Alumnus ‘Monuments Man’ discovers thousands of World War II artifacts Page 3
Students cast as extras in the upcoming film Selma, produced by Oprah Winfrey Page 8
Visit ThePlainsman. com July 14 for complete coverage of SEC Media Days from Hoover Online
The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID
Thursday, July 10, 2014 • Vol. 121, Issue 8, 8 Pages
CAMPUS
SPORTS
Gogue’s high salary explained by officials Ashtyne Cole NEWS EDITOR
President Jay Gogue was named the second highest paid public university president in the country in 2012, second only to Pennsylvania State University’s then presdient, Graham Spanier. Spanier was fired in 2012 after his involvment with the Sandusky scandal.
Spanier brought in $2.9 million for the 2011-2012 year. Huffingtonpost.com reported Gogue’s salary at $2.54 million. Before he was hired as president of Auburn University, Gogue was president at the University of Houston. “At the University of
» See GOGUE 2
Cadillac is back
CONTRIBUTED BY ZACH BLAND
Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams is taking world literature and Spanish II during the second minimester.
Former Auburn running back Carnell Williams returns to campus to take two classes before graduating in August Eric Wallace SPORTS EDITOR
Information contributed by Chronicle of Higher Education. Salaries above are over a five-year period.
It’s been over a decade since Carnell “Cadillac” Williams set Auburn singleseason rushing records and tore through SEC defenses on a weekly basis. With his playing career now behind him, Williams is now back on his old stomping grounds, ready to tackle some unfinished business. “I had the thought a couple times during my playing career, but I always felt like once I was done with football, I’d come and finish my degree,” Williams said. “I only had seven hours left, so it would’ve been a shame not to finish that.” Two classes, world literature and Spanish II, stand between the former All-SEC running back and a sociology degree that is thirteen years in the making.
Williams said while the reading and writing of literature have been easy, jumping back into Spanish after a decade break has been difficult for him. “I took Spanish I 11 or 12 years ago, and I need Spanish II to finish so that’s more difficult,” Williams said. “Once you don’t use it, you tend to lose it. There’s definitely a transition period in coming back.” The compacted schedule of summer minimesters hasn’t helped Williams in his journey back to school either. “It’s just so much information in that time, and then with me being out of school for 10 years, it’s been challenging,” Williams said. “I’ve been out of class for so long, so I find myself having to put in a lot of time to study and get stuff down pat.” Williams’ return to class hasn’t gone
unnoticed by classmates and those around campus. “You’ll kind of see people look up during role call and I’ve had people ask if I was ‘The Carnell Williams’ and things like that,” Williams said. “It’s actually been a lot of the parents who are here for Camp War Eagle that will stop me. It’s been pretty cool.” Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs said it speaks to Williams’ character and the University as a whole that the former athlete decided to return to school. “We’ve had a number of our former student-athletes return to complete their degrees, and I think it’s a trend [that] will continue,” Jacobs said. “They know from being here that Auburn is a special place
» See CADILLAC 2
COMMUNITY
Urban Sustainability Accelerator to benefit downtown Auburn Marlee Moore NEWS WRITER
CONTRIBUTED BY FORREST COTTON
The redevelopment of Toomer’s Corner will start in the summer of 2015.
Auburn University and the City of Auburn recently announced they will receive consultations from the Urban Sustainability Accelerator (USA) program at Portland State University over the next year. USA, housed in the School of Urban Studies and Planning, offers year-long services to smaller and midsized communities called cohorts, throughout the United States, according to Robert Liberty, executive director of USA. These services provide consultations to help implement sustainability and redevelop-
ment projects in interested cities. In Auburn, three main projects will receive consultations: downtown’s section of College Street, stormwater infrastructure and the alleys and back lots downtown. Kevin Cowper, assistant city manager of Auburn, said calming the wide stretches of College Street between intersections downtown is a top priority for the city. Similar to how the crosswalks on Magnolia Avenue funnel pedestrians off campus, the city wants to build crosswalks across College Street and between Samford Avenue
and Roosevelt Drive. The recent development and popularity of the Heart of Dixie shopping center and adjacent Barbecue House have caused an increase in students and faculty jaywalking across College Street, resulting in the need for a crosswalk. The city also plans to redevelop the intersection of Toomer’s Corner to match the changes being made to the University’s corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. The project is scheduled to start in the summer of 2015. Cowper said a landscaped
» See URBAN 2