Best food trucks on campus
Food trucks have become a trend over the last few years, and they are making a home for themselves here in Auburn.
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Food trucks have become a trend over the last few years, and they are making a home for themselves here in Auburn.
On Thursday, April 14, Auburn’s Apparel Merchandising and Design Association will be putting on a fashion show. Auburn University students studying apparel design and apparel marketing will have the chance to show off some of their work, creativity and the results of their sleepless nights.
Two weeks ago, the Auburn Climbing Club officially became a club team.
On March 6, 2016, Nancy Davis Reagan, the 40th first lady of the United States, passed away, almost 12 years after her late husband, Ronald Reagan.
Imagine studying for a test at a table on the third floor of the library. Imagine being so hungry yet torn between studying and nourishment.
As you’re scrolling through your newsfeed on Facebook, you notice something.
There are nine dimensions of wellness, according to the Health Promotion and Wellness Services at Auburn. They are physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, environmental, occupational, financial and cultural.
“Will you marry me?” Mary asked Blake.
In order for a team to attain success on the field, court or diamond, coaches and players must work to get there. That is not an exception for the Auburn women's basketball team. Aside from the coaches that support and teach the players, there is a group of men who help the basketball team perform on the court. The practice squad, or scout team as they are officially called, is a group of male students who practice with the women's basketball team. They do drills against the players and scrimmage against them to push them to be faster and stronger. Being a member of the practice squad is different than being a student athlete even though their purpose is to help the team improve. According to Hunter DeFalco, freshman in business, they practice whenever they can. "We try to have at least five or six guys here every practice," DeFalco said. They do not have to try out or be recruited, they are recommended to be on the scout team. All of the guys on the team played in high school, according to John Segrest, freshman in business. DeFalco and Segrest are both new to the team this year, but Lawrence Nourzad, senior in marketing, is a veteran to the squad. As a fifth-year at Auburn, he is familiar with the team and helping the women practice. "Most people think, 'What is this guy?' when they see my Auburn backpack or something because they know I'm not actually an athlete," Nourzad said. "I usually just tell them I help out with the women's basketball team." As a part of helping out with the team and being a former basketball player in high school, Lawrence said he has made memories from the practice squad and always playing against girls. "One time I got a little breakaway there and thought I had it," Nourzad said. "It was just me and the basket, and she skied out of nowhere. Like she can really get up. She can almost dunk it." DeFalco and Segrest claim they do not get intimidated when they are playing against the women in practice. They said they're just glad they can be out there practicing and they can continue to play basketball while helping Auburn's basketball program by playing every week. During the women's basketball game, one can see the girls playing on the court. One can also see the coaches on the sidelines, and one can even see the girls on the bench. What is not visible is the team that helps them during practice by providing a different type of competition.
From New York City to a farm in Huntsville, Auburn graduates are finding their passions through their post-graduate careers. Sarah Ragan graduated in December 2012 with a degree in art, concentrating in printmaking. Today, she is a calligrapher and designer focusing on weddings, creating custom invitation suites. She has an online print shop called Ragan House. "I fell in love with hands-on production and found that it was much more satisfying than working solely on a computer," Ragan said. "I knew that, when I graduated, I wanted to explore more hands-on design, which led to me finding calligraphy." While trying to learn calligraphy and launch her business, Ragan said she had doubts and frustrations, but she learned to be fearless when trying new practices. Morgan Myers graduated in December 2012, and her husband, Taylor Myers graduated in May 2012. They met in fruit and nut production class their junior year, both pursuing degrees in fruit and vegetable production, and married in July 2012. "There are two things that we know that we are called to do, and one of them is to feed people, physically and spiritually," Morgan said. Along with caring for their 5-month-old daughter, they are currently building a cabin in Trenton, Alabama, near Huntsville, and plan to move in at the beginning of 2015. Taylor has set aside approximately 15 acres to grow or rotate animals on. They have a little more than an acre filled up to grow on next year. "It hasn't all fleshed out yet, and our dreams are still growing," Morgan said. They said the goal is to supply fresh produce to restaurants, start one farmer's market and have a small community-supportive agriculture. The idea is a family that wants fresh produce would sign up ahead of time and pay an upfront payment to plant the