The Auburn Plainsman 4.6.17

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The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, April 6, 2017 Vol. 124, Issue 27, 12 Pages

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

Remembering Travis

CAMPUS

STUDENT STORIES

Friends, fraternity brothers reflect on student killed in car accident

Kris Martins

ENTERPRISE EDITOR

Jessica Ballard COPY EDITOR

To know Travis Hightower was to love him, and to be friends with him was to be one of the luckiest people on Earth, Baret Steed explained.

“He just loved with his whole heart,” she said through tears. “He walked in the room and your day just got better.”

Travis, 20, died in a car accident just before midnight Saturday night when traveling on Highway 119 near Boat Launch Road, according to Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates. Travis’ car, for unknown reasons, left the roadway, struck a tree and caught fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:48 a.m. on Sunday. The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the accident.

Steed, sophomore in early childhood education, knew Travis since kindergarten and compared him to a brother. They were neighbors in Birmingham, their hometown, during elementary school and carpooled to school together. They also graduated the same year of high school.

“He was just one of the most caring and loving people I’ve ever known,” she said. “He had a very contagious laugh. He could make, I mean, anyone laugh any time. He just lit up any room he walked into.”

He’s been in every part of her life, Steed added, but she specifically remembers Travis being there for her on her Bid Day when she became a Phi Mu. “He was the first one there,” she recalled. “And he was a Beta, so he was standing there holding a rose, and he ran up and hugged me and was like, ‘I’m so proud of you.’”

They spent spring break together in Colorado three weeks ago and would spend time together on the weekend, but rarely talked about school. He was a freshman in business.

He loved Auburn football and dressed up as head coach Gus Malzahn. He enjoyed sports and was passionate about his fraternity. He loved all things Dr Pepper — even Dr Pepper jelly beans — Steed said with a laugh.

The Delta Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi hosted a memorial service for Travis in the backyard of Beta on Monday at 6:30 p.m. under the pavilion.

At the memorial, friends and fraternity brothers spoke to a crowd of about a hundred people, all there to honor Travis’ memory.

Many of the speakers talked about his faith in God and his journey to rededicating his life to Christ and growing in his faith after coming to Auburn. They assured one another that he is now at the

Lessons

from Ling MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Laura Ling speaks at Auburn University on Monday, April 3, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

International journalist Laura Ling spoke to The Plainsman about her life and career

Lily Jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

VIA FACEBOOK

Travis Hightower, 20, was pronounced dead Sunday,April 2.

right hand of God. “Our brother’s unexpected death should remind us to spend time with those we love and cherish it,” one speaker said.

It was in a Bible study within the fraternity that AJ Forchette, Beta president and junior in electrical engineering, remembers Travis standing out as a “wise and genuine” person.

“Whenever we talked about a topic, he wouldn’t speak a ton, but when he did speak, he carried weight,” Forchette said.

Atticus Bolling, Beta vice president of finance and junior in economics, names his last memory of Travis as one that will stay with him for the rest of his life. They grilled out together after watching Auburn baseball win against South Carolina on Friday, and the next morning, they grabbed a Polar Pop at a Circle K. “It was a goodbye other people didn’t get to have,” he said.

The fraternity, he added, loved Travis as a brother. And Trevor Hightower, Travis’ older brother, said Travis’ selflessness made people love him even more.

“All of us will carry a piece of him with

us forever because he gave so many pieces of himself to us throughout his life,” Trevor wrote in a statement.

Trevor also remembers something his brother always told him. “‘You’re my blood brother,’” he wrote. “‘You’ll always be that, and no one can take that from us.”

Sheron and Terry Johnson said they often told Travis they were always proud to be his “gran” and “pop.”

“He was never embarrassed to give Gran and Pop a hug and express his love for us,” they wrote. “And, above all, he was never embarrassed to say he loved the Lord. He will forever be in our hearts as a precious gift from God.” The thought on most people’s minds is “Why did this happen?” and “How did this happen?” Forchette said. But the memorial displayed the impact Hightower had on others, he said.

“Everyone is sad, everyone is shocked, everyone’s kind of overwhelmed with grief,” Forchette said. “But at the same time I think ... there is comfort in knowing that his life was in the right hands.”

In the early hours of March 17, 2009, Laura Ling and a colleague stepped out onto a frozen river in China, crossing the North Korean border in search of a story — in search of the truth. Her next reality came running at her, shotguns raised.

On April 3, she told Auburn students the story of her North Korea captivity; beginning with the butt of a rifle to the head and ending with a presidential rescue by Bill Clinton.

Ling, accomplished journalist, producer and author, was welcomed to The Plains for Auburn's celebration of Asian and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.

Her story, told in "Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home," drew many at the time of her captivity, rescue and continues to serve as a lesson for those willing to bend an ear.

Ling and her colleague, Euna were the first Americans to ever be tried in North Korea’s highest court. She said her time in North Korea was one of little hope, but not without any.

"I would be lying if I said I had never contemplated taking my own life," Ling said. "Sometimes I did find myself in the darkest of places for which I thought I might never be able to escape. I now know what a horrible mistake it was to even consider such a thing."

She said she knew in her heart her family would never stop trying to retrieve her.

Ling jokes about being referred to as "one of the girls rescued by Bill Clinton" or "that North Korea girl" but doesn't mind the titles, as it's given her the opportunity to share the stories she put her life on the line for.

"The people I have met around the world have changed my life and changed my perspective on the world, so I really appreciate the op-

» See LING, 4

OUTREACH

Campus groups make strides to address student food insecurity Kris Martins

ENTERPRISE EDITOR

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a pack of crackers and a cup of grapes from Outtakes on campus costs about $3-4 more than a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a box of crackers and a bag of grapes from Kroger.

A group of undergraduate students presented these two sets of food to Auburn University President Jay Gogue and other campus leaders in early March. They scheduled an appointment with the president to implore the University to institutionally address something they’ve studied and have found to be prevalent on campus: students facing food insecurity.

A core group of 10 undergraduate students in a hunger studies capstone are striving to have the University implement some sort of system so food insecurity "isn’t part of the equation" at Auburn. Other student groups are also making efforts to destigmatize the need for food assistance, provide more

resources and implement broader institutional change at the University.

The hunger studies class has been researching food insecurity on campus through interviews with a handful of students. Dorcas Mukigi, a Ph.D. student collaborating with the class, conducted data-driven research by sending a survey via email to 16,700 students at least 19 years old. About 1,000 responded, and Mukigi found that 31 percent of students who responded were food insecure.

The students posted fliers on different areas of campus inviting students who struggle with food insecurity to participate in an interview in exchange for a $20 Kroger gift card.

The students in the hunger studies capstone course have also noticed that several students don’t think they deserve help. They don’t believe their situation is as bad as others.

“People come in, and they don’t look hungry,” said Kate Thornton, the professor of the course.

Students they've interviewed have

reported skipping meals, reducing the amount of food per meal or sleeping instead of eating. Grades begin to suffer often times. Satiety takes priority over nutritional quality, the group explained.

“When we actually were talking to people was when we realized that there’s real hunger on campus. … It’s not just, ‘Oh, I have to have ramen today. I have to have PB&J all week,’” explained Olivia Singleton, who is in the capstone course. “It’s like, ‘I’m actually hungry, and I don’t have resources to help me.’”

Most students interviewed by the class are working and all are full-time students. The majority of them rely on their TigerCards. Several students in the class described food insecurity as a silent struggle.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” one student-researcher said. Thornton added that sometimes they cry in class.

The group finds hope in presenting their research to the University to jumpstart changes. The student-

researchers said they don’t think the University is aware of the degree to which food insecurity is prevalent on campus. Thornton called it "rampant."

Singleton, junior in human development and family studies, came from a single-parent household in a small town. Her mother worked three to four jobs during her first year of college, while Singleton herself worked every holiday, summer and weekend that she could since she could drive.

Singleton couldn’t receive financial aid because her household income was too high, something she sees other students face as well.

“I think that the students that face some of the biggest struggles are the ones that are forgotten because they fall in between tax brackets,” she said.

Singleton is taking 21 hours of class this semester and tries to work 25 hours each week. She pays her own rent and everyday living expenses.

Though she hasn’t had to go hungry or sacrifice meals, she has come close.

“I think that a lot of students are al-

ways one event away from being food insecure,” she said, adding that she doesn’t think people realize food insecurity is an issue on campus.

Medical bills, rent, groceries and a blown tire turned into a tight financial situation for Singleton, who didn’t want to burden her mother by asking for help, even though she ended up doing so.

“My mom will pick up extra shifts and work way more than she should to provide for me,” she said. “But not everybody at Auburn has those resources, and they really need advocates at Auburn to be there for them.”

