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(04/30/15 10:49pm)
Located on a busy street, where temptation disguised as a liquor store resides a couple blocks away, sits His Place, a free home and faith-based rehabilitation center that has been treating drug addicts and alcoholics for 34 years.
(04/29/15 9:55pm)
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
(04/23/15 1:10am)
Protesting is a freedom guaranteed to Americans under the First Amendment.
(04/23/15 12:20am)
The Glomerata yearbook and The Circle literary magazine are now available with a Tiger Card or 902, 903 number across campus.
(04/03/15 6:22pm)
Editor's note: Kim Rape, The Plainsman administrative associate, who was originally laid off by Lady Cox, special assistant for Student Affairs, March 19, was offered the new administrative support associate position created in the restructuring of student media Thursday, April 2.
(03/08/15 4:42pm)
Alabama State Troopers beat, gassed and trampled civil rights activists as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965.
(02/06/15 2:00pm)
A weekly highlight of The Auburn Plainsman.
(02/05/15 1:00pm)
The top three SGA candidates - president, vice president and treasurer - will run unopposed in the 2015 SGA elections for the first time in at least 10 years, according to Brad Smith, SGA adviser.
Logan Powell, current SGA president, said he was not happy with the lack of competition.
"We would like there to be competition, if nothing else than for the sharpening of ideas, and the fact that when you have to compete against someone's platform, it typically elevates yours," Powell said. "I think that these three guys are a good trio to run because I think they'll meet those expectations. Hopefully moving forward, this doesn't ever happen again."
Walker Byrd, Justin Mathews and Brett Walton will run for SGA president, vice president and treasurer, respectively.
According to SGA Code of Laws, "Unless disqualified, the candidate who received the most votes for SGA president, SGA vice president and SGA treasurer, respectively, will be certified as elected, provided that he/she obtain[s] 40 percent or more of the votes cast in their respective elections."
Since there are no write-in options for any race, according to the SGA Code of Laws, all candidates only need one vote to win the election.
"We do stick to the code," said Sloane Bell, executive director of elections. "It's our bread and butter, and we go by what it says. If a senator were to sponsor a bill to call for (write-in) change, it would have to be voted on by the student senate."
In the 2014 SGA elections, only Richmond Gunter, current SGA treasurer, ran unopposed.
"It's a totally different experience," Gunter said. "You get to do all the fun things and don't have to do the not fun things during the campaign. I didn't change a ton of things [in my campaign process], but I was able to say this wasn't a necessary component in campaigning."
Bell said the elections council put out fliers, posted on social media and had multiple information sessions for both major and minor candidates in the fall to promote the elections.
"I made my team aware that the only applications we got for those [races] were one candidate per race," Bell said.
"As a whole, we always encourage as many people as possible to run, and that's why my team really tried to promote this year. Not only letting students know how important these positions are, but how important voting is."
All top three candidates have been involved with SGA in the past.
One candidate for vice president, John LeMaster, senior in chemical engineering, withdrew his SGA application in the fall.
LeMaster said his reason for withdrawal was personal and had no further comment.
With no one running against any of the candidates, Gunter said the campaign process is more focused on future plans than getting students to vote for a certain candidate.
Byrd, senior in finance, said his campaign would not be in students' faces on the concourse.
"We are still trying to make people aware of what's going on and make sure they understand that they have a voice through this and they can still vote," Byrd said. "Even though all three races are unopposed, (students) still have a purpose in this whole plan. So we are really just trying to convey that message and make sure we meet students and hear their concerns over this next week."
Byrd said he thinks he would be a good represenative of the student body.
"I'm not doing this because of any resume, I'm not doing this because I'm trying to climb the ladder or get the next nametag," Byrd said. "I'm doing this because I love Auburn, and I know that's cliche to say, but I do."
A new addition to the ballot Byrd implemented will be the choice between three dining venues that will be a part of the new Mell Street Academic Success Center.
