29 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/22/14 12:00pm)
One step on top of Auburn's seal, located in front of Langdon Hall, could leave you cursed forever.
According to Lisa McManus, sophomore in pre-communications disorders and vice president of Student Recruiters, the Auburn seal is one of the many myths and legends that have been told for years.
"If you step on the seal, there are three things that can happen to you," McManus said. "You won't graduate in four years...you won't find your soulmate at Auburn...and you will have seven generations of Alabama fans in your family."
McManus claims she has seen people step on the seal during her campus tours, even one of her friends accidentally has.
"One of my friends did step on it, and she's not married, and she's not graduating in four years," McManus said.
Taylor Akers, junior in communication, is one of the many student recruiters who tell such myths to visitors.
Akers questioned how the myths even came about.
"I don't think there's a pinpoint time in which the stories evolved or started," Akers said. "It's all kind of snowballed, especially with things like the story of War Eagle. There are so many different stories out there."
Whether or not the stories are true, students and visitors continue to delight in their tales.
The lathe is another popular legend that dates back to the Civil War.
It was originally used to manufacture cannons, but now resides as a war relic.
"The legend behind the lathe is that if an Auburn man is dating an Auburn women, and if he wants to see if she is a true woman he will bring her to the lathe at midnight, and he'll kiss her," Akers explained. "If the wheel of the lathe doesn't move then she is honest, fabulous and beautiful. The wheel never moves, ergo all Auburn women are wonderful, honest and beautiful."
Myths such as these show how deep-rooted Auburn University is in tradition, according to McManus.
"We have our game day traditions and all these great stories that you can tell," McManus said. "I think that's what really separates us apart from other universities. We have these binding stories and binding traditions that keep us together even though we are such a large university."
(04/18/14 1:15pm)
Clark Whittington, artist from Winston Salem, S.C., recently installed an Art-o-mat in the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
Art-o-mats are vintage cigarette machines that have been transformed into venders of handmade art.
For $5, one can purchase a token at the museum's gift shop to place in the Art-o-mat and choose a small piece of art.
Marilyn Laufer, director of Jule Collins Smith Museum, got in touch with Whittington about purchasing an Art-o-mat.
"For me, I love, even more than a cool machine that is all decked out, that he makes a very bold and very strong statement that art can be affordable," Laufer said. "Each one of those are handmade by an artist and for five dollars you will be able to have a real piece of art, and making it not only accessible because of the price range, but making it easily attainable as a vending machine."
Whittington invites all artists interested in submitting art to be sold in the Art-o-mats to contact him through his webpage.
All works of art are no bigger than a cigarette package and are wrapped in cellophane.
The art ranges from little objects to drawings to jewelry and more.
Laufer anticipates the Art-o-mat will have a longer situation than just the next exhibition in the museum.
"I don't know if it's a draw in and of itself," Laufner said. "Maybe in the first couple of months and weeks it'll be a curiosity kind of thing. I think eventually it'll be something that when you come to the museum you're going to say, 'What is that? Oh that's totally cool. I want one,' and participate."
Christine Meir, shop manager at Jule Collins Smith Museum, will be accessible to purchase tokens from for the machine.
"I think it's fantastic," Meir said. "I think it will be a lot of fun, and it will bring a lot of different art to a lot of people who might not ordinarily be able to purchase it."
According to Laufner, Whittington's Art-o-mats address a very wide and diverse.
"I think he is trying to make people aware that art is accessible and that you can easily own a real work of art," Laufner said. "I think that making them accessible through this kind of interaction eliminates a lot of the intimidation."
The machine will be up and running after Whittington gives a lecture at the museum, at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 10.
Cynthia Kristan-Graham, professor in art history, said she heard about the Art-o-mat and is curious to learn more about it.
"It seems like a unique opportunity to talk about commercialism and contemporary art and we are the first one in Alabama that's going to have it," Kristan-Graham said.
(04/16/14 4:57pm)
As I was walking around campus the other day I couldn't help but notice the amount of faces glued to their cell phones.
I could literally watch people I know walk by me without even looking up to notice me.
I will admit that I fall into this cell phone, crazed category, as well.
I too have walked into a few walls from time to time, because I have been utterly attached to looking at the screen of my phone.
It got me thinking about all the electronics that seem to consume our worlds.
iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, along with their social apps and websites, allow us to connect with one another without even having to see each other.
I feel as though these new technological advances have greatly distorted the meaning of verbal communication.
Although, don't get me wrong, these new innovations have their positives too.
I don't know how I would remain in contact with some of the people I've met over the years if it wasn't for Facebook, or how I would be able entertain myself through a boring class without texting a friend.