Even if students may have those resources, some are hesitant, just as she was, to ask for help. Like Singleton, students interviewed by her class didn’t think they needed help or felt guilty or burdensome for asking for help, even from a family member. Talking more about food insecurity, she said, would help students real-

» See FOOD INSECURITY, 2

News 2

FOOD INSECURITY » From 1

-ize that others deal with the same struggles more than they think, which would help reduce stigma.

As a result of the meeting with campus leaders, Thornton said, leaders including the vice president for Student Affairs and campus dining officials will be tasked with coming up with a campus plan to address campus food insecurity.

Possible solutions the students pitched include lowering food prices on campus, allow leftover dining dollars to be donated to food insecure students and grants from the Concessions Board, which provides funds to projects that “make life at Auburn better for faculty, staff, students and the community.” Others involve normalizing asking for help, which would require a “huge culture shift” on campus, Thornton noted.

Bobby Woodard, associate provost and vice president for Student Affairs, said that he will have a meeting with campus dining and Auxiliary Services to discuss the possibility of lowering food prices. Creating a campus grocery store, another proposed solution, would require more research to determine if it would be feasible on campus, Woodard said. He noted that space may be an obstacle. Managing leftover dining dollars falls under Auxiliary Services, of which Tiger Dining is a part.

Based on the initial meeting with the president, the University may decide to conduct its own official campus study on food insecurity, Thornton said, though it’s still unclear at this point what that may look like.

The first step to starting an institutional-led research effort is determining what food insecurity encompasses, said Woodard. Then University leaders would, with the help of leaders such as the Office of Institutional Research, formulate a survey for students.

“As a logistics person, that’s what I want to know: What’s the issue [and] if we can’t fix it ... how can we make dents in it, and that’s what I want to do,” he said. “I think we’ve had two meetings total [about food insecurity] in my two and half years here.”

Research would help determine how much to market and what the need is, though with a new University president coming in this year, the survey would most likely be sent out next spring or next fall, Woodard added.

The group will meet with Woodard in a couple weeks to discuss topics such as advertising and funding of the Campus Food Pantry, which functions almost entirely on donations.

The Campus Food Pantry, which began in 2013 under Student Affairs, serves students

The Auburn Plainsman out of the Student Center as long as it has contributions. An annual fall food drive typically stocks the food pantry for the year come, but it also reaches out to various campus groups.

However, at times, demand has outweighed supply, which calls for improvisation — providing students with what is available.

The Campus Food Pantry is not a partner agency with the Food Bank of East Alabama, because its leaders decided it would ultimately allow the food pantry to serve more students. Being a partner agency of the food bank would require students to provide proof of need in order to be eligible for assistance.

Though being a partner would allow the Campus Food Pantry to receive food from the food bank rather than rely on donations, it would also probably disqualify some of the students it serves now because they might not meet the same criteria the food bank is required to use in its vetting process, according to Katherine Hettinger, who manages the Campus Food Pantry.

“I would have a difficult time saying to a student, ‘No, technically you don’t meet the requirements set out by the Food Bank of East Alabama,’ or whatever guidelines that they established, and say, ‘No, you can’t use the food pantry because of that,’” Hettinger said.

“I couldn’t do that. … I don’t want to turn people away.”

The only requirement to access the Campus Food Pantry is being an Auburn student. Students fill out an application and a food preference form for the week so the food pantry knows what to pack for them. The students then pick up the food — which can include vegetables, soup, pasta and canned meats — at their convenience at the Student Conduct office in the Student Center.

Woodard is interested in possibly collaborating with local grocery stores for food donations and making more fundraising efforts to purchase food for the Campus Food Pantry.

It has served about 88 students since it began and serves about eight to 10 students on average per week.

Woodard has sent a memo to the provost office requesting a permanent location, with room for food storage, for the Campus Food Pantry in the basement of the Haley Center, though it may end up in another campus building. The Student Center is too occupied to hold an expanded food pantry, but with new facilities such as Mell Street Classroom and the new School of Nursing facility, space elsewhere will likely open for the food pantry. It would preferably be placed somewhere accessible to central campus but not too conspicuous.

Data collected by the food pantry show several graduate, international graduate and

financially independent students use the resource on a more consistent basis, Hettinger said, whereas others may use it only occasionally or in a pinch.

She remembered buying a product to help a student mom whose child was sick, which, as a mother, connected her to the student.

“They’re here at Auburn to better their situation and better their life and get an education,” she said. “And to be working so hard academically and then be struggling to put food on the table for your children, I cannot fathom what that is like.”

Hettinger said she’s unsure how big of an issue food insecurity is among students. She’s aware of the results Thornton’s class has found but also questions how Auburn University student food insecurity could exceed state food insecurity and why, then, aren’t more students using the campus food pantry. The food insecurity rate in Alabama is 18.8 percent, according to Feeding America. In Lee County, it is 18.3 percent.

“I think we all know why somebody might not use the food pantry,” she added. “I think there’s a lot of stigma around just utilizing services in need.”

There are other obstacles that detour students from asking for help. Hettinger recalled meeting with several students who could benefit from the food pantry but claim they don’t need it or don’t need it yet, just as the capstone class found.

Many researching or involved agencies that address food insecurity agree there is still a stigma around being food insecure and asking for assistance, something universities should strive to overcome.

Hallie Nelson, president of The Campus Kitchen, said that addressing food insecurity should be one of the issues discussed at Camp War Eagle or Successfully Orienting Students. Explaining options in food insecure situations and providing resources like SNAP applications could, Nelson said, help destigmatize the topic. Camp War Eagle touches on other sensitive topics such as sexual consent, mental health and drug use.

Nelson, senior in biosystems engineering, said a few years ago, people didn’t seem to talk much about food insecurity.

“It took a couple years for people on Auburn’s campus to talk about it,” she said.

Working with The Campus Kitchen for the past three years showed her that the amount of food that would be wasted at campus dining venues has the potential to feed people.

An on-campus food resource for students, The Campus Kitchen is an organization that collects excess food from dining venues and packs it into to-go meals for students.

It has served about 50 graduate students

Thursday, April 6, 2017 each week, though it recently decided to increase the students it will serve by more openly advertising the service.

Many students who receive the meals from the organization are international students, Nelson said. Other organizations and groups have also recognized that international students receive food assistance where they can.

Often times leaving their families also means leaving the support they once had at home. Some also have families of their own that they are trying to support while in school.

International student also do not qualify for federal assistance, so any USDA food assistance program — such as the food stamps program — is not accessible to them. Students also cannot work more than 20 hours per week for all jobs on campus, except during the summer or during breaks between semesters.

The University is aware of the issue of food insecurity on campus, Woodard said, but not the extent of it. At this point, the University is in a “refining process” of getting more resources, a better location and better marketing, he added.

“I don’t want anybody to go home and be hungry,” Woodard said. “We can’t have that happen.”

Editor’s note: This week’s issue was printed on Thursday morning, April 6, instead of Wednesday, April 5, to cope with severe weather conditions.

Visit ThePlainsman.com for current information about the storms.

Correction: In last week’s issue, Bashira Chowdhury’s name was spelled incorrectly in the article “Tiger Dining teams with Bee Biodiversity Initiative to experiment with crops.”

Campus Thursday, April 6, 2017

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ThePlainsman.com

Campus

ORGANIZATIONS

CALEB HOOD / PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: One of the studs does a handstand during his auction performance in the hopes of getting a higher bid.

RIGHT: Two studs prepare for their group performance at the auction.

Sigma Alpha hosts ‘Stud Auction’ in the Red Barn Loren Kimmel CAMPUS WRITER

The Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority hosted a “Stud Auction” at the Red Barn as a fundraiser to increase agricultural literacy in adolescent classrooms throughout Auburn.

Men of Auburn University were encouraged to sign up to be a “stud” for the event and participate in the auction.

Each “stud” was auctioned off to the highest bidder after a brief performance meant to showcase their personality.

The winning bidder got to choose to go on a date or accept a gift card. The gift cards ranged

from local restaurants to community activities such as movie theaters, a trampoline park and the Atlanta Zoo. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the sorority’s national fundraiser, Ag in the Classroom. Ag in the Classroom is national philanthropy that recognizes the need for and focuses on increasing agricultural literacy across the nation.

Savanna Duckworth, Sigma Alpha fundraiser chair, said Auburn’s chapter reaches out to local schools to increase agriculture literacy.

“We, as a chapter, go and teach elementary and middle school students where their food

comes from and give them that exposure that they might not have otherwise,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth said preparation for this year’s event was hectic but well worth it.

“This is actually our third year, and I have had a lot of fun putting it together,” Duckworth said.

“So far we have made $800, and our goal is to make $3,000. Hopefully we can pull that out.”

The first year the fundraiser made $5,000.

Duckworth said the sponsorship has a great deal to do with these earnings. Alpha Insurance and other businesses contributed to donations including all of the gift cards given out during the

event.

