The Auburn Plainsman 11.20.14

AUBURN VS. SAMFORD GAME DAY SECTION INSIDE

The Auburn Plainsman

A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, November 20, 2014 Vol. 121, Issue 23, 24 Pages

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

DOWNTOWN

ONLINE

HOUSING

ThePlainsman.com Men’s basketball photo slideshow

Toomer’s redesign

INSIDE CAMPUS

An arch will be placed at the crossing of Magnolia Avenue and College Street Jim Little

COMMUNITY WRITER

Page A4

Students work on writing novels

COMMUNITY

Changes are coming to downtown Auburn.

The city of Auburn is planning a re-design of the intersection of South College Street and Magnolia Avenue to accompany the new oaks at Toomer’s Corner.

Crosswalks and the square of the intersection will be raised to the sidewalk level, according to Kevin Cowper, Auburn assistant city manager.

“It will be a much more walkable environment there, and certainly a nice space when the intersection is closed for celebrations, different festivals and events,” Cowper said.

While the design has not been finalized, plans call for a metal archway with Auburn written on it to be built spanning South College Street.

“One benefit of (the archway) is it would

“

Everybody is interested in keeping the rolling tradition at the intersection.”

—Kevin Cowper

AUBURN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER

be another structure down there that could become part of the rolling tradition,” Cowper said.

Cowper said the city has received positive feedback from the University about the archway concept.

“Everybody is interested in keeping the

» See TOOMER’S A2

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Students volunteer at food pantry

CHARLOTTE KELLY / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Rendering of what the new archway will look like at the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street.

APPS

SPORTS

Auburn has second most Yik Yak users in SEC West Nicole Fulkerson CAMPUS WRITER

Page A9

McCormack aims to lead legacy

INTRIGUE

Page A11

Professor teaches with own philosophy INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue

A1 A5 A6 A8 A11

Yik Yak is a social media platform designed for college students, by college students.

The app is designed like Twitter and allows users to post anonymously and read what has been said within a 1.5-mile radius.

Posts can be up- or downvoted and commented on with in the app.

An estimated 37 percent of Auburn University undergraduate students are active Yik Yak users, according to Cam Mullen, lead community developer for Yik Yak. According to Mullen, Auburn students are yakking nearly every 60 seconds, which makes it one of the most active Yik Yak feeds.

“We look at monthly active users, which are how many people have opened up the app in the past month,” Mullen said. “We take that number and divide it by the number of undergraduates on campus. You have about 7,000 active users, which is huge.”

» See YIK YAK A2

SHELBY REISTER / ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR

JIM LITTLE / COMMUNITY REPORTER

There was a packed house for the moratorim Monday, Nov. 17.

Forum held to discuss apartment construction

Jim Little

COMMUNITY REPORTER

A public hearing on a possible moratorium on the construction of apartments drew a large crowd to the Auburn Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Nov. 17.

Mayor Bill Ham Jr. wanted to get the community involved in a decision to stop new apartments being built in Auburn when he brought up the idea at the Nov. 4 Auburn City Council meeting.

“I said, ‘I bet if we throw the word moratorium out we’ll probably get some involvement,’” Ham said, addressing a standing-room only crowd. “I think we have.”

Ralph Draughon Jr. was the first member of the public to speak at the hearing.

“I’m not only for a moratorium—I’m for a crematorium on multi-family apartments,” Draughon said.

Resident Tee Kern wanted to see better zoning regulations.

“Most cities have rules that you can’t do this kind of thing in their city,” Kern said.

“That [Dollar General] that went up—what does that add to Auburn? You know it’s a monstrosity.”

Other residents brought up concerns with increasing traffic downtown and buildings being built so close to the street there is no room to widen the roads.

“Those areas are in our urban core, and so we purposely permit those building to come out closer to the street,” said Forrest Cotten, director of the Auburn Planning Department. “We accept the fact that in an urbanized area, those roads are somewhat designed to be constrained.”

City Manager Charles Duggan addressed some of the residents’ concerns.

“We don’t have a lot of answers and that’s why we’re doing this,” Duggan said.

Ray Huff, owner of Auburn Realty, said he wanted the city to form a committee of regular citizens on the issue.

“We got to figure a way to

“

I’m not only for a moratorium–I’m for a crematorium on multi-family apartments.”

—Ralph Draughon Jr. SPOKE AT THE PUBLIC HEARING

separate student housing versus multi-family housing,” Huff said. “I recommend a two-year moratorium to get a grip on this, because where I see this going is not good for our community.”

Huff added as students flock to newer apartment complexes, older complexes will become vacant or a mix of students and non-students.

“I’ve been in the student [housing] business for a long time, and when you get a big mixture of students and nonstudents, you have problems,” Huff said.

Chris Kearns, owner of Badger Properties, said the demographics of the town have changed over the last 30 years.

“Thirty years ago it was basically, if you want to call them, students, breeders and geezers—that’s fine if you break it up that way,” Kearns said. “But that’s not the way it really is now. There’s a lot of people in-between 25 and 35 that don’t own a house, but they still live here.”

Kearns said he believes the city should do more to ensure apartments can last after their novelty has worn off, and just because a project is planned does not mean it will be built.

“The downtown condo boom was two buildings, OK,” Kearns said. “Two buildings in this town built after 1987 that were more than two stories tall. It’s just a little bit bigger than it was before.”

Ham said the city would continue to research to determine the next step for Auburn.

“I really like the idea that was brought up about putting a task force together,” Ham said.

Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

DUI REPORTS The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Nov. 13-17: Nov. 13 - William Charles Cammack, 19 Toomer Street and Genelda Avenue - Olivia Nicole Clark, 21 North College Street and Mitcham Avenue Nov. 14 - Presley Lynn Ray, 21 East Longleaf Drive and South College Street Nov. 15 - Holly Glen Van Houten, 22 200 block of South Gay Street

CRIME REPORTS The following crimes were reported by the Auburn Police Division from Nov. 13-17: Nov. 13 - First-degree robbery was reported at the 400 block of West Longleaf Drive at 9:30 a.m.

- Second-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 600 block of Dekalb Street at 2:45 p.m.

- Harassing communications was reported at the 1300 block of Gatewood Drive at 3:30 p.m.

- Third-degree burglary was reported at the 600 block of Meagan Court at 7 p.m.

Nov. 14 - Second-degree cruelty to animals was reported at the 3300 block of Whispering Pines Road at 9:02 a.m.

- Indecent exposure was reported at the 200 block of East Drake Avenue at 12:59 p.m.

- Burglary from a residence with force was reported at the 400 block of Webster Road at 4:16 p.m.

Nov. 15 - Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 1100 block of Opelika Road at 11:10 a.m.

- Burglary of a residence with force and unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle were reported at the 2400 block of Buckhead Road at 9:10 p.m.

- Third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree theft of property were reported at the 400 block of North Donahue Drive at 12:10 a.m.

Nov. 16 - Burglary of a residence with force and second-degree property theft were reported at the 2700 block of Lee Road at 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 - Theft from a residence was reported at the 2000 block of South College Street at 10:31 a.m.

- Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 1600 block of South College Street at 11:23 a.m.

–Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

The Auburn Plainsman FOLLOW THEPLAINSMAN.COM FOR AUBURN VS. SAMFORD FOOTBALL COVERAGE NOV. 22 AND AUBURN VS.ALABAMA FOOTBALL COVERAGE NOV. 29

TOOMER’S » From A1

rolling tradition at the intersection,” Cowper said. “I mean, it really kind of spread out onto Samford Lawn, and as much as possible, we’d really like to keep it at the intersection.”

The intersection project has a budget of $1 million and construction is tentatively set for summer 2015.

“We’d need to get it started so that we could have it complete in August by the time football season starts again,” Cowper said.

Other plans for the area include renovations to the alleyways connecting the parking deck on Gay Street to the intersection.

Cowper expects construction on the alleyway project to begin in January.

“One of our goals in the downtown area is to create an interaction between the businesses and the street, and one way of doing that is getting activity out on the sidewalk and outdoor dining in particular,”

Cowper said.

New paving, improved storm drainage and better lighting in the alleys are all part of the project.

Bids on the project are due Nov. 20, and the City Council will likely vote on the plan at the Dec. 2 Council meeting, according to Cowper.

Wider sidewalks behind Moe’s Original Bar B Que and Little Italy Pizzeria will allow for outdoor dining areas.

Ricky Carmack, manager of Moe’s Original Bar B Que, said the city allowed the restaurant to test the outdoor dining concept during this Auburn football season.

Michael Macaculop, assistant manager at Little Italy Pizzeria, said his restaurant is looking forward to adding an outdoor dining area.

“We didn’t have our own space outside before, and I think it’ll make it a more relaxing and better place to hang out,” Macaulop said.

The cost for the alleyway project is approximately $900,000.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Professors track black bears through GPS Brian Stultz CAMPUS WRITER

Faculty members in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences will begin placing GPS collars on black bears in the Little River Canyon National Reserve in north Alabama as part of their research on the population.

Associate professor in forestry and wildlife sciences Todd Steury said the purpose of putting GPS devices on the bears is to be able to study the bears further.

“The GPS is a part of a larger project,” Steury said. “The goal is to try and understand about the black bears in Alabama.”

Steury, along with Wayde Morse and Mark Smith, both associate professors in forestry and wildlife sciences, received a $529,000 grant from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in July for the project.

“We want to know how many black bears there are and how related they are,” Steury said. “We also want to know what connectivity that they might have with other states.”

The three faculty members will work with the Birmingham Zoo in their attempts to trap the bears and tag them with the devices.

According to a University press release, the project has three main components: to collect DNA and behavior information from as much of the Alabama bear populations as possible, to assess public perceptions about bears and bear management and to generate outreach materials to educate the public about living with bears.