The truth is, we are too obsessed about missing out.
It seems every year Apple comes out with a new iPhone product that offers more perks and every year people are foaming at the mouth to get a hold of them.
Not only has the iPhone become today's main form of communicating but it has also developed into a way of living.
Cell phones can tell a lot about one's personality and motivations.
Going through one's cell phone would be like reading their journal.
Their texts, phone calls and recent Internet searches could reveal so much about what kind of social crowd they run with and the type of things they do.
People can create identities for themselves, the way they want others to perceive them, through apps such as Twitter, Instagram, Yik Yak, Tinder and even Snapchat.
They allow us to premeditate any conversation we have with someone, which can be a good thing at times, but isn't reality.
With all that said, I do see why I people ignore face-to-face contact when one could communicate to someone exactly how they want to, by means of a single cell phone.
Not to mention, it can be more convenient.
However, I believe there is something more meaningful about a conversation in person.
For me personally, I feel more in tune to what the other person is saying and feeling when I am talking to them from across a table.
Their body language, touch and non-verbal cues can tell me so much more about where the conversation is heading than an emoji in a text can.
I think there is something to be said about two people sharing words with one another in person.
It shows an effort to take the time to meet with them and is a sign of respect for that person.
(04/11/14 3:35am)
Seventeen sororities battled it out on the dance floor tonight in hopes of winning the 2014 Greek Sing competition.
Each sorority had to select a theme that went along with this year's slogan, "Dancing Through The Ages".
The event took place in the Auburn Arena at 7 p.m.
Greek Sing is put on every year to by Auburn's Panhellenic to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
Alexis Barranta, junior in public relations, is the Panhellenic president in charge of overseeing the entire event.
"This year we tried to reach our capital of $50,000 so the monetary goal should be coming in and totaled after this event," Barranta said.
One of the Panhellenic delegates helping out at the event, Rachel Silva, sophomore in nutrition science, liked that this event does more than just raise money.
"What we've done so far is send about 20 to 40 girls for three Saturdays to the Habitat for Humanity stores, so we could get hands-on volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity too," Silva said. "So we didn't just raise the money for it, we actually went over there and worked."
This year's top five finalists were Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, and Delta Delta Delta taking fifth place.
Mattie Schirle, sophomore in accounting, is one of the performers from the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
The girls have grown closer from all the practices over the past few months, according to Schirle.
"I was so nervous, especially being the last people to go," Schirle said. "We worked so hard and it definitely paid off."
Along with bringing together the Greek community and showing off their talents, Greek Sing is about something more, Barranta insists.
"It also shows that the Auburn community really does give back," Barranta said. "That's what this is all about, to give back to Habitat for Humanity from Auburn University."
(03/28/14 3:27am)
The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority hosted their 18th annual Big Man on Campus event tonight to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation and breast cancer education and awareness.
The event started at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Act.
Each Auburn sorority had to nominate a candidate to participate in the pageant.
The event started off with a dance routine performed by all the candidates, then a round of individual questions and ended with a talent portion.
Contestants have been practicing since the first week of February.
Camren Brantley-Rios, junior in public relations, was one of the candidates that represented the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
"I was very nervous for my dance because it was so challenging," Brantley-Rios said. "I got it from So You Think You Can Dance and it was one of the best hip-hop routines in the whole show, in its entirety. Really down to the last minute, we were freaking out."
Brantley-Ross ended up winning the pageant and taking home the crown.
"My best friend who is the philanthropy chair for Delta Delta Delta nominated me and I know how passionate she is about philanthropy so I thought I would do this in her honor," Brantley-Rios said.
Kelsey Branham, sophomore in physical therapy, was one of the Zeta Tau Alpha members working the event.
The Big Man on Campus event raised $200,000 in the past and they hope to meet that goal again, according to Branham.
"It gets fraternities involved, it gets people from non-Greek life and it gets everyone from every sorority involved," Branham said. "So, it really does bring everyone together to work towards a common goal."
Taylor Smith, junior in public relations, came to support her friend Matthew Ciuros, who represented the Sigma Kappa sorority.
"You get to meet a lot of different people from Auburn's community that you have never met before," Smith said. "I would definitely consider coming again. It was a lot of fun."
(03/26/14 7:15pm)
The College of Agriculture celebrated Ag Week today with a picnic in front of Comer Hall.
Sarah Stephenson, junior in poultry science, is one of the students who was in charge of the event.