Will Wendland, president of the student council for the College of Agriculture, was the highest bid on stud for this year’s event with a bid of $100.

Wendland said this was his second year participating in the auction, and he doesn’t mind doing so for a good cause.

“It’s a part of Ag week, and I am trying to be as involved as I possibly can with that,” Wendland said. “It’s a philanthropy event, so it is for a good cause, and it’s not too tough to embarrass yourself a little, but you get up on the stage and act like a fool to raise a lot of money.”

ADMINISTRATION

Board of Trustees to discuss facilties and finances

Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

The Board of Trustees is holding a meeting on April 7 at the Auburn Hotel to discuss matters such as facilities, academic affairs and finances.

There will be a final project approval for improvements being made to Mell Street, West Samford and Thach Avenue. Phase I is estimat-

ed to cost $4 million, which is to be funded by University General funds.

From West Thach Avenue to the end of the Library Service Drive, there will be a concourse constructed for pedestrians and bicyclists, should the resolution pass.

The initial resolution initiating this project was approved in September while the approval of the architect selection was approved at the

Board’s November meeting.

One of items on the agenda is to approve the project program, site, budget, funding plan and schematic design for the Band Building Phase III, estimated to cost $5.5 million dollars. This project would be funded by a combination of the College of Liberal Arts, as well as University General funds.

The Board will also be discussing proposed

FACULTY

tuition and fees at the meeting on Friday.

The temporary relocation of the Auburn City Fire Department onto campus for one to two years will also be discussed to enhance safety on campus and serve as first responders on campus.

The agenda states this is for information only.

Go to ThePlainsman.com for continuous

SENATE

Professor recognized for outstanding teaching Amanda Ronan CAMPUS WRITER

Daniel LaRocque, professor of theater, has been awarded the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching.

LaRocque said it’s been very humbling to be recognized for something he’s so passionate about.

“Auburn has an extraordinary faculty, and I can think of many great colleagues, who I deeply admire, that deserve this award more than I do,” LaRocque said.

“It’s also an incredible honor to be recognized for what I truly love to do and why I came to Auburn in the first place: teaching.”

Dr. Gerald Leischuck and his late wife Emily were 1964 Auburn University graduates and retired University administrators. They created the Endowed Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching in 2005 to recognize two full-time, tenured faculty members who have demonstrated effective and innovative teaching methods, along with a continuing commitment to student success through advising and mentoring.

“Auburn is really fortunate to have patrons like the Leischucks, who have made a tremendous longstanding commitment to recognize the value of teaching, mentoring and advising on our campus,” LaRocque said. “To me they epitomize what’s best about the Auburn spirit, and this award is all the more meaningful because it’s endowed in their honor.”

Since he began his teaching career at Auburn in 1990, LaRocque has been mentoring aspiring actors with his teaching philosophy of encouraging his students to step out of their comfort zone and taking risks to improve their skills as not only aspiring actors but people as well.

“What I enjoy most about teaching is our students,” LaRocque said. “They are some of the most remarkable human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure to know

and work with.”

LaRocque said it is inspiring seeing his students’ passion during their time at Auburn, as well as watching their success after graduating.

“It takes a great deal of courage, determination and hard work to pursue a life in the theater, and Auburn theater students bring all of that and more,” LaRocque said.

LaRocque began his career in theater as an actor with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, in 1981. He’s been able to perform in resident professional theaters all over the country since then, including Houston’s Alley Theatre, Richmond’s Theatre and the Utah, Illinois, North Carolina and Alabama Shakespeare festivals. In England, he worked at Alan Ayckbourn’s Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round and played numerous small roles in television and film in the 1980s.

“I came to Auburn in 1990 planning to spend nine months here before heading back to New York, so it’s nine months going on 27 years now,” LaRocque said.

“I’d been engaged as a guest artist/teacher at the University of the South in Sewanee before coming to Auburn and discovered that teaching was something I enjoyed enormously, so it was great to be able to pursue that opportunity here at Auburn as well.”

LaRocque said he aims to help aspiring actors build important values through their work, including patience, positivity and hardwork. He does this by incorporating emotions, like empathy, in his lessons to help actors connect with their roles.

Since being at Auburn, LaRocque has taught classes in acting, voice and movement. He has directed nearly 50 University Theatre productions, was the chair of AU Theatre from 2005-11 and served as associate dean for Academic Affairs in College of Liberal Arts from 2011-13.

Even during his administrative period,

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

SGA President Jacqueline Keck at a senate meeting.

SGA expands its outreach DANIEL LAROCQUE

LaRocque continued to teach courses.

“Doing theater is pretty special, believe me,” LaRocque said. “When it’s working well, there’s a connection forged between the actor and the audience that’s absolutely palpable. Even though you’re doing eight shows a week, you get one shot and one shot only with each audience. Teaching is a process that allows multiple interactions with students over a sustained period of time.”

There is a difference between performing on stage in front of an audience versus teaching a room full of students, LaRocque said.

“As wonderful as it is to have a really great moment on stage in the presence of an audience you feel absolutely connected to, it’s nothing like watching a student suddenly figure out an artistic problem they’ve been struggling with for weeks in rehearsal and then make their own magic, performing for their own audience,” LaRocque said. “You get to watch that light come on and be amazed by what students do with it when it does.”

Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS REPORTER

SGA discussed some of this month’s diversity initiatives as well as expansions for campus-wide outreach at its weekly meeting on Monday.

SGA President Jacqueline Keck said Apple CEO Tim Cook, an Auburn University graduate, will be visiting campus at Telfair Peet Theatre to discuss how diversity has affected his life and work at Apple.

Cook will be visiting campus on Thursday, April 6, at 10 a.m.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair Michael O’Key said this month is Pacific Island Heritage Month, and Auburn students, as well as SGA members in particular, should keep in mind the University’s large AsianAmerican student popula-

tion.

Keck said she will be appointing SGA boards and committees this week, and senators should send in any suggestions in accordance with the deadline.

EVP of Initiatives David Facteau introduced Initiatives’ two new directors of research and assessment, Ryan Dearman and Connor Jones.

“Something that our execs are trying to focus on this year is a lot of data collection and making sure that the opinions of the student voice that we’re bringing to the administration are the true voice of the student body,” Facteau said.

“Having that hard data, that quantitative and qualitative data to be able to take to administration and be able to actively advocate for students,” Facteau added.

Campus 4

The Auburn Plainsman

LING » From 1

it's given her the opportunity to share the stories she put her life on the line for.

"The people I have met around the world have changed my life and changed my perspective on the world, so I really appreciate the opportunity to share those stories with others," Ling said.

Ling never officially finished the story she was working on in March 2009. Giving lectures is her way of finally telling the stories of female trafficking across the border of North Korea and China.

Ling said she treasures the opportunity to tell the stories she's been told by sources overseas.

While sitting amongst a group of Burmese monks that had fled from Myanmar to the outskirts of Thailand in 2008, she heard their story of how their peaceful protest for basic human necessities led to fear so intense, they were compelled to leave in search of safety from their government.

Ling has spent the majority of her career surrounded by those who fought for personal freedoms and watched some lose their lives in the process.

On the murder-ridden streets of Mexico, she followed fellow journalists from the area as they navigated through crime scene after crime scene in search of cause, explanation and truth.

“Some people have said, ‘Oh, you’re so fearless,’ but actually I am very fearful,” Ling said. “I think if we’re not on our guard and have that fear then you put yourself in a precarious situation.”

In her lecture and book, she said while in captivity she worried less about her personal well-being and more for those who had entrusted her with their life stories.

Watching the news today is surreal, Ling said.

Only a few short years ago, Ling was teaching North Korean guards yoga stretches and attempting to make the slightest connections. Success gave her hope and strength to move forward into each passing hour.

“I think that the United States and North Korea tend to see things through black and white terms, there is a lot of rhetoric being spewed back and forth,” Ling said. “There are so many shades of gray though, and I think that I was able to see a lot of the black and white, but also those shades of gray.”

There is a common humanity there that we all share, Ling said.

“I think for anyone in the world it is still such a mysterious place and so little is known about what actually goes on inside that country and vice versa for their citizens,” Ling said. “It’s just a very mysterious place that can be provocative at times.”

After returning to the United States, Ling said she locked herself away for a short while in search of her bearings.

"I was isolated in what is perhaps the most isolated countries in the world, and when I returned and got my freedom back, I went into what was sort of a selfimposed isolation," Ling said. "It was a little hard to

get reintegrated back into society."

Nonetheless, the first thing she ate when she returned was pizza, and the first song she heard on the radio was a Depeche Mode song, one of which brought her to tears.

“I love [the USA] with every fiber of my being, and I think that my experience instilled in me a greater appreciation for the freedoms that I have for the freedoms I perhaps once took for granted,” Ling said.

