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(04/24/14 8:45pm)
Cliches are cliches for a reason. They're overused because they're true. So when I incorporate the cliche "blood, sweat and tears" to describe the effort we put into producing The Auburn Plainsman this year, I incorporate it because it's nothing short of the truth.
We've sacrificed regular sleeping hours, our social lives and, many times, our grades to create the best product we could. But, this isn't about us. It's about you, our readers.
All of the work we've done (and will continue to do) is done to serve the Auburn community. Take Tuesday, April 15, for example. We didn't care about sleeping, getting our school work done or putting the print product of The Plainsman together when news broke about a threat to our campus.
We cared about providing our readers with as much information as we could get our hands on. That night, I knew we would work until there was nothing left to report, and that our readers would follow us through that process.
So, while this year's staff deserves my overwhelming gratitude for putting their all into The Plainsman, you deserve my deepest thanks for supporting our work.
Thank you for reading what we write. Thank you for caring enough to stay informed. And thank you for letting us know when you think we could be doing a better job.
I've learned more from serving one year as editor than I have in the first three years of my college career combined, and your feedback has been a vital part of that.
I hope our work here has helped you learn something you didn't know either.
My time at The Plainsman is coming to an end, but The Plainsman itself is not. This newspaper is powered by the strength and talent of Auburn students who take their responsibility as Plainsman staffers seriously. Part of our duty is to challenge Auburn in hopes of bettering it.
I encourage all of you to join us in that challenge. Challenge yourselves, challenge each other and challenge us to perform at a level of excellency.
If nothing else, challenge yourself to stay informed about what's going on at Auburn University through The Plainsman.
It's only through this constant challenging that we'll truly foster a spirit that is not afraid.
The saying goes to leave a place better than how you found it. I'm not sure if I've succeeded in this at The Plainsman, but I've sure enjoyed the hell out of trying.
(04/17/14 6:45pm)
After The Wall Street Journal dropped its investigative opinion piece about Auburn four months ago, we began receiving messages from our readers. Both emails and written letters came to our inboxes and desks, asking if we could confirm what WSJ wrote was true.
The story that ran on our front page is not about proving who is innocent and who is guilty. The purpose of this editorial is to take a look at the University's justice system and report what we found.
Did anything illegal happen within the justice system at Auburn University? No. In fact, the University seems to be exhausting itself in an attempt to meet all of the Title IX regulations set before it.
Did anything unethical happen? We don't think Auburn has purposefully wronged students - both those going before the student discipline committee and those serving on it. We do, however, think that in an effort to keep the image of the University clean, they have negotiated the rights to those accused of crimes and alleged victims that go through this system.
Our first request from the University is to abolish the practice of holding these hearings behind closed doors. We ask that one member of the student press be allowed access to report on student discipline hearings that would be considered a felony if tried in court. This provision would provide transparency among University administration, as well as hold committee members presiding over a case accountable.
If allowed to report on these hearings, we would adhere to the journalistic industry standard of keeping the names of alleged victims private.
We know that the allowance of a reporter into a student disciplinary hearing is not unheard of, as both the University of Alabama and the University of North Carolina make provisions for so within their respective codes of conduct.
This would not be a violation of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (a Federal law that protects students' privacy and educational records) as this act does not protect the identities of students found liable for a violent crime.
Our second request is for an overhaul of how students and faculty members who serve on the Student Discipline Committee are trained. We ask that all members have thorough understanding of legal proceedings before being allowed to hear a Student Discipline Case.
Another possible solution would be have an administrative law judge, who is a legally trained hearing officer for felony like charges, serve as the committee chair for any forthcoming infractions that would be considered a felony case in a court of law.
Lastly, we ask the University to do everything in its power to allow legal advisers to represent their clients in Student Discipline Hearings that are judging felony level infractions. We were baffled at the blatant lack of efficiency and fairness that ensues when defendants and plaintiffs are left to call and cross examine their own witnesses, present their own evidence and give their own opening and closing statements.
Even if this requires Alabama senators to pass a law protecting the right to counsel in Student Discipline settings, which has recently been the case in North Carolina, we think it is of the utmost importance that these steps be taken.