"A lot of people don't know about Ag and all that it entails," Stephenson said. "Basically, we put on this big week where everybody gets to learn about agriculture and see what it looks like. Today is the Spring Ag Hill Picnic and this is a big day for us. We have a lot of faculty, staff and students that come out and purchase a picnic ticket. We thought a fun a way to do it, since it is on a Wednesday, is to bring a camel out here."
There has been a great turnout so far, according the Stephenson.
"We really promoted it on Twitter and out on the concourse, like hashtagging and all sorts of things like that," Stephenson said. "We brought him (camel) as a way to get people to come to the picnic. They'll see the #AgWeek on twitter and when they see all the stuff that's on there they'll learn a lot about agriculture and that's a cool thing for us."
Many students came to take pictures with the camel, which will be uploaded to the Auburn Agriculture Facebook page.
Anna Kincaid, sophomore in animal science, came out to support her friends working the event and was excited about the picnic.
"I came here to eat the food because it's catfish from Alabama and it's chicken from the poultry farm," Kincaid said. "I'm here supporting Ag. I wanted to come out and help too."
Lucy Riley, sophomore in human development and family studies, attended the Ag Week Picnic event for the first time.
"I will probably come again next year," Riley said.
(03/24/14 10:00pm)
The Committee of 19 will be displaying a representation of slum conditions in third world countries on the concourse March 24 through the 28.
Lydia Bowman, junior in biomedical sciences, is the secretary for the committee of 19 and is one of the workers for the event.
"We're trying to simulate what a slum life might be like in developing countries," Bowman said. "We have four different regions represented. We also have things like healthcare and sex trafficking being shown here. We're basically trying to educate Auburn students about how one billion people around the world live in conditions like these and how that's very related to the prevalence of hunger and other issues."
All of the proceeds will go to the East Alabama Food Bank, the Backpack Program.
Along with the Committee of 19, Servants In Faith and Technology (SIFAT) are also raising awareness about the slum conditions throughout the world.
Abbye Clevenger, an intern for SIFAT, worked at the event by selling fair trade products to raise money.
"SIFAT is an organization that exists to help community leaders meet their three basic needs of food, water and shelter, but also, they have program that help youth," Clevenger said. "We take them through assimilated slum and village and show them how the rest of the world lives."
So far, students have been responding well to the event, according to Bowman.
"I'm hoping more students can come by and actually talk to us so we can give them our flyers and tell them more information about it," Bowman said.
(03/06/14 8:30pm)
Jade Whitaker, junior in biomedical sciences and president of Operation Smile, is changing lives one smile at a time.
Last year, Whitaker established Operation Smile on Auburn's campus.
"When I did research and realized I could bring it to Auburn's campus, I just thought, 'why not,'" Whitaker said. "I know there have to be other people who are really passionate about it too."
Operation Smile began in Virginia and has expanded to high schools and colleges throughout the country.
Sarah Whitmore, junior in biomedical science, helped Whitaker get the club running at the University and serves as the vice president.
"Operation Smile is actually a worldwide organization that provides free surgeries for kids and adults who don't have access to healthcare and can't afford surgeries," Whitmore said. "So, the club itself is really to raise awareness of the organization and also to raise money for them."
Whitmore planned their fall benefit concert last semester, which raised $2,298.
"I learned how good people can be," Whitmore said. "People would donate a full surgery that night, and people were very eager to sign up and sing for the concert."
Whitaker said she believes the fundraiser was a success and plans to have an open mic night benefit later in March.
"We raised a little over $2,200, and that was really huge considering it was our first event ever as an organization," Whitaker said. "We raised enough for 13 kids to get free surgeries. We are typically going to have one major event and then small events here and there."
Because the club has only been on campus for a year, many people are not aware of it.
Whitaker said the club is in the process of figuring out how they can reach out to the student population and expand.
Michael Kelley, freshman in architecture, has been involved with the national organization for five years.
Kelley said every student has an opportunity to attend the organization's national conference and apply for mission trainings.
"There are a lot more opportunities to give back than other clubs because you can actually travel to the people you're helping in developing countries and it's very hands on," Kelley said.
Any student is welcome to join the Operation Smile organization.
Operation Smile holds meetings every other Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Student Center.
"People don't really realize a smile is a huge thing and that's what people look at when they see you," Whitaker said. "Being able to provide a smile and change the way people live is awesome and I think that's a cool part of this organization."
(03/01/14 4:40am)
One in six people in the United States go hungry every night, according to Mollie Dykes, mobile marketing representative with the Hunger U Tours.
The Hunger U Tours travel form campus to campus visiting with college students, to bring awareness about the worldwide hunger crisis.