“Getting to know the habitats they use is also a point of emphasis,” Steury said. “We want to know how much time they spend near humans and using human habitats.”

Steury also said the black bear was once common in Alabama, but now the population is down to two different areas—one in northern Alabama and another near Sarahland, just north of Mobile. The number of bears in northern Alabama is currently more than 26.

“There are other bears roaming the state and looking for mates,” Steury said. “They are dangerous, but the risk of being injured is relatively small.”

In an interview with AL.com, park ranger Larry Beane said stories of bears have been told for years.

The Little River Canyon National Preserve is located just outside of Fort Payne on top of Lookout Mountain.

The entire preserve takes up more than 13,000 acres.

The group finished a pilot project earlier this year, and because of the funding, they

YIK YAK » From A1

Compared to other SEC West schools, Auburn has the second-highest percentage of undergraduates on Yik Yak, behind the University of Alabama.

Students use the app to vent about things they could not normally say out loud or on their other social media.

Ashley Magee, freshman in political science, said she is an active yakker, posting approximately 20 times per day.

“I use Yik Yak for inappropriate tweets,” Magee said. “I think it’s funny, so it’s just a source of entertainment.”

Some students use the app, but said they think the anonymity gives it the potential to be harmful.

“I think the only problem is the fact that since it’s anonymous, people don’t feel any remorse for saying anything,” said Ricardo Rios, freshman in biomedical sciences.

Duncan Blackwell, freshman in biomed-

CONTRIBUTED BY TODD STEURY

Todd Steury,Wayde Morse and Mark Smith have been studying these bears since September 2013.

will be able to continue their studies.

“We have funding for four years,” Steury said.

The GPS devices, which cost $2,500 each, will give the location of each bear tagged every 60 minutes and will be mon-

“

It’s an enticement to act out ways you already feel and it allows you to express whatever it is you are in ways you maybe wouldn’t have done before.”

—Allen Furr

PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

ical science, said he believes if people disagree with how the app works, they should not download it.

“I don’t see that there is a problem with it,” Blackwell said. “If you don’t like it, then you can delete it and you don’t have to have it.”

According to the Yik Yak information page, the app prohibits bullying.

itored through an online platform. The researchers will also be able to track the bears during the hibernation period as the devices have a VHS transmitter.

“We want to get as much information on the bears as we can,” Steury said.

Users can downvote posts, and once a post reaches negative five votes, it is removed from the feed.

“What excites us is the more mature a community is and the more diverse a student body is in that community, the better they are at policing themselves,” Mullen said.

Allen Furr, professor and chair of the sociology department, said he believes cyber bullying does not happen as often as people think it does.

“Research seems to show that 70-90 percent of people have never experienced any of those things,” Furr said. “Just because it happens doesn’t mean it happens a lot.”

Furr said he feels the anonymity of the app is not necessarily harmful.

“It’s an enticement to act out ways you already feel and it allows you to express whatever it is you are in ways you maybe wouldn’t have done before,” Furr said.

“It’s the same as writing something on a wall with spray paint and running away.”

CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID DORTON

The alleyway behind Little Italy Pizzeria and Moe’s Orginial BBQ will be turned into a walkway for Auburn residents.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Campus A3

The Auburn Plainsman

Keller Hall’s resident cat missing housing

Kris Martins Campus Writer

The Keller Cat has reportedly been missing for two to three weeks, causing concern she may have died, according to Keller residents.

The cat was known on campus for greeting Keller Hall residents for approximately 16-17 years, according to Maggie Beans, Keller Hall resident and freshman in marketing.

Beans said the Keller Cat was a sort of celebrity and a mascot for the all-female dorm.

“She was our pride and joy,” Beans said. “If we were having a bad day, she would be there to cheer us up. She meant a lot to our hall, and we are all very devastated by her passing.”

Tori Chancellor, Keller Hall resident and freshman in media studies, said she made a quick connection with the Keller Cat during one of her first nights in the dorm.

“I felt a little homesick and I just sat on our front porch for a while,” Chancellor said. “She laid down in front of me and I just spent some time with her for a while. My homesickness was quelled after that, and I owe her for that.”

Chancellor said she remains hopeful.

“She is one precious kitty and while we don’t know for sure whether or not she’s dead,

miracles do happen,” Chancellor said.

Sarah Fritz, Keller Hall resident and freshman in nursing, said she’s devastated the Keller Cat has potentially died.

“We were best friends,” Fritz said. “She was the whole reason I chose to live in Keller.

Keller seems so lonely without her so the thought of her being gone forever is just unbearable.”

Though they are not entirely sure what happened to the cat, Fritz said she believes the girls have come to terms with believing she’s no longer a Keller resident.

The residents designed a shirt in memory of the Keller Cat. Visit www.theplainsman.com for a photo of the shirt.

Nicole Moss, sophomore in physical activity and health, is a resident assistant in Keller Hall.

Moss said the girls noticed the cat had not been eating much and had been walking slowly a few weeks ago.

“The girls really love the cat, and it going missing has created a bond throughout the hall,” Moss said. “I can definitely tell it has made an impact on the hall and I have gotten to know some of the girls better by having conversations about it going missing.”

Contributed by Tori Chancellor

Tori Chancellor, freshman in media studies, took this photo during one of her first nights in Keller Hall.

SGA approves leftover money requests student government

Ben Ruffin

Campus Writer

The SGA’s senate council meeting had four new orders of business at its Monday, Nov. 17 meeting.

The focus of the meeting was carryover requests.

Richmond Gunter, SGA treasurer, said the carryover requests are leftover requests for money.

According to Gunter, carryover requests can help organizations that need the extra money.

“Basically, the carryover process is any excess money that groups did not have a chance to spend during the previous fiscal year that they have looked into the budget in the future and said we have specific areas of need where

“

WEGL Radio Station.

The final carryover request came from the Center for Leadership and Ethics, in which the senate approved the request for $3,975.13.

Gunter said these organizations are responsible for using the money in a way that will benefit the Auburn students.

Gunter said the organizations are responsible even if the money is left over from the previous year.

“These different groups that are carrying it over are going to use that in a strategic way that will ultimately benefit students because they have specific purposes for that money,” Gunter said.

Because of Thanksgiving break, SGA senate will resume Dec. 1 with new orders of business.

These different groups that are carrying it over are going to use that in a strategic way that will ultimately benefit students because they have specific purposes for that money.”

—Richmond Gunter SGA TREASURER

we could use the excess money in those areas,” Gunter said.

Multiple programs were granted carryover requests.

The Center for Community Service was granted a carryover request of $2,848.09.

The Intercultural Programs received a total of $33,312.26, with $6,096.95 going to-

ward the International Student Organization and $27,215.31 going toward the Black Student Union.

Student Media was allowed a carryover request of $31,992.79.

The money will be divided among Auburn’s student media outlets, which are The Auburn Circle, The Glomerata, Eagle Eye TV and

student spotlight

Student dedicates her game days to recycling Anna Claire Terry Contributing Writer

Courtney Lu, senior in chemistry, has dedicated her last three football seasons at Auburn University to help promote recycling and sustainability on campus.

“I’ve always been involved in some kind of recycling organization since I was in elementary school,” Lu said.

Courtney Washburn, recycling coordinator at the Department of Waste Reduction and Recycling, said the game day recycling program celebrated its 10th season this fall.

According to Washburn, the department has partnered with the athletic department to promote recycling at tailgates on game day.

Washburn said the first 12 students to volunteer receive a pass into the football game.

However, she said Lu volunteers even if she does not get a football game pass.

Washburn said two volunteers are sent to each of the six main tailgating areas on campus to pass out recycling bags.

Lu’s route is Wire Road.

“It doesn’t matter what

time it is, how bad the weather is or who we are playing, Courtney (Lu) is there and dedicated to Game Day Recycling,” Washburn said.

According to Lu, recycling is fulfilling to her because of the environmental impact it has. Lu said her favorite part about participating in the program is the people she has met on her route and the relationships she formed with them.

“The tailgaters know her, and she knows them,” Washburn said.

Lu said she also tries to promote recycling when she goes home to Huntsville. Lu recruited her cousin Emily Ong, freshman in biosystems engineering, to join Game Day Recycling.

Ong said Lu made her aware of the opportunity because she is always trying to get her involved on campus, and she usually says yes to everything Lu suggests.

“We’re very close, so it’s great to get to spend time together on our two-hour route while also doing our part to promote sustainability and save the planet,” Ong said.

According to Washburn, building services deals with all recycling contracts on campus in some way. Washburn also said building services places 900 trashcans and 300 recycling bins on campus every game day.

The goal of game day recycling is to try to promote recycling and make sure all guests on campus have an opportunity to recycle their trash, according to Washburn.

Washburn said game day recycling collected 41 tons of recycled materials in 2013 with the help of Lu and other volunteers.

Washburn said Lu deserves recognition for her hard work and dedication to recycling over the years because sometimes it means waking up early, and sometimes it means dealing with harsh weather.

“She shows up every week with enthusiasm,” Washburn said.

Lu said she encourages Auburn students to join the recycling effort.

“It is such a great thing to reduce waste, and do our part protect the environment,” Lu said.

Senior Airman

RYAN HOLLEY HOURS SPENT FIGHTING CYBER TERROR:

91

72

HOURS PER MONTH SPENT AT PRACTICE

21

HOURS PER MONTH SPENT STUDYING

HOURS SPENT WORRYING ABOUT COLLEGE TUITION:

0

Contact us to learn how part-time service in the Air National Guard can help you pay for college.

Contributed by Tyler Harris

Lu (first row, second from left) poses with the Waste Reduction and Recycling Team.