Overall, our requests are simple. All we ask is the University protect two of our most basic rights: the right to a fair trial and our freedom of speech.
(04/17/14 2:15pm)
Joshua Strange was a junior studying political science at Auburn University when he was expelled for sexual assault charges in November 2011.
At the time of his expulsion, Strange had two criminal charges pending against him: a misdemeanor for a third-degree assault and a felony for first-degree sodomy, according to his court-obtained defendant history.
After his expulsion, both of the charges were dropped.
Strange's case thrust the University into public light after The Wall Street Journal published an investigative opinion piece Dec. 6, 2013 about his situation. Titled "An Education in College Justice," by James Taranto, it accuses the University of wrongly convicting Strange.
Taranto attributes the expulsion to University administrators giving into pressures from Congress, which he reports threatened to revoke funding from public universities if they did not take a strict enough stance with Title IX infractions.
Title IX is a part of the 1972 education amendments and is most known for enforcing sexual equality within collegiate athletics. Its reach stretches beyond that, however, and addresses 10 major areas within a federally funded educational program that could be vulnerable to sexual discrimination. One of these key areas is sexual harassment. Of all the areas Title IX covers, the issue of sexual harassment has recently received the most attention from the media.
On Friday, April 11, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the University of Missouri failed to act on information about the sexual assault of Sasha Menu Courey, who was a swimmer at Missouri. Courey committed suicide 15 months after she was allegedly raped by two football players during her freshman year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri lacked a policy for reporting sexual assault allegations, which is a requirement under federal guidelines.
On Friday, April 4, USA TODAY reported the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Florida State University. USA TODAY reported an FSU student said she was raped by Winston on Dec. 7, 2013, but the university allowed a lengthy delay to occur before conducting an investigation. OCR will investigate whether FSU's handling of the Jameis Winston rape allegations violated Title IX laws. Winston was a favorite for Heisman trophy winner, which he ultimately won.
The New York Times also published an article on Wednesday, April 16, detailing discrepancies with FSU and the legal system that occurred during the Winston case.
While other universities are being investigated for not complying with Title IX regulations, the attention has turned to Auburn for possibly expelling a student without just cause.
(04/16/14 3:31am)
UPDATE: April 16, 2014 at 4:01 p.m.
(03/23/14 2:15pm)
Chloe Covin clearly remembers the moments after she woke up from her brain surgery.
"It was a 9-hour procedure, and, as soon as the anesthesia wore off, I woke up and was trying to sit up," Chloe said. "I kept trying to get up and tell them I had to go to the bathroom. They had to put restraints on me because I was trying to get out of the bed."
At 10 years old, Chloe was diagnosed with a golf ball-sized tumor located in her frontal lobe, right next to her brain stem. The malignant tumor was successfully removed, but 12 years later she was still suffering from its after effects.
"A few years ago, I started having extreme migraines and occasionally had seizures," Chloe said. "When I went to the doctor for that, they put me on muscle relaxers and anti-convulsants, which I took every day for about a month. I became such a zombie and (was) so miserable."
The medication Chloe took for her seizure compromised overwhelming parts of her life. She couldn't drive. She couldn't even be alone with the children she was hired to nanny.
"I think [the seizures] were the last straw for her to go try something completely new and different," said Becca Covin, Chloe's older sister.
To Chloe, something new and different meant enrolling in a raw food nutrition school--a 10-day intensive course that would teach her the ins and outs of healthy living. But the education wasn't just about learning better eating habits. It was designed to heal. Part of that process was ridding the body of everything it didn't need.
"I detoxed like crazy for like the first five days I was there," Chloe said. "I was very addicted to caffeine. It was like coming off hardcore drugs. I felt crappy. That's the best way I can describe it. I just felt like crap all over for like the first five days, and then, on day six, I woke up, and I was glowing. Best I ever felt."
The release Chloe experienced, however, was not purely a physical process.
"It's almost more emotional than it is physical," Chloe said. "There were a lot of things I had to let go of. For instance, being frustrated with the doctor who put me on medicine that didn't make me feel good and being told that the brain tumor that I had was malignant and then it wasn't, and just how tough it was to be in fifth grade and not have hair."