seeds. Then, every week, the farmer meets the family at a specific time with a box of vegetables, herbs and recipes. "I think because we're together, me and Taylor, the things that I don't know, he does and the things that he needs help with," Morgan said. Through this, the Myers said they can pursue their dreams of feeding and loving others. McKenzie Strawn studied apparel merchandising and graduated in August 2014. As a student, Strawn interned at Moda Operandi, a company which allows customers to pre-order designer collections online. Strawn said she heard of the companythrough the Apparel Merchandising and Design Association. "Use relationships to your advantage, and be humble about it," Strawn said. "It's really all about who you know, and having those connections helped ten-folds over." After completing her internship, Strawn went back home to Atlanta and started lining up interviews. After freelancing for the company, Strawn's boss offered her a position helping their new initiative for pre-selling boutique merchandise. "It's been kind of stressful because I feel like all of this has been happening at once," Strawn said. "I can barely stay afloat, but that's fun." The fashion industry is incredibly last-minute and in-the-moment, according to Strawn, and she is learning to run with it. "It was cool to see everybody wanted to help me get to where I needed to be, and I feel very blessed to be where I am," Strawn said.
In a dark room in Goodwin Hall at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday, people may hear a student belting out opera or the sounds of a trumpet sonata. Nearly every Wednesday, approximately five music students perform a piece for peers and teachers. This is just one of the zero credit-hour activities required for all music students according to Sarah Shearer, senior in vocal performance. It's known as Convocation, and other than the second Wednesday of each month, it happens weekly. Music students are required to attend all except two, and they must perform in it once per semester. Anyone is welcome to attend Convocation, but it is usually just students and faculty from the music department according to Christopher Schiller, junior in vocal performance. Convocation is one of the many requirements of the music program many other students are not aware of. Schiller said most music majors take more than 18 hours per semester. "A lot of times, for music classes, you go for four hours a week, but you only get one hour of credit," Shearer said. Tyler Pilz, junior in music liberal arts, said he spends more than 26 hours per week working for class from rehearsals to Convocation to actual class time, even though he officially receives credit for 18 hours. Singers can only practice for approximately one hour at a time, according Schiller. "Our voice gets tired, so it's hard to budget practicing outside of rehearsal," Schiller said. "Piano majors practice a lot longer than anybody else. On average, they probably practice 3-4 hours a day in addition [to time in class]." Students focusing on vocal performance or another instrument said piano majors practice a great deal. "They have to learn their music and then everyone else's music as well because they accompany [other performers]," said Jonathan Wilson, senior in music education. Piano students practice approximately six hours per day in total, according to Yae Chong, junior in music liberal arts. "After classes, you do extra," Chong said. "Between classes you might want to get a little practice in, like 15 or 20 minutes." Other reasons piano students receive so much praise from fellow classmates is because they memorize their pieces along with those of the other students they accompany. "We pay them $40 a month to learn all of our pieces and go with us to performance and studio while they go to all of their performances," Schiller said. "My accompanist has a boy repertoire, a girl repertoire, a bassoon player and she is learning her own stuff." As much credit as the piano students receive from classmates, singers and other instrumentalists put in long hours for rehearsal as well. Shearer said she is taking 21 hours and an overloaded schedule every semester. "Because I'm a dual degree, I have to have 52 extra hours in addition to a normal major," Shearer said. "It's doable. It's just a lot of work." According to Shearer, Auburn does not have a performing arts center, a big deterrent for prospective music students Choirs have to rent out the theater from the theater department or use Auburn High School's performing arts center for concerts. Despite the lack of resources in some areas, students are optimistic about the future of music at Auburn. "Auburn music is on the rise," Schiller said. "(One) of the biggest pluses is we're getting one-on-one instruction." At another school, many music students would likely be taking lessons from a doctoral student, but the Schiller said music students at Auburn have the opportunity to learn directly from professors. "This is a more well-rounded experience," Schiller said. "We get to major in music at a state school that's big and does football and has tons of things going on. At a music school, I wouldn't be able to get that same experience." Students are able to show off some of their hard work through shows throughout the semester. In November and December, there are 16 concerts put on by AU Singers, faculty, Tiger Strings and Jazz Band. Auburn.edu/music has the complete list of concert dates and locations.