The three options are Plains to Plate, Einstein's Bagels and Mell Street Cafe.
Justin Mathews, junior in building science, said he was surprised when he found out he was running unopposed.
"Obviously, that's not the way I wanted to win," Mathews said. "I was really looking forward to campaigning. I love the elections process, and I think that's how people need to be put into positions. At the same time, I was extremely excited for this year to come."
Mathews said running unopposed gives him the chance to focus on his position and how he will implement his platform once he is sworn into office.
Brett Walton, junior in accounting, said he is focusing on quality of votes over quantity of votes.
"We can interact with students on a more personal level," Walton said. "You aren't feeling rushed to go talk to the next person, to get that next vote or to be as loud as you can on the concourse."
Byrd, Mathews and Walton's campaigns are detailed on A3.
Additional reporting contributed by Nicole Fulkerson, campus reporter.
(10/30/14 11:00pm)
Student saves money by using only University resources and facilities.
(02/24/15 4:51am)
On the fourth floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, through a maze of bookshelves, nestled under an empty desk at 7 a.m. every Monday through Friday is an occupied sleeping bag.
Patton Chambers, senior in physical education, is not sleeping in the library because he has a chemistry exam to study for.
Patton chooses to live a homeless lifestyle and has been since the Saturday before the fall 2014 semester started.
Patton's day-to-day life consists of sleeping in the library on weekdays, sleeping in a tent by the old Hutsell track on weekends, cooking 13-cent oatmeal in the microwave in the Student Center for breakfast, eating expired Planters peanuts he bought at a flea market for lunch and showering in his underwear in the Recreation and Wellness Center.
"I stay fresh enough," Patton said. "If I swim in a pool, I feel like that did something. It's going to sound gross, but I have not changed my underwear once this semester."
Patton said he hasn't run into any trouble with campus security yet while sleeping in the library.
"My biggest fear has been misplacing things," Patton said. "When you're in my shoes, you can't afford to misplace things."
Patton said he decided to be homeless after a job at Chick-fil-A he had last year didn't give him the college experience he desired.
"I just want to experience something," Patton said. "When I was living in an apartment, I wasn't experiencing anything. I wasn't involved in anything and nothing was coming out of it. At least with the homeless experience, I know I'll get something out of it. Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, something's going to come out of it."
Patton pays for school through loans and money from his mother.
Patton also sold his motorcycle last year to pay for the initial gear and food needed to live without a roof over his head for the next three semesters.
Krisiti Browning, Patton's friend, said Patton has never followed the norm.
"Out of our group of friends, he's always been the one that thinks differently than all of us," Browning said. "He always wants to do all these activities that aren't like what everyone else is doing. He wants to be his own person."
Patton said the worst part about being homless is the five hours of downtime every day, but he said he has been able to join more organizations on campus, such as UPC and intramural sports, while also tutoring people.
Patton said he wants to student teach in Taiwan through Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching and then go to South Korea to teach full time.
"After I come back from (South Korea), I think I'll want to settle down and start my career," Patton said. "I don't like being tied down because I think it hurts your opportunities."
David Chambers, Patton's uncle, said he doesn't really know what to make of Patton's lifestyle.
"When he first told me about it, I thought he was insane," David said. "I do like the way that it helps you experience the way people are. When you have no income and no place to stay, you tend to rely on the kindness and generosity of others."
Patton's brother, Nicholas Chambers, said Patton would not regret this life choice.
"One thing I can say about Patton is when he's old and gray, he won't look back on his life and say, 'There were things that I should've done or done differently,'" Nicholas said. "He's living life to the fullest and that's definitely something we can all learn from."
During the winter months, Patton said he will hang out in the Student Center as much as he can.
Patton said there would have to be a life-or-death situation for him to stop living homeless. He plans to live this way until he graduates in three semesters.
"If I got some kind of intense illness or something happened with my family, I would quit," Patton said.
Nicholas said he has faith in Patton to stay homeless until he graduates.