"All of us at universities across the nation may not realize the person siting beside us in a class doesn't know where their next meal is coming from, and that is really sad for me," Dykes said. "I went to a great huge university and I didn't realize until I joined this organization that there were quite a few people at my own university that didn't have a meal."
The Spring 2014 tour kicked off at Auburn University February 27 and will last until February 29.
The Hunger U Tour bus will be set up on the green space form 9 am to 3pm and is open to anyone who is interested.
Anna Leigh Peek, senior in agriculture communications, attended the event and believes Auburn has done a good job at raising awareness for hunger.
"I understand the importance of farming," Peek said. "If we don't have people growing our food for our nation, then we will have more hungry people. I definitely want to be involved in helping relieve hunger by growing food and by helping other people understand the importance of agriculture and of hunger issues."
This organization sets them apart from other organizations because they focus on promoting the hunger facts for students, asserted Dykes.
"You can't bring any change if they don't know the problem is there," Dykes said. "We just try to inspire some forward action and hopefully they will step up and do something, whether that is donating to a local food drive, joining their campus kitchen, or maybe doing something as large as the peace core. Every little step will help with this crisis."
Sarah Templin, freshman in political science and economics, agrees that hunger is a big issue people need to come to terms with.
"We go about our days eating and not really being aware that other people don't have food, Templin said. "Having constant awareness will make people more likely to help the cause."
(02/22/14 4:15pm)
The general perception may be that utilizing online test banks are a form of cheating. The truth? As long as graded tests weren't stolen and were handed back to students by professors, they're completely legal.
In recent years, students are utilizing online test banks as a study tool, and, as a result, more websites are being created for this purpose.
Bobby Douglass, senior in civil engineering, has played a central role in the making of one of these online test banks, auburntestbanks.com.
After talking the idea over with his brother-in-law, with whom he co-founded the website, they decided to implement an interactive software that allow students to take tests.
"I am in a fraternity, and my fraternity never had a test bank or anything like that," Douglass said. "Through social networking, I would always try for some of the more major classes, like the History 1010. I never had a golden test bank to go through and rely on or anything of that sort."
Other students in fraternities and sororities often have access to another form of online test banks that allow them to view PDF files.
Tatum Brown, sophomore in pre-pharmacy, said she heard about a test bank website through her sorority and has used the test bank to prepare for some of her classes.
"I've had an exam that was similar in the format, but not really the same questions," Brown said. "My biology teacher last year actually copied a lot of the same questions, so it was helpful to use an online test bank."
While Brown found access to the online test banks helpful, some professors say the usage of these test aren't always an accurate way of studying.
"To a great standard, it doesn't help them that much if they have my old exams, but I don't turn my exams loose anyway," said Joseph Vonasek, assistant professor in political science.
"I'll go over them with a student if they want to see how they did on a particular question," Vonasek said. You can come to my office, and I will whip it out and show it to you and explain why you got graded the way you did."
Kathryn Davidson, sophomore in nutrition and diabetics, also said the idea of test banks take away from the learning aspect of going to class.
"When I used it for biology I basically just memorized every question on it," Davison said. "So it's more memorization, not really learning."
Some students also assert that the availability of test banks encourage the tendency to skip classes.
"I think it gives people a reason not to go to classes," Brown said. "I used to never go to biology because all you had to do was study the old tests and you would make an A on the tests."
Culture among college-level students today demands more than generations in the past. They're expected not only to attain a 4.0 GPA, but also involve themselves in extracurricular activities while maintaining a social life.
The combination of these expectations may limit the time students have for studying, making test banks an appealing alternative to studying.However, Vonasek said test preparation should be one of the main objectives of attending college.
"I would insist that the objective of going to college at all is to get an education," Vonasek said. "The [studying aspect of the] testing process is part of that."
(02/19/14 1:15am)
Gloria Steinem, renowned national activist, spoke at the Extraordinary Women's Lecture series, Feb. 18, in the Auburn Hotel.
The Women's Leadership Institute and the Women's Studies Program present the Extraordinary Women's Lecture series every year.
Steinem emphasized the importance of eliminating societies' hierarchies and demolishing violence against women.
Steinem hoped listeners would leave feeling inspired to make a change.
"We think change comes from the top and not the bottom," Steinem said. "Change is like a tree. It does come from the bottom."
Susana Morris, associate professor in English, believes there needs to be more events of this kind.
"I think that there is a hunger at Auburn University for this kind of programming, for this kind of scholarship and activism," Morris said.
Eesha Pandit, feminist Auburn resident, has been to the Extraordinary Women Lecture series in the past and has participated in one before.