14236 ANG AL College Newspaper Ad for Auburn University Plainsman 4.88x10.indd 1

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Campus A4

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Auburn Plainsman

Professors expand soybean production faculty spotlight

Rebecca Oliver

Contributing Writer

Zack Ogles, University agronomy and soils researcher, is using research to bring edamame, also known as soybean, production to Alabama in collaboration with agronomy and soils professors David Weaver and Elizabeth Guertal.

Ogles said edamame was first known in the United States as a side dish to sushi in Japanese restaurants, and its popularity continues to grow as health-food lovers discover the rich protein and vitamin content within edamame pods.

“Popularity has increased over the past decade between 10 and 15 percent per year,” Ogles said.

Alabama’s soybean producers accounted for 9.74 million bushels of soybeans in 2011.

The primary uses of soybeans are oil, livestock feed and food items, such as tofu.

“We are trying to find the best production methods for edamame,” Ogles said. “If Alabama farmers want to grow edamame, we want to be able to tell them how to do that by researching what practices work best in this particular climate. Very little has been done in Alabama as far as research on edamame production prior to this.”

Ogles said he received his bachelor’s degree from Auburn in agronomy and soils before graduating from the horticulture master’s degree program.

“I’m interested in the science of food production,” Ogles said. “This research with edamame

is a good fit for me because it is a cross between row crop and vegetable crop production, making it more inclusive.”

Weaver and Guertal are co-advising Ogles in his research.

Weaver said he has been researching soybeans for 33 years at Auburn.

“My experience in soybean production is focused on soybean commodities and genetic research,” Weaver said.

Weaver received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in agronomy from the University of Georgia and his doctorate from Purdue University.

The edamame research project began at the University last year.

“We plan to have taste testing done of the edamame we produce sampled at local farmer’s markets soon,” Ogles said.

Ogles said if his research is successful, it is possible edamame production will expand in Alabama, creating a market for edamame producers.

Joni Richards, professor in agricultural communications, said she believes this research will impact a wide range of people.

“I am very proud that edamame research is being pioneered at Auburn,” Richards said. “I believe this research is definitely beneficial not only to the College of Agriculture, but also to the Auburn Family as a whole and consumers at local markets.”

CONTRIBUTED BY ZACK OGLES

Ogles said if his research is successful, Alabama’s edamame production will expand and create a larger market.

money

liberal arts

University receives largest research grant in its history Nicole Fulkerson Campus Writer

The Alabama Power Foundation made the largest research gift ever donated to the University, according to an announcement at the Nov. 7 Board of Trustees meeting.

The gift, which has been kept confidential, will be used to honor board member Charles McCrary and create the Charles D. McCrary Institute.

McCrary is a 1973 graduate in mechanical engineering.

He retired from Alabama Power last April as president and chief executive officer.

The Institute will emphasize the advancement of research in energy security and conservation of recourses.

The research on energy security will focus on the protection of the electrical power grid that supports all electricity in the United States.

According to Larry Fillmer, director of program development for the University, the U.S. government has identified the electrical power grid as essential to support our quality of life.

Students in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering will engage in hands-on research projects in the spring. “[The grid] is a very essential element in our society and our economy that needs to be protected from cyber attacks,” Fillmer said. “The research that will be done by the institute will be done to increase protection for that grid, and to increase technology that would support that kind of protection.”

The Institute will also open doors for the University to hire experts in the field of energy security.

“It’s going to help us to attract some of the world’s leading experts in these areas, so we are going to have some great professors,” said Christopher Roberts, dean of the College Engineering.

Conservation research will take place in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

“

We are going to be able to do a lot more applied research related to certain commercial species of wildlife, like deer. It will update the expertise in the school as well as enable quite a few students to get their graduate education.”

—Graeme Lockaby

dean of the school of forestry and wildlife sciences

The research will focus on the balance of conserving natural recourses while utilizing those resources in the most economically beneficial way.

“Our state is blessed with an abundance of natural recourses,” Fillmer said. “So part of the focus in this area will be how to balance the needs of development with the use of natural recourses in the state.”

The Institute will provide an opportunity for graduate students to work alongside professionals in the wildlife and forestry field.

“We are going to be able to do a lot more applied research related to certain commercial species of wildlife, like deer,” said Graeme Lockaby, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. “It will update the expertise in the school as well as enable quite a few students to get their graduate education.”

According to Fillmer, the Institute is in its early stages, so the next step will be to expand research to other areas.

“The intent is that it’s a long-term institute that will expand beyond just those two focus areas,” Fillmer said. “In furthering the research, the institute will also focus on the economic development of the state, workforce development and sustaining an maintaining the quality of life for our citizens.”

Contributed by lARRY FILLMER

LEFT TO RIGHT: Charles McCrary poses with his wife, Phyllis McCrary; Zeke Smith, chairman of the Alabama Power Foundation and executive vice president of external affairs company; and Jay Gogue, president of Auburn University.

Charlotte Kelly / Graphics Editor

National Novel Writing Month

makes its mark on campus Kris Martins Campus writer

November is National Novel Writing Month, often shortened to NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo has expanded to an international level as aspiring novelists are challenged to meet a 50,000-word goal by the end of the month.

Participants sign up on the NaNoWriMo website, where they can track their progress, gain inspiration through pep talks from famous authors and interact with other writers in the NaNoWriMo community.

Hannah Pryor, senior in English literature, clocked in with her seventh year of participating in the challenge this November.

Pryor said the large-word goal can be daunting at first, but it’s valuable once inspiration begins to flow.

“It forces you to write and holds you accountable to it,” Pryor said. “Having a real deadline with a goal is a huge motivation.”

She said school and finals can overshadow her progress at times, but she always loves doing NaNoWriMo, especially because of its sense of community.

Though she said she considers writing a solitary hobby, Pryor said she enjoys the way NaNoWriMo brings many writers together.

“We write late into the night, both at the library and in virtual meet-ups, and we cheer each other on as we each meet our daily goals,” Pryor said. “I think that embodies the creative spirit of NaNoWriMo.” Zoe Tucker, junior in mechanical engineering, is participating in her third NaNoWriMo and said she decided to break the traditional rules of NaNoWriMo. Instead of focusing on one novel, she is continuing other works she’s written as well as

“

I do NaNoWriMo partially just because it’s something that my friends do. It’s fun, and it makes you part of a community, and at the end of it, you have something to be proud of.”

—Zoe Tucker

junior in mechanical engineering

working on multiple other pieces.

“I do NaNoWriMo partially just because it’s something that my friends do,” Tucker said.

“It’s fun, and it makes you part of a community, and at the end of it, you have something to be proud of.”

Tucker said she believes the challenge is rewarding.

She said, however, the benefits of the experience are specific to each writer.

“NaNoWriMo is good for me because it gives me a little bit of motivation to get out of my engineering box,” Tucker said.

Chantel Acevedo, associate professor of English and alumni writer-in-residence at Auburn, has published several novels and poems.

Acevedo said she has participated in NaNoWriMo in the past, but never writes the entire month.

Nevertheless, she said she sees the value in participating.

“It’s a wonderful tool to get started on a project, and get some serious words down,” Acevedo said. “That’s often enough to get you through a year of writing-building on what was started during November.”

Opinion

a5

Thursday, November 20, 2014

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

Our view

Fans take rivalries too far, too often Topic: sports fans take their hatred of opposing teams and rival fans too far

SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS

Viewpoint: show respect to other teams,

Responses to “Police and local businesses crack down on fake ID laws”

regardless of rivalries, and represent your school well

Football rivalries are ingrained into college life as deeply as the traditions of rolling Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, clanking cowbells at Mississippi State and lighting the central tower on the University of Texas’ campus.

In every game played against rival schools, there are jeers and pranks played against opposing fans.

Most are harmless, such as stringing corndogs in trees for LSU games or putting plush bulldog toys in fake cages with signs declaring impending victory.

The problem comes when those antics go too far.

Fans should never have to fear for their safety simply because they are supporting a team.

Last weekend, an Auburn fan wrote an open letter about the game against Georgia detailing his encounter in Athens.

In the letter, he said his friends were spit on and had beer bottles thrown at them.

Overall, he noted he and his friends did not feel safe during their time at Athens.

That is not to say his experience was the same experience all other Auburn fans had last weekend in Athens.

Despite the disappointing Auburn outcome, many students noted the fun they had while in Georgia territory over the weekend.

Likewise, the mistreatment likely came from a limited number of overly aggressive people.

Not that this practice is limited to Georgia. Auburn fans sent death threats to former Auburn football coach Gene Chizik after two poor seasons.

Michael Koullas “Hey Gray remember when that off duty ABC officer got drunk at sky bar and started waving his little ABC card and tried to get people kicked out who made fun of him?”

Lee Bradberry “There’s not a law anywhere that says you have to show anyone your ID....unless you’re driving a motor vehicle.”

Emily enfinger / assistant photo editor

Gerri Sax, editor for the LSU student newspaper LSUreveille, spoke in an editorial about her experience posing as an Alabama fan during the Alabama versus LSU game in early November.

Sax said she and a fellow member of staff were verbally abused, spit on, groped and had their camera equipment knocked around as they walked through campus wearing rival colors.

As a fan, you are a representative of your school.

Your hatred for another school’s football team may run deep, but it is still vital to remember they are real human beings beyond the stadium seats.

All fans, whether from Alabama or Hawaii, should be treated with respect.

Poking fun is to be expected, but poking into people’s personal space is unacceptable.

As students and alumni of a university, you should want to promote a positive image of your school.

Fans behaviors should make students proud when opposing football enthusiasts have nothing but good things to say about how respectable and classy people from your school were during a rivalry game.

In the end, it is just a football game, not

question of the week: Do you think college football fans are too hostile toward rival schools?

Yes, fans take the rivalry too far Sometimes, depending on the school No, some people can’t take a joke

Vote online at ThePlainsman.com the end of the world.

It’s not worth the tarnishment of a university’s reputation.

It’s not worth threatening another’s safety.