Before undergoing her dietary transformation, Chloe had begun using only all natural methods to treat her seizures and migraines. After attending the raw food school, she revised the way she ate and how she viewed health completely. After making these transitions, Chloe's symptoms have nearly disappeared.
"I've seen a drastic change in her [health,]" Becca said. "Her seizures that she was having were the last straw to get her to go to [the raw foods] school. She changed her diet completely and changed all her habits. I don't think that I have heard of her being sick or any of the things that she used to deal with since then."
One of the all-natural treatments she used to treat herself was a homemade combination of herbs and bath salts.
After experiencing some success packaging and selling all-natural dog treats, Chloe realized she could do the same with her bath salt treatment. Her line of products has grown from there, encompassing chapsticks, lotions, body scrubs and more that she creates with usually no more than six ingredients.
"She kind of uses me and my roommate as testers of things," said Megan Crowe, a friend of Chloe's. "We'll tell her what we really want out of products, and she'll just make it the next day."
However, Chloe's products only form part of a grander plan she wants to pursue. While the raw foods school she attended taught her about healthy living, it came at a hefty price. The high enrollment fee allowed her to realize the information could be distributed to those in need at a lower cost.
Because of this, Chloe hopes to start a website where she can distribute information about different healthy living topics, such as super foods and toxicity issues.
"My greatest desire is to spread information and empower people to decide what they want to do and just let people know there are other options [than traditional drugs,]" Chloe said. "I'd love to be able to travel and speak and give classes or just whatever it may be, but I just see these products as a launching pad for that."
Chloe's products will be on sale Monday, March 24, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mama's Market in the Mama Mocha location of The Hound. The market will also feature other local vendors.
(03/11/14 1:00pm)
Tim Cook enters a dimly lit private room in The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. The room is part of the hotel's restaurant, outfitted with two long dining tables with placemats set at each spot. He pauses in the doorway and says, "Let's go get some coffee."
His transitions lenses change from clear spectacles to a pair of shades as he strolls down College Street the Saturday before spring break.
The Apple CEO and 1982 Auburn graduate is on an abbreviated visit to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alumni Association. He's already made use of his time, commenting on how still campus was the night before and how impressed he is with the new Recreation and Wellness Center.
Once he arrives at the Wake Up Coffee Company, Cook settles into a leather chair. Sitting cross-legged in faded blue jeans, Cook appears at ease in the town of his alma mater.
"I get flooded with memories when I come back [to Auburn]," Cook said. "It always gets overwhelming."
He sips on a black hand-brewed coffee from Bali and continues speaking at a metered pace about his time during undergrad.
"I played intramural softball. I was on a great team. We won very few games, but it was a lot of fun."
He recalls working on UPC, selecting entertainment and showing movies at Langdon Hall, which he glances at through the coffee shop window.
But the mark Cook left on the University extends beyond extracurricular activities or receiving a diploma in cap and gown.
Seventeen years after his graduation, Cook's field of study, industrial engineering, faced the possibility of being shut down.
At the same time, Dr. Alice Smith arrived as the program's new department head. One of the first moves she made to revitalize the program was to form an alumni advisory board. The initial group that served on the board chose Cook as its chair.
Cook acknowledged his duty as the board's chair was simply to advise. He likened it sitting shotgun, or sometimes in the backseat, but never driving.
Riding as a passenger didn't stop his vision for the destination.
"He wanted to provide students with not only excellent technical education, but also with being well rounded, and with a lot of what he would call 'high touch' (education). This means that [students] have a lot of personal interaction with faculty, with staff and with each other," Smith said. "It's a very conducive environment, not just to help with book learning, but really learning to stretch as a human being and as a future professional."
Cook envisioned a collaborative learning environment for the industrial engineering program, blurring the lines between teacher and student. The goal was not to have the highest enrollment, but a hands-on learning experience that produced well-rounded students.
"The best places where people learn, you can't tell the difference between teacher and student," Cook said. "The truth is, we all learn from each other and we teach each other. I don't think the schools that focus on having the most students can do that very well."
The decision to pursue holistic learning wasn't based solely on educational tactic. The community also played a key role.
