then there’s the suffering.”

At one point, Coutts said the UN was feeding every single child in the country— A population of 24 million.

Coutts said the misery is equally distributed among the population.

“This was new to us,” Coutts said. “Usually, it’s the haves and the have-nots, but in North Korea it’s all of the vulnerable.”

The vulnerable are the children, pregnant and lactating women, the girls who are approaching puberty and of child-bearing years and the el-

derly, Coutts said. The goal is to improve the nutritional support for those most affected and to build resilience with communities.

Coutts reminded the crowd of President Ronald Reagan’s famous quote from 1985 when he approved food aid to Ethiopia, “A hungry child knows no politics.”

Coutts said in the future, the DPRK is going to remain dependent on food aid until sanctions cease.

He ended the lecture and said none of the U.S. presidents have ever met with North Korean leaders.

“How many American presidents have been there? Leaders of the free world, the U.S. president, right? None of the leaders of North Korea have ever met with these people,” Coutts said.

“The former presidents have gone over to beg and hope for the release of some hostage that they’ve got, some poor tourist, and that’s about it. No serious discussions.”

Coutts said Dennis Rodman, retired professional basketball player, and his travel party were the first known Americans to have met Kim Jong-un. Rodman spent days in North Korea with Jong-un, and when he returned to the U.S., he said, “Kim Jon-un wants to meet President Obama.”

TECHNOLOGY

Student-made app created to assist with class registration Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

An app originally launched at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012 is coming to Auburn’s campus to assist students in registration.

Joe Puccio is one of the co-founders of the app called Coursicle.

“My co-founder, Tara Aida, and I started Coursicle in 2012, and we’ve been working on it ever since,” Puccio said. “I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2016 with degrees in math and computer science, and Tara graduated from Harvard University in May 2016 with degrees in math and physics.”

Puccio said Coursicle is a tool for students.

“We just released an app that allows students to receive notifications as soon

as a seat opens up in a class they need to take,” Puccio said. “Coursicle also offers a schedule planner, which allows students to easily browse classes and plan their schedule.”

Creating the app was inspired by Puccio’s own struggles with class registration.

“When I was an incoming first-year at UNC, I spent several hours trying to plan out my class schedule, and then when I finally went to register for my classes I got into only one of the five I needed to take,” Puccio said. “So that night, I started working on a program that would text me when a class I wanted had an available seat.”

Puccio said he didn’t consider opening the program up to other students until a friend suggested he should.

“At the end of the registration period about 900 students had signed-up,” Puc-

cio said. “It just kept growing by word of mouth.”

A few months after the spread of Puccio’s program, Aida suggested expanding on his original idea.

“My, now, co-founder Tara suggested we try to solve the other side of registration: the arduous process of figuring out what classes to take and trying to fit them all into a nonoverlapping schedule,” Puccio said. “Coursicle really came out of a pain that we, as well as our friends, were experiencing while we were students.”

Puccio said expanding to an app was a logical next step.

“Due to increased demand for our text service, we started sending so many texts Verizon started blocking us, so we had to switch over to an iOS and Android app to do notifications,” Puccio said.

CONTRIBUTED BY JOE PUCCIO

LEFT: The app sends push notifications about class openings.

RIGHT: A screen caption of the app’s layout.

INCLUSION

AUTogether brings discussion on White Student Union, global students Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

AUTogether Town Hall was hosted on Tuesday evening in the Haley Center as a chance for students, faculty and members of the Auburn community to discuss matters of inclusion with University administration.

One topic of concern was the recent appearance of a group called the White Student Union on campus.

Bobby Woodard, associate provost and vice president for student affairs, said he was notified of the group on Friday, April 7 during the Board of Trustees meeting.

One female faculty member stood later during the Town Hall to criticize the University’s delay in response to the matter.

“These things are crimes,” she said. “The University needs a very strong and quick response. If we get a response from the University tomorrow, it’s too late.”

Though the WSU is not an official campus organization, Woodard said the University’s first steps were to contact campus safety and the Auburn Police Division, then conduct research to ensure safety.

Woodard said they discovered the White Student Union’s website is based out of Florida even though its website says New York. Pamphlets and fliers for the union have shown up on other SEC campuses as well.

Taffye Benson Clayton, associate provost and vice president for inclusion and diversity, said she’s seen the White Student Union pop up at about seven or eight other institutions.

Clayton recommended students be aware, have a sense of what is happening and figure out how to respond to chal-

“

—Taffye Benson Clayton

lenging micro-aggressions.

“There are efforts nationwide that really seek to devalue and deconstruct university values,” Clayton said. “It’s vitally important that we return to our values.”

Though it’s a complex issue, Clayton said counter-narratives help people deal with these types of conflicts.

“It’s very important as we’re navigating it that we are thoughtful about it, that we encourage students as they hear things that are not as indicative as they should be of our inclusive campus community,” Clayton said. “It’s important that they’re able to challenge that speech as well.”

One global student stood up to say more resources are necessary to help global students feel welcome. Her comments earned her applause from members of the audience.

“There’s no one when we need someone to talk,” the one student said.

Woodard took her comments as an opportunity to address issues in housing communities. Global students have complained about anti-Muslim comments at a particular apartment complex, which the University has set up a meeting with.

There have been similar situations at places such as Target, Walmart and Winn-Dixie, and Woodard said the University talked to managers, without mentioning names, to try

and solve the problems.

Woodard encouraged any student facing a similar situation to report it.

“We’re here to help you,” Woodard said. “We’re also here to get you out of your comfort zone.”

Woodard also identified Clayton as a great person to have conversations with on the topic of diversity and inclusion.

“It’s not just a black or white thing with her,” Woodard said. “Understand that. She is the chief diversity officer on this campus. That means everything. She represents some of those needs.”

Kevin Coonrod, University ombudsperson, also stood up from the back of the room to remind students his job allows him to have confidential conversations to help people deal with conflicts.

“I have a place where you can have a safe conversation,” Coonrod said. “I won’t do anything with your conversation unless you give me permission to do so. I have helped lots of international students work through problems they were dealing with.”

Brad Smith, SGA adviser, said SGA wants to start conversations with the student body on diversity and inclusion as much as possible.

“Our students are really making sure they’re creating as many educational opportunities as possible,” Smith said.

There are efforts nationwide that really seek to devalue and deconstruct university values.”

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OUR VIEW

Opinion

HIS VIEW

White ‘supremacy’ isn’t welcome in Auburn

PHOTO BY ALBERT CESARE / MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER

Moving forward SPRING EDITORIAL BOARD 2017

Following the release of an explosive investigative report detailing former Gov. Robert Bentley’s alleged affair and subsequent attempts to cover it up, he has resigned.

In view of the glaring hypocrisy, which Bentley showed by selling himself as a moral choice for Alabamians while using campaign contributions for personal use against the backdrop of a sexual affair, we say good riddance.

