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(06/02/14 5:57am)
An Auburn man sustained significant injuries after being shot outside of Stone Crest Apartments at approximately 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1.
The victim was airlifted to a Columbus hospital.
A resident of Stone Crest told The Plainsman, the shooting occurred in a parking lot and happened quickly.
"We know he had at least one gunshot wound," said Capt. Tommy Carswell to the OA News. "He has been taken by helicopter to Columbus Medical Center with substantial injuries."
Carswell said the shooting is currently being investigated, and the APD is still acquiring information on suspects.
"We have information that we're working on, but don't feel confident to say 'We're looking for a suspect fitting this description,' or 'a car meeting this description' as of yet," Carswell said to the OA News.
According to police, there is not an immediate threat to public safety, and the situation has been stabilized.
More information on the victim will be released Monday, June 2, according to police.
(05/23/14 8:15pm)
The real world.
Not the television show on MTV, but a phrase used as an excuse to delay responsibility until after graduation.
This phrase should stop being used.
We're already living in the real world.
College campuses, especially Auburn, are their own small-town bubbles.
Auburn feels like a bubble because sometimes it feels like we are living in a place where it is easier to disregard responsibilies, such as paying bills becuase our parents take care of that for us.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to not have to worry about bills, tuition and other expenses sometimes fall into the habit of using the phrase, "Until I get into the real world, I won't have to worry about that."
It echoes throughout campus.
Many people who say this don't realize that making mistakes while living in the Auburn bubble still has consequences.
Failing classes will reflect poorly on your GPA, which could lead to trouble finding a job after graduation.
Drinking and driving home one night, even if you live one minute away from the bars, could result in a life changing prison sentence.
The decisions we make now will affect us the rest of our lives.
Using that phrase as an excuse to not build your resume or learn how to pay bills lacks common sense.
However, we are not condemning those who haven't had to pay bills yet or like to go downtown on the weekends.
That's their prerogative, but using the excuse you're in college and not the real world yet to explain not spending time wisely is irresponsible.
Using this sentence is a form of procrastination.
We've all procrastinated, but when it comes to our future, there's no time to slack off.
Everything we do can lead you to bigger and better opportunites if you make the effort.
People also use this phrase as a safety net.
You can't put pressure on your parents to entirely support you through graduation.
We need to have some initative to be self-sustaining as much as you can, so you will be prepared to live on your own after school is over.
We've all muttered some form of the sentence, "I don't have to deal with it until I'm in the real world."
The idea that some of you won't have to deal with certain things until after graduation is correct, but claiming the world we're living in now is not the real world is wrong.
This excuse is holding us back.
If we stop using this phrase, it can make us more aware of the world around us.
We're not kids anymore.
We're adults.
Adults manage their time and are accountable.
Life has already started.
(05/16/14 3:00pm)
An Auburn University sophomore died Tuesday after succumbing to injuries sustained in a two-car accident on Monday.
One of the drivers was identified as Auburn nursing student Leslie Burnett.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Helena Road and Wooddale Drive in Pelham, Alabama at approximately 3 p.m.
According to Pelham Police, Burnett was driving an Acura Integra when she pulled out in front of a Mazda pickup truck.
The names of the driver and passenger of the Mazda have not been released and they were treated at a local hospital.
Burnett was airlifted to UAB and passed away Tuesday morning. She was 19 years old.
According to her mother, Leigh Burnett, she was driving to pick up her younger brother from school.
Family and friends say Burnett dreamed of being a nurse in the Navy and was involved with Auburn's ROTC program.
"She would have been a high ranking official in the Navy," friend of Burnett, Dylan Kuper, told FOX6 News. "I think everyone is still struggling to accept that she's gone.
According to Lt. David Rushton, no charges will be filed in the crash, but it is still under investigation.
Burnett's funeral services will be held Friday, may 16 at 2:30 p.m. at Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover, Alabama.
(05/16/14 8:27pm)
An Auburn University sophomore died Tuesday after succumbing to injuries sustained in a two-car accident on Monday.
(04/16/14 8:30pm)
Approximately 1.9 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
For the past three years, Alabama has ranked among the top three states for diabetes. Amie Hardin, manager of the East Alabama Medical Clinic Diabetes and Nutrition Center, and Jan Kavookjian, associate professor in the department of health outcomes research and policy in Auburn University's Harrison School of Pharmacy, said they hope to change that.
"We wanted to provide education to an underserved community with a high prevalence of diabetes," Hardin said.
Auburn University recently teamed up with Tuskegee University to make that happen.
"Reaching Out For Better Health is a collaboration between myself, the faculty in the school of pharmacy here, faculty from Tuskegee University and the Diabetes and Nutrition Center of East Alabama Medical Center," Kavookjian said. "We pooled our collective expertise and we took this accredited diabetes education program that is offered at EAMC down into Tuskegee."
According to Kavookjian, holding the program in Tuskegee was an obvious choice.
"Tuskegee is not as rural as you might think, but it is a draw area for people who live in very rural areas," Kavookjian said. "Our objective was accessibility. For them to get this accredited education, they would have to drive to Montgomery or Opelika. A lot of people don't drive. Even if they do, a lot of people don't have access to transportation. This was a 10-week class, and that's a lot to ask a rural person who may or may not be impoverished. It's a lot to ask them to come all that way for an education."