"Auburn is about family and community, (it's) very high touch," Cook said. "And so, to me, bringing that back, bringing that human feeling back, was key in getting the program back on track. It's something I always wanted for the school."
Fifteen years after the program scare, the industrial engineering program is thriving. Cook has contributed to its status by funding a professorship attracting prestigious faculty, as well as two student scholarships.
Cook was a typical Auburn student. He lived on Gay Street. He spent too much time at a shop that used to serve homemade ice cream. He and a group of buddies even broke into Samford Hall one night, climbed to the clock tower, and tried to change the music it played.
"We thought we were [successful] because we put a tape cassette in. We were waiting for it to play but then the hour comes, and it chimes. So, we failed miserably," Cook said, laughing. "Somehow, at the time, it seemed like a good idea."
He's come a long way - from swapping cassette tapes in Samford Hall to playing a part in the digital music revolution. But for Cook, life isn't about the destination.
"The journey is the reward," he said. "You should live every day like it's your last one. If you're always waiting for something to occur, some destination to get somewhere, if you're always saying, 'I'll do that when I graduate, or I'll do that when I get a job, or I'll do that when I'm married, or I'll do that when I get the promotion...' I see people putting off their life so much, waiting for something to occur, and it invariably just moves.
"The graduation becomes the job, the job becomes the promotion, the promotion becomes the next promotion, and so I think people that get caught up in that are postponing their life. I credit Steve (Jobs) a lot in getting me to look at that very differently. His dream was always in his journey."
For many, Auburn becomes a destination, a check off life's to-do list. For Cook, it remains with him as part of the journey.
"When you come here, you think of Auburn as a place, as a location," Cook said. "You might think of it as a football team, but somewhere along the line I think for many people, it certainly clicked for me, you realize Auburn is not a location at all.
"It's not a place. It's a spirit that you take with you for the rest of your life. That's the magic of the place. Said in a simple way, that is the magic of the place."
(01/24/14 12:59am)
UPDATE JAN. 24, 2014, 3:52 p.m.--- Barrett "Bear" McCoy Townsend, 22, senior in software engineering and brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Auburn University, died at 5:47 p.m. from a multiple blunt force impact, according to Bill Harris, Lee County coroner.
Harris confirmed the coroner's office does not suspect any foul play. The Coroner's office determined that at this time the act appeared as intentional.
Townsend was rushed to the emergency room via ambulance, but died shortly after arrival from the six-story fall.
The young man's body was taken to the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences medical examiner's office in Montgomery for a postmortem examination.
The case remains under investigation by the Auburn Police Division and the Lee County Coroner's Office.
(01/18/14 11:00am)
In December 1972, when most Auburn fans were still absorbing the glory following the Tigers' historic 'Punt Bama Punt' Iron Bowl win, 1966 graduate Ray Bean was being transported from one room to the next in a North Vietnam prison of war.
The guards typically confined the soldiers to groups who were brought into the prison at the same time to prevent them from obtaining knowledge from new prisoners. However, on the day Bean was moved, the guards made a mistake.
"When we moved into this room, there was one guy in there all by himself who had just been shot down, which was unusual," Bean said.
The group of men drilled the newcomer with questions, thirsting for information from the outside. Answers were given and questions tapered off, but Bean, who was in the company of an Alabama graduate, had one more inquiry.
"Finally, at the end of about an hour, it had kind of quieted down and I said, 'All right, let's find out the real important stuff. Who won the Auburn-Alabama game?'"
Forty-four years later, Bean is still the die-hard Auburn fan he was the year he asked about the Iron Bowl outcome in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp.
"My dad went [to Auburn], my brothers went there, I went there, and then my daughter went there," Bean said while explaining the Auburn roots that run throughout his family.
"My cousins all went there, and all their kids. So, it's a pretty big family connection."
After his release as a POW, Ray continued to serve in the Air Force for 30 years. He earned numerous decorations, such as the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He later retired to Montgomery as a colonel.
But nearly one year ago, Bean braved battle again when he was diagnosed with cancer. On a week when he was out of town visiting family in Atlanta, complications from the illness sent him to Northside Hospital. He wasn't in his team's home state, but in a sea of bulldogs, Bean managed to find an other member of the Auburn Family.