With Bentley’s resignation, Alabama has finally purged itself of the top three political actors within its government.

Each was a head of government and also a corroded portrait of Alabama politics.

With their collective removal from our crumbling political state, it is our hope that Alabama’s politicians will take this opportunity to move forward with a morality bound to a sense of public service.

Because holding this hope alone is perhaps unreasonable, it is also our hope that Alabama voters will take the past year of political upheavals in this state as a sign we must further scrutinize the character of the people to whom we give power.

Having a past as a church leader doesn’t preclude sexual scandal, respecting your religion doesn’t al-

ways translate to abiding by your oaths, and having lots of friends doesn’t necessarily make you a positive force in the community.

While the dust settles, it’s important we take note of a silver lining: For the first time in Alabama’s history, a woman administered the oath of office to another woman.

With Gov. Kay Ivey’s ascension, Alabama has received its second female governor.

Of course, it would’ve been a preferable succession under different circumstances.

But, nevertheless, it marks a positive move in a state that sorely needs it.

“Today is both a dark day for Alabama, yet also one of opportunity,” Ivey said. “I ask for your help and patience as we together steady the Ship of State and improve Alabama’s image.”

On Ivey’s first full day in office, she’s already buried one of Alabama’s moral inadequacies: a judge’s ability to override jury verdicts of life and impose the death penalty.

Ivey has assured us her administration will be characterized by honesty and transparency.

It is our sincere hope that her promise becomes realized in the upcoming years and that she will work hard to improve Alabama’s reputation through solving its many problems.

I was disconcerted and appalled by the revelation early this week that a so-called “White Student Union” had formed on Auburn University’s campus with the intent of promoting racist, antiSemitic and white nationalist ideology.

This is obviously nothing new to the average American, who has been privy to such postures for much of the last year-and-a-half, as they gained traction and became a frequent centerpiece of the presidential election and its media coverage.

For many individuals, though — myself included — the presence of such reprehensible veins of thought on our own campus frames this concern in an entirely new light.

Let me preface my statements here by admitting that I am a progressive white male — I voted for Hillary Clinton — but I would not reckon myself a bleeding heart liberal by any means (though I am fully prepared for the onslaught of “libtard” and “snowflake” monikers in the comments section below), but naturally, I’m offended by racist, xenophobic, and other derogatory language.

That being said, white nationalism and supremacy should not be any type of partisan matter, but an issue that should concern any individual with a sufficient moral compass.

Such hatred has no place in our society and especially not on a college campus like Auburn’s in which we benefit from a wonderful amalgamation of race, culture, religion and, perhaps most importantly, thought.

Those who adhere to the convictions of white nationalistic thought suffer from some of the most deeply rooted ignorance and cowardice found in our society today.

They want us to believe that because “history” illustrates the reign of those with white skin over those with, well, any other skin color, that the white race is superior and must be protected from the evils of the African-American, or the Mexican or the Syrian refugee.

The history, that dark, dark history, is a story of suppression, suffering, and abuse levied against nonwhites.

White supremacy, on a biological and intellectual level, doesn’t exist, but rath-

er, stems from centuries of unjust maltreatment that allowed those who were white to consolidate power and influence.

Skin color, at its foundation, has nothing to do with it, as we know now that the only reason we have different shades of skin is based on where our ancient ancestors were located relative to the equator and its adaptation to accommodate for sunlight and other natural factors.

Now that we live in a world where civil liberties and rights, equal opportunity and other protections exist for persons of color and other marginalized groups, these champions of white supremacy strive for the homogenously white days of old.

They hide behind their whiteness, claiming they are the victims of a conspiracy to eradicate the white race from the planet and case blame on anyone who doesn’t look like them for their problems.

As someone who is white, they sicken and embarrass me for their irrational, unfounded and cowardly actions and beliefs.

In our society today, though, we have reason to celebrate — our differences, our innovations, our triumphs — because we’re all people, the same people, with dreams and loved ones and passions and interests.

We are not distinguished by our skin color, our religion or our ethnicity — we are distinguished by our capacity for human decency and our contributions to society, regardless of what you look like, what language you speak or whom you pray to.

That is what we are going to stand for at Auburn because that is what every member of the Auburn Family should subscribe to – loving and celebrating the entirety of our being.

So, we’ll leave the primitive and archaic views of the world to those who hide behind their “informational” fliers and their keyboards because Auburn is here to celebrate and protect every member of our family.

Trey Fields is a senior majoring in political science.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The word ‘diversity’ has been distorted

In his speech at Auburn last Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke on “diversity and inclusion.”

Cook talked about the uniquely-American notion of free speech and extoled the virtue of listening to ideas with which we differ. Very well, challenge accepted.

Early in his remarks, Cook stated that each generation has the obligation to enlarge the definition of human rights.

Really? Over the last 20 years or so I’ve watched this movement for “diversity and inclusion” morph into something much different than

advertised.

As a result I now must stand guard as my wife and adolescent daughter use public restrooms to make sure a man doesn’t waltz in.

While society engages in self-flagellation over the rights of a bearded man in a dress, women’s privacy rights and feelings of violation are cast aside.

Cook spoke about the importance of inclusion to Apple’s corporate culture, but is Apple truly diverse?

Does Apple hire pedophiles, polygamists and necrophiliacs?

If not, why not?

How can they deny them employment based on their lifestyle choices?

To do so would be duplicitous.

The underlying question for society becomes how do we arrive at a standard of acceptable behavior?

Do we base our inclusivity on majority will?

1940s Germany is a great example of how badly that ends — just ask the Jews who lived in Germany during that time period, if you can find any.

To our peril, society has discarded the JudeoChristian definition of sexuality.

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The Editorial Board Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The creator of the universe has been incontrovertibly clear in giving us that standard – not for His benefit but for ours.

In His unending love for us, God gave us this wonderful gift to be used only in one-man/onewoman marriage.

However, we seem hell-bent on normalizing every form of abhorrent behavior man can concoct.

We have truly sewn the wind and will reap the whirlwind.

This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper.

The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors.

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Community Thursday, April 13, 2017

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Community

CITY

City plans to continue Northwest Auburn Neighborhood Plan Sam Willoughby

COMMUNITY REPORTER

Work on the city’s Northwest Auburn Neighborhood Plan has been ongoing since the Auburn Planning Department hosted the first public meeting last August to determine the desires of the residents of a 1.4-square-mile area of the northwest part of town.

The department has held two educational sessions designed to inform residents of how the plan would affect them and two more public meetings since.

At the last public meeting in January, where the Planning Department presented its final recommendations based on community feedback, some residents complained the plan didn’t include the changes they wanted to see, while others criticized the department for what they viewed as excessive use of confusing planning jargon.