Keep the fun in football games and tailgating.

Gray Lane “Just another piece of the enormous racketeering scheme that is APD.” Travis Wheeler “I think a lot of what the Auburn PD does is ruin people’s nights.”

Michael Koullas “There’s nothing wrong with police overseeing ID checks but that’s all they should do.”

“If a guy checks thousands of ID’s he should be an expert or should find another job. People above 20 get drunk too. Did you know that?”

Responses to “Board denies $1 million claim brought by parents of murdered Lauren Burk” Christa Moore “I truly believe that the current setup of the Auburn police department in sufficient. There were police EVERYWHERE on campus while I attended Auburn. There are panic buttons on every corner, there is a shutle that will pick you up anywhere on campus, you could even have a library security guard escort you to your car. I felt safe.”

Nathan Kelly “There is (was?) a group called Students for Concealed Carry on Campus trying to change the policy, and I fully support that.

However, while attending AU, one must follow the rules set forth by the university. If someone doesn’t like those rules, they are free to leave, nobody is forced to attend AU.” Dave Dettmering “So student safety isn’t the Universities problem. but you can’t carry on campus...”

Lori Davis “It’s tragic and very sad. We live in a wicked, evil world and stuff happens everywhere. That doesn’t make it Auburn’s fault.”

Brian W. Goodman “But either way, it is hard that happened and I’m sure that the family is still dealing with this tragedy.”

Her view

How to power through college in five easy steps Cat Watson online@theplainsman. com

As a freshman, college life is new and exciting. It’s easy to get distracted with friends, parties, clubs, projects and sleep. Like countless others, I made mistakes my first year at Auburn, and as a result I’ve had to dedicate the last three years to bringing my GPA back up – which is easier said than done.

Here are a few simple ways to keep up with school so you won’t have to play GPA damage control like me.

1. Be realistic when scheduling classes.

If you’re not a morning person, and let’s face it, who is, do not schedule classes for 8 a.m. unless you have to. Setting goals to wake up early is great, but not when your attendance

depends on you keeping those ideal goals.

Cramming all your classes into Tuesdays and Thursdays is also an appealing option. If you get lucky enough to do this, make sure you have time to eat on those days. Eating is good.

2. Do not skip class.

At some point during the semester, you’re going to feel like you’ve earned a skip day. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you haven’t earned anything until your final grades are officially posted on Canvas.

Some days are going to be tough, and you’re going to be running late.

Whether it’s because your car broke down, your roommate hogged the bathroom, your alarm didn’t go off or you’re just feeling slow that day, do not skip class. Showing up late can be embarrassing, but it’s better to be late than absent.

3. Participate in class, especially the boring ones.

Not every class is art. Not every class is

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Submissions

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

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

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.

5. Be a front-row kid.

On the first day of class you’ll notice the students in the front row. They probably have their laptops out, color-coordinated notes and excessive amount of highlighters.

These people need to be your friends. Meet them before class, sit with them, text them about homework, study with them during exam weeks, talk to them about the material, compare your notes with theirs and always consider them a potential reference for future jobs.

Be a front-row kid. Professors will be pleased by this effort.

4. Do the extra credit. All of it.

Not every class offers extra credit opportunities, but many do. Whether it’s something little, such as writing a one-page summary or taking a survey for the psychology department, just do it.

Some professors will also give bonus points

Cat Watson is The Plainsman’s online editor. She can be reached at online@theplainsman.com.

The Auburn Plainsman

The Editorial Board Becky Hardy Editor-in-Chief

for attending on-campus lectures and seminars.

These can take up a little more time and occasionally require you to dress in business casual, but it’s worth it. If extra credit is never mentioned, ask your professor if opportunities exist.

bowling. Many of the classes you take will be so boring you cannot help but drift off.

These classes are usually important to your major. Take notes throughout the entire class and put a special mark beside the points you don’t fully understand. After class, walk up to your teacher and ask them to explain those parts in more detail.

During the dreadfully boring lecture, don’t leave your professor hanging. Speak up and answer their questions. Even if you aren’t correct, they will appreciate your effort and you’ll be more likely to remember that information.

Plus, participating in class makes the time go by faster, so you’ll be out of there before you know it.

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Community Thursday, November 20, 2014

A6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

service

Students regularly volunteer at local church’s food pantry Rachel Davis

Community Writer

Friday mornings at 8:30, a group of students from IMPACT, a group that provides volunteer opportunities, meets at the intermural fields on campus to make the trip to the Auburn United Methodist Church to work at the church’s food pantry.

The AUMC Food Pantry is the product of two women, Shirley Rose Glisson and Reeder Dulaney.

Fourteen years ago, the duo banded together to start the charity.

“I’m a stay-at-home mom,” Dulaney said.

“My friend [who lived] across the street had a vision for a food pantry, and we started it 14 years ago. We just started working it during the time our kids were in school.”

Now, the Food Pantry is open Friday mornings to give out boxes of food, such as milk, eggs and bread. Volunteers can go Thursdays to help fill boxes.

Glisson stepped down as a leader after the death of her husband and aging mother, according to Dulaney.

Dulaney said the church works hard to make the Food Pantry as welcoming as possible.

“We want people to feel comfortable when they come up here,” Dulaney said. “A lot of people are real embarrassed. I’ve had people walk in and cry, and I don’t want that. Everybody has hard times. Everybody goes through something.

I’m so glad that our church can help people. We have a very, very generous church.”

While the church receives donations from the East Alabama Food Bank, the congregation also donates food and buys from grocery stores.

In the past months, the church had to make extra trips to Kroger, according to Dulaney.

Jason Mohrman, another volunteer who has been helping for the past five weeks, said the community helps tremendously.

“It’s a big operation,” Mohrman said. “So many people help out. It’s a big community effort.”

According to Dulaney, the population came from 15 different churches of volunteers last year. However, volunteers do not have to be affiliated with a church to be a part of the pantry.

University students volunteer at the Food Pantry regularly. These students range from IM-

PACT students to sports teams to individual students who want to help the community.

“When we’re short on volunteers, God always provides,” Dulaney said. “It’s like, ‘Oh no! The students are gone! Well, the basketball team’s still here and they’ll come volunteer.’ We really don’t know who’s going to show up and who’s not going to show up, but God just provides everything, and he has from the beginning.”

Susan Chesnut, senior in discrete mathematics and computer science, has volunteered at the Food Pantry since last fall. This semester, she comes Friday mornings with IMPACT, where she is a project coordinator.

“I did this project last fall, but I came on Thursdays, which is a little different than Fridays,” Chesnut said. “I was more on the back end of packing the boxes and stuff. I enjoyed that because it was going toward someone who really needed it. Just being able to be a part of that was really awesome.”

Ellie Inman, junior in supply chain management, also volunteers with IMPACT as a project coordinator. This semester is her first semester volunteering at the Food Pantry.

“It’s great making someone’s day, giving them food and kind of being a part of that whole process,” Inman said.

The volunteers are part of what make the experience so special, according to Inman.

“The volunteers are great,” Inman said. “All of the people who volunteer from the church are so sweet and so nice.”

It is hard to convince students to come early on a Friday morning, Inman said, but once they come, they tend to return.

The Food Pantry appreciates the students. Dulaney remembers the students who volunteer there consistently.

“I get attached to them,” Dulaney said. “I get extremely attached to my students. It’s hard.

We have some that will volunteer that sophomore year and will stay on. Some will, volunteer but then their schedule messes up, but then they come back.”

Dulaney remembered one student who brought her mother to volunteer at the Food Pantry the Friday before her graduation.

“She wanted her mother to volunteer at the Food Pantry and see what she had been doing,” Dulaney said. “It was very sweet.”

emily Enfinger / assistant photo editor

The food pantry is open Friday mornings to give out boxes of food, bread, milk, eggs and other food items.

city plans

opinion

Dealing with the woes of game day price increases Rachel Davis Community@ theplainsman. com

Charlotte Kelley / graphics editor

Over the years, APD said they have not noticed an increase in game day traffic accidents.

Game day traffic plan on the Plains Rachel King

Community Writer

It was almost midnight as fans began to exit Jordan-Hare Stadium after Auburn’s win against LSU. After rolling Toomer’s Corner, traffic began to circulate as police officers stationed themselves at intersections and barricades to direct thousands of cars safely out of Auburn.

On home game weekends, incoming traffic isn’t the problem, according to Randal Cerovsky, associate director of public safety and security services.

People enter Auburn as early as Thursday before the game. However, when the game is over, everyone wants to leave at the same time.

Almost all intersections are covered by the Auburn Police Division, while some one-way streets are used for two-way access and barricades protect Toomer’s Corner from traffic.

Jay Steele, associate of facilities and operations for Auburn University, said the University partnered with Skipper Consulting Inc. in 2006 to develop a system for all sports-related traffic.

A yearlong study followed, and the result was a plan that has stood the test of time, according to Steele.

“In 2006, we were averaging two hours minimum to get traffic cleared, but now

we average about an hour and 20 minutes for any given event,” Steele said.

Each year there is a postseason meeting where Auburn officials meet with various partners, such as APD and Skipper Consulting Inc., to revisit the plan, because roads are continually changing.

Captain Tommy Carswell of APD has been directing traffic on campus for several years.

“The important thing is that we try to revise the plan as little as possible because we want people to become familiar with the system and not have to learn it year after year,” Carswell said.

Over the years, APD said they have not noticed an increase or decrease in game day traffic accidents.

No one has those statistics, said Carswell, and to his knowledge there have not been any accidents on campus. However, off campus, he said the largest problem area seems to be South College Street.

“There are games in the past that have come down to the last few seconds,” Carswell said. “When that happens, you have thousands of people trying to leave at the same time, and a lot head toward South College.”

Steele has been a part of these operations for 10 years, and in that time can only recall two major accidents.