"He was one of my patients, and I try to see and feel out some stuff with patients and see what they like," said Jenny Accarino, nurse at Northside Hospital and 2008 Auburn graduate.
"Turns out he was an Auburn fan, and since I went to Auburn, we just got on that topic."
As the conversation naturally turned toward football, Accarino mentioned to Ray she had a friend on the football team--defensive end Nosa Eguae. Accarino told Ray to look out for Eguae when he watched the game that Saturday, but left his bedside wanting to do something more.
"I just thought, 'What can make him smile? What can make my patient happy,'" Accarino said. "So, I thought, why don't I call Nosa? If I could get just him to talk to Ray, that would be awesome."
The Saturday of the Arkansas State game, Eguae was preparing to enter the Tiger Walk when he received a call from Accarino asking him if he would take the time to call Ray.
"I was all for it," Eguae said. "Stories like that [Ray's] put things in perspective for me. Any time I get the chance to make someone's day, I want to do it."
The day following the game back at Northside Hospital, Accarino walked into Ray's room and told him she had a surprise for him. "I thought they'd all know that my birthday had just passed, so I thought maybe it was something to do with that," Ray said. "Then, she said, 'Hang on,' and she dialed her phone and got [Eguae] on the phone." Lying on a hospital bed in a room full of nurses, Ray spoke to Nosa Eguae, D'Angelo Blackson, Dee Ford, and Keihl Frazier on speaker phone.
On the other end of the conversation, Eguae passes the phone from player to player, saying, "Hang on Mr. Ray, I've got one more for you."
Ray asked the players about how they were doing on defense, how the new freshmen linemen were performing and if they were going to be able to take Mississippi State the following week. The players assured him that they would.
The conversation ended with Equae thanking Ray for letting him and his teammates talk to him and hung up just after saying, "God bless, and War Eagle." "At the end of the conversation, everybody was crying," said Mindy Bean, Ray's wife. "All the nurses, Ray, me, Jenny--everybody was very choked up."
Though the phone call was an emotional experience for everyone in Ray's hospital room, it was compounded for Ray by the state of his health.
"What you've got to realize is when you're sick like I was, your emotions are real thin," Ray said. "I mean, they're just like right under the edge of your skin, and so it doesn't take anything to set you off to get weepy. I was excited to be talking to them, and at the same time, tearing up because it was such a big deal to me."
Months down the road, Eguae remembers the phone call as an opportunity to brighten someone else's life as well as his own.
"Mr. Ray was so grateful just to be on the phone with us for a few minutes," Eguae said. "It really put things in perspective and made my day. That's one thing about it that I will remember. It was just another day. We were trying to get better as a team, but at the same time we were trying to get away from it and realize there's more out there than just football. The chance to make someone's day and have them make yours is just part of it."Editor's Note: The following video captures Ray's phone call with Eguae, Blackson, Ford and Frazier. While the visual quality may be lacking, the call is completely audible.