It was then that Forrest Cotten, Auburn planning director, called a “bit of a timeout” on the process.

“We’re not trying to push anything that you don’t want us to do,” Cotten said at the Jan. 31 meeting. “And if that takes however long you want it to take, it’s okay with the [Planning Department].”

Ward 1 City Councilman Clemon Byrd answers questions during the Northwest Auburn Neighborhood Plan meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in Auburn,Ala.

Clemon Byrd, Ward 1 councilman, said at that meeting he was talking with local community leaders to hold smaller meetings with residents.

For now, Planning Department staff is focusing on a plan that addresses only the public improvements identi-

fied in the area of northwest Auburn encompassed within the plan.

“We’ve sort of put the land-use and zoning [portions of the plan] on hold,” Cotten said. “We’re going to go ahead and put together a draft plan document that moves forward with identifying a

lot of the public improvements that we identified needed to be made.”

Residents at the public meetings raised concerns over lighting, sidewalks, street conditions and traffic infrastructure, such as stop lights and stop signs, in the area.

Cotten said the department will go ahead and try to get a plan dealing with the public improvements adopted by the city, with the understanding that the land-use and zoning changes will follow later.

Planning Department staff has not made any alterations to the land-use aspects of the plan, but Cotten said they would continue to work with Byrd and residents going forward.

For his part, Byrd said he is still working on putting together smaller educational meetings with residents of the northwest area. Byrd said he is collaborating with local church figures to compile the contact information of residents and stakeholders. Many residents at the public information meetings said they had not received adequate notice of the planning process.

Byrd said he hopes to have all the information gathered by mid-May to get the meeting notices sent out.

Smaller educational meetings will keep people from getting lost in the “shuffle” of a large crowd, Byrd said.

According to the city, over 200 people attended the the first public meeting last August.

“I want them to know exactly what’s going on,” Byrd said.

POLICE

Cops on Top fundraiser to be held this week at local Krogers Alex Hosey

COMMUNITY WRITER

Local law enforcement officials will be on the rooftops of Kroger stores this Friday to raise money for the Alabama Special Olympics.

The 2017 Cops on Top fundraiser will take place from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at the Kroger off of Dean Road and the Kroger in Tiger Town, where mem-

bers of the Auburn Police Division, Opelika Police Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Office will be raising funds and awareness for the Special Olympics.

Police officers will hold up signs on the rooftops and by the entrances in order to collect donations and sell 2017 Law Enforcement Torch Run T-shirts.

The idea for the fundraiser

was generated in 2009 through state agencies, which requested participation from law enforcement offices throughout Alabama.

Lt. Kenneth Frazier has participated in Cops on Top since it began eight years ago and has attended the past three Alabama Special Olympics events through his involvement with the fundraiser.

“The premise behind it is to put police officers on top of the buildings to get the public’s attention,” Frazier said. “When we first started I was on top of the building. Now I’ve gotten a little nervous about being up there, so I’m strictly on the ground now.”

Along with accepting donations, officers will also be selling $3 lunches at the Auburn location, which include

either a grilled Johnsonville bratwurst or a hot dog with chips and a drink.

All proceeds collected during the Cops on Top event will directly benefit Special Olympics Alabama and Lee County Special Olympics and will help pay for expenses such as sports equipment, transportation, room and board for athletes and payment for referees and judges.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

Community 7

HOLIDAYS

TUBERVILLE

Easter Egg Hunt set for Saturday

state’s highest office would be right for him.

“If I’m the guy that can make lives better for the people of Alabama, then I’m going to run and I’m going to win,” Tuberville said.

Being a leader, putting together an organization and working toward a common goal, such as winning, has been Tuberville’s job for the past 40 years, he said. But now he’s through coaching and wants to use his talents for something else.

“I’ve moved back to Alabama, and I want to continue to raise my family here — my kids and grandkids,” Tuberville told The Plainsman. “If I do this, I’m not going to be doing it for ego or notoriety. I’ve already had a heck of a job in this state. This is purely for the fact that I want to help people.”

The former Auburn football coach turned possible gubernatorial candidate stressed that football is only a game, but running a state is not.

“The governor is in charge of almost 5 million people, trying to make their lives better, making us safer, prosperous, giving them a chance for better health, giving them a chance to do what they want to do and enjoy life,” Tuberville said. “I’ve got great leadership skills and I want to put them to work.”

Late last month, Tuberville filed paperwork establishing his principal campaign committee. Later in the week, Tuberville filed a campaign finance disclosure that showed he loaned himself $100,000 for his gubernatorial campaign, according to campaign finance records.

Such a loan is not uncommon for major candidates, and Tuberville has warned that the campaign filing nor the loan should be taken as final decision.

“I basically loaned myself some money so that we could get a few people to look at it in the right way, to travel, to listen, to learn,” Tuberville said. “That’s all that was.”

His actual campaign for governor, if he chooses to run, would begin in the first week of June, when major candidates can begin fundraising. When that day comes, Tuberville can begin convincing Alabamians that he is the right choice to be their governor.

Under his leadership at Auburn, the Tigers had an 85-40 record — one of the most successful in Auburn history. In 2004, the team went undefeated but didn’t make it into the BCS National Championship game. They took a 2005 Sugar Bowl victory instead.

After leaving Auburn in 2008, Tuberville coached at Texas Tech and then moved on to Cincinnati.

In a state characterized by its devotion to football and college athletics, it might take a lot of convincing to get Alabama fans on board with the guy who had a 7-3 record against the Crimson Tide during his time at Auburn.

“I don’t think anyone is going to hold that I was at Auburn against me,” he said. “I would think people are going to vote for the best person they think could run the state.”

And this isn’t the first time Tuberville has considered a run for governor, he said. He actually considered it when he resigned from Auburn in 2008. But he wasn’t ready then. He wanted to coach for a little longer, but now he’s done with coaching.

For a full version of this interview with Tommy Tuberville, visit our website at ThePlainsman.com

» From 1

FILE PHOTO

Joey Mattingly, from Auburn, runs past his competition in the ‘7-9’ egg hunt at the 2015 Easter Egg Hunt at Kiesel Park in Auburn,Alabama.

Kailey Beth Smith COMMUNITY WRITER

The Auburn community will be busy searching for more than 35,000 eggs on Saturday, April 15.

The event, hosted jointly by Auburn Parks and Recreation and Wells Fargo Bank, will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Kiesel Park, Auburn’s largest park.

The Easter Egg Hunt, one of the City of Auburn’s beloved traditions, began in 1981 at Auburn High School, where it featured only 500 eggs.

Within a few years, the egg hunt outgrew Auburn High School and was moved to another local park, Duck Samford.

In 1993, it was moved once more to its current location, and it has found its home in Kiesel Park for the last 25 years.