To ignite something is to set it on fire. Louie Giglio, pastor at Passion City Church in Atlanta, came to the Auburn Arena Tuesday, Nov. 4, along with the Auburn University Gospel Choir and the Highlands Worship Team. Ignite Auburn started five years ago when Student Government Association President Kurt Sasser approached Chette Williams, director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for the football team, about creating an event to spark revival on campus. Bo Bradford, senior in mechanical engineering and student chair for the event this year, said he has been attending Ignite Auburn since it started. "It completely changed my outlook on college," Bradford said. "I remember specifically leaving that event viewing college as a place that I could grow spiritually and not a place where I put my religious beliefs aside for four years and just kind of do what I want." Bradford said the goal is to have an event that ignites the student body with the love of Christ. "We want to see lives changed for Jesus," Bradford said. The coordinators of the event said they incorporated Auburn leaders to show this is an event unique to the campus. Jay Jacobs, director of athletics, gave the welcome before the Auburn University Gospel Choir and the Highlands Worship Team led worship in front of students, faculty and members of the Auburn community. Jonathan Wallace, senior in physical education and Auburn football player, gave his testimony at the beginning of the event. Giglio was the main speaker for the evening. He started by presenting students with "the big idea." "Jesus is God," Giglio said. "He is good. He is glorious both now and forevermore." Giglio said this big idea should change lives. He compared living a life centered on "me" to being a fan of Georgia Tech's football team as he recounted going to their games as a child. Giglio said living a life centered on Christ is like becoming a fan of Auburn's football team and a complete upgrade in comparison to Georgia Tech's smaller program. "When God gets glory, we always get the best thing," Giglio said. Giglio ended his talk with a challenge for students to break through religiosity and encouraged a spirit of freedom through Christ. "Here at Auburn, you get a great education, great environment, great culture and a great football program," Giglio said. "We want all of that to lean together, so that when Auburn University comes up, people say, 'Have you heard? The King of Glory came in, and the whole place is ablaze with the name of Jesus.'" Students had the opportunity to come forward and commit their lives to Christ at the end of the event. Approximately 75 counselors, who went through a training process on sharing the Gospel and followed up with people who committed their lives to Christ, were available at the conclusion of the event. Logan Click, senior in organismal biology, was a counselor this year. According to Click, Ignite is a great outreach on campus because it is not exclusive to Christians. Bradford said they are putting a bigger emphasis on follow-up this year. "It's one thing to have an emotional high, but if they don't know what to do with it, what's the point?" Bradford said. Along with talking to counselors at the event, students could also text 970-00 with the word "commit" or "recommit" in order to connect with a counselor who could talk to them about committing their lives to God and what that looks like after the event. Committing yourself to God is choosing to live a life glorifying to him rather than yourself.
As the temperature drops, the amount of clothing increases. Thicker socks, longer pants, warmer tops, bulky sweaters, fingerless gloves, which I still don't understand, and hats are all fashion pieces that could make a statement but also serve the purpose of keeping us warm. To some, this is an exciting time because this wardrobe change means their favorite season is upon us or because colder weather means Christmas is closer. With the changing season, people do look different in their fall get-ups, but I don't think anyone looks more different than men around this time of year. That is because guys can change more than just the clothes they wear on their bodies. They can change the hair they grow on their faces. In a few weeks, it will be November, and males around the country will be participating in No-Shave November, a pledge to refrain from shaving for one month. People abstain from shaving for various reasons throughout the year. Men who are superstitious about their sports teams and won't shave until they lose often sport the playoff beard. No-Shave November serves different purposes for people and is specific to this one month. Some participate out of laziness. Others participate because it gives them a reason to try out facial hair, and some withhold from shaving for charity. Money that would be used for shaving supplies for one month goes toward another cause. The American Cancer Society is an organization that benefits from No-Shave November. It serves multiple purposes. November is a good time for men to pledge not to shave their faces because it comes just in time for colder weather, as the extra layer of hair warms the faces of the participants. The beard can also be used as a fashion statement. They go well with flannels and beanies this time of year. Considering November does not start for another few weeks, men might keep their faces clean-shaven until the 30-day period begins to see how much hair they can grow in that time. If you notice more beards next month though, it's probably people participating in No-Shave November. You could even ask someone his reason behind his facial hair because it might be more charitable than you think.