There was a good turn out, according to Pandit.
"I was really surprised by how many students were in the audience and how many great diverse questions they had," Pandit said. "There was a question about autism. There was a question about movement. There was a question about electoral politics."
Students, such as Julia Meadows, junior in communications, were encouraged by their professors to attend Steinem's lecture.
"I think that we are part of such a conservative campus and I think that it is important for us to realize, not only different view points, but to further establish our own viewpoints," Meadows said. "I think that by hearing people like her, who are revolutionary in the time period of Women's Rights, it can only closer your own view."
Meadows believes there is a special message to take away from Steinem's lecture.
"I think that we're the source of our own empowerment," Meadows said. "We are the beginning of the end to the problems that we are facing. Once we take initiative, we can move forward."
(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.
(02/17/14 7:40pm)
Female students on Auburn's campus are given the opportunity to help guide middle and high school girls into becoming young women every day.
The Auburn University's Women's Resource Center developed a research-based mentoring program called the Young Women's Leadership Program in 2010.
Each woman involved in the program is paired with one middle school girl from Auburn Junior High School or Loachapoka High School.
'Big sisters' are required to meet with their 'little sister' at least once week for a minimum of one hour.
However, many times, students like Megan Skipper, sophomore in human development and family studies, visit with their 'littles' above the required meeting hours.
"I'll meet with her twice a week, maybe about two hours each time, and that is in addition to the time we spend together at the junior high school, with the other big and littles in the program," Skipper said.
Through activities, mentors are able to help their mentees with the everyday challenges dealing with family, friends, relationships and peer pressure.
Ashley Edwards, junior in social work, has been involved in the Young Women's Leadership Program for two years.
"The things that we teach them are things that I never knew," Edwards said. "So, I learn a lot from the curriculum, such as how to solve conflicts and how to deal with messy relationships."
While the program benefits middle school girls by helping their transition into becoming a young woman, it is also a great opportunity for Auburn's college students to grow.
"I have been involved with this a whole semester now, and I've already seen a few changes in myself, in my leadership abilities and how I talk to people," Skipper said. "Also, the friendships that you make are just incredible and long lasting."
According to Edwards, the program is beneficial to the community as a whole because it provides outreach to at-risk adolescents, virtually at no cost.
"Another thing you wouldn't expect to gain by being involved in this program is an awesome support group of people who attend Auburn too," Skipper said.
Many of the college students already involved in the program hope to continue with it in the future.
The Young Women's Leadership Program also allows graduate assistants to engage in the program.
"I would love to still be an instrumental part of this program," Skipper said. "If that were in the plans and worked out for me, I would love to continue my involvement with the program."
To read more about the Young Women's Leadership Program visit ThePlainsman.com.
(02/13/14 12:00pm)
Gloria Steinem, activist and author, came to Auburn to give a lecture in the seventies and is returning Feb. 18 to kick off the fifth annual Extraordinary Women Lecture series as part of Auburn University's Women's Studies Program.
"Gloria Steinem is probably the most influential woman in the United States," said Barbara Baker, executive editor of the Women's Leadership Institute. "She has been for my entire lifetime and I'm not young. Really, she is a key figure in a struggle for equality for all people. She has worked in every facet of all race, gender and every other kind of inequality you can think of for 50 to 60 years."
The lecture will take place at the Auburn Hotel in the Dixon Conference Center at 4 p.m. and is open to the general public.
The first woman to ever speak at Auburn's Extraordinary Women Lecture series, Leslie Kennedy, was an Auburn graduate and the first woman three-star general in the United States Air Force.
"Our lecture series has been a trajectory," Baker said.
Since then, Lily Ledbetter, woman's right activist who the Fair Pay Act is named after; Marie Wilson, founder and president of the White House Project; and Maya Angelou, renowned author and poet, have all come to Auburn to partake in the lecture series.
"This year our goal was to bring as many of the units across campus together, as we could," Baker said. "We wanted to see if we could get everybody on board together to get behind somebody. So we got somebody that really has a super indisputable reputation as a national icon and legendary figure."
Steinem is the co-founder of Ms. Magazine, the Women's Media Center, and the National Women's Political Caucus, among other foundations.
Steinem has also received numerous awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and written five books, with As If Women Matter, being the latest.
"What I think the catch here is, you have the opportunity to be in the presence of an absolute legend, an icon, somebody that not everybody gets to be in the presence of everyday of the week," Baker said.
Mary Elizabeth Woodward, junior in hotel and restaurant management, serves as a mentee for the Women's Philanthropy board and attends similar lectures and luncheons offered by the Women's Studies Program.