“Of course you don’t want any acci-

“

There are games in the past that have come down to the last few seconds.

When that happens, you have thousands of people trying to leave at the same time, and a lot head toward South College. ” —Tommy Carswell

Auburn Police Division Captain

dents, but only being able to recall two in 10 years stands for something,” Steele said.

No major changes to the game day traffic plan are expected. Carswell said there have been suggestions to add new turning lanes, but the areas these changes will affect have not been discussed.

“Fans really need to be aware,” Cerovvsky siad. “The game day plans are posted online and they are also published in the fan guide.”

Anyone looking for more information should contact Auburn University Department of Public Safety at 334-844-8888.

Momma G’s is one of my favorite places to hang out with my friends.

The workers are always courteous, it’s never too crowded and the music is solid. It also happens to be one of my favorite places to watch football.

I don’t have a T.V., so in order to get my football fix when the games aren’t in Auburn or I’m working part of the game, I just head to Momma G’s for a pint, some good company and maybe some nachos.

However, when I went there during the Texas A&M game, I was rudely awakened from my Momma G’s daydream.

I had to work during the first half of the game, so I didn’t trek into Jordan-Hare.

I bought a pint at Momma G’s, which I found much more preferable to getting lost in the masses of fans.

Unfortunately, on that Saturday, a pint cost $4 and a pitcher was $11.99.

Did I buy the pint? Sure.

Was I happy about the 60 percent price increase of the pint?

Of course not.

When I went back a couple of days later, the price was back to its usual $2.50.

But that prompted me to ask, “Why raise the prices on game day?”

The answer is pretty obvious: to make money. But isn’t there something unethical about raising prices on one day?

I’ve asked friends and strangers alike, and few of them have noticed the increase.

Personally, I’ve never no-

ticed an increase until the Texas A&M game.

I’ve watched away games at Momma G’s and not noticed a change in prices.

The fact is, even though my friends and I treat it as a meeting ground, it is not there for us as people. It is there for us as customers.

Restaurants are businesses, whose main goal is to make money. even though people become attached to them.

Game days, with the influx of potential customers into Auburn, are excellent times to hike up prices.

Customers from out-of-town also have no idea if the prices have been raised or not, having no other set point to refer to.

Those of us who frequent the restaurant, however, have the potential to notice the difference.

Is it fair to traveling fans to hike up prices with no warning? Is it fair to consistent customers?

I propose that, when Momma G’s plans to raise prices, they issue a warning.

This way, customers can take action as they see fit.

The restaurant will also continue to make a decent profit on crowded weekends — a profit that is fair to both the customers and the restaurant.

After all, consumers drive restaurants. Restaurants should strive to make their customers happy.

Happy customers have an idea of the prices they will be paying.

And maybe next time I can be prepared to bring enough money for two pints.

Rachel Davis is a community writer for The Plainsman. She can be reached at community@ theplainsman.com.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Community A7

The Auburn Plainsman

History

Local Government

Gun and violence forum held

Jim Little

Community Reporter

Jim Little / Community Reporter

Beth Witten and Lynda Tremain are sworn in along with other Council members at the ceremony Nov. 3.

Women return to City Council Jim Little

Community Reporter

Through the changes of city government, from an alderman system to the current Council and City Manager system, women have been involved in Auburn politics.

Except for a nine-year gap from 1963-72, at least one woman served on the Council from 1955-2013, according to David Dorton, director of public affairs for Auburn.

In 2013, former Councilwoman Shelia Eckman won election to her current position on the Lee County Commission and Ron Anders was appointed as her replacement on the Council.

For more than a year, the Auburn City Council conducted city business as a council of nine men.

That changed Nov. 3, when two women, Beth Witten of Ward 3 and Lynda Tremaine of Ward 5, took their positions as newly elected members of the Council. Witten and Tremaine agree the council should reflect the population.

“During the campaign, I heard a lot, ‘We’re so glad that you’re running,” Tremaine said. “‘We need a woman on the City Council,’ and I heard it from men. It’s not just a women’s issue, I’ve never thought of myself as a women’s libber (liberator), but it’s just right.”

Witten runs Blue Turtle Creative, a marketing and event management firm, while Tremaine is retired from the education field after 24 years, 16 of which she served as principal of Wrights Mill Road Elementary School.

“I’m in the throes of raising

“

I laughed and told Beth at one meeting, I looked around and said, ‘We’re the only two taking notes.’ I think women do things differently. ”

A public forum on gun and domestic violence was held at the Lee County Emergency Management office in Opelika on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Auburn alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sponsored the event with Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones and Lisa Stephens, director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center.

Jones said domestic violence is a problem, buthe said he believes public education is the key to solving it. Alabama’s new gun law enacted in 2013 was Jones’ central topic for the forum.

Jones explained to the audience how the law had 10 sections that changed the way Alabama regulated firearms.

The changes the law made, according to Jones, dealt with the process for a sheriff to issue concealed carry permits, removed municipalities’ power to regulate firearms other than banning a discharge of a firearm in municipality limits and allowed carrying of firearms on employers’ property in personal vehicles.

Audience members asked Jones questions during his presentation, including one about what the sheriff’s department does with the personal information on concealed carry permits.

“I think it was in New York, (newspapers) filed an open records request and they released the names of permit holders,” Jones said. “We don’t do that, and we will not do that.”

Lt. Jason Black of the sheriff’s department, said the department processed 11,000 concealed

carry permits in 2014.

Stephens spoke after Jones finished his presentation.

Although she sees a lot of gun use involved in domestic violence, Stephens said she believes people have the right to own guns.

“My granddad taught us how to shoot firearms, but as the Sheriff said, I think if you are responsible then that makes a big difference,” Stephens said.

Firearms were used in 15 percent of domestic violence offenses last year in Alabama, according to Stephens.

“Just recently, I was speaking with a young lady, and her abuser had their 2-year-old child,” Stephens said. “He put the gun in the 2-year-old’s hand and made her point the loaded weapon at her.”

Stephens added approximately 2-3 percent of victims who came into DVIC were male.

“That number is likely much higher,” Stephens said. “Men are just less likely to disclose they’re a victim of domestic violence.”

DVIC provides victims of domestic violence a safe place to stay and helps victims draft protection orders from their abusers.

Stephens told the audience many women stay in a bad situation because of fear.

“Unfortunately a lot of women think that when they get to the shelter it’s going to be like the old movie you see on Lifetime where people are sleeping all over one another on cots,” Stephens said. “It’s not like that at all.”

—Lynda Tremaine

CouncilWoman of ward 5

my family, running a business and have been involved in the community for a while,” Witten said. “So even as women, we bring different perspectives of where we are in our worlds.”

Both new council members noted there were some differences between how their male counterparts handled meetings.

“I laughed and told Beth at one meeting, I looked around and said, ‘We’re the only two taking notes,’” Tremaine said.

“I think women do things differently.”

Being new on the Council means having to catch up to members who have served longer, according to the pair.

“It really is still in the learning process at this stage,” Witten said. “Even though we go through training and we talk about it, it’s really different when you’re actually in the process of doing it.”

Witten said her two daughters were her motivation to serve on the Council.

“I just want to make sure that Auburn looks the way I envision it to be when (my daughters) are looking to go to college,” Witten said. “They hopefully will choose Auburn as a possibility for where they plan to go.”

Witten moved to Auburn 17 years ago and said she has watched the city grow.

“I feel like we can do some things with more intent and purpose in how we plan, develop and grow,” Witten said.

“I’m really a kind of hands-on person, and sitting on the sideline didn’t cut it for me.”

Tremaine said she got involved in city government after she spoke at a Board of Zoning Adjustment meeting and helped stop a development in her neighborhood.

“I had people calling me and saying, ‘We need people like you,’” Tremaine said. “‘We need people who really care and are in it for what’s best for the city,’” Despite the support, Tremaine said she had to think about running.

“I did not even go up and qualify until the last day, because I had never run for anything before,” Tremaine said.

For anyone considering public service, Witten and Tremaine both said a person has to be committed.

“If (public service) isn’t in your heart, it’s going to be burden,” Tremaine said. “This is not an easy task. Beth and I both know we’re not going to make everyone happy with our decisions.”

Jim Little / community Reporter

Sheriff Jay Jones addresses public forum at the Lee County Emergency Management office.

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Sports

A8

Thursday, November 20, 2014

scoreboard Soccer (12-6-3, 5-3-3)

ThePlainsman.com

Sports

Mind-body connection Swimming

LAST WEEK NCAA Tournament Win vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 1-0 UPCOMING NCAA Tournament Nov. 21 vs. Texas Tech

Volleyball (12-15, 4-10)

LAST WEEK Loss vs. Florida, 3-0 Win vs. South Carolina, 3-2 UPCOMING Nov. 21 at Alabama Nov. 23 at LSU Nov. 26 vs. Kentucky

Men’s Basketball (1-1)

contributed by steve Peacock

Aubrey Peacock swims in the 100m backstroke finals of the 2014 SEC Championships. (Inset) Peacock celebrates her victory in the consolation finals of the 2014 NCAA Championships, which earned her a ninth-place finish in her final collegiate race.

Heart, nervous system disorders can’t stop Peacock Derek Thompson Sports Writer

RECENT Win vs. Milwaukee, 83-73 Loss at Colorado, 90-59 UPCOMING Nov. 21 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Nov. 24 at Tulsa Las Vegas, Nevada

Women’s Basketball (2-0)

RECENT Win vs. Troy, 71-54 Win vs. Grambling, 92-42 UPCOMING Nov. 20 vs. Florida Gulf Coast Nov. 23 at Virginia Nov. 29 at Winthrop Dec. 2 vs. Marquette

Equestrian (2-2, 1-2)

The confident but anxious 6-year-old quietly observed from the side of the pool as girls swam butterfly at her first summer league swim practice.