In this week's episode of Hell's Kitchen, Auburn's Fernando Cruz is still competing. In the first half, the teams must cook protein-and-starch dishes. In the latter part, they have a VIP guest list, including Olympic and NHL athletes. Chef Ramsay is especially short-tempered with the chefs this week. "I don't even think I have a winner," Ramsay said. He told them to think of two individuals they wanted to drop from the team. The boys reached an almost unanimous decision on getting rid of Sterling. The girls struggled in making the decision and went before Ramsay without deciding on the pair they wanted to lose. In the end, they nominate Katie and Rose to leave. Fernando spoke for the men and nominated Sterling and Steve to leave. Ramsay lets go of Katie, and the episode ends with a "to be continued," promising more drama for next week's episode.
At 8 a.m., Sept. 24, Conner Robbins, senior in biomedical sciences, was studying for a 9 a.m. test. He attempted to stay focused while he took his test. It was exceptionally difficult on this Wednesday morning, because by the time he would arrive at his 1 p.m. class, he would be engaged. "Ring by spring" is a popular notion among college students. It implies the goal of students in a long-term relationship is to get a ring, or to become engaged, by the time spring semester rolls around. Anna Beard, junior in international business, said she is constantly scrolling through pictures of happy brides, beaming couples after the question, and newly adorned hands with rings. Robbins proposed to his girlfriend, Candace Aikens, in the middle of the day because he knew she did not want to see the proposal coming. He figured the best way to do that and keep it special was to go to Hickory Dickory Park, the location of their first date, for a mid-week lunch. "I proposed around 12:15, and then I had class at 1," Robbins said. "I was supposed to have class at 12, but I decided to skip that day because I had more important stuff to do." Robbins will graduate in May 2015, and attend optometry school at the University of Alabama in Birmingham starting next fall, while Aikens will graduate with her master's degree in communication in May. "Getting engaged is not only great because I want to marry her, but great because it works out logistically, too," Robbins said. "I wouldn't want to ask her to move somewhere else without us getting married." Paul Aukstolis, senior in finance, is in a relationship, but said he is not worried about getting a ring by spring. "It shouldn't be a set thing," Aukstolis said. "I don't think it's weird if someone gets engaged when they're 18, or whatever. It's just a case-by-case thing." Beard said social media has changed engagements. "Over the years, social media has made it a competition," Beard said. "Not just in engagements, but just showing off your relationship online and making it seem perfect, when it's not, is normal now." As a college student, important decisions that affect future careers and life in general are being made on a regular basis. Robbins said it was easy to make his decision to propose to his girlfriend because he knew that no matter where he went or what he did, he would want her beside him. That means when Robbins heads to Birmingham next fall to start optometry school, he will get to start the new and unknown post-grad journey with his wife. Robbins has two important ceremonies to attend this May. He will start with his graduation and then his wedding two weeks later.