The goal of "Reaching Out For Better Health" is to educate people about how to prevent diabetes and how to manage its symptoms.
"Reaching Out For Better Health" offered two 10-week classes that covered everything from monitoring blood sugar and blood pressure to healthy eating.
"We offered two separate classes over the summer of 2013, and then held a reunion event this March," Kavookjian said. "That gave us a chance to measure the outcomes. We looked at their basic knowledge of diabetes, where they were in terms of behaviors like healthy eating and being active. We also collected some clinical data."
Kavookjian said after the course, participants' knowledge of diabetes management increased by 15 percent, the average participant weight decreased by 2.5 pounds, the average participant body mass index decreased by .4, and the average participant Hemoglobin AIC decreased by .2.
At the start of the program, participants reported being active four days a week.
At the program's end, they were up to 4.4 days of the week.
Alveta Reese, assistant professor of nursing at Tuskegee University, said she is proud to have been a part of the project.
"It was an awesome project, and I was honored to be able to assist the community," Reese said. "I am most proud that it was a sustainable project. There is still a great support group happening at Greenwood Baptist Church, so it is still ongoing and sustainable."
(04/15/14 11:45am)
The 22-year old Auburn woman who was injured in the car wreck following the Alpha Psi Rodeo has been identified as Jessica Santa-Cruz. The previous report stated that Santa-Cruz was a student, but Auburn Police Chief Paul Register has said that she is no longer a student, but lives in Auburn. Santa-Cruz is still being treated at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus and is listed in stable condition. Amanda Cyr, a junior at Auburn, was also involved in the accident and sustained multiple injuries. She was released from the hospital on Sunday.
______________________________________________________________A 22-year-old Auburn student is listed in serious condition at Columbus Regional Medical after she was involved in a post-Rodeo car accident on Saturday night. The injured student, whose name has not been released, was riding in the truck bed of 25-year-old Jonathan Blain Giles, of Summerdale, Ala. According to Auburn PD, Giles was driving his 2005 Chevy Silverado on South College Street near I-85 when he struck a 2007 Ford F-350 from behind at approximately 10:58 p.m. The injured student was airlifted to Columbus Regional Medical and Giles was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence. No other injuries were listed. The accident remains under investigation and police say additional charges are still possible.
(04/11/14 1:45pm)
Even in the earthy atmosphere of Wake Up Coffee, he stands out.
But blends in at the same time.
He stands at the counter waiting for his iced coffee, wearing some cargo shorts and a tank that shows off the rainbow tattoos that extend to both inner arms.
He carries a small backpack with a blue yoga mat stuffed inside. He has light brown dreadlocks and bright blue eyes. He smiles at everyone he sees.
"I try to be anything but ordinary," he says.
And he succeeds.
Rosco Davis teaches yoga, travels the world and loves animals.
He started out as a personal trainer when he was still attending high school in Albertville, Al.
"I was in the gym all the time, and they finally hired me," Davis says. "First as a desk boy, then I got certified and started training some people. Then, I came here and started working at the Rec."
Fitness has always been an integral part of Davis' life, even transcending into his major during his time at Auburn.
He originally studied Hotel and Restaurant Management before settling into Interdisciplinary studies where he emphasized in Spanish and Sustainability.
"The dream is starting a Sustainable Retreat Center," Davis says. "I could incorporate fitness, Spanish and growing food into one place. I would also teach people how to build earthships."
Earthships are huts built from rustic materials, such as glass bottles. While Davis has never built one himself, he has seen them in New Mexico.
He has trained with Servants in Faith and Technology, SIFAT, where he learned how to make things in third-world countries.
He also founded Auburn's Real Food Challenge. The group has a community garden and focuses on working with Tiger Dining to get real, local food on campus.
"The community garden is one of my favorite places in Auburn, followed by the arboretum and the back waterfalls of Chewacla," Davis says.
Before settling into life at Auburn, Davis went through a time of being "truly broken" during the summer after his freshman year.
"I didn't have many friends, and I was working at a country club, which was terrible," Davis says. "They made me wear this huge polo and my dreads were super short so I looked really weird. Then, I found joy after I gave all my hopes and dreams up to God."
Davis said things shot up for him in his life from then on. After this tough time, he decided to get his rainbow tattoos after being introduced to a video on youtube of double rainbows in the Grand Canyon.
Davis said, "It just became a thing with me. Every time I would see something cool, I would yell 'double rainbow!"
He became extremely involved in Campus Church, which he still participates in today.
He also has his own culture, Roscafarianism. His followers are called Roscafarians, or Roscas, and help promote his way of living.
He now teaches yoga at Inner Sunshine in Opelika and meditates every morning.
"I pray for supernatural levels of energy that I can share with each person I interact with. No matter what I'm doing on that particular day, that is always my mission."
(04/01/14 5:02pm)
(Emily Enfinger | PHOTOGRAPHER)
(04/01/14 5:01pm)
The Seed Bank is located on the first floor of RBD Library
(Emily Enfinger | PHOTOGRAPHER)
(04/01/14 6:15pm)
The Auburn Real Food Challenge debuted its new seed bank on Thursday, March 20, on the first floor of Ralph Brown Draughon Library.
Hannah Hauan, junior in horticulture, is a member of the Auburn Real Food Challenge.
"This is really just a place for people to donate or take seeds," Hauan said. "We hope it will help bring farmers and the community together."