Aubrey Peacock didn’t know any swimming techniques or breathing pattern, so when she hopped in the pool and beat everyone in a butterfly race, her mother didn’t know what to think.

“Aubrey had never been taught to do butterfly,” said her mother, Susan Peacock. “She watched somebody do it.”

Aubrey’s strong kicks and quick strokes made it look like she had been swimming for a long time.

Aubrey half-jokes with her mom about having a sixth sense that allows her to have an unusually close connection with her body.

“I’m very visual,” Aubrey said. “If I watch someone do something, I’m able to digest it and do it.”

According to Susan, it’s an ability you cannot teach.

“She had a very good mind and body connection from a very young age because she could literally just watch something and recreate it in the water,” Susan said. “With her, she can just watch it and do it.”

Aubrey and her mother said they believe Aubrey’s body awareness came from swimming and dealing with her medical problems.

An autonomic nervous system disorder that caused Aubrey to lose consciousness taught her how to read her body most effectively when she was young, Susan said.

A broken pinky, torn quad and fractured spine taught Aubrey how to push herself to an edge she knows will not hurt her.

“I think I know my body so well, I kind of know exactly where the line is that you can push it, and there is a time where you can cross the line,” Aubrey said. “I think I am really good at deter-

mining when I get to that line. I know when I’m pushing myself too hard, and I know when I’m not pushing myself hard enough.”

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier was also born with a heart defect that required doctors to open up her pulmonary valve when she was an infant.

After heart surgery, Aubrey had to have regular checkups every five years.

Doctors discovered an electrical problem in her heart called Wolf-Parkinson syndrome on a checkup when she was 13.

The bleach blonde with a chip on her shoulder started swimming because she said she did not like sports that made her sweat.

Her passion for the sport grew when she moved to Jacksonville, Florida.

There, she started swimming for the Bolles School swimming and diving team, a program that has won more state championships and more consecutive championships than any other team in the history of Florida high school swimming.

After four years at Bolles, Aubrey spent her first two years of eligibility at the University of Arizona. She transferred to Auburn in 2012 because of a coaching change.

“The new coach that we got (at Arizona), our values just didn’t align,” Aubrey said.

Auburn head coach Brett Hawke said Aubrey came with a positive attitude, and wanted to be a role model and leader immediately.

“She came in a little hesitant, but she came in with the idea that she was going to set a great example from the get go and prove herself as a leader,” Hawke said.

Aubrey did not let the bad times at Arizona frustrate her, and made AllAmerican six times in college.

Aubrey said she loved competing for Auburn with her teammates, but her

“

She had a very good mind and body connection from a very young age because she could literally just watch something and recreate it in the water. With her, she can just watch it and do it.”

—Susan Peacock Aubrey’s Mother

most cherished time in the water was the years she competed in the United States Olympic Trials, and qualified in 2012.

“That was something I can never duplicate,” Aubrey said. “That was just amazing. If I could swim on Team USA every year, and make the team every year, I would. That is probably what kept me going.”

Aubrey said she considered swimming after graduation, but figured it was time to find a job.

Memories of when she swam in a warm-up lane with Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, and chatted by the pool with Ryan Lochte, 11-time Olympic medalist, made it a difficult decision to hang up her goggles.

Aubrey said she would miss the competitive spirit that came with swimming the most.

“When you’re on a college team or Team USA, it just adds a different component to it,” Aubrey said. “It just adds so much to the sport.”

Aubrey said she will also miss proving people wrong, such as the doctors who told her she would need several months to heal from her spinal fracture.

She cut the time in half.

“I’m one of those people that when you tell me I can’t do something, I’m like, ‘Watch me,’” Aubrey said.

Aubrey said she still gets in the pool once per week, and still hangs around the Auburn swimming and diving team.

She works 20 hours a week for the Au-

burn athletics department to keep her fifth-year scholarship.

“I work with the captains,” Aubrey said. “I was captain last year, so whatever they need, I kind of understand it.

I help out with that and recruiting. I still hang out with all the teammates. You become family.”

After she graduates in December with a business marketing degree, she said she wants to do marketing for television.

“I would love to work for SEC Network, ESPN, Time Warner, Fox— pretty much anything that has to do with television I am really passionate about,” Aubrey said. “The way you can use a program to market to the consumer and attract them to your program—I think that’s really cool.”

Aubrey went to her first summer league practice where she swam butterfly because a friend invited her.

Her friend ended up quitting, but Aubrey stayed with it, and discovered something about herself, something rare.

Aubrey said swimming taught her a constant awareness of how she feels, both physically and mentally.

“I think the deal is you’re looking at this certain level of swimmer, and to get to that level most of them have had to have a great amount of body awareness,” Susan said. “Obviously there are ones that have more than others. I think they just learn to know what their body needs, and they get better if they know how to do that.”

Bruce Pearl vs. Auburn basketball history

RECENT Loss vs. No. 6 Georgia 13-6 UPCOMING - Nov. 21 Fresno State Student Horse Center Fresno, California

11 seasons as Division I head coach 232-100 (.699) Five Conference Championships Two Conference Tournament Championships Eight NCAA Tournament trips Eight 20-win seasons Photos contributed by UW-Milwaukee, Tennessee Athletics and auburn athletics

108 seasons 1262-1120 (.530) Three Conference Championships One Conference Tournament Championship Eight NCAA Tournament trips Eight 20-win seasons From left: Charles Barkley, Chuck Person and sonny smith

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Sports A9

The Auburn Plainsman

Raye May / photo Editor

Auburn forward Cinmeon Bowers (5) screams in celebration after getting fouled while making a basket against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

This Week in Auburn Sports Men’s Basketball

Auburn forward Cinmeon Bowers was named SEC Player of the Week after his dominating performance in the Tigers’ season opener.

The junior broke the rebound record at Auburn Arena as he pulled down 17 against WisconsinMilwaukee on Friday, Nov. 14.

Ten of the 6-foot-7 power forward’s rebounds were in the second half, where Auburn outscored its opponent 54-41 and eventually won 83-73.

The big man also put up 18 points for his first double-double of the season.

He shot 6-of-12 from the field and 6-of-11 from the foul line.

He is the first Auburn player to have at least 17 rebounds since Korvotney Barber recorded 18 in 2009.

Bowers’ size will be essential for a smaller Auburn team in its first season under head coach Bruce Pearl.

For one half Tuesday morning, Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers went toe-to-toe with the Colorado Buffaloes, a 2014 NCAA Tournament team.

But then the second half started.

The Tigers’ (1-1) shooting went cold in the second half in Boulder, Colorado, where Auburn picked up its first loss of the Pearl era, 90-59.

After shooting 39 percent from the field in the first half of this midnight matchup, the Tigers’ shot just 18.2 percent from the field in the final half of play.

Auburn pulled within two on a KC Ross-Miller jumper just 20 seconds into the second half, and then had several opportunities to either tie or take the lead from Colorado (2-0).

But the Buffaloes countered, ending the game on a 38-13 run over the final 12 minutes and stifling the Tigers to the tune of three field goals over that span.

Colorado took control of the game while Auburn missed 17 consecutive field-goal attempts and cruised to a comfortable 31-point victory.

Without the presence of fellow scorer Antoine Mason, KT Harrell led the Tigers with 20 points, but struggled shooting the ball, going 5-of-17 (29 percent) from the field.

Cinmeon Bowers recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, his second in two career games for the Tigers.

However, the former JUCO transfer struggled shooting the ball against the Buffaloes’ lengthy frontcourt, limiting his effectiveness and field goal percentage.

Colorado’s size advantage led to a 46-35 rebounding advantage and a 42-24 edge in points in the paint.

Auburn will look to move above .500 on Friday, Nov. 21, when they’ll welcome the Louisiana-Lafayette Rajin’ Cajuns (1-1) to the Auburn Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.

Equestrian

It was a tough day for the fourth-ranked Auburn equestrian team as they lost 13-6 to the sixth ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the UGA Equestrian Complex.

“We didn’t ride well enough to win and couple that with mistakes, it was a bad day for us,” said head coach Gregg Williams. “Georgia did ride really well the whole time, so it was a deserving win for them. We need to drill hard and get ready to pick up some wins on the west coast.”

In equitation over fences, junior Elizabeth Benson remained undefeated and improved to 4-0 on the season as she defeated Kylee Arbuckle, 80-76.

Sophomore Ashley Foster won against Megan Southam 82-74 and then earned her second win of the match over Southam in equitation on the flat, 84-73.

Auburn was nearly shut out in horsemanship, as junior Griffin Knight gained the Tigers’ only point by beating Sara Parr, 74-73.5.

Knight also defeated Charley Thiel in reining, 65.5-64, while junior Hailey Munger earned rein-

ing Most Outstanding Player honors following her 69-67.5 victory over Lindey Cheek.

The Tigers fall to 2-2 (1-2 SEC) on the season with the loss. They will have a chance to bounce back when they return to action Friday, Nov. 21 as they take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in Fresno, California.

Football

Cameron Artis-Payne has been named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football’s top running back.

Artis-Payne leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing, and was the only SEC back named to the list.

So far this season, Artis-Payne has rushed for 1,276 yards, putting him at 11th nationally.

Other semifinalist for the award include Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska, Jay Ajayi of Boise State, Javorius Allen of Southern California, Matt Breida of Georgia Southern, Tevin Coleman of Indiana, James Conner of Pittsburgh, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, Devon Johnson of Marshall and Duke Johnson of Miami.

Finalists will be named on Nov. 25. and winners will be announced on Dec.11 Compiled by Eric Wallace, Derek Thompson and David McKinney

Racing for history

Cross Country

Senior aims to leave champion legacy C.J. Holmes Sports Writer

When people think of prolific Auburn runners, football players, such as Tre Mason, Carnell Williams and Bo Jackson immediately come to mind. However, for two years, cross-country runner Ty McCormack has been winning races, breaking records and establishing himself as one of the top distance runners in the SEC. Ty grew up in Gainesville, Georgia, raised by his father Thad McCormack, former Auburn baseball player, and his mother, Kelly McCormack.