"I think they're very beneficial," Woodward said. "It's really awesome that we have the opportunity, as students, to hear from all these really cool people who make a difference, through all these different programs that Auburn offers."
Students such as Lauren Romano, sophomore in elementary education, heard about the lecture series through her professor in in her human developmental life studies class.
According to Romano, most of her class will be attending the lecture.
"We how families and relationships work,"
(02/06/14 1:05pm)
Female students on Auburn's campus are given the opportunity to help guide middle school girls into becoming young women every day.
The Auburn University's Women's Resource Center developed a research-based mentoring program called the Young Women's Leadership Program in 2010.
Each woman involved in the program is paired with one middle school girl from either Auburn Junior High School or Loachapoka High School.
"Big sisters" are required to meet with their "little sister" at least once week for a minimum of one hour.
However, many times, students like Megan Skipper, sophomore in human development and family studies, visit with their littles above the required meeting hours.
"I'll meet with her twice a week, maybe about two hours each time, and that is in addition to the time we spend together at the junior high school, with the other big and littles in the program," Skipper said.
During their time together, many big and little sisters enjoy doing things such as walk around Auburn's campus, get ice cream and shop for clothes.
Through these activities, mentors are given the chance to get to know their mentees and are able to help with the everyday challenges these young girls face with family, friends, relationships, peer pressure and more.
Ashley Edwards, junior in social work, has been involved in the Young Women's Leadership Program for two years.
"The things that we teach them are things that I never knew," Edwards said. "So, I learn a lot from the curriculum, as well, like how to solve conflicts and how to deal with messy relationships. It's so applicable to our lives, even being so far removed from middle school."
Along with one-on-one mentoring, there are group-based activities, as well.
Every year, the program funds an all-day ropes course where college students and middle school students overcome the course by working together and building each other's confidence.
While the program benefits middle school girls by helping their transition into becoming a young woman, it is also a great opportunity for Auburn's college students to grow.
"I have been involved with this a whole semester now and I've already seen a few changes in myself, in my leadership abilities and how I talk to people," Skipper said. "Also, the friendships that you make are just incredible and long lasting."
According to Edwards, the program is beneficial to the community as a whole because it provides outreach to at risk adolescents, virtually at no cost.
"Another thing you wouldn't expect to gain by being involved in this program is an awesome support group of people who attend auburn too," Skipper said. "I've made awesome friends who are so supportive. I've met some of my best friends through this program. It's definitely a great thing to be involved in."
When other female students, who are not currently involved in the program, were asked if they could see themselves being a part of the program, the responses were positive.
"I think the program would be beneficial, but only if the middle school girls want a mentor," said Mary Cameron Faison, sophomore in elementary education. "Older girls can offer a lot of knowledge to younger girls if they are willing to listen."
Many of the college students already involved in the program hope to continue
mentoring young girls in the future.
The Young Women's Leadership Program also allows graduate assistants to engage in the program.
"Depending on where I end up at grad school, I would love to still be an instrumental part of this program," Skipper said. "If that were in the plans and worked out for me, I would love to continue my involvement with the program."
(01/27/14 9:07pm)
Many people know about the free transportation the Tiger Transit and the Security Shuttle Auburn University offers to its students, but many people seem to overlook another free source of transportation.
Gotcha Ride provides custom-made golf carts that aid to college students, completely free of charge. The company originated at Florida State University five years ago and has been around in Auburn for the past three years.
Gotcha Ride services are also now located at Georgia Tech, the University of Alabama, Clemson University, North Carolina State and plan to continue spreading.
The advertisements that cover the outside of the carts funds for the business and is what allows the rides to be free.
Tom Hopf, senior in accounting, is the manager for Gotcha Ride at Auburn and has been driving for Gotcha Ride for two and half years.
"We can wrap the entire vehicle with a sponsor," Hopf said. "We also have TV sets on the back of headrests that show advertisements."
There are currently three carts available for Auburn students to use during the day and night.
The cart runs Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Our busiest times are definitely at night on Wednesday and Friday," Hopf said. "Probably from 10 p.m. at night until the end of the night, it stays pretty steady."
Football weekends are known to be the most chaotic for Gotcha Ride, according to Hopf, and receive around 80 calls during game days.
Gotcha Rides are able to go anywhere where the speed limit does not exceed 35 mph.
The carts are able to hold up to five people at a time and even supply seat belts.
"They are golf carts and we want to make sure we stay safe on the road," Hopf said.
Every driver must be at least 21 years old and is required to have a background check to make sure they have not had any incidents in the past three years.