This year, Hauan said she decided to make the Seed Bank her main focus.
"We had the idea last year, but nothing really came of it," Hauan said. "I have been talking to farmers out at the community gardens, and they have been really excited about the idea, so they kind of encouraged me to make this a reality."
According to Hauan, the seed bank is easy to use.
"All the seeds are in a cabinet in the library," Hauan said. "Anybody can come in and take whatever they want. The next year, they can bring them back to the cabinet and maybe write a few notes about the seeds and about what worked and what didn't work."
The Auburn Real Food Challenge is just one chapter of a national organization.
The goal of the Challenge's campaign is to ensure at least 20 percent of dining hall food is real by 2020.
Rosa Cantrell, junior in agricultural communications and president of the Auburn Real Food Challenge, said real food is an important cause.
"Real food is defined as local, humane, fair and ecologically sound," Cantrell said. "We work with campus dining to get real food on campus. We try to unite the students together, help them reconnect with their food and help them understand where it's coming from."
According to Cantrell, education is key to understanding the food system.
"We need to help students learn about what they are eating and unite them to work with our institutions because they have billions of dollars in the food system," Cantrell said. "We want to shift that money toward just and sustainable food."
The Auburn Real Food Challenge also runs the Community Garden on West Samford Avenue.
Sara Geonczy, senior in environmental science, is head of the Dining Committee.
Geonczy said the community garden is open to everyone.
"It was run by a sorority for a while, but the Real Food Challenge took it over the spring of 2012," Geonczy said. "We manage the garden and rent out plots to anyone who wants one. We try to get a lot of students involved. Students actually have a discounted rate to rent a plot, but a lot of faculty and community members are involved, as well. "
According to Geonczy, the Community Garden and the Seed Bank go hand-in-hand.
"They both aligned with our goals in the Real Food Challenge," Geonczy said. "We are hoping it will become a resource for community gardeners. Even if you don't have a plot at the community garden, it can be a resource for your garden at home."
(03/28/14 5:15pm)
When Philip Durden sat in a quiet room March 2012 after founders of Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (CAMP) asked who would like to be the vice president, he raised his hand.
Today, he calls it the best decision he's ever made.
Two years later, at the March 18 Auburn City Council meeting, the council loaned CAMP $100,000 to enhance and renovate hiking and mountain bike trails in Chewacla State Park.
It all started in October when Mayor Bill Ham and Ward 2 Councilmember Ron Anders visited Chewacla.
"Frankly, I was just amazed at what I saw," Anders said. "Seeing the citizens doing something was extremely impressive and encouraging."
The city temporarily loaned $100,000 to CAMP to renovate existing trails and begin building new ones, as part of the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which allows nonprofits to receive a grant of $125,000 to be matched by the organization for recreational trail building.
"[With] the work we're doing, and how we are involving ourselves in the community, they wanted to know how to assist us," Durden said.
CAMP, a 501c(3), works toward trail advocacy and promoting mountain biking as part of it's parent organization, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). CAMP's stamp can be seen at Lake Wilmore and the Tuskegee National Forest.
"We're not the typical citizen who asks the city what they can do," Durden said. "We are going to go out there with or without their help."
CAMP, according to Durden, intends to renovate the 16 miles of existing trails originally built by volunteers and donations. CAMP will then add an additional five to six miles of flow-style mountain bike trails. Durden said the trail will also contain features and jumps.
Bikers enjoy flow-style trails for their high-paced and gravity-oriented speed.
As a public park, CAMP bid the park to different businesses and, so far, has hired a trail designer.
That designer is hard at work, and Durden said he hopes to begin construction by May and to finish by fall.
The trail designs are based on IMBA standards providing for an environmentally friendly and sustainable trail.
Durden said the trails cut across the mountain, not down, as to avoid erosion.
"When we first started, you could park anywhere," Durden said. "Now, on Saturday morning, you have to park far away. The proudest I am these day is when I pull up, and the parking lot is full."
(03/24/14 8:00pm)
"It's like Auburn's own little version of Woodstock," said Jack Gray, senior in electrical engineering of the 2014 Earthfest held March 22 at the Donald E. Davis Arboretum.
Last year, Gray participated as part of the entertainment on one of last year's two stages.
This year, four stages entertained guests with music, improv and some dancing, all arranged by the Environmental Awareness Organization (EAO).
A committee of 15 lead by EAO President Garrett Kizer, junior in English and Professional Writing and EAO Vice President Sydney Willig, junior in organismal and integrative biology, took on the event, and they say the turn out has been more than worth it.
For Kizer and Willig, this is only the second Earthfest they've ever been to, but Kizer took on the work because he understood it as an Auburn tradition.
For all the work he has done, his pay off is to just to say "me and my friends did this."
The duo estimates approximately 1,000 attendees to this 2014 Earthfest.
The role of Earthfest works to amplify the message given by the EAO who want to provide a more sustainable environment through information.
"I never been to an event where I could just meet people in the community," said Earthfest rookie, Jordan Wilson, junior in apparel merchandising-production design and management. "It's been an excellent day."
Rosa Cantrell, president of Auburn's Real Food Challenge, said she agreed this is a rare opportunity for like-minded to meet and enjoy themselves.
"It think it's cool," Cantrell said. "I've heard people ask, 'where are these people during the week.' There have been a lot of connections."