As a student at Northern Hall High School, McCormack studied Mandarin Chinese for four years and was a three-sport athlete. McCormack took up track his junior year in order to stay in shape for football season.

“I found that I was pretty good at running the longer distances,” McCormack said, “So I decided to fully commit myself to it.”

Running became McCormack’s athletic focus, and after winning the 2009 Junior Olympic cross-country championship, it became clear it was his calling.

Recruiters began to line up for McCormack’s services, including his father’s alma mater Auburn University. However, because Auburn lacked a Chinese program, McCormack ultimately signed with Clemson over Auburn to continue his athletic and academic career.

“

He has been our No. 1 man since he got here. He is the guy that leads all the workouts, he is our front runner during competitions, and he is the guy that everyone on the team looks up to.

—Mark Carroll

Auburn Cross country head coach

At Clemson, McCormack was an All-ACC and All-Regional performer, but also found balance academically by taking time to study abroad, redshirting the 2012 cross-country season.

After three productive seasons at Clemson, McCormack knew it was time to return home.

“My time at Clemson was great,” McCormack said. “I definitely enjoyed it and I can’t say enough good things about the school, but I graduated from Clemson in three years and when I was looking for MBA programs for my graduate school, Clemson did not offer one on campus.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, McCormack decided to run out his remaining years of eligibility at Auburn, where he continued to improve.

“Auburn has been able to take me to the next level,” McCormack said. “Being surrounded by the facilities, faculty and support, it’s been special to have this opportunity and I think I’ve been able to take advantage of it.”

During his time on the Plains,

the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American and current SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year has collected a multitude of awards, and has been a model studentathlete both in the locker room and in the classroom, according to his head coach Mark Carroll.

“He has been our No. 1 man since he got here,” Carroll said.

“He is the guy on our team that leads all the workouts, he is our front runner during competitions and he is the guy that everyone on the team looks up to.”

In recent competitions, McCormack punched a ticket to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, winning the 10k race with a time of 30:08.3, becoming the first Tiger to win an NCAA regional since 2009.

Despite all of his accomplishments and that it would be easy for him to simply stop competing, McCormack is still chasing something: an NCAA title.

“Personally, I want to be an NCAA Champion,” McCormack said. “I want to leave a legacy.”

Zach bland / auburn athletics

Auburn senior Ty McCormack races past spectators in the 2014 SEC Championships.

Sports A10

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Auburn Plainsman

Swimming

Former Auburn swimmer exits the pool strives for Oxford, Rhodes Scholarship

PLAINSMAN PICKS Auburn vs.

Samford

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Kansas State

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Arizona

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Missouri

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Derek Thompson Sports Writer

A tough freshman year almost made former Auburn swimmer TJ Leon quit the team, according to Brett Hawke, Auburn swimming and diving head coach.

The senior in biomedical sciences, who finished his final season of eligibility in 2014, said he was worried swimming was getting in the way of school and his personal life, but Hawke told Leon not to quit because he had talent.

The Mobile native took his coach’s words to heart. Leon said he didn’t write off swimming his first year on the Plains because he cared about the team.

Hawke said Leon’s decision to keep swimming shaped the next three years of his life.

The swimmer was recently selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship for a chance to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, something that may not have happened if he quit swimming.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to be considered as a finalist,” Leon said. “I haven’t had a cross-cultural experience in that way. If I were awarded the scholarship it would be invaluable.”

The 2013-14 team captain said he sets his goals to benefit the sake of others.

Leon woke up at 4 a.m. to swim every morning for his team. Hawke said his will to do well in school came from his treatment of others.

“TJ’s always just picking people up when they’re down,” Hawke said. “He’s always just thinking about other people before himself.

He’ll go to great lengths to make sure that everybody else is taken care of before himself.”

Leon is a recipient of the Cliff Hare Award and was named 2014 SEC Men’s Swimming and Diving Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

“The four years I was on the team, I think that (Leon) was definitely one of the best team captains we ever had,” said former teammate James Disney-May. “A real leadership figure for the whole team. He was somebody everyone respected.”

If Leon receives the scholarship, he said he plans to pursue a research master’s of science in primary health care to become a physician.

“I really believe that the program that I’m willing to study at Oxford will enhance my ability and enable me to understand medicine and health care better,” Leon said. “Who knows where it will lead me.”

Patrick Lucas Sports Writer (32-18)

Andrew Monson Sports Writer (32-18)

CJ Holmes Sports Writer (30-20)

Auburn

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David McKinney Sports Reporter (29-21)

Auburn

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Contributed by auburn athletics

TJ Leon points to the crowd following a race.

Rhodes Scholars are chosen for their outstanding scholarly achievements and their character, commitment to others and to the common good and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead, according to the official website of American Rhodes Scholarships.

Hawke said staying on the swim team helped Leon develop characteristics to stand out as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

“I think TJ has a great chance to win just because of who he is,” Hawke said. “He’s one of the best student-athletes to ever come through this program.”

Leon said he analyzed his coach’s words that day before he made a final decision.

“He came back and looked at it as if it’s not so much about him, but how much of an impact he can make for the team,” Hawke said. “He continued swimming, and that really shaped the next three years of his life, and so I think that decision alone wasn’t an individual decision.”

Eric Wallace Sports Editor (28-22)

Derek Thompson Sports Writer (28-22)

Kyle Van Fechtmann Assistant Sports Editor (27-23)

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GAME DAY ISSUE INSIDE

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

12/14/14

Complete the 10/19/14 grid so eachthe row, Complete column and row, grid so each 3-by-3 box column and

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

ACROSS 1 Amin portrayed in “The Last King of Scotland” 4 Arabic “son of” 7 Took out 13 __ race 14 Lingerie tops 16 Turkey feature 17 Leave in a huff 19 Necessitate 20 “Evil Woman” rock gp.

21 Lode loads 23 Jalapeño topper 24 Chignon, e.g.

25 Book keeper?

27 Ultimate authorities 29 “Have some!”

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31 Stains on a record 32 One who woke up on the wrong side of the bed, say 34 Steak topper 40 Neighborhood sale caveat 41 Dishonorable fellow 43 Blissful sounds 46 Cherry core 47 Damaged 48 Deep-fried carnival treat 52 One, to Goethe 53 Deceit 54 “Are we __ not?”: “Is it a date?”

55 Puerto Rico hrs.

56 TaylorMade parent 58 Virtual storage area, and a hint to words that start 17-, 25-, 34and 48-Across 61 “Fighting” college team 62 “Born Free” lioness 63 Word after common or case 64 Starts over 65 Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett 66 New Haven student

DOWN 1 Govt. org. that may freeze assets 2 Desert fruit tree 3 “See?!”

4 “Big Blue” 5 Coop groups 6 Tiny Pacific republic 7 Ma that baas 8 Go off on 9 Place to stick rarely used stuff 10 Celery pieces 11 Fails to pronounce 12 Knock out, as a character 15 Fr. holy women 18 Dove bars?

22 Cooks, as dim sum dumplings 24 iPad-to-PC port 26 Ring punches 28 __Kosh B’Gosh 32 Store with a Kirkland Signature brand 33 Many a Louis 35 One way to travel 36 Letters in an APB

37 Beyond belief 38 Lingerie top 39 Ultimate 42 Vogue VIPs 43 Intense romance 44 Steeplechase feature 45 Escargots 46 One fussy about minor details

47 Charge against Galileo 49 Film with a minimal costume budget?

50 Put in a chip 51 JCPenney rival 57 Paris, to Nicky 59 Dishonorable fellow 60 MADD focus

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By C.C. Burnikel ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

11/19/14

11/19/14

Intrigue

A11

Thursday, November 20, 2014

ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

professor

Art teacher uses unusual teaching style to reach students Kate Seckinger Intrigue Reporter

One day, Barry Fleming, associate professor of art, was doing raku, a Korean technique in firing ceramics, and nothing was going to stop him, not even a cut in his wrist that would later need 15 stitches.

In the middle of working, Fleming accidentally pushed through the thin window in the studio and cut his wrist.

The artist took several brown paper towels and made a makeshift cast with masking tape, and did firings for several hours before stopping at the emergency room on his way home.

“I knew I needed to be sewn up, but the pottery was hot in the kiln,” Fleming said. “I was going to need to get those 15 stitches anyway, but to interrupt my raku when I was having such a good time? I didn’t see the need.”

After teaching for 27 years, Fleming holds a similar attitude in the classroom.

“I enjoy creating somewhat of an uncomfortable atmosphere in my classes, and keeping students on their toes,” Fleming said. “Keeping people a bit uncomfortable is ideal because comfort is the enemy of art.”

While he’s changed his teaching style since the ‘80s, Fleming said he enjoys remembering how he used to keep his students uncomfortable.

Once, Fleming assigned his students to create a drawing depicting an intense image without being cliché.

“This one student drew a lighter by itself, which is the exact opposite of what I asked,” Fleming said. “So I had a lighter in my pocket and took advantage of it.”

Fleming ignited the bottom of the drawing, unpinned it from the wall and stamped it out, the ashes creating tone and shape variation.

“I hung it back on the wall and said, ‘Now that’s intense,’” Fleming said. “I wanted to improve it, so I did.”

Fleming said he enjoys incorporating what he calls a Zen shock moment into his lessons, such as the experience with the lighter.

“There are certain times to explore the possibilities of what the student might choose for expressive means,” Fleming said. “All I want is to help them see things a different way, and shed

“

I enjoy creating somewhat of an uncomfortable atmosphere in my classes, and keeping students on their toes.”