Patrick Craig Stewart, sophomore in engineering, experienced his first ride in a Gotcha cart on Wednesday afternoon.
"I've heard of them before," Stewart said. "I would definitely use it, provided it was immediately in sight. It wouldn't necessarily be my first thought when I needed to call something."
This semester is the first time Gotcha Ride has provided rides for students during the day fulltime.
They have had 40-50 customers per day, so far, according to Hopf.
"We're hoping it'll pick up the more people realize that it is free," Hopf said. "Hopefully we can start going further out, than just campus. So far most of the rides are just between buildings on campus. We can actually pick people up and bring them to class."
Many people that have heard about Gotcha Ride, but have not used it find it hard to believe that it is free.
Alex Jardine, freshman in business, along with a friend, came across a Gotcha Ride Wednesday night for the first time.
"We know what it is, but we don't really use it," Jardine said. "We haven't really heard much about it. If I had the number and I knew all about it, I would use it. I thought there was a catch at first, honestly."
Auburn's Gotcha Ride service is looking to make future upgrades.
They are going to be purchasing a whole new fleet of carts and will be hiring more drivers.
(01/16/14 5:18am)
The Provost's Office held an open forum and panel discussion at the Auburn Hotel and Dixon Conference Center, Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. .
The event covered and discussed Auburn's strategic budgeting initiative. The four panelists were comprised of academic and administrative leaders from other universities who've accepted similar budget review procedures to Auburn.
David Biedenbach, assistant vice president for university financial planning and budgeting at Iowa State University; Matt Fajack, vice president and chief financial officer for the University of Florida; Dennis Irwin, dean and moss professor engineering education at Ohio University and Lisa Wilson, associate Provost for finance and operations at the University of Kentucky, all spoke on behalf of their university's current budget models.
Timothy Boosinger, Provost and vice president of Auburn's Academic Affairs, opened the forum with the Auburn Office of Provost's objective for the budget model.
"Our goal is to engage our budget, to enhance our budget process to strengthen our programs," Bossinger said. "However, in doing so, we will not compromise our institution's mission. Instead, we will increase efficiency of our units in identifying more resources for faculty and staff."
Following Boosinger, Andrew Law from the Huron Consulting Group briefly explained the process of how Auburn's prior budgeting model led to its current problems today.
"We need a model that places incentives on enrollment and get more people involved in enrollment," Law said.
Many of Auburn's high-costs areas were experiencing the fastest enrollment growth, and two of Auburn's larger areas, which were of low costs, were contracting, according to Law.
"With respect to research productivity, we were below where we wanted to be in a number of areas," Law said. "We were also investing less in research, infrastructure and support in many of our peer institutions that we looked at".
Law also said there were areas within Auburn's administration where over-prioritizing of investments, as well as under-prioritizing, took place, with respect to what Auburn's peers have done.
With Auburn's new budget model, and the four panelists' budget models, there are five general aspects that seem to rise to the top.
Each model aims to address a change in the culture decision-making, add more methodology and justification into research allocation decisions, promote incentives, to grow revenue and to add transparency.
Auburn's new budget model will be discussed among all of the deans tomorrow afternoon, and a decision will be made after their meeting as to whether or not to move forward with the latest budget model.
(01/13/14 6:38pm)
Last year, RCS Chemical Solutions donated $50,000 to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in order to fund a new minor and scholarship support.
The donation was announced on December 13, 2013.
"The minor started because people in the industry wanted undergraduates to have a background in this area," Robert Jackson, associate professor in mechanical engineering, said. "There's really no one coming out with that in their education right now, especially at the undergraduate level."
The new tribology minor specializes in the study of contact, friction, wear and lubrication of surfaces.
In today's world, two main ongoing concerns are energy efficiency and global warming.
Tribology has a direct impact on both of these points.
"We can design lubricants that will allow equipment to run more efficiently, therefore saving fuel," Auburn alumni, Ralph Beard, global technical and business development manager of Lubricant Additives, said. "And if we save fuel, we reduce carbon footprints."
Auburn is the first university, nationally, to incorporate a tribology minor into their program.
"It's a difficult science to teach at the undergraduate level, because most universities have not figured out how to get different schools talking to each other," Beard said. "It is new and it is unique. There is nothing else like it anywhere in the entire western hemisphere."
There was not a demand or need for the universities to teach tribology, until now, according to Beard.
Today, many of the workers in industry businesses with knowledge of how tribology works, are retiring, leaving no one to train incoming employees.
"It's everywhere," Jackson said. "It's in every industry. It often gets overlooked because it's very multidisciplinary in nature and that's why we created the minor."