Despite her extensive travel, she found leaving home for larger trips difficult after the incident. Ling laughed and said her first trip out of the country was to "the mean streets of Toronto." Her most recent trip was to Tanzania, where she reported on the energy crisis there.

Ling thoroughly enjoyed her time being in the field but said the national storytelling she's participated in over the past few years has held her curiosity. Ling is currently hosting a show on Z Living Network, called “Conquered.” It highlights people who have overcome great obstacles, Ling said. ­ Her work with students suffering from high levels of stress, anxiety and depression is just one example of a story she felt needed to be told and worked to tell it. With her time at home, she is busy taking care of her two children.

Her oldest child, Li Jefferson, received her first name from a shortened version of Ling’s sister Lisa’s name and Jefferson from William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton.

Ling said she is forever grateful to President Clinton and Secretary Clinton for all they did during that frightening and unnerving time. She is fairly sure there was a halo atop his head when she was reunited with the first American she had seen in months.

Ling went overseas to Asia to tell a story and came back as one, something she said was difficult to cope with as a journalist.

Her interest in international humanitarian issues spurred from the lack of diversity in her hometown.

She grew up one of only six or so Asian students in her classes. This perspective flip-flopped when she began studying at the University of California at Los Angeles or as she referred to it, "University of Caucasians Lost Among Asians."

Her best friends in college were a diverse group of pals, something she thinks led her to a career in journalism.

Along with their influence, Ling simultaneously followed in her sister's footsteps. She said she watched as her older sister traveled the world, listening and reporting fascinating tales.

One of her biggest regrets from the room in which she was held captive by the North Korean government was not spending enough time with her family.

"We all live these very busy, stressful lives, but one day we will wish we had more time with the people we love," Ling said. "I heard from dear friends, many of them college friends that I hadn't heard from in years. I regretted the fact that it took being held captive in North Korea to reconnect with these people."

2 0 {Greek

Thursday, April 6, 2017

ACADEMICS

Syllabus bank launches Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

The syllabus bank is officially ready for use as a result of SGA’s collaboration with administration to provide one before the end of the academic year.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy R. Boosinger sent out the announcement on the morning of Friday, March 31, to students detailing what information might be available in the bank, as well as how to access it.

Read the full statement below.

“Dear Students, Following several months of work with the University’s administration, I am pleased to announce that an SGA-led initiative, the Syllabus Bank, is now ready for use. This project will provide you with an opportunity to review examples of available syllabi from previously taught undergraduate courses prior to registration. While the historical examples of syllabi may not provide you with a comprehensive view of specific course expectations, they may enable you to better plan your semester hours and identify course sections that might be more suited toward your learning style.

The Syllabus Bank is new and faculty have just recently been asked to voluntarily load their syllabi into the Syllabus Bank. Please understand it is

likely that the resource will not provide examples of all courses offered during Summer or Fall 2017.”

Emma Grace Laird, former SGA chief of staff, said the syllabus bank was high on the list of priorities for the 2016-17 academic year last April as the new SGA officers at the time made plans for their summer projects.

“We’ll continue to work to implement a syllabus bank that students can use to find out more information about classes before registering,” Laird said.

The project previously received mixed reviews from professors with some in favor and others opposed to it.

Math professor Ulrich Albrecht said he did not agree with the project, and it would be detrimental to students’ education.

“It’s, in theory, a good idea, but in practice, it will not benefit students who want to learn.

It will be of use to students who want to find the easy way out,” Albrecht said. “We are a global economy, we are competing with other countries with much higher production and industry, and if our graduates are getting weaker and weaker, especially in a state like Alabama with a weak industrial output, we will not be able to compete.”

English professor Stewart Whittemore said the project was “a marvelous idea” and touted its benefits to faculty as well as to students.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to visit The Plains this Thursday,April 6, to have an exclusive discussion with students about inclusion and diversity.

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“I was at a meeting [where] different professors from different tracks in the English major shared our syllabi with each other, and I loved seeing what professors in other tracks were doing,” Whittemore said.

“There are interesting points of coordination that I had no idea existed.”

Former EVP of Initiatives Trey Fields said the goal is to help students make informed decisions as they register for classes.

“The idea is to create a database full of old syllabi that will allow students to access it, so if you have an AU Access account, you can search a course, look at instructor A versus instructor B, and pull up their syllabi from one or two years ago,” Fields said.

The project has been in the works for the past three SGA administrations, Fields said.

“It originally passed through the student senate up to an executive committee, and this year we’ve had the time and the focus to really hit it hard,” Fields said. “It’s been in the works for around four or five years now.

Some colleges already have a system like this, like the College of Business, but we really think all students should have access.”

SGA Vice President Justin Smith announced the syllabus bank would soon be ready to rollout at the senate meeting on Monday, March 27.

Opinion Thursday, April 6. 2017

5

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OUR VIEW

Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

“This manner of conducting searches aides and abets obfuscation”

That’s not our job

GRAPHIC BY DANNY TRAN

SPRING EDITORIAL BOARD 2017

In view of some of the complaints levied toward The Plainsman, some concerning what we ought to cover as journalists and some concerning whether we should voice our opinions, we believe it’s important to express what constitutes our duty as journalists.

First and foremost, it’s our duty to report the happenings on Auburn’s campus and the surrounding community in an unbiased manner — ­ to report the facts in their fullness, as they happen.

If those facts cast Auburn University, any organization or person in a good or bad light, so be it.

Our job isn’t to be mindless supporters of all things Auburn; our job is to function as a spotlight to the things people ought to see, good and bad.

The fact we are students of Auburn University doesn’t mean we shouldn’t criticize our University. In fact, it demands the opposite.

We must constantly work to better our University by providing a natural check on its activities.

We do this through reporting and by broadcasting our opinion when we believe the University errs.

In doing this, we serve the student body and faculty.

Organizations, such as universities, naturally tend to look out for themselves.

That isn’t to say they never look out for those they serve, but it is to say they keep an eye out for themselves sometimes to the point where it’s unhelpful to those they ostensibly aim to serve.

Sometimes it’s easier to sweep things under the rug purely for PR purposes.

With this fact in mind, we are committed to pulling such things to the surface — a process that sometimes makes people uncomfortable.

We are able to put pressure on entities, which leads to better performance from those entities.

This pressure can take the form of showcasing facts that may be perceived as negative, but it’s important for people to fully appreciate that their perceiving of something negative doesn’t necessarily mean it was written in a biased manner. It may only mean the reader has a certain disposition about the facts.

While reading our news, it’s important to consider a bias most humans deal with: negativity bias.

Negativity bias is a psychological phenomenon that causes negative events or information to create stronger impressions within people’s

minds than positive events or information.

This bias leads people to falsely believe we only or mostly cover negative events.

And it’s evident in the fact that our coverage of negative things gets much more attention than our coverage of positive things.

Keeping this bias in mind will lend a more objective outlook as to the nature of our reporting.

Another complaint that commonly surfaces is that The Plainsman shouldn’t post opinion pieces.

Some argue we shouldn’t post opinion pieces at all, and others arbitrarily draw the line at topics like politics.

In many cases, these complaints rise out of an ignorance of the common structure of a newspaper ­— that is, how there are specific sections for unbiased reporting and a section clearly designated to broadcast opinions.

Yet time and time again, an opinion piece will be published and along come those who disagree with the piece’s stance and attempt to disparage The Plainsman for straying away from unbiased reporting.

The opinion section is supposed to broadcast opinions, which, by definition, makes it not subject to some of the constraints other sections face.

Many, especially in the face of opinion pieces they feel deeply uncomfortable with, would rather the section be done away with so as to protect their bubble of beliefs.

In vain attempts to construct a persuasive argument for that dissolution, people argue the opinions represented in The Plainsman don’t always reflect the majority of opinions held on campus — as though that’s an inherently negative thing — and therefore, those opinions should not be published.

Occasionally, the views expressed in our opinion section don’t completely align with some readers’ opinions. That is completely OK; it helps further disucssion and challenges people’s thinking.

Our history is marked by us publishing sometimes unpopular opinions, like pro-integration and pro-LGBTQ editorials.

It’s healthy to regularly read opinions that strike at your most central beliefs.

We welcome opinions that contradict our own, and we aim to use them to craft more tenable beliefs.

We are committed to providing opinions in their designated section, despite the cognitive dissonance they may erupt in our readers, as well as responsible, unbiased reporting.

I observed the installation of Steven Leath as AU’s 19th president at the University Ballroom March 20.

AU’s Board of Trustees unanimously selected Leath after a six month national “search,” which provided little on how it was conducted.

Last year Lee County Commission Chair Bill English “correctly misspoke” affirming something passed “unonimously” [sic] at a meeting where, similarly, all had been decided prior to putting on the show for the record and press present.

Nothing like hiding behind solidarity to further conceal the process used to brazenly install the result.