(03/22/14 2:00pm)
On the corner of South College Street and South Donahue Drive stands a place where residents can get fresh produce, a bouquet of flowers, delicious crepes and even hang out with a couple of roosters.
Blooming Colors and the Crepe Myrtle Cafe have been staples in Auburn, but still manage to seem like one of the best-kept secrets of the community.
Stepping-stones lead to the entrance of the Blooming Colors storefront, where Donna Dallas, an employee, will greet and help with all flower needs. The store overflows with locally made knick-knacks, organic scrubs and plants. Local paintings are featured on the walls and hand-painted planters are plentiful.
"I've been here for about eight years, and nothing is better than being able to work outside and talk to people," Dallas said. "I wouldn't like to be stuck in an office all day."
The store keeps an assortment of seasonal flowers and plants in its large greenhouse and along the grounds in the back of the store.
Roosters join the plants outside and serve as natural pesticides.
Visitors can choose to sit on the benches shaded by Blooming Colors' multiple trees or inside The Market at Blooming Colors.
Inside, The Market offers seasonal fruits, vegetables, spices and jams.
"We're all one big entity here, [and] all the stores are connected," Ginger Purvis, who works in the produce section at The Market, said. "The Market and Cafe opened in 2009, but Blooming Colors has been open for 22 years."
Purvis spends her days running The Market and gathering produce for baskets that they deliver to customers. Its "basket program" allows a customer to purchase a weekly or monthly basket of produce in a variety of sizes.
Avery Werner has been working at Blooming Colors for almost two years. She has worked in the nursery, The Market and the Cafe and learned each aspect of the business.
"As a small business in a town with such an emphasis on agriculture, we like to take advantage of all the local produce and feature it in the store," Werner said. "We even base our daily menu off of the specific produce we will have in the store that day."
The Crepe Myrtle Cafe serves just what is expected--crepes. It offers a variety of crepes in almost any flavor imaginable. Vegetarian, breakfast, steak, dessert, Greek, buffalo and fajita steak, just to name a few of the options.
"We like making southern food, but also putting a twist on it," Werner said.
The daily special includes a different soup, salad and panini. The Cafe also has a baker who comes in to make fresh cupcakes, mousse and other desserts during the week.
Werner said she appreciates interacting with people who are passionate about local and sustainable business methods and getting to know local farmers and learn from them.
Blooming Colors even had a hand in Auburn's new Recreation and Wellness Center. It has created the flowerbeds surrounding the facility and has a contract to do the flowers for the Jules Collins Art Museum.
"I feel blessed to be a part of this business, community and Auburn University," Werner said.
(03/19/14 2:17am)
The Auburn family had a special birthday surprise awaiting its newest men's basketball head coach.
Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs introduced Bruce Pearl as the program's 20th men's basketball coach Tuesday night in front of a raucous crowd of students and fans in the Auburn Arena.
"We've raised the bar for men's basketball, I'll tell you that," Jacobs said. "Like I've always said, we're committed to winning championships here, and doggone it, we started that right here tonight."
Auburn and Pearl agreed to a six-year, $2.2 million dollar contract Tuesday, making Pearl one of the top 20 highest paid coaches in the nation.
According to Jacobs, Pearl, who celebrated his 54th birthday Tuesday, is a perfect fit for an Auburn program that went just 48-75 in the past four seasons.
"When I started visiting with Bruce, I found a man that had passion, who had a vision, who is a family man, a man that wants to win and do it the right way," Jacobs said. "And to take Auburn basketball to a sustainable level that we haven't had in a long time. We found that in Bruce Pearl."
Pearl remains under a show-cause sanction until August for NCAA violations he committed as head coach at the University of Tennessee.
Pearl was fired in 2011 due to those violations and has spent the last three years in marketing and as a college basketball analyst at ESPN.
"It's been a long three years being away from the game," Pearl said. "When I made the mistakes that I made at Tennessee, I let a lot of people down. I let my family down, I let my university down and I let the people down that believed in me. That's why I still walk around with pain."
Pearl said Auburn's forgiving atmosphere convinced him it was the right place for he and his family to make a fresh start.
"I have found this part of the country to be a part of the country that offers grace," Pearl said. "But for the grace of God, I wouldn't be here today as your next men's basketball head coach."
With an estimated crowd of 2,000 students and fans on hand to see his arrival, Pearl described the reception from Auburn students and fans to be "beyond our wildest dreams and expectations."
"We feel your love, we feel your support and we're going to represent you in a very, very significant way," Pearl said. "Is this not the biggest press conference you've ever been to?"
Pearl has a 462-145 record as a college basketball head coach and carries a history of turning around SEC programs mired in mediocrity.
The former Volunteer head coach gave no timetable for when Auburn would achieve success, but assured fans that he and the players would lay a foundation for future championships.
"We will play for championships at Auburn, there is no question in mind," Pearl said. "These guys have a chance to make history by being the guys to lay the foundation for a championship basketball program."