"For anybody else, I would say they would only last till the winter, but with Patton, even if he doesn't like it, he's pretty stubborn and if he says he's going to do something then he will," Nicholas said.
When Patton isn't in class or playing intramural sports, he blogs about his homeless adventures at Patton1990s.tumblr.com.
Other than Patton's biggest fear of misplacing something, he said the homeless lifestyle works for him.
"It's like you're on an endless vacation, especially on a campus like Auburn," Patton said. "I'm always free. I can always do everything and I'm tied down by nothing."
(10/23/14 4:50pm)
Two individuals were confirmed to be the culprits behind stealing more than 1,000 copies of The Plainsman from multiple locations on campus Aug. 28.
Colson Smith, SGA executive vice president of programs, and Kohl Weir, SGA senator at large, admitted to Student Conduct they stole the papers from the Student Center, Lowder Hall, Shelby Center, Foy Hall and Broun Hall.
Logan Powell, SGA president, as well as Smith and Weir, said the theft was an individual act and not committed as an organization.
As stated in their apology letters, Smith and Weir said they stole the papers because they were upset by the editorial "SGA puts the brakes on security."
"That morning, I was particularly disappointed in an article that minimized the work of one my good friends seemingly without regard to the months of thought and effort he had invested on behalf of Auburn students," Smith said in his letter. "In the subsequent decision, I neglected to put myself in the shoes of your editors and staff that work so hard to produce the paper for students to enjoy."
Smith declined to comment further.
Weir said he also stole the papers as a reaction to the editorial.
"I was emotionally upset about an article that was written about the work of one of my close friends," Weir said. "I felt that, at the time, that was the best thing I could do so that no one read it. That was emotional and impulsive. It wasn't something that I felt was the right move looking back."
Weir said he realized he made a mistake two hours after he took the papers.
"I probably could have approached this in a different way," Weir said. "I didn't really know what I was thinking. I thought, 'I'm just going to take these and put them back after my classes and no one will read them.'"
(10/23/14 5:00pm)
On Aug. 28, more than 1,000 copies of The Plainsman were stolen from bins across campus.
The total cost of the stolen newspapers, including production fees and ads sales in both the game day special section and broadsheet newspaper was $1,660.
The Plainsman filed a police report within hours of realizing the papers were stolen Aug. 28.
The police did not view the tapes until more than three weeks later Sept. 17. Student Conduct did not look into the matter until Sept. 30. What could have been handled within a couple weeks turned into an eight-week ordeal.
(10/09/13 12:00pm)
On the fourth floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon library through a maze of bookshelves, nestled under an empty desk at 7 a.m. every Monday through Friday, is an occupied sleeping bag.
Patton Chambers, junior in physical science, is not sleeping in the library because he has a chemistry exam to study for.
Patton chooses to live a homeless lifestyle and has been since the Saturday before fall semester started.
The Patton's day-to-day consists of sleeping in the library on weekdays, sleeping in a tent by the old track on weekends, cooking 13-cent oatmeal in the microwave in the Student Center for breakfast, eating outdated Planters peanuts he bought at a flea market for lunch and showering in his underwear in the Recreation and Wellness Center.
"I stay fresh enough," Patton said. "If I swim in a pool I feel like that did something. It's going to sound gross, but I have not changed my underwear once this semester."
Patton said he hasn't run into any trouble with campus security yet.
Patton said he decided to be homeless after a job he had last year didn't give him the college experience he desired.
"I just want to experience something," Patton said. "When I was living in an apartment, I wasn't experiencing anything. I wasn't involved in anything and nothing was coming out of it. At least with the homeless experience, I know I'll get something out of it. Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, something's going to come out of it."
Patton pays for school through loans and money from his mother. He also sold his motorcycle last year to pay for the initial gear and food needed to live without a roof over his head.
Krisiti Browning, Patton's friend, said Patton has never followed the norm.