According to the City of Auburn, the egg hunt has grown each year since its conception, and this year is expected to continue that trend.

On Saturday, there are four age groups that may participate in the egg hunt. Those are 3 and under, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.

They will participate in the hunt in order of age, as follows: Each hunt will begin promptly at its scheduled time in different areas of the park. Eggs will be hidden in each of these areas, covering four acres of Kiesel.

The egg hunt will feature eggs stuffed with prizes from the Parks and Recreation Department, as well as traditional

“golden eggs” that have prizes supplied by local businesses.

There will be over 1,000 eggs in each prize category. Prizes include stuffed animals and Easter toys, while golden egg prizes include gift cards and birthday packages. Those who hunt are able to claim their prizes immediately after their scheduled time for the egg hunt.

Sponsoring vendors include Kinnucan’s and the Auburn Civitan Club, who will be providing food and activities.

Wells Fargo will be providing four golden eggs, Kinnucan’s will supply an inflatable, and the Civitan Club will be selling hot dogs.

The event will also have several guests, including Sparky the Firefighter Dog, the Chick-Fil-A cow, Aubie and the Easter Bunny.

Organizers said the environment will be family-friendly, and all members of the community are invited and encouraged to come and spend some quality family time in the outdoors.

Rain is not expected, but in the chance that the event is canceled due to weather, the Parks and Recreation Department has set the rain date for the following afternoon, Sunday, April 16, at 2 p.m.

Any updates or changes to the schedule or the event itself will be posted on the Auburn Parks and Recreation’s Facebook page.

POLITICS

Bill to allow Opelika GIG service expansion dies in Alabama Senate Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

MONTGOMERY — A bill from Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, that would have allowed Opelika Power Services to expand its GIG high-speed internet service to other areas in Lee County died in an Alabama Senate Committee.

The bill, SB228, was voted down in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy last week by a vote of 7-6 and now has little to no path to passage through the Senate.

The committee’s down vote marks a victory for the bill’s opponents and a loss for local supporters of the bill, including Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and Auburn Mayor Bill Ham. Whatley said Thursday he was disappointed with the vote but was still hopeful that the bill would make it through the Legislature anyway.

Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, has a similar bill in the House that will have its own opportunity in a House committee in the coming weeks.

“Hopefully we’ll have some stakeholders so we can hear both sides,” Lovvorn told The Plainsman.

Whatley, who has now carried a bill like this

for three years, said he considers the bill a local bill, which would usually get local courtesy — a process by which decisions on local bills are usually deferred to the legislative delegations from the areas that would be affected.

The bill died in the committee, despite full support from Lee County’s delegation. Whatley said he is considering holding up other members’ local bills as a form of retaliation.

“I’m not saying I’m going to do it for the whole session, but I’m going to make a point,” Whatley told The Plainsman. “This was a local bill, and if you are going to mess with local bills then I’m going to make you pay somewhat of a price.”

The bill, though it was only intended to affect Lee County and OPS, was not considered a local bill because it would have implications for other municipal utility providers.

Whatley’s bill would have allowed OPS to expand its internet service into underserved neighborhoods in North and South Auburn, which is why the bill drew support from Ham, Auburn University President Jay Gogue and City Councilman Ron Anders.

“It’s an economic and an educational issue, especially when you go to recruit a business,” Whatley said.

CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY EDITOR

Opelika Power Services, which became the first utility in Alabama to offer GIG service to residents, has sought to expand its service area outside of Opelika.

“If you have an area with great schools, a great water system, great hospitals, great roads, that goes a long way. But if you have GIG internet service, that’s just another thing that’s in your portfolio to offer people.”

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.

EVENTS

Auburn floral train underway through April A lex H osey

COMMUNITY WRITER

The Auburn Beatification Council and the AuburnOpelika Tourism Bureau invite the public to enjoy the 2017 Auburn Floral Trail until April 21.

The trail is approximately 14 miles long and is divided into two sections, with signs and markers from the Auburn Beautification Council placed on the streets to show the way.

The north trail lasts for 3.5 miles beginning on Laurel Drive off of North College Street and looping through Sanders Street and Cary Drive before ending on North College.

The south trail is 10.5 miles long and starts on South College Street before winding its way through sections of Kimberly Drive, Gay

Street, East University Drive and Wrights Mill Road.

Catrina Cook, Auburn Environmental Services assistant director, said the weather this year has affected the duration of the floral trail, which she has helped organize for the past eight years.

“We started the trail a little earlier than we normally do,” Cook said.

“Because we had the frost right there in the middle, we’ve extended the trail a little longer because we did have some flowering shrubs that were hit.”

The Donald E. Davis Arboretum, located on the corner of South College Street and Garden Drive, is an optional trail that features numerous blossoming trees and shrubs, such as the Auburn azalea series, a trillium collection and purple and white

phlox.

Informational signs and brochures are located at the arboretum’s pavilion and are available to educate the public on Alabama’s native plants.

“The work that the University does with the arboretum is beautiful,” Cook said. “Having those names of the trees and the things that are there is very helpful to people that want to get into nature and want to walk through nature and learn a little bit more about it.”

Another optional trail is available off of North College Street at Asheton Lane, which will take sight-seers through Watercrest Drive and Brenton Lane.

“I do hope that people get a chance to either walk or bike the trail and see what Auburn has to offer,” Cook said.

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Sports

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Thursday, April 13, 2017 ThePlainsman.com

Sports

FOOTBALL

Stidham shines during A-Day performance Tyler Roush SPORTS WRITER

Auburn held its annual A-Day spring football game on Saturday afternoon, with blue team taking the win over white team 37-13.

Transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham stood out as the starter for blue team, giving his team a dominant lead in a statement first half.

Stidham, who went 16-for-20 for 267 passing yards, had 17 rushing yards with a touchdown from a fumble recovery. Impressing with downfield accuracy, Stidham had passing longs for 50 yards and 46 yards before the half.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Stidham said. “Some days it’s better than others. We just wanted to come out and do what we do best.”

“I thought, overall, the first offense threw the ball really well,” Stidham said. “Coach Lindsey is confident with me throwing the ball downfield… We’ll take it how it comes.

The white team split snaps between Malik Willis and Woody Barrett in the first half, Willis taking a majority. The freshman went 11-for-18 for 157 passing yards and 44 rushing yards on eight attempts for both blue and white teams.

Willis took the reins in the second half for Blue team, throwing for 111 yards. Transfer quarterback Devin Adams also saw some action, taking over for White team with Willis’ transition. Adams went 3-for-4 for 73 yards, highlighted by a 69-yard pass to Marquis McClain as white team’s first touchdown.