(03/14/14 7:00pm)
After Jay Jacobs quickly pulled the plug on Tony Barbee's disappointing tenure as men's basketball head coach Wednesday night, the Auburn athletic director now has another coaching search to conduct, his fourth since December 2012.Jacobs said he wants a coach to compete for SEC championships in light of the department's major investment in the program with Auburn Arena, and he wants to move with this search as quickly as possible.With Jacobs' hires of Gus Malzahn, Sunny Golloway and Clint Myers this past year, one would think Auburn is going to go for a splash hire in men's basketball.We as the sports staff of The Auburn Plainsman have compiled a list of 10 coaching candidates for Auburn men's basketball. Some are big names, others are lesser-known up-and-comers in the coaching ranks, but we feel each of these candidates are improvements on paper from the program's last few hires.Bruce Pearl (231-99 in 10 seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Tennessee)Bruce Pearl seemingly is the name at the top of everyone's short list, and for good reason. Pearl has a history of reviving SEC programs mired in mediocrity.After guiding Southern Indiana to a Division II National Championship in the '90s, Pearl made a name for himself at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he led the Panthers to 86 wins in four seasons, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2005. All in all, the Volunteers reached the NCAA tournament in six consecutive seasons under Bruce Pearl, a stretch that included three Sweet 16 visits and the program's first Elite Eight in 2010.Pearl's teams played at a frenetic pace and employed full court pressure, creating energy and passion both on and off the court for the Tennessee basketball program. Pearl doesn't come without baggage, though. Pearl was fired from Tennessee in 2011 after it was discovered he lied about recruiting violations and covered up a substance abuse violation by a player. In addition to sanctions, the NCAA gave Pearl a three-year show-cause penalty, meaning that sanctions would follow Pearl even if he was hired at another school.Pearl's show-cause violation is up in August, meaning he'll be one of the hottest names on the job market. There's certainly baggage here, but if Auburn is looking to make a splash and hire a proven SEC winner, there are few better options than this one.-Eric Wallace / Sports ReporterBen Howland (390-199 in 19 seasons at Northern Arizona, Pittsburgh and UCLA)Auburn fans are howling for Jay Jacobs to hire a winner, and few options have won quite as often as Ben Howland.The former Weber State guard had his first success at Pittsburgh, where he took the Panthers to back-to-back Big East Regular Season Championships and Sweet Sixteens in 2002 and 2003. Howland was then hired at basketball powerhouse UCLA, where winning is counted in NCAA Tournament Championships and not just appearances.Howland's Bruins won three consecutive Pac-10 titles from 2006-2008 and reached three consecutive Final Fours in that same span. In his time at UCLA, Howland was never short for talent. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo are just a few of Howland's former players still making a name for themselves in the NBA today.Howland was fired from UCLA in 2013 following a "disappointing" 25-9 season, for a little context on UCLA's impossible standards, so he's certainly one of the most proven names on the market. There are good hires and then there are home run hires, and for Auburn, Howland would certainly be the latter.-Eric Wallace / Sports ReporterTommy Amaker (314-208 in 17 seasons at Seton Hall, Michigan and Harvard)Of all the long shots on this list, Tommy Amaker might be the longest shot. But I would make Amaker tell me he does not want the Auburn job, considering the current success he had at Harvard and the past experience coaching in major conference basketball.Amaker was a fixture at Duke during the Blue Devils' NCAA Tournament success of the late 80s and early 90s as a player and later as an assistant coach. After four consecutive postseason appearances as the young head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates, Amaker left for Michigan, where he consistently posted solid seasons but never was able to break into the Big Dance. Despite his NIT success, he was fired at Michigan and later picked up by Harvard.Amaker took the Ivy League school to its first Big Dance in 2011 after snapping the program's long streak of losing seasons the year before. Harvard has dominated the Ivy League the last four seasons, and Amaker could make the Crimson the next Wichita State or VCU with the recruiting classes he has hauled in recent years.Amaker would be far from the usual mid-major hire. He has experience at the highest level as a player, assistant coach and head coach, and he has taken a program from virtually nothing into one of the most feared teams outside the power conferences. Amaker is a long shot, but I think he deserves at least a call to see if he wants to rebuild a program in a bigger conference.-Justin Ferguson / Sports EditorTubby Smith (525-244 in 23 seasons at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas Tech)Tubby Smith, the current head coach of Texas Tech, has led a long and successful career as a head power-conference coach.Smith has won regular season conference titles nine times, while winning his conference tournament five times.While at Kentucky, Smith led a dominant teams, winning the SEC Tournament in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Smith was also named the SEC Coach of the Year in 1998, 2003 and 2005.Although he has been in Lubbock for one year as the Texas Tech head coach, Auburn could realistically make a run at the former SEC coaching giant. With his success at Georgia and Kentucky, Smith definitely knows what it takes to win in this conference.-Taylor Jones / Sports Writer
