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Diversity Brings Better Life

By Jillian Clair / STAFF REPORTER | February 4

I love culture.I love diversity.Living in the South, as you might imagine, presents a few difficulties.Not that the South lacks culture (it's definitely unique), but it's just not a Petri dish full of diversity.I mean, the only Asian student at my high school had a George Bush drawl.

Living With Roommates is Always Interesting

By Daniel Chesser / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR | February 4

I like to think I am a likable guy. I am the kind of guy that you get to know and love in small doses.I say small doses because everyone needs an opportunity to adjust and maintain alone time, especially me.

OUR VIEW: Slouching Towards Equality

January 21

With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day having come and gone this week, we thought it necessary to reflect on the state of our nation, to see how far we've come as a nation and to see how far we've still got left to go.In a span of a little more than 40 years, we've gone from being a nation where black people couldn't vote to a nation with a black President.That's something at least.However, we are not yet where we should be.We still have miles to go before we reach the mountain top King spoke of.We're a nation divided, a people so obsessed with our personal identities and roles.We emphasize the personal self over all else, and fail to notice the joys and benefits to be found in reaching out and learning something new.We sequester ourselves into groups that help support our constructed identities, groups that bind us together by race, location, gender, sexual identity, religion, politics or any other value from a long laundry list.We exclude ourselves, creating comfortable cliques we may never branch out of, limiting what we can discover about the world around us.In a perfect world, we wouldn't need racial quotas, affirmative action or even our own Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.In a perfect world, we would take it upon ourselves to find out more about other people and other customs, finding a spirit of kinship and togetherness in the bonds of humanity.The world we live in still desperately needs all of those things and could do with a great deal more.The good folks at the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs can host all the forums and seminars they can think of, but they won't truly be effective until we begin to change what's in our hearts and minds.Diversity is no longer an issue of skin tone, as gender and sexual identity are also moving to the forefront as critical issues.We preach tolerance, as if tolerance were a virtue to be revered.Tolerance allows us to "be patient with or indulge the opinions of others."Tolerance is simply recognizing someone else's right to exist.

Aziz Ansari's 'Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening' is Humourously Absurd

By Kevin Saucier / Multimedia Editor | January 21

Aziz Ansari, who stars as Tom in NBC's "Parks and Recreation" and appears in this summer's "Funny People," released his first stand-up comedy album "Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening" Tuesday.

The Customer Isn't Always Right

By Cliff McCollum / Opinions Editor | January 21

I've worked in food service for 10 years, and, in that time, I've learned a few things about modern human behavior.Customers are now endowed with a set of rights and a sense of entitlement that is becoming increasingly problematic.We're becoming a society so focused on our own individual needs and wants that we run roughshod over anyone or anything that stands in our path.I know what you're thinking.

OUR VIEW: Battling the Unholy Alliance: Football and Construction

January 21

With construction now going on at the Wire Road bridge and in the "Pit" parking lot, it gives us the opportunity to revisit one of our favorite editorial chestnuts: construction.We're fairly certain we write this editorial once a semester, but this time we came to a realization we had not previously been aware of: the odd connections between our football schedules and the timelines for Auburn's construction deadlines.For example, the Wire Road Bridge project is scheduled to be finished by April 11, almost a week before the A-Day Game April 17.It does somewhat make sense that Auburn's construction schedules follow the football ones.

Paul F. Tompkins' 'Freak Wharf' Takes the Cake as a Conversational, Entertaining Album

By Kevin Saucier / Multimedia Editor | January 21

Paul F. Tompkins' second album "Freak Wharf" was released last month.His debut, "Impersonal" saw Tompkins exploring many concepts, briefly and hilariously.But on "Freak Wharf" we see the comic growing and taking his time on ideas, mining the premise for every bit of comedic potential.I'd guess this was a result of his growth in the last year into becoming the ultimate podcast guest, appearing on "Comedy Death Ray Radio," Doug Benson's "I Love Movies" and "Comedy and Everything Else."The result is an album that sounds more conversational and less rehearsed, but not sloppy.The first 15 minutes of the album is Tompkins riffing with the audience, being funny off the top of his head about such topics as how self-conscious about his level of education a job application can make him, how relaxed might be too relaxed for Google and the unashamed admittance of T.The prepared material is equally funny, such as the film trope of the monster appearing in the mirror behind the protagonist after a refreshing splash of water to the face (and how this could never happen to him).The inconsiderate dog owner and the insufferableness of new fathers who feel they must drop existential knowledge on their unenlightened friends are also covered.Tompkins' dressing down of pie in the track "Cake V.

Auburn is Not Hockeytown

By Patrick Dever / ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR | January 21

Being a hockey fan and living in southern Alabama makes life difficult.I grew up playing every organized sport there is, except hockey.The game has always had my attention though.