Will Hastings led the blue team in receptions with seven for 77 yards. Nate Craig-Myers and John Franklin III also gained recogni- Jarrett Stidham (8) celebrates after a touchdown during A-Day on Saturday, April 8, 2017 in Auburn, Ala. tion with the receiving corps, the two pairing for a majority of targets. Craig-Myers had five Darius Slayton had three receptions for 65 quarterback, White, also sat out, yet is recovreceptions for a game-high 154 yards. Frank- yards, imposing the downfield throws with a ering from his injury from the previous season. lin, though held to just two receptions and sev- catch for 46 yards in the second quarter.

Kerryon Johnson led the game in rushing en yards, was constantly in swing with the of“I’m really excited about our receivers,” with 47 yards and the game’s first touchdown fense.

White continued, “All spring long - they’ve to make it 7-3 in favor of the blue team. C.J. Tol“They definitely made some good plays,” done a great job.” bert had a nine-yard run to make it 17-3, the quarterback Sean White said. “Darius and Auburn had its running back rotation in full other rushing touchdown coming from Stid[Nate] coming from being a freshman and a swing while its former leading rusher, Kamryn ham’s recovery with the halftime score becomsophomore - it’s a big jump.”

Pettway, sat out the game. The former starting ing 27-6.

Tyler Roush SPORTS WRITER

Auburn held its annual A-Day spring football game on Saturday afternoon, with Blue team taking the win over White team 37-13. Transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham stood out as the starter for Blue team, giving his team a dominant lead in a statement first half.

Stidham, who went 16-for-20 for 267 passing yards, had 17 rushing yards with a touchdown from a fumble recovery. Impressing with downfield accuracy, Stidham had passing longs for 50 yards and 46 yards before the half.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Stidham said. “Some days it’s better than others. We just wanted to come out and do what we do best.”

“I thought, overall, the first offense threw the ball really well,” Stidham said. “Coach Lindsey is confident with me throwing the ball downfield… We’ll take it how it comes.

The white team split snaps between Malik Willis and Woody Barrett in the first half, Willis taking a majority. The freshman went 11-for-18 for 157 passing yards and 44 rushing yards on eight attempts for both Blue and White teams.

Willis took the reins in the second half for Blue team, throwing for 111 yards. Transfer quarterback Devin Adams also saw some action, taking over for White team with Willis’ transition. Adams went 3-for-4 for 73 yards, highlighted by a 69-yard pass to Marquis McClain as White team’s first touchdown.

Will Hastings led the Blue team in receptions with seven for 77 yards. Nate Craig-Myers and John Franklin III also gained rec-

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Malik Miller had a 15-yard rushing touchdown to end the third quarter for Blue team, extending the lead 34-6. A 39-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson, who went five-for-five with a long from 55, ended the scoring to give blue team the lead with a score of 37-13.

Auburn football will return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 2, versus Georgia Southern to start the season.

ognition with the receiving corps, the two pairing for a majority of targets. Craig-Myers had five receptions for a game-high 154 yards. Franklin, though held to just two receptions and seven yards, was constantly in swing with the offense.

“They definitely made some good plays,” quarterback Sean White said, “Darius and [Nate] coming from being a freshman and a sophomore -- it’s a big jump.”

Darius Slayton had three receptions for 65 yards, imposing the downfield throws with a catch for 46 yards in the second quarter.

“I’m really excited about our receivers,” White continued, “all spring long -- they’ve done a great job.”

Auburn had its running back rotation in full swing while its former leading rusher, Kamryn Pettway, sat out the game. The former starting quarterback, White, also sat out, yet is recovering from his injury from the previous season.

Kerryon Johnson led the game in rushing with 47 yards and the game’s first touchdown to make it 7-3 in favor of the Blue team. C.J. Tolbert had a nine-yard run to make it 17-3, the other rushing touchdown coming from Stidham’s recovery with a halftime score becoming 27-6.

Malik Miller had a 15-yard rushing touchdown to end the third quarter for Blue team, extending the lead 34-6. A 39-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson, who went 5-for-5 with a long from 55, ended the scoring to give Blue team the lead with a score of 37-13.

Auburn football will return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 2, versus Georgia Southern to start the season.

A-Day Review: Who gets the game ball?

Sumner Martin SPORTS WRITER

Thousands of fans piled into Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday afternoon for Auburn’s annual A-Day spring game. Very few expected the kind of air attack from a Malzahn-coached team that has been focused on the run lately.

Behind new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, the Tigers ran a total of 98 plays for 663 yards. The new and improved Auburn offense showed a strong commitment to the pass-game. Of the 98 total plays, Lindsey called 44 passes that racked up 511 yards of the 663 from scrimmage.

Newcomers made debuts, returning starters played their last A-Day game and Chip Lindsey made a statement. But, who takes home the game ball?

Here are my A-Day award winners: Overall MVP: Jarrett Stidham Don’t look now, but Jarrett Stidham could be the next all-time great Auburn quarterback.The undisputed star of the offense was transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The Baylor transfer was 16-of-20 in the passing game for 267 yards, all in the first half. Stidham showcased his deep-ball ability by completing passes of 33, 34, 46, and 50. He also showed why he was recruited as a dual-threat quarterback out of high school, rushing 5 times for a total of 17 yards, and one touchdown.

Breakout Performance: Nate Craig-Myers Finally.

Craig-Myers was a highly touted recruit out of Florida that was expected to come in and immediately make an impact for the Tiger offense in his freshman year, but for whatever reason he wasn’t ever really given the chance. He took his chance on Saturday. Craig-Myers was the best receiver on the field, as well as Stidham’s favorite target Saturday afternoon. The Dade City native led all receivers with 154 yards on five receptions. Craig-Myers emerged as the deep-ball threat that this offense has been searching for, hauling in receptions of 34, and, the longest of the day, 50 yards.

Newbie: Malik Willis Nick Marshall 2.0?

Arguably the biggest surprise of the spring so far has been Malik Willis.

The true freshman has drawn comparisons to former Auburn standout Nick Marshall, and showed why with his strong outing on Saturday. Willis was given the nod to lead the second-team offense over redshirt freshman Woody Barrett, and he took advantage. He completed 11-of-18 passes for 157 yards, while also showing off his speed and agility that could be perfect match with this offensive system in the future.

MADISON OGLETREE/ PHOTO EDITOR

Malik Willis (14) in Auburn’s Spring game

Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

FOOTBALL

Willis turns heads

Sports 9

SOFTBALL

Sumner Martin SPORTS WRITER

Thousands of fans piled into Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday afternoon for Auburn’s annual ADay spring game. Very few expected the kind of air attack from a Malzahn-coached team that has been focused on the run lately.

Behind new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, the Tigers ran a total of 98 plays for 663 yards.

The new and improved Auburn offense showed a strong commitment to the pass-game. Of the 98 total plays, Lindsey called 44 passes that racked up 511 yards of the 663 from scrimmage.