Rick Stansbury (293-165 in 14 seasons at Mississippi State)Another potential target for Auburn could be former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury.Stansbury was hired at Mississippi State in 1998 after serving as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs since 1990.He led the Bulldogs to two SEC Tournament Championships in 2002 and 2009, while winning the SEC Regular Season Championship in 2004 and winning the SEC West Division Championship five times.Stansbury was named the 2004 SEC Coach of the Year and also led the Bulldogs to their highest win total in Mississippi State history during the 2001-2002 season with 27 wins.With an impressive 11 postseason appearances in his 14 seasons in charge of Mississippi State, Stansbury reportedly has expressed interest in returning to the SEC with the Auburn job. An established name in the conference, Stansbury could be the name to lead Auburn back up the ladder.-Taylor Jones / Sports WriterJeff Capel (175-110 in nine seasons at Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma)Jeff Capel, a former standout player at Duke University and current assistant coach there, could be another strong candidate for the Auburn men's basketball head coaching job. He became a head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University at 27 years old and was the coach there for four years. Capel led them to a record 79 wins with a .658 winning percentage.Capel has also been an assistant on the USA Men's team when they won the gold medal in the 2005 FIBA Tournament in Turkey.Capel was named the head coach of University of Oklahoma in 2006 and lasted there until 2011. During his tenure there, he recruited multiple McDonald's All Americans, including current NBA All-Star Blake Griffin. While at Oklahoma, he made two NCAA Tournaments and even advanced to the Elite Eight once. He also averaged 21 wins per season there.-Kyle Van Fechtmann / Sports Reporter
Seth Greenberg (367-276 in 22 seasons at Long Beach State, South Florida and Virginia Tech)
Although Seth Greenberg's coaching tenure ended in April 2012 at Virginia Tech, I think he deserves a solid look as the next Auburn basketball head coach. Greenberg led the Hokies to a No. 5 seed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and also led them to multiple victories over No. 1 teams in the regular season. Greenberg left Blacksburg with the second-most wins in program history compiling a 170-123 overall record.Despite the fact that Greenberg only made the NCAA Tournament once at Virginia Tech out of nine seasons, several of his assistants left for head coaching jobs elsewhere and he had to fill coaching jobs during each offseason.Even though Greenberg is an analyst for ESPN now, and it may take a lot of money for Auburn to hire him, I believe it's finally time for Auburn to shell out some money and hire a coach who had a good record at an impressive basketball conference like the ACC.-Kyle Van Fechtmann / Sports Reporter Michael White (70-29 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech) \0x200BMichael White is simply the hottest up-and-comer in college basketball at the moment. A former player and assistant coach at Ole Miss who excelled at recruiting the Southeast, the 37-year-old White has spent the last three seasons at Louisiana Tech, where he has posted back-to-back regular season conference championships. White has ties to the SEC and the state of Alabama, where he was a top assistant at Jacksonville State, and his up-tempo, full court-pressing style of basketball would play to Auburn's guard-heavy roster for next season. I know Auburn fans would be wary of hiring another hot mid-major candidate after the failed Tony Barbee experiment, but unlike the former Tigers head coach, the energetic White has had more than just one good year at a smaller school and would come with great coaching and recruiting experience in the SEC. \0x200B-Justin Ferguson / Sports EditorDonnie Tyndall (167-99 in eight seasons at Morehead State and Southern Miss)Donnie Tyndall might not be the most well known name for Auburn fans, but the Southern Mississippi head coach would bring a proven track record of winning to the Plains, should he get the job.The 43-year-old Tyndall inherited a 4-23 Morehead State team as his first head coaching job in 2006 and rapidly turned the Eagles into an Ohio Valley Conference power. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament twice under Tyndall, including a Third Round appearance in 2011.Now at Southern Miss, Tyndall's Golden Eagles are 53-15 in his two seasons in Hattiesburg and are currently poised to make the NCAA Tournament at 26-5.Tiger fans are certainly tired of mid-major hires, and deservedly so after the failures of Jeff Lebo and Tony Barbee, but Tyndall would bring a more sustained track record of success to the Plains than either of those two. Considering the current state of the program, Jay Jacobs could do a whole lot worse. -Eric Wallace / Sports ReporterTod Kowalczyk (200-175 in 12 seasons at Wisconsin-Green Bay and Toledo)This mid-major, less-intriguing name is completely out of left field for most Auburn basketball fans, and for good reason. Kowalczyk has spent his entire coaching in the Midwest (including an assistant coaching stint at Marquette when NBA star Dwayne Wade was on campus), but his track record with rebuilding programs is stunning.Kowalczyk took over a dreadful Wisconsin-Green Bay team in 2002 and rattled off five winning seasons in eight tries. He never broke into the NCAA Tournament in a one-qualifier conference like the Horizon League, but he is on the verge of a remarkable transformation at Toledo.Following a dismal rebuilding season, Kowalczyk took a senior-less Toledo team from 4-28 to 19-17 and a couple of wins away from the Big Dance. His up-tempo 2013-14 Rockets are on the verge of making it to the NCAA Tournament this season with an impressive 26-5 record in a competitive MAC league.But another thing that sticks out about Kowalczyk is that he has turned around the Toledo program while being sponsored by Under Armour. After Allen Payne's tweet Wednesday night about Auburn continuing to struggle with the Maryland-based apparel company sent Auburn fans and writers in a frenzy (I for one think the UA ordeal is a minor issue that people are blowing out of proportion, but that's all for another post), Kowalczyk is proof that you can succeed in this game while being an Under Armour school.-Justin Ferguson / Sports EditorWhat do you think of our list? Have any more candidates you think we should add? Who is your pick for Auburn's next men's basketball head coach? Tweet your responses @TheAUPlainsman or email the staff at sports@theplainsman.com.
(02/26/14 2:00pm)
Community and sustainability are certainly buzzwords these days. For beekeepers like T. Scott Robinson, maintaining a healthy colony of bees is a daily lesson in community involvement and sustainable production.
"It all plays a part and everything is connected," said Robinson, leaning against his green pick-up truck. "Every bee has a job to do, just like a community."
According to Robinson, working with bees gave him a different perspective.