(11/07/13 6:02pm)
The Secret Sisters will be performing at The Standard Deluxe Nov. 8. The Plainsman recently had the chance to catch up with Lydia and Laura Rogers of The Secret Sisters about life as rising artists. Q: How long have you been performing? A: Professionally, it was 2009 when we were "discovered," if you want to call it that. We got a record deal in early 2010, and as far as performing goes we never did very much of that in front of people. The only time we were seen together was in private at home or just the two of us and our dad. We would do a lot of family stuff, but we never performed anywhere. In fact, we had never even performed a real show together until after we had got our record deal so it was kind of a backwards process. A little surreal and definitely different than most peoples' experience in the music world.Q: I'm curious about how you got your record label before you started touring.A: I (Laura) always had terrible stage fright like could not even stand in front of my friends and sing a song because I was so insecure. I had just graduated from college and was living in Nashville and A friend of mine told me about this open audition that was being held here. This record label was doing a general talent search. I went to my audition and performed for this panel of judges. I thought I did a terrible job, but they called me back and told me they really liked me and wanted to hear me sing some more. So I played more for them and they started talking about, 'Let's get you in the studio, let's do a record deal,' and I got really panicky because I thought, 'I can't do this by myself.' So I insisted that they hear Lydia sing. (The judges) were kind of blown away that they had discovered this pair of sisters who could sing together who actually were not pursuing a career in music at all. Within a month of that we were flown to Los Angeles and we recorded a couple of demos and then we went up to New York and auditioned for our label and on a wild hare that label believed in us and they signed us ever having played a show without us having a fan base or web site or anything. Q: Tell me how the sister dynamic plays into making music together. A:At first, when we started touring, it was tough because we were so used to not being around each other, and then all of a sudden it was like we were everywhere together - on airplanes, in cars, on trains, in dressing rooms, hotel rooms and on stages. It was like you could not get away from each other so there have been tense moments between us but it's like you get on the stage, and all of a sudden you forget what you were upset about. We play around with it on stage. We make jokes about sibling rivalry and being typical sisters and I think at the end of the day there isn't anybody we would rather be having this big crazy adventure with.Q: Is there a rhythm that you naturally pick up on when playing with your sibling? A: I think so. We kind of feed off each other, and we know what the other one is going to be doing throughout the song. Our voices blend well together so it's just a completely different dynamic than playing with other people. It's funny because sometimes I'll go and play with other people who aren't my sibling and I'm like, 'Oh, I miss Lydia. She would know exactly what I need to do.'Q:How has your music progressed while on tour? A:When we were entering the world of music and trying to make a name for ourselves we became primarily known as a throwback country duo, and that is true. We definitely love classic country music, that's a big part of who we are as musicians, but I think a lot of times it was overlooked that we love early Rock 'n' Roll, some early pop and we're big into gospel, blue grass and a cappella.
(10/24/13 8:00pm)
Sickness, illness and weakness are not words friends and family use to remember 20-year-old Jordan Northington's battle against leukemia -- peacefulness, gentleness and constant inspiration are.
Northington, junior in nursing at was first diagnosed with leukemia seven years ago. On Friday, Oct. 18, she passed away after contracting a flu virus her body was unable to fight off.
"She battled with leukemia three times and never gave up," said Kim Northington, Jordan's mother. "She was a fighter, and she had great courage."
Katie Cargo, junior in education and Jordan's sorority sister, said she always used her fight with cancer to serve a higher purpose.
"I loved how she took what was going on in her life and tried to make it into something positive," Cargo said. "She wanted to raise awareness and help other people. I thought it was so inspiring she didn't just wallow in self-pity, but (said instead), 'Yeah I have it and it stinks, but let's raise awareness; let's do something about it.'"
Though her illness may have caused physical suffering, her spirit remained strong throughout her battle against leukemia.
"She was one of the most positive people," said Lexi Loving, junior in nursing and Jordan's sorority sister.
"(Jordan) going through this cancer, you never knew how bad it was because she would always say, 'I'm doing great, always better than the last day,' and [she was] just so positive about it. (She) never wanted anybody to realize how much she pain she was in."
Kim said it was Jordan's resilience and continuous positivity that taught her friends and family about the value of life.
"I think a lot of us learned from her how to live your life to the fullest, and to make the best of things," Kim said. "Through all of Jordan's struggles throughout the years, she never once complained."
Jordan served as a role model to many within her community, especially to the women of Chi Omega sorority, of which she was a valued member. She not only provided the chapter with an example of fortitude, but also played a part in unifying her pledge class, her sorority sisters said.
"If there was one person who everybody knew and everybody loved, it was Jordan," Loving said. "That part was really cool -- to have something that seemed so bad, but she also did a lot of good through her sickness. I don't even think she knows half the stuff she did that was so good just by bringing so many people together."
Though Jordan may have passed away before realizing her impact, those she left behind say they will not let the way Jordan lived go unremembered.
"Everything I do from now on will be for Jordan," Loving said.
"I ran a 10K on the Saturday after she died because I knew she wouldn't have wanted me to stop what I was doing. I ran it with a snotty nose because I had been crying the night before, and with a heavy heart because I wish my friend could have been there with me, but I did it for Jordan."