Survey to Come Next Week

By Lindsey Davidson / Editor | January 21

It's the start of a new semester and a new cycle here at the paper.There have been some new additions to the paper to better suit you as our readers.Most of the sections have new, themed pages to include more students, faculty and staff and to better focus our content on your needs.The Campus section has a Greek Page devoted to Auburn's greek life.While this is not a cheerleader page for sororities and fraternities, it is a place to focus on 30 percent of the Auburn population.Intrigue created a monthly fashion page alternating between both sexes and the season's latest trends.There is also an Arts and Entertainment page where the local scene's information can be found.Sports has a section focused on non-varsity sports relating to the Auburn community.This can include intramural, club sports, physical education classes and athletic activities around campus.These special sections are for our readers.That being said, we want your feedback, and we are making it easy for you to give it to us.You can always send us your letters to our office, call and talk to any of our reporters, e-mail any of your comments or submit them electronically on the Web site.You can also post commits to individual articles online and vote on our online poll.We enjoy all of your feedback because it helps us improve, to better serve you.In order for us to get a more in-depth understanding of your wants, there will be a survey going out next week via e-mail and our Web site.There will be questions relating to the physical newspaper and the Web site.Which one do you read more often: the weekly Thursday newspaper or the Web site?How would rank the navigation of the Web site?We also will be asking about our community and campus coverage and overall content.What other areas do you feel we could cover better?I want your opinion.With your input, we will be able to improve this newspaper by including more of what you want to read and see.We will also be able to use the results and input to add more features for your convenience.All this is so we can get the news to you in the best way possible.We are daily online with breaking news, videos, slide shows, digital copies of the paper and calendars of events.

Reel Review: "Youth in Revolt" Good for the Young at Heart

By Griffin Limerick / Associate Multimedia Editor | January 13

For the new teen-based comedy "Youth in Revolt," director Miguel Arteta needed to cast a youngster who was intellectual but funny, and socially awkward yet inexplicably appealing to the opposite sex.This character must also possess the body frame and limb movements of a well-groomed bonsai tree.

Reel Review: Downey Dazzles in Sherlock Holmes

By Blake Hamilton / ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | January 6

The former Mr. Madonna is officially back. Guy Ritchie, purveyor of the "Brit-heist" (yes, I may have just invented a genre), has joined the ranks of Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams in giving another pop culture icon its gritty reboot. Ritchie's film is "Sherlock Holmes," and seeing it was some of the most fun I've had at the movies all year.

Carol of the Hells: Thoughts on Christmas Music

By Cliff McCollum / Opinions Editor | December 21

I hate almost all Christmas music.Admitting something like that this time of year is dangerous, I know, and I'm not entirely certain the Holiday Gestapo won't be pulling up in my driveway to take me away to a Christmas re-education camp sometime soon.For the most part, Christmas music is largely a genre filled with remixes and covers. Everyone from Enrico Caruso to Weezer has a version of the standard hymn "Silent Night," but the message still stays the same: Jesus has been born and it's a silent, holy night that also happens to be calm and bright.

Movie Review: You're no Robert Heinlein, James Cameron

By Ben Bartley / COPY EDITOR | December 20

"Avatar" is bad, bad, bad. 100 times 100 bad.The plot is trite and cliched. The characters are flat and unoriginal.And the dialog, especially from that talentless buffoon playing the Jake Sully character, is laughable -- as in I, and those around me (who were, admittedly, my friends) were laughing at each and every "serious"moment.I was actively cheering for the humans -- America, white people, the Western world -- to commit genocide on the blue people -- Native Americans, minorities, those oppressed worldwide.

Movie Review: Avatar, James Cameron's Glorious Return

By Andrew Sims / ONLINE EDITOR | December 18

I am going to do something that may seem a little weird. My recent movie reviews have featured some of the worst of the worst. Movies so bad that I simply fell into a pattern of reviewing them just to make myself feel better.However, that all changed last night.In three hours of sheer brilliance I became part of a new, exciting world. A world of endless green trees, phosphorescent flowers and luminescent creatures that quickly took control of my mind that was anxiously waiting behind my 3-D glasses.It was a movie that was said to have taken James Cameron decades to dream up, four years to make and $230 million to fund.It was "Avatar".

OUR VIEW: Chizik and Company Give Hope for Future

By Editorial Staff | December 3

'Midst the frozen, corn-filled wastelands of Iowa, a man was charged with a series of Herculean tasks:Bring new life to a team desperate to return to what it once was.Find an offense capable of putting points on the board.Step into a void left by a coach beloved by many.Repair a fractured, confused Auburn family and give them hope for a renewed future.

Reel Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox is Truly Fantastic

By Zach Thorton / STAFF WRITER | December 3

It seems uncanny that children's books have inspired some of the most famous filmmakers this year.

Reel Review: I am 'Die Hard' about 'A Christmas Story'

By Andrew Sims / ONLINE EDITOR | December 3

There are few Christmas movies that make me angry.I mean how can you, as a normal human being, be angry at a movie about presents, snow and capitalism?However, there is one movie that has tried my patience year in and year out.Its name is "A Christmas Story," and it has no mercy on my soul.Every year, on Christmas Eve, they show this movie for 24 hours.

OUR VIEW: Alabama's Got to Know When to Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em

By Editorial Staff | December 3

With the Governor's latest railings against the video slot machine racket and Ron Sparks' borrowing of the Don Seigelman playbook for yet another education lottery program, the gambling debate has returned to Alabama once again.Gambling already exists in this state.Victoryland and Wind Creek Casino are becoming tourist destinations, and you can't throw a stone in Walker County without hitting a few slot machines.Finally throwing open the floodgates of gambling legalization could add much-needed funds to state education coffers and bring regulation and the rule of law to an industry in need of reining in.Part of us want to live in a state with legalized gaming and a state lottery.