"Out of our group of friends, he's always been the one that thinks differently than all of us," Browning said. "He always wants to do all these activities that aren't like what everyone else is doing. He wants to be his own person."
Because of the approximately five hours of down time Patton has every day, he has been able to join more organizations on campus, such as UPC and intramural sports, while also tutoring people.
Patton said he wants to student teach in Taiwan through Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching and then go to South Korea to teach full time.
"After I come back from (South Korea), I think I'll want to settle down and start my career," Patton said. "I don't like being tied down because I think it hurts your opportunities."
David Chambers, Patton's uncle, said he doesn't really know what to make of Patton's lifestyle.
"When he first told me about it I thought he was insane," David said. "I do like the way that it helps you experience the way people are. When you have no income and no place to stay, you tend to rely on the kindness and generosity of others."
Patton's brother, Nicholas Chambers, said Patton would not regret this life choice.
"One thing I can say about Patton is when he's old and gray he won't look back on his life and say, 'There were things that I should've done or done differently,'" Nicholas said. "He's living life to the fullest and that's definitely something we can all learn from."
During the winter months, Patton said he'd hang out in the Student Center as much as he can.
Patton said there would have to be a life or death situation for him to stop living homeless. He plans to live this way until he graduates in three semesters.
"If I got some kind of intense illness or something happened with my family I would quit," Patton said.
Nicholas said he has faith in Patton to stay homeless until he graduates.
"For anybody else I would say they would only last till the winter, but with Patton, even if he doesn't like it he's pretty stubborn and if he says he's going to do something then he will," Nicholas said.
While Patton isn't in class or playing intramural sports, he blogs about his homeless adventures.
Other than Patton's biggest fear of misplacing something, he said the homeless lifestyle works for him.
"It's like you're on an endless vacation, especially on a campus like Auburn," Patton said. "I'm also always free. I can always do everything and I'm tied down by nothing."
(10/13/14 7:30pm)
The Auburn Police Division traced the phone threat from Friday, Oct. 10 back to a 15-year-old juvenile from Missouri.
"Engaging in threats that disrupt school and causes public alarm is a felony offense," stated an AUPD news release.
The investigation in ongoing between the police division and University officials.
The University is reviewing the threat as an offense committed by a juvenile.
-------------------------
A threat targeting the Student Center was reported by AU Alert at approximately 6:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10.
A Foy Information Desk employee said he received the call that was the threat to the Student Center.
According to the Foy Information Desk employee, the threat said, "Hey, if you don't step out of the building right now, we're going to blow up the building."
Captain Will Mathews confirmed the threat was made by phone call.
"As a safety precaution we decided to evacuate the building," Mathews said.
The building took approximately an hour to search by personnel and canines and is now open.
Reasons for the threat are still unknown, but Mathews said the police division believes the caller was a young male.
Mathews said the threats in the past did not reflect how threats are handled now.
"That's they way we've done it, standard operating procedure," Mathews said. "We evaluate the threat, confer with the University and decide whether it's a very credible set. We take all of the threats we receive seriously. Once we identify the person who sent the threat in, they will be prosecuted."
(08/18/14 4:00pm)
A new year brings new beginnings.
It's the beginning of classes, beginning of football season and, for some, the beginning of whole new chapter in their lives.
My advice for lower - and upperclassmen - is to take advantage of all Auburn University has to offer and take advantage of the towns around Auburn.
We may live in a small town, but we should never say we're bored.
The Plainsman's campus section covers everything from Student Government Association senate meetings to University Program Council concerts to events other University organizations hold throughout the year.
We cover community news, such as music festivals in Opelika and Waverly and new restaurants and shops to check out.
Our intrigue section will give readers ideas that can keep them occupied on those lazy Sundays, whether it's making a delicious meal or getting involved with the Parkour Club.
If you keep up with The Plainsman every week, you're sure to never be bored.
You can also get involved with some of the organizations on campus.