The few students, thus far, who have taken an interest in tribology, are helping to build a bridge between the different colleges of COSAM (college of science and mathematics) and the engineering school.
"What Dr. Jackson is trying to do, and what I think a lot of people are now realizing, is get a lot of the other majors that can get involved in tribology, to try it," William Ferguson, senior in mechanical engineering with a minor in tribology, said. "Chemistry majors shouldn't be afraid of mechanical classes because he's (Jackson) not going to let you fail. He's going to help you out and if you don't know the basics, he's going to teach it to you first."
The college of engineering is looking for more students to get involved.
Although most of the people who work in it are mechanical engineers, the minor also calls for other numerous fields to participate.
There are people in chemical engineering, material science, physics, chemistry, and many different kinds of fields that are able to minor in tribology.
"We're really trying to find more students to get involved in the minor," Jackson said. "It's a pretty exciting area. I think it's a good thing to get into to build a promising career off of."
The hopes for more support from alumni and from companies who have an interest in the area are still high and the search for more students continue.
"Auburn is at the forefront now in terms of being able to create value around the world with this education program," Beard said. "It's going to benefit auburn by giving auburn students an opportunity to lead an industry that needs new leaders."
There is a tribology minor industry open house coming up in March where guests are able to meet with industry leaders and future employees.
For more information regarding the tribology minor, visit the Auburn University website and look under the College of Engineering.
(11/21/13 4:20am)
A new walkway was built for the College of Veterinary Medicine's Southeastern Raptor Center to allow more people to be able to visit the birds at the center.
Undergraduate students from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction spent two weeks working with one another to rid the walkway of gravel by replacing it with previously used cement.
Marianne Hudson, assistant director of raptor training and educations said she noticed the problems with the gravel path at the center.
"Our walkway, up until now, has been large gravel rocks," Hudson said. "These gravel rocks have caused issues for some of our visitors.
Hudson said wheelchairs had difficulty navigating the rocks and so did mothers with infants in strollers and the rocks were too deep and large for wheeled vehicles to be able to navigate
Michael Hein, professor in the School of Building Science, paired with Auburn Facilities Division and private contractors to prepare the site.
Hein led many service learning projects throughout the years and said he felt this project taught him more about the environment.
"It is a way I can continue to use my expertise in engineering to help the environment," Hein said.
For this walkway, previous concrete was used in effort to go greener.
"It has been classified as a green pavement. The EPA has approved it as a best management practice when dealing with storm water," Hein said.
The previous concrete allows for water from storms to soak back into the ground instead of rushing down drains, carrying heavy metals and other destructive substances with it.
Approximately 30 undergraduate students alternated three-hour shifts in order to get the building of the walkway.
After preparing the framework, the graduate students straightened the 340-foot-long, 6.5-foot-wide railroad ties.
John Young, senior in building science, was one of the students working on the site.
"If anything, getting a hands-on experience really makes you respect the people that do this kind of work for a living," Young said. "It's definitely beneficial."
The walkway was completed Nov. 8, and open for tours shortly after.
"Everything went very smoothly," Hudson said. "There will be absolutely no problem now with wheelchairs and strollers and even the elderly to keep their footing on our new substrate."
Young said he saw the project as a success.
"If we are going to do a project, we are doing it for the University, and so we feel like we're helping out," Young said.
(11/19/13 4:58am)
Auburn's Delta Sigma Phi fraternity held the 2013 Miss Fall Rush pageant Monday, Nov. 18, in the Auburn Arena.
After the deliberation, the hosts announced Molly Pinnix, freshman in communication and member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, was crowned Auburn's 2013 Miss Fall Rush.
The event started at 7 p.m. and all going to benefit Delta Sigma Phi's philanthropy, March of Dimes.
There were 17 contestants competing against one another, each representing one of Auburn's sororities.
The contestants kicked off the pageant with a choreographed dance, as the opening act.
They were judged based off the three main events that took place during the pageant; game day wear, the talent competition and evening wear.
One of the contestants, Lizzie McLendon, freshman in biomedical science, was supporting the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
McLendon said she was a nervous going into the pageant, but ended up have a great time.
They spent many hours working to prepare for the pageant.
"We started working on it at the end of September," McLendon said. "We've been meeting twice a week, every week."
Supporting the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Macy Lang, freshman in pre nursing, was another contestant that was little nervous going into the competition.
"I was really nervous we were all going to be competitive, but we have all just been so loving towards each other and have supported each other through all of it," Lang said. "I'm just so blessed to have them in my life now."
The pageant raised $10,000 for the March of Dimes association.