Noticeably omitted at this “Ballroom Blitz” event were any microphones for question/comment from faculty, students and taxpayers.

Rumors were correct; Leath would start July 15th. Perhaps the contract (I’ve yet to find anything w.r.t. pay for this public servant) was contingent upon his “appointment.”

Note to BoT: Do NOT bring out the predetermined candidate until AFTER your sham installation is complete.

As a fan of Pres. Jay Gogue’s stewardship — it was easy to forecast he’d be an improvement over Ed Richardson.

When Trustee John Denson was the marginal vote for the muse result over the Lowder gang, it signaled enough courageous souls were still at Auburn willing and able to battle the damage being done by this failed businessman and his minion “public servants.” Ballroom Blitz style rolling over transparency goes a long way toward removing hope and lowering morale.

It doesn’t take long for cancer of this sort to spread through any organization, even more so with public universities far too insulated from market discipline.

Gogue had no fear of his name being publicly known in the search that resulted in his becoming the 18th president.

Gogue had nothing to hide, it conveyed his strong desire to come back to Auburn and confidence as to how secure he was with his positions in the University of Houston system.

Far too many times upper administrative candidates make short lists because they initially show so well on paper, but when doing

Claire Tully CAMPUS

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SPORTS

Build up Auburn University students; don’t tear them down I have just recently read the article about the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter here at Auburn.

I am writing to express my opinion on this article as I feel that it was disrespectful and did not uphold the “Auburn Family” mentality. I believe this article is not only disrespectful to our Greek community as a whole but unbelievably disrespectful to the SAE chapter here at Auburn.

The way this article is worded describes the brothers of SAE in a negative way and associates them with matters that did not even occur here at Auburn.

The chapter of SAE here at Auburn are different individuals, and I feel that this article is entirely false.

Policy

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.

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

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

This article should not be the cover of The Plainsman since most of the information it describes isn’t even relevant to the Auburn campus.

I was very disappointed to read this article because I feel that The Auburn Plainsman turned their backs on what it means to be part of the “Auburn Family” because this article painted these men to be something they’re not.

I believe The Auburn Plainsman newspaper should be used to boost Auburn University students, not tear them down.

Courtney Penrose is a sophomore majoring in pre-communication disorders.

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Mr. Sophocleus is an instructor in the economics department and a long time columnist for the Alabama Gazette where this was printed in its entirety. Read the rest of this letter at ThePlainsman.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The Editorial Board Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

a little homework, it doesn’t take long to get “the rest of the story.”

I observed this many years ago with President Ryan Amacher at UTA [http://www. dallasobserver.com/news/fast-times-atuta-6404568] who kept making short lists until he finally found a school that didn’t do their homework.

If a candidate is NOT secure enough in their job to let current employers know others recognize their accomplishments and would like to have them join their organisation, I DON’T want them.

This manner of conducting searches aides and abets obfuscation, which far too often benefits the growing minions of colluding administrators fleecing taxpayers and saddling students with increasingly more debt.

Walking over to the Ballroom, a colleague forecasted it would be some time before a vote if the event was to engage in discussion and input from the “Auburn Family.”

I forecasted 20 minutes. I was wrong … it was over in less than twelve!

The most notable & quotable moment followed a very loud and distinctly delayed “AYE” from Dr. Gov. Bentley to finally make it “UNONIMOUS” - to borrow Judge English’s nomenclature. Bentley’s last affirmation prompted Charles McCrary, President Pro Tem of the AU BoT, to proclaim, “The Voice of God.” Glad I had an empty stomach for that ‘special’ moment, but I must note the crab balls after the Ballroom Blitz were superb.

This embarrassment is not going unnoticed. KCCI News in Des Moines reported, “Last month, officials decided against filing criminal charges against Leath following an investigation into whether he broke the law with his use of school aircraft.

That review began after an audit found Leath used university planes for medical appointments in Minnesota, personal flight lessons and trips home to North Carolina.

He has now reimbursed the university for the flights. Auburn picked Leath after a search that didn’t include an announcement of finalists.”

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

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

These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

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Community Thursday, April 6, 2017

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Community

POLITICS

Tuberville loans himself $100,000 for possible run for governor Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

Former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville seems to be putting to rest questions about whether he will run for Alabama governor in 2018, filing paperwork with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office last week that established his campaign apparatus.

On March 28, 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.

Last month, a CBS Sports report said Tuberville was reportedly eyeing a job outside of football after his most recent stint as Cincinnati head coach. According to the report, sources close to Tuberville said he was considering a run for Alabama governor.

Tuberville later confirmed to the Associated Press that he was discussing his options with potential supporters.

Even with the $100,000 loan, Tuberville has said he has not made a final decision on whether he is running for governor, according to an AL.com report. He also told Auburn Undercover’s Brandon Marcello on Monday that he still hasn’t made a decision.

“That doesn’t mean you’re running,” Tuberville said of the campaign finance forms. They are a requirement to begin fundraising.

Tuberville’s loan to himself is so far the only contribution in his newly formed campaign account, according to the most recent filing. He indicated on his campaign filings that he would be running as a Republican, in which case he would be barred from accepting any additional contributions until June.

Tuberville said last month that he was awaiting the results of a poll being conducted to

gauge public opinion.

Tuberville coached at Auburn from 19992008. Under his leadership, 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.

Alabama GOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan, who has said Tuberville could make a great candidate in the Republican race for governor, said she spoke with Tuberville over the phone about two weeks ago. She said he was still considering his final decision.

“He just said he was looking at the possibility,” Lathan said. “He’s listening. He really wants to hear from people. The party doesn’t get involved in the primary, but he did reach out to me, as have several others who are considering running for governor. I think we’ll have a crowded field.”

Lathan said in February in another interview with The Plainsman that Tuberville’s lack of political experience wouldn’t hold him back.

Instead, it could be an asset.

“Donald Trump moved over 16 very qualified politicians, so right now, I don’t think the atmosphere has moved too far from that,” Lathan said.

Lathan said they would welcome Tuberville, who just recently moved back to his home on Lake Martin, with open arms.

“Anybody who is willing to be our teammate on our mission, we welcome whoever would like to run,” Lathan said. “At the end of the day, though, the voters make the decision in the primary.”

While at Auburn, Tuberville was known for winning six straight games over Alabama. Tu-

COURTS

VIA TODD VAN EMST / OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS

Former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville is considering a run for Alabama governor.

berville’s likely foray into politics would be in a state with a football divide as deep as its political divisions. He told the AP that being in sports was like “being in politics for the last 40 years.”

Tuberville is not the only Republican who

has filed campaign committee paperwork. Public Service Commission Chair Twinkle Cavanaugh has also filed paperwork to run for governor. She also said she wasn’t ready to make a final decision on whether she will launch a fullfledged campaign.

CITY

Auburn Public Library to launch eBook program Alex Hosey

COMMUNITY WRITER

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Then-Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, accompanied by his wife, enters the Lee County Justice Center on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in Opelika, Ala.

Hubbard’s attorneys to file brief by April 26 Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

The first written brief in the appeal trial of former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, RAuburn, will be due to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on April 26, marking the first substantial move in Hubbard’s appeal process since it began last October.

The letter was sent on March 30, after Lee County Circuit Clerk Mary Roberson submitted the Court Record on Appeal, a 1,800-page document that includes all motions, orders and transcripts from Hubbard’s two years of court proceedings. The notice was filed on the state’s electronic court filing system on Monday.

The lead defense attorney for Hubbard, Bill Baxley, told The Plainsman on Tuesday that he plans to have the written brief filed in Hubbard’s case by the deadline on April 26.

The filing of the Clerk’s Record on Appeal had been delayed since Hubbard first launched his appeal in October 2016. Roberson has said the record is “complex” and “voluminous,” requiring time extensions for her office to prepare it.

The Court of Criminal Appeals had previously granted several time extensions since November 2016. Each time, the appeal was delayed by 28 days.

“While this number of filings alone are rare in a criminal case and would warrant an extension of time, many of these filings are Under Seal, which will

make preparation of the Clerk’s Record even more complex,” she wrote. “The Clerk’s Record will be voluminous in its transcript and exhibits.”

Hubbard was removed from office in June 2016 after being found guilty of 12 felony ethics violations — violations of the same ethics law he himself helped push through the Legislature in December 2010 during his first special legislative session as speaker.

In July, Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker sentenced Hubbard to four years total in prison.

In total, Walker — who sat on the bench over Hubbard’s case since his indictment in 2014 — set his base sentence at 12 years. Four years of that sentence would be served in a state penitentiary, and the remaining eight years will be supervised probation.

The total minimum sentence, if Walker had chosen it, could have been 24 years in prison. Instead, Walker chose to split each charge and then allow Hubbard to serve many of them concurrently with one another.