Walking into the Auburn Islamic Center on a Sunday afternoon, people can find children scurrying around the lobby, bare feet and men preparing to pray. The women are already upstairs, cleansing and preparing for prayer. The lobby is a small, carpeted room with nine shelves on one wall, designated for the shoes visitors remove as they enter the building. The shelves are stacked with a variety of footwear, from dainty, pink flip-flops to Nike tennis shoes. The chairs surrounding a fold-out table by the window are plastic, and one wall is ordained with a bulletin board with sign-up sheets for Sunday school classes and childcare. Mark Dougherty, professor in the agricultural engineering department, sits in a white, plastic chair around a table in the kitchen at the Auburn Islamic Center and talks about the history of the organization and the building. Two teenage girls wearing hijabs and sweaters sit around the table as well. Dougherty serves on the board of directors at the Auburn Islamic Center. Dougherty can also officiate an Islamic wedding. One would not know any of these things about him unless they asked, however, because he is quick to divert attention away from himself and even quicker to talk about the everyday happenings at the center. According to Dougherty, the center has been in Auburn for approximately 25 years, and it was simply a community before that. Doughtery said the Islamic Center had an interesting background. "This building used to be a fraternity house," Dougherty said. Dougherty said one man, who was a student at Auburn during the days the building was a fraternity house, spent some time there and then returned years later as a devout Muslim. "It was quite the experience for the man coming back," Dougherty said. The building, located on Armstrong Street, can be called a mosque, but Dougherty calls it a masjid. "Masjid -- it comes from the word 'sajda,' which is to prostrate, which means to go down on your head to pray, so the masjid is the place where you prostrate," Dougherty said. Dougherty said he thinks Auburn is a great place to practice his religion. "We're in a non-Muslim country, so it's no different than any other place," Dougherty said. "We just take care of our business in here. If I would say anything, I'd say it's better here because Auburn is such a progressive place because of the University." The masjid is open at any time for members to pray. It is filled on Sundays with men, women and children. The children attend Sunday school. Sara Elawad, 13, spoke upstairs in one of the rooms where the women go to pray. Elawad wore a hijab, a head scarf, a long sweater and jeans. "We have Islamic studies, like learning the history and the modesty and stuff like that," Elawad said. "Basically, we just learn about their prophets and their history." Yousra Omer is a 14-year-old Muslim girl and attends the masjid regularly. Omer attempted to brag on Dougherty and his role in the masjid, but Dougherty casually steered the conversation to discuss the building of a new mosque in Auburn. "The new Islamic Center, we have a plan," Dougherty said. "We have a property of 5 acres south of town."
In the latest episode of Hell's Kitchen, Fernando Cruz made it through another week still in the game. The women were victorious in the first competition, winning the chance to meet Chef Dominique Chen. During the dinner service, both teams struggled. Fernando was preparing fish, and was chastised because it was overdone and dry. In the end, the losing team was the blue team because they finished with half of their team kicked out of the kitchen. The men nominated JR to be kicked out and Steve goes up for elimination. Chef Ramsay tells JR, "You cook like you've given up," before sending him on his way while Auburn's own, Fernando Cruz, stays in the competition.
Victoria's Secret in the Village Mall released a new style of pants, joggers, approximately two months ago. Joggers come in different materials and can be intended for a fancy event or a casual outing. In this case, they are made for working out or lounging. However, Victoria's Secret isn't the only brand to start selling joggers. This style of pants resembles what MC Hammer wore. They have a drawstring at the top, are baggier in the center and come in around the calf or ankles, depending on the length of the pants. Paige Hawke, sophomore in apparel merchandising, said she has seen brands, such as Neiman Marcus and Joie, selling them online and and at Forever 21 in Atlanta. "I know at Forever 21 they have a lot of patterned ones," Hawke said. "The ones I saw on Neiman Marcus were a solid, darker navy color and those looked like you could probably dress them up more." Anna Abernethy, sophomore in apparel design, is familiar with joggers because she has seen them outside of Auburn. "I'm from North Carolina, and some of my friends at home started wearing them toward the end of summer," Abernethy said. "My friends go to school all over, so they are in different places." While the style of the pants is the same, the look can vary. Hawke said they can be worn to lounge in or to dress up. "L.A. wears them in the lounge way, like out to lunch," Hawke said. "In New York, they would dress them up with the wedge and a nice top and then maybe belt it." The pants can be seen in different places all over the country. Bronte Taylor, senior in marketing, has worked at Victoria's Secret for a year and a half. Taylor said they have been selling joggers for about two months now. "They're just really comfy," Taylor said. "I don't see them becoming a fashion trend because they're not very flattering." Taylor said she thinks leggings are more flattering and more popular than joggers right now. When talking about the people who might be seen wearing joggers, Hawke said the funky look of the pants attracts a certain style of people to wear them. "I would say hipsters, people in a big city and a lot of New York fashion people wear them," Hawke said.