Logging on the AUinvolve will show all the campus clubs and organizations.
My recommendation is to pick up to three organizations or clubs to join at one time.
The Plainsman is also hiring staff throughout the semester.
Whether you are a journalism major or not, anyone is welcome to write and share their voice here at the paper.
Our office is Room 1111 on the bottom floor of the Student Center and applications are online.
You can also email me at rsh0010@auburn.edu if you have any questions about joining The Plainsman staff or working as a volunteer.
The Plainsman prides itself on getting the news to everyone as fast as possible through our Twitter and Facebook accounts.
However, The Plainsman doesn't stop at covering features and breaking news.
Our reporters and myself will uncover injustices, spread the word about causes and try to make this University the best it can be.
If we're paying thousands of dollars to go to school here, we better make sure we're getting our moneys worth.
I can't tell you how excited I am to start the fall semester working at The Plainsman.
We have many new ideas for our readers.
I hope you will take advantage of us as a resource as much as possible.
We're dedicated to giving you news the campus and community not only want to hear, but need to hear.
The reporters at The Plainsman have a unique voice.
They can tell stories from a student perspective and find stories students and people who love Auburn are interested in.
Whether it's the kind lady who greets everyone at the bookstore or a fellow student with an interesting back story, we're always open to ideas.
As editor-in-chief of The Plainsman I pledge that I will try my absolute hardest, especially since I've already sold my soul to the paper, to bring the Auburn campus and community all the news it needs as timely as possible.
Our passion is the uncovering the truth and we're a spirit that is not afraid of doing just that.
Becky Hardy is the 2014-15 Editor-in-Chief for The Auburn Plainsman. She can be reached via email at editor@theplainsman.com.
(07/24/14 12:00pm)
Auburn Public Safety and Security was notified about a sexual assault that happened on campus Sunday, July 20.
The female victim, a student at the University, reported the sexual assault to the Auburn Police Division at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday, July 19.
"The victim reported leaving an area in downtown in the accompaniment of a male individual," said Auburn Police Division Capt. Lorenza Dorsey. "They went to a location in the 200 block of South College Street. From 1 a.m. till about 10:30 a.m. she did not remember the events that occurred."
The male individual involved was located. He is not a student.
"The investigation is ongoing," Dorsey said. "We're not releasing a lot of information at this point in the investigation. We're in the beginning stages of the investigation."
Dorsey said the victim had a medical investigation to provide information whether drugs or alcohol were in her system at the time of the incident.
Dorsey said he advises students to be safe when they are downtown.
"We advise that they go in couples as much as possible to make sure they are safe and have ways to monitor their drinks and don't over indulge," Dorsey said. "Always call the police division if something goes on."
An email was sent to the student body and faculty at approximately 9 p.m., notifying about the sexual assault.
Anyone with knowledge of this or any other crime is encouraged to contact the Auburn Police Department.
The email also lists ways to prevent sexual assaults or what to do if you have been sexually assaulted:
Sexual assault and giving someone a drug without their knowledge or permission are both felonies.
* Individuals should pay close attention to their food and drink intake at parties or events. Do not leave your food/drinks unattended or accept food/drinks from unknown individuals.
* Someone who is passed out, unconscious or incapacitated because of drugs, alcohol or any other reason is unable to give consent. Forcing sexual contact on another person without consent is against the law. Being drunk does not mean a person is asking to have sex or be raped.
* It is a myth that it can't happen to you. All individuals are potential rape victims, regardless of age, race, class, religion, occupation, sexual orientation, gender identity, educational background, or physical description. Both males and females can be rape victims. Rape is never the victim's fault.
The email also lists Safe Harbor and Rape Counselors of East Alabama as resources.
* Safe Harbor - Sexual assault survivor advocates (on campus; Monday through Friday, 7:45-4:45) - 334-844-7233
* Rape Counselors of East Alabama - Sexual assault survivor advocates (community; 24/7) - 334-705-0510
(07/21/14 2:01am)
Auburn Public Safety and Security was notified about a sexual assault that happened on campus Sunday, July 20.