(10/20/13 6:00pm)
Madison Billingsley's family had no history of breast cancer.
Madison even tested negative for the breast cancer gene.
But by the age of 22, she had lost her mother to a battle against the disease, and by the age of 24 was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
Madison was a freshman at Auburn University when her mother, Laurie, first began cancer treatments.
"It was hard in college -- working and studying and trying to take care of your mom all at the same time," Madison said.
"All of her surgeries seemed to fall during finals, so I was always studying for finals at the hospital."
As Madison continued to progress through classes at Auburn, her mother continued to fight against cancer.
"When she realized she wasn't going to live, [there were] two things she wanted to do.
"Attend her son's high school graduation -- which she got to do -- and live long enough to see Madison graduate from nursing school, which she didn't get to do," said Leslie Hamby, Laurie's older sister and Madison's aunt.
Three months before graduating in May 2011 with a bachelor of science in nursing,
Madison's mother passed away. Madison said she remembers the fortitude her mother showed as her battle came to an end.
"She was a very strong woman," Madison said.
"She put up a good fight right until the very end, now she's in a better place."
Two year's after her mother's death, Madison was working as a nurse at East Alabama Medical Center when cancer struck the Billingsley family again.
"I knew I was supposed to start getting mammograms at the age of 25 because my mother had it, but I luckily found the lump when I was 24, before I even had my first mammogram," Madison said.
"If I ever got it, I honestly thought it would be when I was 40, 50 maybe. Definitely not at 24."
After witnessing her mother's four and a half year battle, Madison chose an aggressive treatment with chemotherapy and a double mastectomy to combat her own cancer.
She is now able to look back on her mother's struggle against cancer through the lens of her own battle.
"Now I understand what all she was going through. Obviously, it makes me admire her even more," Madison said.
"She had always been the rock in our family. She never complained about anything, and I tried to use that philosophy in my struggles.
"It's not something you really understand until you go through it yourself."
Madison's battle against cancer hasn't been defined by surgeries or struggles, but by the gratitude for life she now has because of it.
"I view life as a gift now," Madison said.
"I'm not saying I didn't before, but people tend to get caught up in their lives. They tend to take things for granted.
"When something so life-altering like that happens to you, you learn to not take things for granted and view it as a gift and take as many chances as you can."
Madison has now been in remission since May 2013. Madison says its every cancer survivor's greatest fear that the cancer will return.
But in the end, cancer never posed a threat on Madison's life. Cancer showed her what life was about.
"People think you get cancer and it's the end of your life, but it's really just not the case," Madison said.
"In a lot of ways, my life didn't even start until I got cancer just because it made me look at life in a whole other way."
(10/03/14 6:25pm)
Thirteen years ago, Highway 280 didn't stretch four lanes across, and didn't lead travelers directly to Birmingham, as it currently does. The two-lane highway snakes through back roads and small towns, one of which is Waverly.
Traffic suited for four lanes of highway coming through a two-lane road generated constant hassle and hazard for Waverly locals and people passing through.
"Forever it was 18 wheelers and everything coming right through here. Can you imagine all that? Four-lane traffic coming right through this little, bitty, skinny road? That's what it was like all day and all night," said Scott Peek, owner of Standard Deluxe, a print shop that doubles as a music venue.
The Alabama Department of Transportation completed construction of a larger Highway 280 that bypassed Waverly altogether and relieved traffic in 2000. It was reason to celebrate, and the most fitting way to celebrate was to boogie.
A year later, Peek held the first Waverly 280 Boogie as a community festival of music, art and craft. The festival began humbly with a few hundred attendants, at no cost, and now returns annually packed by a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd.
"For 10 years, it was free," Peek said. "We did everything for free and we took donations. Some people paid and some people didn't. So, it was tons of work for free and people got it for 10 years."
As the Boogie grew up and shows at Standard Deluxe persisted throughout the years, the venue gained a reputation among musicians and fans.
"(Standard Deluxe) is kind of the big boy of the music scene," said Jake Carnley, local musician and recent Auburn graduate. "Playing there is just an honor, and you're playing for people who are thirsty for good music and who are expecting good music."