—Barry Fleming

associate professor of art

light on order that doesn’t have to be there.”

Carol Hartsell, former senior comedy editor at The Huffington Post, is a former student of Fleming’s.

Hartsell said she was greatly inspired by Fleming’s attitude toward art.

“He quickly became one of my favorite professors because he let art be important without being precious,” Hartsell said. “To this day, he is the most unpretentious serious artist I’ve ever met.”

Hartsell said one of the greatest ways Fleming influenced her as a person was the way he dealt with losing a finger. Back in the mid-90s when Hartsell was a student, Fleming partially sliced his finger off during at a shop accident.

“He later told me he had a choice and that he could have had his finger reattached, but he wouldn’t be able to move it,” Hartsell said. “His attitude was, ‘Well, if I can’t move it, it’ll just be in the way, so take it off.’ That blew my mind. I want to be that unfazed by troubles and stay focused on what I have to do.”

Fleming said he enjoys teaching because he’s learned as much as his students.

“I love giving students a different perspective from what they already have,” Fleming said.

“I’ve learned tremendous amounts from students in return, including how to communicate the most effectively and create the most excitement.”

Jessica Sabo, another former student of Fleming’s, had similar experiences with him.

“He openly appreciates equally the sacred and the bizarre,” Sabo said. “He taught me to find inspiration and wisdom in the places I might least expect to find them — both within myself and in the world.”

Five years after graduation, Sabo said she’s

What are you thankful for?

emily enfinger / assistant photo editor

Barry Fleming, associate professor of art, said he enjoys giving students a different perspective.

still telling heartwarming stories about her former professor.

“Fleming’s the kind of person that sticks with you like cat head biscuits and gravy,” Sabo said.

“His authenticity as a person and heart as an artist continue to impact and inspire me in my own life journey.”

Fleming has developed his talent as an artist over several decades and said he realized his passion for art when he was a freshman at Western Kentucky University.

“My first art professor, Fae Hardy, asked us, ‘Why do you [want to] be an artist?’” Fleming said with a smile. “After a series of wrong answers from ‘to become famous,’ or ‘make money,’ she said, ‘You make art because you have to make art!’”

In that moment, Fleming said a transformation took place inside of him.

“A part of me acknowledged that I didn’t have to make art, but then a voice inside said, ‘No, I think you do,’” Fleming said. “I surely had to, and I want to pass that ‘had to’ on to as many students as I can.”

Hartsell said more than anything, Fleming showed her how to have a critical eye and remain true to herself at the same time.

“As an artist, you get so caught up in proving yourself that you forget who you are, but Barry makes you remember,” Hartsell said. “Frankly, if I had college to do over again, I’d spend as much time hanging out with professor Fleming as I could, because it would make me a better and more informed person overall.”

scholarship

Fulbright Scholar sings, chases dreams Alethia Russell

“I’m thankful for my family, my friends and I’m thankful that I’m going to Auburn.”

Mitchell Blue, senior in mechanical engineering

“As weird and ironic as this is, I’m thankful for coffee. That’s my life.”

Connor Dealy, freshman in political science

“I’m thankful for my family and my dog.”

Leah Williams, freshman in human development and family studies

“I am thankful for my family.”

Elaine Valereto, freshman in English for speakers of other languages

“Being a freshman, it’s been really easy to make friends here at Auburn. I am thankful for that.”

Daniel Henderson, freshman in poultry science pre-vet

“The good Lord has blessed me with a second career. I’m just proud to be here.”

Mickey Coleman, custodian

PHOTOS BY KRIS sims / multimedia editor BACKGROUND PHOTO contributed BY FLICKR USER PLEUNTJE

Contributing Writer

Ramjie Odin, singer-turnedFulbright Scholar, traveled from the island Mindanao in the Philippines to embark on a five-year program toward his Ph.D in fisheries and allied aquacultures.

Odin said although he is adjusting academically and culturally to Auburn, he has had a lot of firsts in America, from failing an exam to performing at UPC’s Open Mic Night.

The Filipino said he learned singing from his dad when he was young, taking a break after his father passed away.

Odin said he picked up singing in high school at weddings, hosting events and anything that could get his voice box vibrating.

Odin even auditioned for the X-Factor in the Philippines, making it to the fifth round.

One round before meeting the judges, he was hospitalized with kidney injuries.

“I was like, ‘OK, it’s not for me,’” Odin said.

Odin’s classmate Guyu Qin is a master’s student in fisheries. She befriended Odin and invited him to the Open Mic Night to display his talent.

“He showed us pictures from when he was in the Philippines, and he hosted many events and took part in some singing competitions and had good results,” Qin said. “During that, he also sang to us, so we knew he had talent. He’s humorous, nice and talented.”

Qin also said she thinks Odin is very friendly and easy to talk to.

“He’s really nice because when I arrived at America I was not good at English, but when I talk to Ramjie when I don’t know how to explain my mind, he’s understanding,” Qin said. “It’s amazing. He understands what I am trying to say, and he never hurries up to stop my talking and he knows to wait for me.”

emily enfinger / assistant photo editor

Ramjie Odin performs at Open Mic Night Oct. 21.

Odin said he arrived in the United States less than three months ago to attend his firstchoice university as a Fulbright Scholar.

Odin said in his research for placement in the Fulbright program, his search through teachers led him back to Auburn graduates, increasing his hopes of attending Auburn.

Odin said he thinks applying to be a Fulbright Scholar at Auburn was the best way he could serve his country.

“Even before, I’ve been hearing a lot about Auburn University when it comes to fisheries and agriculture,” Odin said.

“When I was in my undergrad and even in my master’s, all the books’ authors were from here, so that was how influential Auburn University was for me.”

Odin is in his first year of his Ph.D program, and over the course of the next five years he said he looks forward to auditioning for the Auburn Singers and serving his country.

Odin works in the fisheries program alongside some of the same professors who inspired him to come to Auburn.

“He’s been here a short time

so he’s in an international learning phase,” said Rex Dunham, Odin’s adviser. “He’s hardworking and seems to be very friendly, dedicated and settling into the student life here. He’s always responsive and seems to work well with others.”

Odin said after finishing his degree he will return to work for his country.

“Right now, I’m thinking of coming up with a project that will involve my university in the Philippines and Auburn and somehow they will consider my university as an extension,” Odin said. “That’s one of my dreams from this.”

Odin identifies as a Filipino Muslim. Many Filipino Muslims reside on the island of Mindanao, or the food basket.

“In the Philippines, I come from a place that is deprived of opportunities,” Odin said. “I’m representing a sector that is deprived of opportunities. It’s like now that I’m here, I’m trying to represent these people, Filipino Muslims, and to fulfill their dreams, because I know I’m living and fulfilling the dreams of my constituents who are not able to fulfill theirs.”

Intrigue A12

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Auburn Plainsman

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The Colemans met in calculus class in graduate school at the University of West Virginia.

For some Auburn professors, the University is a place where the professional and personal worlds meet.

William Powell, director of choral activity, and Rosephanye Powell, professor of voice, bring their marriage into their work at Auburn.

“It’s a real joy working with my husband,” Rosephanye said.

The Powells said they met during their time as undergraduates at Alabama State University, where they were both music majors. While pursuing their master’s degrees, the two began dating and were engaged shortly after completing their degrees. Married in 1988, the couple has been together for 26 years.

They moved to Auburn in 2001 from Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, when they learned Auburn was looking to fill the two positions the couple currently holds.

“They were available at the exact same time,” Rosephanye said. “We both interviewed and got them.”

According to William, he and Rosephanye work separately on some things but also work together on others at Auburn.

William said he often compares notes with his wife to see what does and doesn’t work.

“He is my ears to hear how I sing,” Rosephanye said. “I go to him for guidance.”

Having worked together during college, the Powells said they do not think there is a

bad part about working together as a married couple.

“We’ve worked together all of our relationship, so not working together would be strange,” Rosephanye said.

The couple said there is no separation of professional and personal life between the two.

According to the Powells, they are grateful to work at Auburn.

“Getting hired at Auburn allows us to work together,” Rosephanye said. “It took a journey and it’s still a journey.”

The Powells said they are also grateful for the relationships they form with students that would not be as strong if they did not work together.

“Music majors would say that us being a team shows them how a couple can work together,” Rosephanye said. “I think our students appreciate our balance.”

The Powells aren’t the only couple working together at Auburn.

Dale Coleman, associate professor in the department of animal sciences, and Elaine Coleman, associate professor in the veterinary school in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, have worked at Auburn since 1984.

“We met in calculus class,” Dale said.

“There was this cute blonde girl in the front answering all of the teacher’s questions.”

According to the Colemans, they met in graduate school at the University of West Virginia before having a long-distance marriage for two years while Elaine finished her degree.

“We lived in two different states when

we got married,” Dale said.

The couple said they both moved to Auburn when a position opened up for Dale to teach while Elaine got opportunities to do an internship, complete a residency, receive her Ph.D and teach at both Tuskegee University and Auburn.

“She has a lot of degrees,” Dale said.

Although they do not work together, the couple said they teach the same group of students often.

“It is neat to be in a college town,” Elaine said. “And we both love to teach.”

According to Dale, the couple love working together at Auburn, but also face some challenges.

“Our schedules do not always match up that well,” Dale said. “The times that we can both get away are very special.”

John and Anne Gorden are also a couple that work together as associate professors of chemistry. They have worked at Auburn since 2005.

The couple met while touring Texas A&M’s for graduate school. Both attended the University of Texas.

“His lab was under my lab,” Anne said.

When the Gordens were looking for a school where they could teach, they chose Auburn.

“It’s hard to find a school to fit with your brand of research starting off,” John said.

The Gordens said because they work in the same department, they try to teach on separate floors and not work together.

However, they said they still appreciate the proximity to each other.

“I enjoy our lunches,” John said.

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