Spandex, bell-bottoms, Afros and big glasses are all trends that have come and gone and come again over the past century. One fashion trend back in the U.S., and more specifically on campus, is Birkenstocks. Birkenstock is a German company that manufactures shoes for men and women. Birkenstocks are receiving high praise from various patrons of the comfortable, yet stylish sandals. Lilly Woodruff, senior in apparel design, is intrigued by the brand and their appeal to such a wide demographic. "People in Europe haven't stopped wearing them because they are the most comfortable shoe," Woodruff said. "Fashion over there is a lot earlier than the U.S., especially a place like Auburn." Woodruff said the trend hasn't gone away overseas and people in the U.S. have started catching the trend again. "Someone may be wearing them for practical purposes and then someone else sees them as something they can throw on with anything, and before you know it, everybody's wearing them again," Woodruff said. Della Smith, junior at Lipscomb University, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has noticed the return of the Birkenstocks. "At first, I thought other people were trying to bring them back," Smith said. "Then, I realized more and more people wearing them around campus and just out. They really are in style now. I might get myself a pair." Birkenstocks certainly have made their way back into the wardrobes of students all over campus. The practicality and style are what lure the students in according to Woodruff. "I think the comfort in big, trendy places like Italy and New York, where people walk everywhere, a shoe like a Birkenstock makes sense," Woodruff said. "Then, you see them as cute and take an interest in the style." She also praised the company for diversifying their look over the years. "Birkenstock as a brand has done a great job of expanding their appeal," Woodruff said. "Last year, they came out with a gladiator style. I have been shocked at the number of compliments I receive every single time I wear mine." Margaret Manifold, junior in public relations, is skeptical about fads, but she thinks Birkenstocks are a trend that should stick around for a while. "I think trends are always being recycled, and you can either go right or wrong," Manifold said. "I know I want to order a pair, and I like that they have different styles." For a shoe that is known for its comfort, they are now a fashion statement. Patrons of the sandals may show others that they appreciate being comfortable and practical in their wardrobe choices. People who wear Birkenstocks are also into what is in style and know how to stay hip, yet casual, in the world of fashion and shoes.
After Auburn University experiences success in athletics, application rates tend to increase. Given the successful season experienced by Auburn's football team this past year, along with the hiring of new coaches in the athletic department, Auburn was bound to attract more aspiring students for fall 2014. According to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, the total number of students enrolled at Auburn this year has decreased from 24,864 to 24,469. However, the number of enrolled freshmen has increased. Although these freshmen make up a larger percentage of the undergraduate population, they maintain a similar presence on campus. According to Bethany Gunn, student employee in the Burton Hall Housing Office, 70 percent of students living on campus are freshmen. The influx of first-year students has pushed more freshmen off campus than ever before. There is a larger percentage of freshmen living off campus this year because Auburn does not have enough on-campus housing. Gunn said the increase wasn't too much of a dilemma in the Housing office. "We always have a waiting list and it was bigger this year," Gunn said. "It wasn't a huge problem. We were able to get most people moved on campus, but some just opted to live off campus, more than usual." Some freshmen living off campus for their first year may find it harder to meet new people, a reason often given for living in the dorms. However, participation in campus activities, such as Greek Life, has grown. Recruitment this year for the 17 on-campus sororities increased. While a typical pledge class has approximately 60 girls, the average size of a pledge class this year was approximately 70. Each girl going through recruitment is assigned to a small group led by a current sorority member known as a Pi Chi. Lauren Jones, Pi Chi, said she had seen a lot more freshman girls rushing. "There were around 200 more girls who went through Recruitment compared to last year, making the Pi Chi groups a little larger than usual," Jones said. "The pledge classes are also bigger than they normally are just because more people decided to go to Auburn this year." Although more girls went through, the percentage of girls who were placed in a sorority remained the same.