"That's one thing that I've felt overwhelmed by. Once you start dealing things with in nature--God's creation--you start to realize how interconnected things are. It's a blessing," Robinson said.
Tall and lean with electric blue eyes, Robinson is soft-spoken and prone to marvel at the simplistic genius of nature.
Robinson rolled up his right sleeve to reveal deep purple bruising and explained his wincing handshake.
"I'm kinda gimpy with this right arm all jacked up," Robinson said.
The pain from a recent skiing accident, which will require surgery, did not prevent Robinson from climbing on top of a raised platform to extract a frame from a stack of wooden boxes called "supers" that encased a hive of bees.
The colony was one of the very first Robinson extracted from a church in Uchee, Ala., seven years ago and relocated.
"Yeah, y'all probably want to back up and we'll see how they react," Robinson said through the netting of his protective veil.
Bees hummed around Robinson's head as he produced the frame, which was crawling with more honey bees.
"They're not aggressive as long as you respect them," Robinson said, pointing a gloved finger at a bee furiously stabbing his veil. "Like this one. This one is aggravated."
Robinson replaced the frame with a soft "Alright, girls," as if soothing fussy children.
According to Robinson, honey bees are mild-mannered compared to their Africanized honey-bee relatives, better known as killer bees, and are selective about stinging.
Robinson explained bees serve an important function in sustainable farming and that beekeepers are often called to facilitate pollination in orchards or farms.
"My part in all this is I'm trying to promoting beekeeping and understanding, so that when people see a bee, it's not an enemy," Robinson said. "It's actually so important to our economy."
After picking up beekeeping as a hobby, Robinson began giving demonstrations for 4-H clubs, the Boy Scouts and local elementary schools.
Annually, Robinson shares his knowledge at The Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, held by the East Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama at the Saugahatchee Country Club in July, and which benefits the Lee County Literacy Coalition.
Not only are bees important for pollination, the honey they produce is a natural allergy remedy.
According to Robinson and fellow beekeeper Mike Ellenberger, who befriended Robinson during a Saugahatchee Beekeepers Association meeting, local honey exposes the immune system to allergens in the area capable of preventing or easing the agony of seasonal allergies.
"It's amazing," Robinson said. "But I've already noticed three different types of pollen: one is a bright orange, one is a grey and one is yellow. Already this early in the season, we have things in bloom and that's why people are noticing their allergies."
Auburn coffee shop, Wake Up Coffee Company, stands by local beekeepers.
Recognizing both the health benefits and the community support local honey provides, owner Wade Preston is always on the look-out for nearby apiaries.
"We want to source local products and local honey's great," Preston said. "We currently source honey out of Odenville, but we're looking to get some that's even more local."
Despite their reputation for stinging, Ellenberger said bees provide numerous perks to the community.
"They're very much beneficial insects," Ellenberger said. "There are other benefits that people don't think about. There's pollen production and wax production for candle-making."
As winter retreats, the coming months will prove to be a test of the hives' strength.
"It's a fine dance between a good honey-producing season and a bad one," Robinson said. "It's really contingent on what Mother Nature is giving us."
However, Robinson is confident in his hive.
A good bloodline is as important in a colony of bees as it is in a monarchy and he has spent years cultivating this particular group.
Those inspired to try their hand at beekeeping or learn more about the profession can contact the Opelika Extension Agency or the Saugahatchee Beekeepers Association.
According to Robinson and Ellenberger, the lessons learned from beekeeping could be valuable for positive civic and personal growth.
"In the short period of time that I've spent with this one insect, I've learned about community, self-awareness, and respect to nature," Robinson said.
(02/18/14 9:26pm)
Azeem Ahmed, senior in finance with a minor in sustainability, has dedicated the majority of his life to helping others.
This year, Ahmed was awarded the worldwide Clinton Hunger Leadership Award, which will be presented to him Feb. 28 through March 2 at the Universities Fighting World Hunger summit.
It all started when Ahmed volunteered at the food bank around the age of seven.
Before enrolling at Auburn, Ahmed was very active in organizations such as 4-H.
Ahmed helped organize food drives, hunger banquets to demonstrate food inequality, and started mobile food pantries in Lee County.
Ahmed said he believes hunger is a global issue that needs to be addressed.
"Hunger is the core issue that can allow us to tackle other issues," Ahmed said. "If we take care of hunger, we can prevent things that directly affect other things like education, health care, or income disparities all over the world. That was the realization that I came to. Plus, it is something that I have just been working on for so long that it's become very close to my heart."
Since he has been at Auburn, Ahmed has been involved in the Committee of 19, taken classes in hunger studies, helped restart the Campus Kitchen Project and continued to volunteer at the local food bank.
Harriet Giles, managing director of the Hunger Solution Institute and director of external relations for the College of Human Sciences, said he's known Ahmed since he was a little boy.
"Azeem is a wonderful student and a wonderful human being," Giles said. "He is someone who will go far. There's no doubt with winning the Clinton award and the Truman fellowship. He's just an outstanding student and man of character. He deserves everything that has come to him."
According to Ahmed, a number of people urged him to apply for the Clinton Hunger Leadership Award.
"Growing up, my parents were really the ones that encouraged my brother and I to get involved in the community and spend time at the food bank," Ahmed said. "Our dad would take us out to the community market, which is where we volunteered on Saturday mornings. It is something that we did for years and years. My parents really did instill that value in me."