Newcomers made debuts, returning starters played their last A-Day game and Chip Lindsey made a statement. But who takes home the game ball? Here are my A-Day award winners: Overall MVP: Jarrett Stidham Don’t look now, but Jarrett Stidham could be the next all-time great Auburn quarterback.

The undisputed star of the offense was transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The Baylor transfer was 16-of-20 in the passing game for 267 yards, all in the first half. Stidham showcased his deep-ball ability by completing passes of 33, 34, 46 and 50. He also showed why he was recruited as a dualthreat quarterback out of high school, rushing five times for a total of 17 yards and one touchdown.

Breakout Performance: Nate Craig-Myers Finally.

Craig-Myers was a highly touted recruit out of Florida that was expected to come in and immediately make an impact for the Tiger offense in his freshman year, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t ever really given the chance. He took his chance on Saturday.

Craig-Myers was the best receiver on the field, as well as Stidham’s favorite target Saturday afternoon. The Dade City native led all receivers with 154 yards on five receptions. Craig-Myers emerged as the deep-ball threat that this offense has been searching for, hauling in receptions of 34 and, the longest of the day, 50 yards.

Newbie: Malik Willis Nick Marshall 2.0?

Arguably the biggest surprise of the spring so far has been Malik Willis. The true freshman from Roswell has drawn comparisons to former Auburn standout Nick Marshall and showed why with his strong outing on Saturday. Willis was given the nod to lead the second-team offense over redshirt freshman Woody Barrett, and he took advantage. He completed 11-of-18 passes for 157 yards, while also showing off his speed and agility that could be perfect match with this offensive system in the future.

BASEBALL

Tigers outlast Samford

Will Sahlie

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn gave Samford every opportunity to comeback and deliver a crushing defeat, but the 10th-ranked Tigers held on for a 16-15 midweek victory over the Bulldogs.

The Tigers, who set a season-high in runs scored as well as runs allowed, led 8-1 through an inning and a half and 16-8 in the sixth inning. However, Samford cut the two big Auburn leads to two runs and one run, respectively.

The two teams entered the second inning tied at one before Auburn started the offensive shootout. The Tigers struck for seven runs in the second inning, capped by a two-out, fullcount grand slam by Dylan Ingram. The grand slam was Auburn’s first grand slam since May 8, 2012.

Auburn starter Christian Camacho did not last long into the second inning as the Bulldogs struck for five runs on four hits in the inning.

Camacho lasted just 1.1 innings and allowed six runs on five hits.

Auburn and Samford traded two runs in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Auburn then scored three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to push its lead to 16-8. The scoring was highlighted by a three-run home run by Daniel Robert and a RBI triple by Jonah Todd.

The Bulldogs fought back with a run in the sixth, four in the seventh and two in the eighth against Auburn relievers Calvin Coker, Corey

Herndon and Daniel Sprinkle. Herndon and Sprinkle gave up a combined seven runs on seven hits in just two innings of work. Coker (3-1) picked up the victory for Auburn firing 3.2 innings out of the bullpen and allowing just two runs while striking out three.

Robert, who blasted the three-run homer in the fifth inning, threw a scoreless ninth inning for the Tigers to pick up his first-career save.

“Fun Tuesday,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said on Auburn’s postgame radio broadcast. “When you’re up seven and up eight and wind up winning by one, you don’t like those one-run victories. But we’ll take it.”

Conor Davis, Robert and Ingram each finished the game with four RBI for Auburn. Davis and Todd each had four hits. All nine of Auburn’s starters scored a run Tuesday night.

Eight of the nine had a base hit. The top five hitters in Auburn’s lineup finished 12-for-22 with 15 RBIs and 10 runs scored.

“Our whole lineup got going again,” Thompson said.

Samford finished the night with 17 hits and was led by T.J. Dixon’s four. Dixon and Branden Fryman finished with three RBI for the Bulldogs.

Taylor Garris finished the night two-for-four with a home run and five RBI. Tristan Widra (13) took the loss for Samford (19-14).

No. 10 Auburn (25-10) will continue its season-long road trip as it travels to Knoxville, Tennessee to take on Tennessee this weekend. The series will begin Thursday night at 5 p.m.

Auburn remains in top 10

ADAM SPARKS / PHOTGRAPHER

Alyssa Rivera (21) stands on second base smiling after a double against Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Rivera earns SEC honors

Nathan King

SPORTS REPORTER

Auburn freshman Alyssa Rivera has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week, announced Tuesday morning.

Rivera began her mid-season scorch in the series sweep at Georgia and continued her dominance in Auburn’s series win over the weekend against Ole Miss. Rivera started all three games of the Ole Miss series for the first time in her budding career, finishing five for 10 at the plate with a trio of RBIs. In the Tigers game one and game three victories, Rivera tallied the go-ahead and game winning scores. In Friday’s 3-1 win, she knocked in a two-run single in the fourth, which proved to be the difference in the con-

test. In Sunday’s 3-1 win, her one-run single in the bottom of the first inning drove in the game-winner.

With a .407 batting average in 2017, 14 RBIs and two home runs, Rivera has earned the starting spot by way of a five-game hitting streak since her game two start at Georgia.

Auburn dominated UGA in that outing, 134.

In Tuesday’s National Fastpitch Top 25 poll, the Tigers dropped from No. 5 to No. 7. Rivera and Auburn will take on Georgia State this Wednesday at Jane B. Moore Field, with the first pitch set for 6 p.m. CST on the SEC Network+. Following the midweek non-conference contest, Auburn will battle Missouri in a three-game series this weekend in Auburn.

S TUDE NT A F F A IR S

S P OT L I G H T

Student Government Association

RING EVENTS Ring Night will take place on April 20. The official Auburn University rings are placed and guarded on the University Seal from 6:56 PM until 8:17 PM where they receive both the curse and tradition of Auburn. On April 23, at 2 PM at the Ring Ceremonies, students will be presented their official Auburn Rings, celebrating and symbolizing their achievements during their time at Auburn. For more information, contact Jacob Tofani: 334.844.4240.

Will Sahlie

ASSITANT SPORTS EDITOR

Following their first series loss of the season, Auburn (24-10, 8-4) dropped to No. 10 in this week’s Baseball America rankings. The Tigers were ranked No. 7 last week, its highest ranking since 2004.

The Tigers lost three-of-four games last week, its first losing week of the season. Auburn fell to Georgia Tech Tuesday night 11-8 at Plainsman Park as the Yellow Jackets rallied from a 8-5 deficit to pick up a road win.

Auburn remained on the road over the weekend, taking on Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The Tigers mustered just six runs in the three games, tallying just one run in Sunday’s 3-1 loss.

Auburn’s lone win of the week came Friday night as sophomore Casey Mize dominated the Aggies’ lineup.

The right-hander struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to 1.37.