In the appeal, Hubbard’s attorneys suggested they will take the Lee County verdict to task on jury misconduct and court error in ruling on pre-trial, trial and post-trial motions.

Baxley has also said the jury was biased against the former speaker.

» See HUBBARD, 7

The Auburn Public Library has announced plans to move eBooks and downloadable audiobooks to Cloud Library, which will officially launch May 11.

The library will be moving its electronic titles from its old platform, OverDrive, to Cloud Library, which will provide patrons of the library with a free, easy-to-use service to access available content.

To access Cloud Library, patrons will have to download the Cloud Library app, which is available for iPhone, Android, Nook tablets and Kindle Fire tablet devices.

The Cloud Library app will not be compatible with basic E Ink e-readers such as Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage, Kobo Glo or Nook GlowLight Plus.

According to Brandon Rowland, digital services specialist at the Auburn Public Library, users will be able to download available titles through Cloud Library straight to their devices.

After two weeks, the title would be removed automatically, thereby preventing any accumulation of late fees as well as providing users with their reading or audiobook materials on-the-go.

“Currently, we have about 4,000 titles available online,” Rowland said.

“Over the several years that we’ve had it, we’ve seen exponential growth in our digital content downloads. Currently, we’re averaging around 2,000 check

FILE PHOTO

The Auburn Public Library has announced plans to launch a new eBook program.

outs a month just in our OverDrive platform alone.”

The transition from OverDrive to Cloud Library will not cause a loss of available electronic titles, and more are planned to be added in the future.

Cloud Library will also allow Auburn Public Library to integrate its eBook check out system into the self-check out process.

“If you come in and check out a new James Patterson book and we also have that in eBook when you self-check out, you’ll see an option on the screen that says, ‘This is also available in eBook, would you like to download now?’”

Rowland said. “That should add an extra layer of convenience for people that are coming into the library to check out

physical books.”

Online titles are currently one of the most in-demand items for patrons of Auburn Public Library, with 25,411 online check-outs having been recorded in 2016 alone.

Auburn High School English teacher Davis Thompson is fine with the public library using funds to expand its online services.

“I’m fine with it because I use their online stuff at times,” Thompson said.

“I prefer real books, but it’s a good service.”

The Auburn Public Library will discontinue its use of OverDrive on May 9.

On May 10, all eBook and online audiobook services will be unavailable until the next day.

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Thursday, April 6, 2017

Community 7

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CITY

Council approves firm for city manager search K ailey B eth S mith COMMUNITY WRITER

LILY JACKSON / LIFESTYLE EDITOR

“Groups huddle in discussion at the Auburn Together meeting on March 25, 2017.

Alabama Together: a refined Pantsuit Nation Lily Jackson

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Saturday afternoons, a growing mass of adamant voters gather in the little scarlet-carpeted chapel on East Thach Avenue. What started as a few political outliers has become a brigade of devoted members looking to make waves.

Formally the Auburn branch of Pantsuit Nation, the newly named Alabama Together group, is working on a mission statement and public platform at its monthly meetings.

According to its website, Pantsuit Nation blossomed from a small group that started privately posting on Facebook in October 2016. This team of social media activists planned to attend the polls in pantsuits to “[create] a troll-free space in which Clinton supporters could enthusiastically support their candidate.”

After just 24 hours, the group’s population had skyrocketed to 24,000 members, and the growth didn’t cease. State and local chapters formed and once the election passed, each chapter was left with a rhetorical, “What’s next?”

The support-giving and activism group switched gears after the election, taking the roles and platform of a nonprofit. This transformation moved the Auburn branch to consider a change of name, as the primary focus of the nationwide group had morphed.

Driving home from the local “commiseration party,” Sharyn Pulling, member of Alabama Together and lecturer at Auburn, thought to email a select few from the original group in search of a refined mission.

“We ended up inviting a lot more people,” Pulling said. “It became five people, then 90 people at our December meeting. We decided then to hold monthly meetings.”

At the first meeting, the original team surveyed those that attended on their interests and passions. The results from those surveys led to focus groups that devote time weekly to furthering the group’s mission. Healthcare, education, politics, environmental action, diversity, information and facts and social issues are the current focus groups that meet.

The response was completely unexpected, Pulling said. Those few startup members were under the impression they were alone in their leanings.

“Before the election occurred, we all thought of ourselves as these little pockets — these little progressive pockets scattered all about town,” Pulling said.

“Sometimes we meet each other and find each other.”

She said there is a definite divide — an isolation. But in the wake of a few meetings Pulling has found, there are more than she believed in the start.

Cathy Colquett came to the meeting in search of like-minded people looking to fight for a change. She attended her first meeting in January and connected personally with the healthcare group’s mission.

“I think it’s great to see the grassroots group — to see people coming out of the woodwork who haven’t ever been politically involved,” Colquett said. “I was so depressed after the election and you come here and see all the like-mind-

ed people wanting to do something. I think that’s why the latest healthcare bill got defeated. There were people like us that went, made phone calls and did what needed to be done.”

Pulling said the group’s most daunting challenge has been focusing on a few select goals, as she said the new administration has given them so much to work with. The work toward solidifying ideals and direction has begun and continues to develop after each meeting.

Each group circles up after a conjoined meeting to discuss ideas, next steps and actions that can be made.

Many members have visited their representatives, participated in marches and called the community together in search of their desired change.

Colquett said the healthcare group is currently working to communicate the facts with larger groups to make the community more aware of what is coming down the pipe in the next few weeks.

“We are trying to create a call to action,” Colquett said.

The education group is also working to build awareness of legislation. Ellen Abell, member of the education group, said her group’s focus is to become aware of education bills and changes as they come down the line. Abell hopes to help build the same awareness throughout the community.

Each subgroup huddles together in circles, discussing issues and steps toward action. Alabama Together meets monthly for a group meeting followed with a social gathering afterword.

On Tuesday night, the City Council approved a $24,500 contract with Colin Baenziger & Associates to perform an executive search for the new Auburn city manager.

The former city manager, Charlie Duggan, officially retired on March 1. Duggan served as Auburn city manager from 2006-17 and said that it was time for him to “start a new adventure.” Duggan was offered a position with the Marin Municipal Water District in Marin County, California, where he is now serving.

Jim Buston was appointed by the City Council to be the interim city manager following Duggan’s formal retirement in March.

Buston said it may be the fall before a new city manager is selected.

“We expect that someone new will be coming on … around August, November or December, but it all depends on how the search goes,” he said. He expects that once the firm and council begin working directly together, they will release a schedule.

David Dorton, city public affairs director, said it could take anywhere between a few months to a year to find a new city manager.

Colin Baeziger & Associates is a fairly large firm that is well-known and well-respected in the Southeast, city officials said. They have successfully placed candidates in many southern states and conducted searches for executives in Florida, Georgia and Arkansas.

The firm will advertise for about a month, and in that time it will create brochures and use its own professional network in addition to the International City and County Management Association.

Hundreds of applicants from across the country are expected to apply, from which the firm will narrow it down to seven to 10 applicants.

Those applicants will then be contacted for interviews, which will most likely occur through Skype or similar technology.

Buston said that the applicants should then be narrowed down to about three.

“In my scenario,” Buston said. “You would invite those three on site, so you would have one-on-one meetings with those three and staff, and then a public meeting where the three would take questions from the public. After that, the council will deliberate and see which is best for Auburn.”

Once the new city manager is hired, there will then be a transition period for the new city manager to get acquainted with the staff.

At the time being, during the next few months, Buston said they are not looking at any new initiatives.

“I don’t expect that we are looking … [to do] anything different from what has already been set in place,” he said.

“We were left with a really good environment; the budget had already been set, so our goal is to work with the plan that is already in place.”

Dorton said Buston is being a helpful and integral part of this transition.

“Jim is prepared to stay for as long as it takes,” Dorton said.

Buston has been with the city for 21 years and has spent 11 of those years as the assistant city manager. But he has no plans to take on the full-time, permanent city manager position.

LEGISLATURE

Legislators vote overwhelmingly to end judicial override

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would put an end to Alabama’s system of judicial override, which allows judges to override juries and impose the death penalty against the jury’s recommendation.

The bill passed the House by a

vote of 78-19-2 Tuesday, and the Senate passed it last month by a 30-1 vote. It will now head to the governor, who said Tuesday that he plans to sign it after it undergoes the proper legal review in his office.

“I support the passage of HB32, and I want to commend Representative Chris England and Senator Dick Brewbaker for their commitment and work on this bill,” Bent-

ley said.

Alabama’s current death-penalty sentencing system requires that a jury makes a recommendation for life in prison or death. If a jury then votes for life in prison, a judge can agree or override their recommendation and issue the death penalty.

Last year, Alabama became the last state in the Union with a judicial override death penalty system.

Florida and Delaware’s supreme courts struck down their judicial override systems after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Florida’s system in Hurst v. Florida.