(07/08/14 5:22am)
A fire broke out at Checkers located at the intersection of Glenn Avenue and Gay Street around 11 p.m. Monday, July 7.
Auburn Fire Department battalion chief Matthew Jordan said the fire involved the vent for the fryer.
Checkers was open and had three employees at the time of the fire.
There were no injuries in the incident.
"(Employees) pulled the hood extinguishing unit and evacuated," Jordan said. "When we arrived we could see flames from the top of the structure."
Jordan said when there is a build up of grease the fryer is more susceptible to fires.
"Speculation could be that grease accumulated inside that could catch fire, so we're very fortunate. It was a quick put out and the damage was very minimal and only extended to their vent, which extends up to the roof."
There is no structural damage to the building at this time.
Jordan said grease fires are the most common fires in restaurants.
"It's not surprising that (the fire) would start there in a place like this," Jordan said.
Parts of Glenn Avenue and Gay Street were closed.
"We're making sure that it's extinguished and no extension into the structure of the building," Jordan said. "We found some heat signatures using our thermal imaging camera and we're making sure they're normal."
Units will remain on the scene to monitor heat signatures.
"We're going to keep someone on the scene for at least another hour and a half," Jordan said.
Checkers employees declined to comment.
(06/04/14 5:23pm)
A woman survived being run over by a train in Auburn on Wednesday, June 4.
Lynsey Horne, a 22-year-old resident of nearby Salem, was transported to East Alabama Medical Clinic by ambulance after a 911 call to the Auburn Police Division was made at 9:10 a.m.
Horne suffered no injuries during the incident.
The eastbound CSX train ran over Horne at the railroad crossing at Ross and Gay streets, behind the Auburn Post Office.
"She was a petite female, so fortunately she lied between the rails," said Auburn Police Captain Lorenza Dorsey.
Dorsey said he has never seen something like this before.
"I've been here 28 years and never had a train run over an individual between the tracks," Dorsey said.
Horne was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct for disrupting the train's schedule.
(05/21/14 3:00pm)
Before I stepped onto The Plains, I had no idea what Auburn University really was.
I came to Auburn with no friends from home and a lot of clothes.
I knew I needed to get involved as soon as possible, but finding where to get involved was the tricky part. Not all students know what they want to do with the rest of their lives the first day of college.
I was lucky enough to have an idea of what I wanted to do and started working for The Auburn Plainsman, Auburn's student-run and independently funded weekly campus newspaper.
Everyone on staff at The Plainsman is dedicated to giving the students, faculty and staff here in Auburn the news they deserve to know.
Our print edition of The Plainsman is filled with features and news reports of what is happening on campus and in the Auburn community throughout the week.
We also have a website, ThePlainsman.com, which is updated with fresh content throughout the week.
At The Plainsman, we have a motto: A spirit that is not afraid.
We are here to make sure the people at the University know exactly what is going on, even behind closed doors.
We are not just students working part-time on a class project.
We are journalists who take full responsibility for bringing the news and what is going on in Auburn to the public's attention.
The Plainsman covers everything from city council and Student Government Association meetings to features about interesting students to last season's BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, Calif.
The Plainsman also ensures the students and faculty of the University are updated on breaking news as quickly as possible.
When we had threats against the University, The Plainsman's Twitter account, @TheAUPlainsman, was where people could find minute-by-minute updates on what was happening with the Auburn Police Division and on campus.
Same goes for the severe weather we had in April.
When the tornado warning sounded, the staff had the responsibly to let the people of Auburn know when and where to go to be safe.
The Plainsman office is more than just a place to work, it's become my niche and I encourage you to find yours.
Find that club, organization or classroom on campus that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning.
The Plainsman is my heart and soul and I hope you see that in my staff as we continue to break and cover news throughout the upcoming semesters.