Mize leads the SEC with 75 strikeouts this season.

The SEC leads the nation with seven teams in the Top 25. No. 10 Auburn joins No. 9 LSU, No. 13 Mississippi State, No. 15 Kentucky, No. 16 Florida, No. 17 South Carolina and No. 19 Arkansas in the rankings this week.

The Tigers will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee over the weekend to take on Tennessee.

UP ALL NIGHT SGA will be distributing free donuts, orange juice, scantrons, and blue books in the RBD Library and the Student Center every night at midnight during Finals Week, from April 30 – May 4, to give students a quick study break and to keep up the studying spirit. auburn.edu/StudentAffairs

@AuburnStudents

facebook.com/AuburnStudents

@AuburnStudents

Auburn Students MATTHEW BISHOP / STAFF PHOTGRAPHER

Daniel Robert (20) runs down the first base line.

Sports 10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 13, 2017

This week in Auburn sports

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Aubie greets fans during Tiger Walk before A-Day on Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Auburn,Ala.

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Head coach Gus Malzahn greets fans during Tiger Walk before the A-Day game on Saturday,April 11, 2017, in Auburn,Ala.

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Malik Miller (32) runs the ball during the A-Day game on Saturday,April 8.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Nate Craig Myers (3) holds off John Broussard Jr. (22) during the A-Day game on Saturday,April 8.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

WADE RACKLEY / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Montavious Atkinson (48) dives for a fumble during the A-Day game on Saturday,April 8.

Will Hastings (33) runs the ball for yardage during the A-Day game on Saturday,April 8.

Quarterback Malik Willis (14) runs the ball during the A-Day football game on Saturday,April 8.

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Lifestyle

11

Thursday, April 13, 2017

CAMPUS

ThePlainsman.com

Lifestyle

Studying in style this spring

Where to find aestetically pleasing study venues Lily Jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

The Auburn Memorial

While gazing out of your dust-covered apartment window, feelings of complete hatred form in the seat of your gut.

“Why am I inside learning about World War II trench warfare, instead of enjoying the beautiful Alabama weather,” you ask yourself.

Friends, there are ways to do both or at least enjoy the view from afar. Studying is never completely enjoyable, but as summer sneaks in behind its sister, spring, studying reflects pulling teeth or watching grass die. Exams are approaching and sunlight, flowers and fresh air are sometimes the only sources of energy and hope.

Finding a friendly, welcoming place to crack the books and work toward that 4.0 GPA is all-around a positive find and addition to a daily routine.

Here are some beautiful places around Auburn’s campus for you to do just that. Who said studying had to be aesthetically unpleasing?

The Red Barn RBD with a view of Samford Hall

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Take a day to check out Auburn study spots like The Red Barn,The Auburn Memorial and a view of Samford Hall from RBD library.

ENTERTAINMENT

COLUMN

Spring cleaning for a messy human Lily Jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED BY JAKE MADONIA

Will Smith performs at Bourbon Street Bar.

The art of Power Funk Lily Jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

“DirtyGirl” began as the title of a song. DirtyGirl soon became the name of the band that brought her into being. At the start, the band was skeptical of the name and considered choosing a different route. Today, DirtyGirl remains, standing strong for her band and leading them to their careers.

Will Smith, singer and harmonica player, Chase Graham, guitarist, Jake Madonia, saxophonist, Eric Norman, trombonist, Drew Alexander, drummer, James Daniel, bassist and Reid Fincher on keyboard come together under the band name DirtyGirl. It took Smith and Graham three years to seek out musicians that fit their heavily thought-out ideas for an ensemble.

They went through countless musicians that either didn’t fit the bill talent-wise or came with too many issues.

Graham recalled a time when he fired a drummer on the set of a gig after he threatened to fight the owner of the establishment. In addition to his outward aggression toward the owner, the crazed drummer also broke the back door to the building. He was fired before he could get his drumset off the stage.

While the majority of the group met through high school connections, Madonia was found in an advertisement through Craigslist, Inc. His original plan was to be a fill-in horn player, but he quickly fell in love with the sound and decided to stick around.

Fincher, pianist, was a lucky find at a bar. Norman, trombonist, was a much-needed addition to the band. Madonia found him close to home, as they were members of their high school jazz band.

The “sweet-spot” group has been together for about a year now. In chorus, the group defined their style as “power funk.”

“All original,” Graham said. “We have a few cover songs that we throw in every once in a while to keep the crowd with us, but we have an hour and a half of original music.”

The band comes with its own humor, something that is prevalent when watching them perform. We go for absolute mayhem, Graham said. While performing, stages begin to rock under their feet and the group refuses to cease. Graham said he has a habit of heading into the crowd while performing with a wireless unit. A few weeks ago, the entire operation was shut down when cords were pulled out of the wall.

The band laughed about the accident and said, “It’s just a part of the job.”

The group is currently working out of Birmingham, where most of their shows are for now.

They leave town for shows in Georgia and Auburn occasionally. Auburn is a favorite stop for the guys and they hope to continue performing at Bourbon Street Bar. Eventually, they hope to work a tour into the mix. A career in music performance is their end goal.

It’s not easy to be messy — to create picture-perfect room destruction in a week’s span. It takes time, consistency and a certain personality type.

No matter how content messy humans are in their disorganized lives, there comes a time when we must pick up last week’s sundress and submit to order.

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to get our apartments, dorms and houses in order. It’s a new season and a busy one, too. As warm weather begins to sneak in, we all tend to sneak out of our cubbyholes and spend less time bundled up with Netflix. Once you’re out, there’s no way to get back inside to pick up.

Here are some tips to getting your room and house looking spiffy before vanishing into spring’s adventures.

1. Start big and go small. Beginning with the largest messes and moving toward a more detailed and meticulous cleaning will help you stay focused and allow short stopping points as you go.

Trying to get through the entire process in one go will automatically profit a subpar product. For messy people, taking breaks between rooms or even tasks will help you develop a rhythm.

Think to yourself, “I’ll get everything off the floor and clean off my desk, then I’ll get a snack or step outside for a bit.” If you aren’t sure that you have the self-discipline needed to gain focus back, set an alarm. If you continue this process throughout the day, you’ll have a spotless house in no time.

2. Crank up the tunes, listen to a podcast or make it a game.

Distracting yourself from thinking about how much you hate cleaning will drastically improve the entire ordeal. Your neighbors may complain a bit, but if the fate of your room lies in the balance, blare the Taylor Swift and grab a Swiffer.

Podcasts are fantastic cleaning material. Listening to something that captivates your mind will keep it from roaming from the job that must be done.

3. Open the windows, door and turn on the lights. Darkness

is the enemy. If you can’t see the mess, you won’t clean the mess.

You have a goal in sight -- getting outside. Opening the doors and windows will remind you of the final reward. Fresh air and the sunshine will give you energy and the power to push through the clutter.