The bill’s sponsor in the House, Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said judicial override “undermines” the jury system, which requires a jury of one’s peers to make final decisions on conviction.

More than 92 percent of 107 overrides since 1976 have resulted in a judge imposing the death penalty when a trial jury voted to recommend life in prison, according to Montgomery’s Equal Justice Initiative.

The Senate version of the bill, which was passed by the House on Tuesday, was sponsored by Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery.

HUBBARD » From 6

“We have probably a dozen issues with the verdicts,” Baxley said Tuesday. “We think any of the dozen issues are sufficient for us to prevail in appeal. I think we have got evidence that certainly raises the question of whether some of the jurors were biased.”

Baxley submitted a post-trial motion over the summer asking for the verdict to be overturned and for an investigation to be launched by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office into possible juror misconduct. Walker denied the motion because he said there was no evidence of juror misconduct.

Upon conviction in June, Hubbard was immediately removed from both his office as Alabama House speaker and his seat as Auburn’s House representative. A special election was called by Gov. Robert Bentley in late June to replace Hubbard’s seat.

Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, who is now serving in Montgom-

ARE YOU READY? To complete your Master’s Degree in…

POOL PHOTO / TODD VAN EMST / OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS

Mike Hubbard is released from the Lee County Correctional Facility on Friday, June 10, 2016, in Opelika, Ala.

ery, won the seat in the September special election.

The former speaker was found guilty of voting on legislation despite conflicts of interest, accepting illegal investments from lobbyists and principles, using his office for personal gain and lobbying the executive branch, among other offenses.

Hubbard, who Baxley said

still “absolutely” maintains his innocence, will remain free on bond until a verdict is rendered in the appeal.

“We don’t even think he should have been indicted,” Baxley said. “What occurred was not criminal conduct in our opinion. What he did was not a violation of criminal statute.

That’s the bottom line.”

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Sports

Thursday, April 6, 2017

8 ThePlainsman.com

Sports

Top 10 Tigers fall to Yellow Jackets Jake Wright SPORTS WRITER

MATTHEW BISHOP / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Auburn infielder Luke Jarvis (9) hits the ball during Auburn Tigers baseball vs. Georgia Tech

Stymied by the offensive explosion of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the No. 11 Auburn Tigers fell on Tuesday night at Plainsman Park, 11-8. The Tigers scored eight runs and tallied nine hits, however the Yellow Jackets bested the home squad in both of those categories, recording 11 runs and a whopping 15 hits.

The Tigers turned four double plays to make that 33 on the season, the most in the SEC. At the plate, Luke Jarvis, Daniel Robert, Conor Davis and Mike Rojas would all record RBIs for Auburn. Jonah Todd, Bowen McGuffin and Will Holland also recorded hits in the contest.

Auburn started out slow, as Georgia Tech spotted the streaking Tigers a 5-0 lead after the first inning.

“I think this weekend they will want to come out and redeem themselves,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “I don’t think in 48 hours that we have forgot how to play competitive baseball. Tonight was disappointing. We didn’t get the game underway properly. I thought we were chasing that all night.”

Auburn would bounce back and score eight runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie a season high for runs in an inning.

Jarvis slapped a double down the left field line to get the Tigers on the board. A single by Robert would drive in two and bring Auburn within two runs. Davis would be the next batter up and he would walk to bring in another run. Later in the inning, Rojas hit a three run triple for the Tigers to take the lead at 7-5.

Jarvis would bat again in the inning and get another RBI to bring the score to 8-5. The Tigers would not threaten again until the eighth inning when they left McGuffin on third base.

Georgia Tech would score two in the fourth to bring the score within one run. In the fifth inning, a home run for the Yellow Jackets gave the visitors from Atlanta back the lead. Kyle McCann hit a slicing shot down the right field line. Scoring would halt until the ninth inning, when Coleman Poje would hit a bomb for the Jackets that would bring the score to 11-8.

On the mound for Auburn, Daniel Sprinkle would record the loss. He would strike out five on the night and concede the McCann homer.

Auburn travels to Texas A&M this Friday at 6:30 p.m.

CST. Coach Thompson expects ace Keegan Thompson to be back in the pitching rotation for the Tigers.

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 6, 2017

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

Baseball moves up to No. 7 Will sahlie

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

In a season already full of major accomplishments, Auburn received yet another Monday morning.

Auburn (23-7, 7-2) jumped from No. 18 to No. 7 in Baseball America’s rankings after its dramatic walk-off victory over previously sixthranked South Carolina. It is Auburn’s highest ranking since March 15, 2004.

The Tigers took the series from the Gamecocks Sunday afternoon after pinch hitter Conor Davis blasted a three-run walk-off home run over the left field wall. It was Auburn’s first walk-off home run since Damek Tomscha’s walk-off shot on Opening Day in 2013 vs. Maine.

The clutch blast by Davis gave Auburn its first home series victory over South Carolina since 1996. The three-game set was the highest-at-

tended series at Plainsman Park since 2003 and the third-most in school history.

Auburn has now matched its win total from last season (23) just 30 games into the season.

The Tigers are one win shy of its eight SEC wins from last season in just nine conference games.

In arguably the toughest baseball conference in America, Auburn sits on top in the rankings this week.

The SEC has six other ranked teams, No. 8 Florida, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 13 Kentucky, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 22 Mississippi State. The seven ranked teams are the most by any conference this week. The ACC has six teams ranked.

Auburn will continue play Tuesday as it hosts Georgia Tech at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets 7-4 on March 21. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CST.

ADAM SPARKS / PHOTOGRAPHER

Corey Myers resigns Assistant coach Corey Myers speaks with Madi Gipson (4) during a timeout.Auburn vs Florida.

Nathan King

SPORTS REPORTER

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Connor Davis (24) celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run vs. South Carolina.

TRACK AND FIELD

Eder posts personal best Jack Winchester SPORTS EDITOR

Auburn’s Veronica Eder posted a personal best in the 10,000 meter on Friday night in Stanford, California, as the Tiger track and field team wrapped up the weekend at the Stanford Invitational and Texas Relays.

The senior continued her strong season with a 33:35.73 in the 10,000m invitational late Friday night to finish 11th overall. Eder’s mark ranks

third on Auburn’s all-time outdoor performance list.

Tiger senior Redatu Semeon made his first appearance in the 3,000 meter steeple since the 2015 NCAA East Prelims and ran a 9:12.34, which currently ranks second in the SEC. Auburn will host the Tiger Track Classic this weekend on April 7-8 before traveling back to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Invitational April 14-15.

Tigers tie for third

GYMNASTICS

Jack Winchester SPORTS EDITOR

T​h e Auburn gymnastics team concluded the 2017 season Saturday in Barnhill Arena, finishing tied for third with a season-high 196.600 at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

“We hit all 24 routines tonight, and that’s a big deal for us,” head coach Jeff Graba said. “It was the first time all year that we looked this consistent. Our young team really stepped up in this tough event, and I think the results show the guts and determination of this team. I’m really proud of the way we finished the season.”

Number one seed Utah won the meet with a 197.150, while No. 2 seed Denver came in

second with a 197.050.

Arkansas also finished with a 196.600, while California came in fifth at 196.300.

Central Michigan closed out the team scoring at 195.675.

Sophomore Samantha Cerio finished tied for first on bars with a career-high 9.925 to advance in the event, while freshman Katie Becker’s career-best 39.200 in the all-around was good to move on. The pair of Tigers will represent Auburn as individuals at the NCAA Championships, April 14-15, in St. Louis.

“The future is really bright for Auburn gymnastics,” Graba said. “Having two of our young student-athletes advance will really set the table for next year.”

FILE PHOTO

Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba answers questions from the media on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Auburn softball associate head coach Corey Myers has resigned, announced in a release from the Auburn Athletics Department on Thursday night.

In the statement, Myers cites the prioritization of his family as his main reason for stepping away from the team.

“It is with great sadness today that I announce I will be stepping down as the associate head coach of the Auburn University softball team,” Myers said in the statement. “It became clear to me that my relationship with my family needs to be my top priority right now and therefore felt that I must step away.

“I thank the Auburn family for everything they have done for my family and myself. We absolutely love living on The Plains and will forever feel like Auburn is our home.”

Myers arrived at Auburn with his father and AU head coach Clint Myers back in 2014.

On Aug. 2, 2016, the team promoted Myers from pitching coach to associate head coach.

As pitching coach, Myers developed the program’s all-time winningest pitcher Lexi Davis. Davis tallied 62 wins as a Tiger, with 54 of those coming under Myers’ direction. This season, Auburn ranks ninth in the nation with a combined team ERA of 1.32.

No. 5 Auburn is 28-5 overall this season, with a 3-3 mark in conference play following a 1-2 series loss to Florida last weekend. The Tigers must make a quick recovery from Myers’ departure, as the team travels to Athens, Georgia, this weekend for a three-game series against No. 18 UGA. The first pitch for game one is set for 6 p.m.