Paul Harris, associate director of national prestigious scholarships, recruited Ahmed to Auburn when he was a senior in high school and is one of his professors today.
"He's grown a great deal," Harris said. "Intellectually he's grown, but he's also grown socially and emotionally. He's matured a great deal."
Harris said he believes there are many traits a student must have to win an award such as the Clinton Hunger Leadership Award.
"Someone who has solid grades, earnest and sustained commitment to alleviating hunger and someone who has made it their life goal to help other people, that's really what it is," Harris said. "That is something you really can't teach in a classroom."
Ahmed is also pre-med.
"As for a career, I am hoping to become a doctor, and I do believe that healthcare and hunger are closely tied," Ahmed said.
Ahmed plans to continue his service work post graduation.
(02/18/14 9:28pm)
Azeem Ahmed, senior in finance and sustainability
(02/04/14 9:07pm)
Auburn University offers over 30 dining options to its students.
Recently, 50 Auburn students were asked which ones they prefer.
Go Greek was the clear favorite with 12 votes.
According to Hanna Shelley, freshman in liberal arts, the food cannot be beat.
"The Pi Pita Pizza is amazing," Shelley said. "The mac and cheese is really good, too."
Previously located in Lupton Hall in The Quad, Go Greek recently moved to the Student Center.
Christy Key, junior in journalism, said she is also a fan of the restaurant.
"I really like the food there," Key said. "There is no other restaurant in town that serves good Greek food."
The menu offers a variety of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Jenny Goldschmidt, freshman in marketing, said Go Greek's employees make going there worthwhile.
"When I go, I like to talk to the people who work there," Goldschmidt said. "They are always so nice and so helpful, and they are always very efficient."
Chick-Fil-A garnered a fair amount of votes, as well. Of the students asked, 10 said the fast food chain was their favorite place to eat on campus.
Anna Hudson, freshman in nursing, said the chicken sandwiches remind her of home.
"I like to eat there because it doesn't remind me of dorm food," Hudson said.
The Chick-Fil-A in the Student Center has frequently been ranked in the top 10 in sales volume among non company-owned Chick-fil-A locations in the Southeast.
Hopson Nance, freshman in business, said he enjoys the social atmosphere at Chick-Fil-A.
"I always see people I know when I go there," Nance said.
Despite being on campus for less than a semester, Plains to Plate came in third place with 8 votes.
Frank McDaniel, freshman in architecture, said the restaurant's healthy choices are much needed in Auburn.
"While the food is incredibly delicious, Plains to Plate is also providing locally grown, healthy food on a campus that desperately needs such a place," McDaniel said.
Plains to Plate recently filled Go Greek's place in Lupton Hall. The menu features locally grown and organic ingredients as much as possible.
Mizna Kanafani, freshman in biomedical sciences, said she frequents Plains to Plate, as well.
"The food is healthy, sustainable and it tastes good," Kanafani said. "Also, they have flavored water, which I think is a huge plus."
(02/03/14 5:49pm)
There's a room off to the right of the Student Center.
It's got clear glass and three doors. Inside works a number of staff dedicated to changing the way we eat on this campus, in particular, Glenn Loughridge and Rosa Cantrell.
In Lupton Hall's newest restaurant, Plains to Plate, hardly anything goes into the kitchen premade, according to Emil Topel, senior executive chef for Auburn University.
Most of the ingredients: cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, cream and sausage, all come from local sources.
People working in the industries this institution is built on now feed this institution.
Cantrell, intern with Loughridge and leader of the on-campus organization Real Food Challenge, uses her agricultural communications degree to talk to the people who grow the food she and others now eat.
"It's more than just mindlessly eating," Cantrell said.
The Real Food Challenge began, in 2011, under Rosco Davis, an Auburn alumni.
I had the chance to interview Davis many times throughout his journey with Real Foods.
Davis inspires.
His group, they're a dedicated bunch, determined to change the way we eat, determined to see a difference in this school.
This 2014 group defines their success. Members are active. Change is apparent. Success is evident.
Real Food strives to integrate food that is local, ecological, fair and humane. It's a godly practice, logical even. Know what you eat. It's simple, matter-of-fact and wildly ignored.
But with Plains to Plate, Loughridge and Cantrell exemplify that, well, they're winning.
Walking in to this new spot, what's in those bins, the name of the family that raised them, ultimately killed them and sold them for you to ingest and sustain you through your day, hangs on the walls, for you to read and know.
Incredible.
Honestly, since I found out, I haven't eaten anywhere else. Why would I? It smells so good, just being around there.
When I sat around a table outside the new Plains to Plate with Cantrell, Topel and Loughridge, I made a comment, as us journalists do:
"It just tastes so good."
Topel, with a laugh and head shake, simply shrugged his shoulders to say, "Yeah."
We all laughed. It's logical; it tastes better, because it is better.
Not that hard.
So before you put this paper down, give props to Real Foods, Loughridge and the clan behind dining services. They are changing the face of this campus.
Topel told me about an idea he had, for when it gets warmer. He has idea to hang rosemary on the fence around the Plains to Plate dining area to grow outside and use inside.
Imagine this, it's 2:30, mid- April, just getting good outside.
The woman who just made your sandwich walks outside with a pair of garden shears and chops at the rosemary bin in front of you.
Like she did this morning.
Like she put on the sandwich you're about to bite down on.