4. Stay away from social media while cleaning. One minute you are cleaning full speed ahead and the next an hour has passed since you sat down for a short break to check Instagram. Falling into a YouTube hole will not help you find the floor that was once there and is now lost under last week’s sundress and yesterday’s rainboots.

There are applications offered for Android and iPhones that will lock you out of your social media, but turning off your phone all together does the job just fine. Before turning it back on you have a five-second sliver of time where you have to choose between cleaning and surfing the web.

5. Get help. If you are completely helpless and consider yourself unable to deep clean, call a friend. Roommates are for something, right? This should be the final resort and should be avoided if possible because it is slightly pitiful.

When cleaning your apartment or house, by all means, include your roommates. Make a day of dancing around the apartment like you’re in “Dirty Dancing,” pretending the mop and broom are the world’s best dance partners.

Remember, nobody puts Broom in the corner. Especially when you still have cleaning to do.

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Lifestyle 12

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 13, 2017

COLUMN

A comprehensive guide to your end of the semester existential crisis Stage One: Denial

KARL HACKSMILLER LIFESTYLE WRITER

A-Day has come and gone, and the Auburn Family can stand proud knowing that it was literally impossible for us to lose that game.

But by the time you hit the snooze button on your Monday morning alarm, that pride will have faded into nothing but the knowledge and dread that in just a few weeks, the spring semester will come to an end.

With it ends any real chance you had of completing the many goals you laid out for yourself in the first week of 2017.

What you are entering is a process of grief, and I’m no doctor, but I have years of experience disappointing myself and the ones around me. Just ask my father.

That being said, I volunteer to walk you through the process.

Take my hand as I lead you out of the fog of your own shortcomings to the land of, not milk and honey, but maybe Buzzfeed quizzes and emotional numbness.

You’re no stranger to this stage, so don’t bother lying to me or yourself. You’ve been in denial since you bought all those pastel colored Post-It notes the second week of school and told yourself, “Yes, this will be the solution to my problems.Color coded sticky notes.”

This stage is nice because you don’t even realize you’re in it until the next stage.

As your denial fades away, you’ll start checking Canvas less and less.

There will be 300+ plus unread emails in your school account and an unopened 12 pack of Post-It notes under your bed by the end of this stage.

Stage Two: Bargaining

This stage is marked by the sudden realization that, yes, you’ve made a huge mistake. Actually, you’ve made a series of mistakes.

Correction: Every decision you’ve made since your 13th birthday has been a mistake.

Now is the time for you to type out an email to your chemistry professor asking casually if there are any extra credit opportunities.

No, that wasn’t casual enough. Retyping it a million times trying to seem like you don’t really need it. It’s for a friend. Are

PLAINSMAN PICKS PLAYLIST: this week, the plainsman editors chose songs for a sunny and

75 kind of day. listen to their picks and follow the auburn plainsman at spotify.com/the_auburnplainsman.

you and your professor close enough to use emojis?

What does the crab emoji even mean, and why do you feel so connected to it? No, just save the draft and never look at it again.

Stage Three: Depression

Turn off your phone and go to sleep on the floor. Fall asleep wondering if you can convince your mom that world literature 1010 is a weed-out class.

Stage Four: Acceptance/Overeating

At this stage, you realize you peaked in fifth grade, and you wonder if that is better or worse than the guy who still talks about high school every time you run into him at your hometown Olive Garden.

At this stage, you eat an entire bag of white cheddar popcorn and send a mean message to one of the prosecutors from “Making a Murderer” on Facebook.

You fall asleep with your own mortality wrapped around you like a warm blanket and repeat to yourself, “None of this matters. One day the sun will expand and consume the Earth. God has abandoned me.”

When you wake up the next morning, your T-shirt covered in popcorn cheese dust, you don’t bother changing it because you’ve killed your ego and the concept of shame.

Congratulations, champ, you’ve made it

Adoptable pet of the week

"Pensacola” by Manchester Orchestra Lily Jackson, lifestyle editor “It’s what comes on when I’m going way too fast with the windows down.”

"Pocketful Of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield Weston Sims, opinion editor “I don’t feel this way, but it’s a sassy song.”

"Sunny and 75” by Joe Nichols Jack Winchester, sports editor “It’s sunny and 75.”

"Anna Sun” by WALK THE MOON Jessica Ballard, copy editor “It’s not really about weather, but it works.”

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Dr. Dre, an unadopted dog at Lee County Humane Society on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.

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RELEASE DATE– Monday, January 30, 2017

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

ACROSS 1 Song of praise 6 Madagascar primate 11 “Norma __” 14 Fiber-__ cable 15 Last Olds model 16 Make a decision 17 Massachusetts witch trial town 18 Frenzied 19 Speedometer reading: Abbr.

20 Mork’s sign-off 22 Cute Aussie “bear” 24 What we breathe 25 In favor of 26 Native of Damascus 27 Chinese menu letters 28 Eastside Manhattan thoroughfare 31 Dijon darling 33 Brain scan: Abbr.

34 Had the best record in 35 Confidentially, in Cannes 39 Univ. near Harvard 41 Unspecified number 42 Choppers 46 Boat made from a hollowed tree trunk 50 Ship, to a sailor 51 Zambia neighbor 52 Suffix with east 53 Male or female 54 Pastoral poem 55 Request for the latest update 58 Cozy cat seat 59 Kind of Boy Scout badge 61 Ancient region of Asia Minor 63 “Lux” composer Brian 64 Tylenol alternative 65 “Filthy” moolah 66 “Sure thing” 67 Eight plus one, to aviators 68 Disdainful grin DOWN 1 Places to buy stamps: Abbr.

2 Language of Chile 3 On the loose

4 Property encumbrance 5 Golden Arches egg sandwich 6 Hollywood’s Hedy 7 Stylish vigor 8 Café chalkboard listing 9 Ocean State sch.

10 1990 Stallone boxing film which at the time was thought to be the conclusion of its series 11 Caesar salad lettuce 12 Give a hand to 13 Flammable hydrocarbon 21 There’s __ in “team” 23 Bully’s threat ender 24 “Breaking Bad” channel 26 Palm starch 29 “Later, bro” 30 X, to Cato 32 Update factory machinery 36 “Toodles!”

37 GOP fundraising org.

38 Kitchen implements 39 Humdrum 40 “Lust for Life” punk rocker 43 Defining quality 44 2000s crime drama set in Baltimore 45 Cast a spell on 46 Dan of old MGM musicals

47 Tracey on whose show “The Simpsons” debuted 48 More orderly 49 Dinner plate scrap 55 Chirpy bird 56 Home with drones 57 Sentence subject, as a rule 60 Yale collegian 62 __ Lingus: Irish carrier

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

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By Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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