CST on the SEC Network+.

Sports 10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 6, 2017

This week in Auburn sports

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel Robert (20) slides back into first base after attempting to steal during Auburn’s game against South carolina on Saturday,April 1.

MATTHEW BISHOP / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

In this multiple-exposure photograph, Daniel Robert (20) pitches during a gane against Georgia Tech on tuesday,April 4.

The Auburn bench cheers after freshman Conor Davis’ (24) walk-off home run against South Carolina on Sunday,April 2.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Third-base coach Doug Sisson and Conor Davis (24) hug afters Davis’ walk-off home run against South Carolina on Sunday,April 2.

Dylan Ingram (27) makes contact with the ball during Auburn’s game against South Carolina on Sunday,April 2.

Nathan King

the first in program history for Auburn in Athens.

The Alpine, California native was unblemished leading off in innings over the weekend at 4 for 4. In the game two victory for Auburn, the catcher smacked a solo home run, her fifth homer of the year, in the first at-bat and second pitch of the evening to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Reaching base safely in nine of 15 chances at the dish, Wallace extended her streak of four games in the categories of hitting and base-reaching.

MATTHEW BISHOP / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The sun sets over Plainsman Park on Tuesday,April 4.

Wallace named conference Player of the Week

SPORTS REPORTER

Auburn junior catcher Carlee Wallace was named the SEC’s Player of the Week, announced Tuesday afternoon. She joins Haley Fagan as the second Tiger to receive the honor in 2017.

Wallace led the Tigers with a team-best seven hits in Auburn’s weekend sweep over the No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs. Wallace fell one double short of the cycle in the Tigers’ 13-4 victory over UGA on Saturday, turning in a triple and a single in the rout. The sweep is

The junior has landed on base in 12 of her last 13 outings and 18 of the last 20.

Wallace led the Tigers with a .538 batting average in the series in Athens and leads the squad with a .402 average for the season. No. 5 Auburn will cap off their road-trip rodeo this Wednesday against Samford at Spain Park High School.

The Tigers will return to Jane B. Moore this weekend for a three-game conference series against the Ole Miss Rebels. First pitch against the Bulldogs on Wednesday is set for 6 p.m. CST.

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Lifestyle

11

Thursday, April 6, 2017

ThePlainsman.com

Lifestyle

CULTURE

A cup without a cost

How one small coffee shop is changing checkout for good Karl Hackmiller LIFESTYLE WRITER

Side Track Coffee, located by the train tracks in downtown Opelika, is a coffee shop that has become known in the community for its odd menu and unique atmosphere.

With a minimalist, warehouse-style , flanked on both sides by an art gallery and a local, artisan marketplace, Side Track Coffee offers a place to study, a place to peruse art, and a place to talk to your neighbors.

According to the owner and operator of Sidetrack Coffee, David Bizilia, that is exactly the goal of this shop.

David Bizilia, Auburn local, has an extensive background working in the coffee industry.

“It’s always coffee,” Bizilia said.

“Coffee and people.”

Owning his own coffee shop has always been a dream of his.

“This is like 10% of the dream,” Bizilia said looking around the bustling shop, “We still have a lot of plans.”

There are no prices here and visi-

tor’s pay only what they feel their drink is worth.

Bizilia and his partner Buddy founded Side Track in April 2016 and the two originally worked out of what is now the art gallery.

“It was really rough at first, and we were pretty much working every day out of such a small place,” Bizilia said.

“We were basically in a closet. It was tough.”

He also stresses the roles other business owners played in helping him start his coffee house, namely Wade Preston, owner of Prevail Union on South College, as well as the owners of the building and his team of friends that pitched in wherever they could along the way.

Bizilia plays a hand of cards, makes a young woman a cappuccino and returns to the interview, wearing more than a few hats on this busy Sunday afternoon.

The shop’s unique style and prices — or lack there of — start as far back as the founding of the business.

“Our first week being open, we

didn’t have a license to sell food, so all we could do was take donations,” Bizilia said.

It didn’t take long to see how this business model affected the customers.

What was once just a transaction, a mere swiping of a debit card, became a conversation.

“Me and Buddy had been in the coffee industry for a long time, and we’d see the same people coming in,” Bizilia said.

“When people found out we didn’t have prices there was a totally different dynamic.”

Everything from the way you pay, to the understated decoration of the warehouse-style shop, to its adjoining art galleries, aims to create an atmosphere of engagement not just between the baristas and customers, but between the customers themselves too.

“Our objective isn’t just to be another coffee shop,” Bizilia said. “People first, always.”

COLUMN

Delicious vegetarian dishes and where to find them JESSICA BALLARD COPY EDITOR

Being a vegetarian or vegan in certain parts of the country is almost mindless. Places like the West Coast and New York are hot spots for vegans and vegetarians.

Meat-free and vegan restaurants line the streets, and

indie grocery stores that offer meat substitutes are abundant.

The South, however, prides itself on meat.

A hearty steak, deer meat and some fried chicken are key components of quintessential Southern meals, so finding vegetarian meals can be a challenge in Auburn, Alabama.

After six months of eating no meat though, I’ve found some tried and true vegetarian meals that taste great.

Personally, my absolute favorite meal is a couple of

veggie tacos from Tacorita.

Consisting of rice, beans, fried avocados and portabella mushrooms, they’ll even fit a vegan diet.

Another great option is from Newk’s.

The vegetarian club has flame-grilled portabella mushroom “steaks,” red and yellow bell peppers and goat cheese with basil and garlic pesto.

As far as home-cooked meals, Kroger and Earth Fare are great places to scour for “meatless meats,” tofu and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Lifestyle 12

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 6, 2017

PLAINSMAN PICKS PLAYLIST:

DAY IN THE LIFE

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

“Welcome To The Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance Lily Jackson, lifestyle editor “I’d like to say it was just a stage, but I’d be lying.”

“Let It Go” by Idna Mendzel Chip Brownlee, community editor “I’m letting go, turning away and slamming the door.”

“The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel Madison Ogletree, photo editor “Hello darkness, my old friend.”

“Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers Claire Tully, campus editor

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

“It makes me feel sorry for myself.”

Auburn students play ultimate frisbee on Tuesday,April 4, 2017 in Auburn ,Ala.

Regulating the game with intramural employees Delaney McDevitt LIFESTYLE WRITER

The intramural sports program, organized through IM Leagues, allows the average student to blow of a little steam or rekindle a competitive flame from high school glory days.

There’s a multitude of sports offered including volleyball, basketball, soccer, flag football, ultimate frisbee, and lacrosse. While intramural sports may seem like more relaxed than some leagues, the intramural fields and courts can get just as heated.

Laura Hodgson, senior in exercise science, has worked as an intramural employee for two years.

Hodgson said most employees start off as referees and make their way up to supervising positions with the possibility to be moved up to competitive sports manager, Hodgson’s current position.

Hodgson rides through fields on a John Deere cart before the night of outdoor events begin, setting up barriers and preparing for the games.

The barriers keep any unwanted in-

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truders from driving on the field and ripping some doughnuts—safety is always at the forefront and emergency exits and entrances have to be accessible if there’s need for an ambulance.

Hodgson ensures that all supervisors are on time for their shift, as no game can proceed without the supervisor present.

A new addition has been made, putting an iPad in each employee’s hands. Hodgson said the technology has made keeping score and organization much easier.

With the weather finally sizzling out and being more consistent, there’s more going on each day.

Noah Pitts, sophomore and employee, began as a referee for flag football approximately eight months ago. He was eventually asked to apply for a supervising position.

Many of the current intramural emp l o y e e s a r e w o r k i n g t o w a r d a t h l e tic training degrees or a future in sports management, but the staff welcomes those of all majors and passions Pitts said.

“Undisclosed Desires” by Muse Jessica Ballard, copy editor “Muse is pretty moody.”

Adoptable pet of the week

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Koda, an unadopted dog at Lee County Humane Society on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

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RELEASE DATE– Saturday, August 20, 2016

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

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3 Still vying 4 Jerry Herman musical 5 Kind of magnetism 6 Preserve, in a way 7 Where Ulysses rests 8 Word after going or before hike 9 Hymn ender 10 Bit of fishing attire 11 Penn, for one 12 At the store, perhaps 13 AAPL and GOOG 15 Entice 22 Came together again 24 Letters before some state names 25 Shout after the last shot 26 Part of Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle 27 “Honestly?!”

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29 Documentarian Morris 30 Emulates a bad waiter?

34 __ ball 38 Oldies syllable 40 “Leaves and Navels” artist 43 Modify 45 “The Lion King” composer Hans 47 Sticky

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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

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By Julian Lim ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

08/20/16

08/20/16