Carnley is a regular patron of the venue, but has also had the experience of playing at the Boogie in years past.
In the 11th year, Peek's business moved, and so did the location of festival.
With this move came the introduction of The Waverly Fall Boogie in addition to the yearly spring festivities.
Musicians now perform on an eclectic, tin-roofed stage and music lovers take it in under light-draped trees in the backyard of Peek's home.
Sitting, standing or boogying, the grass of Peek's yard provides a show experience atypical of a concert hall.
"Everybody knows it's somebody's yard," Peek said. "It's not bar, you know what I mean? It's not somewhere you can trash, you kind of feel like you're sitting in somebody's yard and you are. People respect it."
Twelve years after the first Boogie, the event has grown from a celebration of freedom from overcrowded roads to a widely known music festival.
This year's Fall 280 Boogie, which took place Sept. 28, drew in more than 1,000 attendants and nationally recognized bands such as Houndmouth and Jason Isbell.
The stop in Waverly on their tour throughout the states provided the Illinois-based band Houndmouth with their first trip to Alabama. The crowd in Standard Deluxe took the band by surprise because they have become accustomed to playing larger music festivals and shows in more well-known venues.
"We didn't know what to expect," said Katie Toupin of Houndmouth. "When we were driving up we were like, 'Are we going to someone's house? What's happening? But then we got here and everybody was super into it. It was surprising, we didn't have any idea of what to expect. We do a lot of summer festivals, but we didn't do any smaller ones like this, so this was really kind of refreshing. It's very unique."
After touring with The Alabama Shakes, Toupin said she also appreciated getting to see their home state and, "see what they're all about."
Houndmouth took the stage second to last, and got the crowd on their feet with songs from their latest album "From the Hills Below the City."
Toupin and other band members were conversational with the crowd, cracking jokes and telling stories.
Hundreds remained after the show, packing out the yard, as night fell and headliner Jason Isbell took the stage.
Though Jason Isbell and Houndmouthwere the main events of the day-long festival, other bands such as Peewee Moore, Great Peacock, Doc Dailey and others entertained the crowd from early in the day until well into the afternoon.
"There were a lot of people there who weren't just there to see Jason Isbell," Carnley said. "And so I think that's how you can really gauge the growth of it. It wasn't just about one band. People were there, they had blankets out. They packed food, they packed beer, they made it an event which is exactly what it needs to be."
(10/02/13 10:10pm)
Thirteen years ago, Highway 280 didn't stretch four lanes across, and didn't lead travelers directly to Birmingham, as it currently does. The two-lane highway snakes through back roads and small towns, one of which is Waverly.
Traffic suited for four lanes of highway coming through a two-lane road generated constant hassle and hazard for Waverly locals and people passing through.
"Forever it was 18 wheelers and everything coming right through here. Can you imagine all that? Four-lane traffic coming right through this little, bitty, skinny road? That's what it was like all day and all night," said Scott Peek, owner of Standard Deluxe, a print shop that doubles as a music venue.
The Alabama Department of Transportation completed construction of a larger Highway 280 that bypassed Waverly altogether and relieved traffic in 2000. It was reason to celebrate, and the most fitting way to celebrate was to boogie.
A year later, Peek held the first Waverly 280 Boogie as a community festival of music, art and craft. The festival began humbly with a few hundred attendants, at no cost, and now returns annually packed by a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd.
"For 10 years, it was free," Peek said. "We did everything for free and we took donations. Some people paid and some people didn't. So, it was tons of work for free and people got it for 10 years."
As the Boogie grew up and shows at Standard Deluxe persisted throughout the years, the venue gained a reputation among musicians and fans.
"(Standard Deluxe) is kind of the big boy of the music scene," said Jake Carnley, local musician and recent Auburn graduate. "Playing there is just an honor, and you're playing for people who are thirsty for good music and who are expecting good music."
Carnley is a regular patron of the venue, but has also had the experience of playing at the Boogie in years past.
In the 11th year, Peek's business moved, and so did the location of festival.
With this move came the introduction of The Waverly Fall Boogie in addition to the yearly spring festivities.
Musicians now perform on an eclectic, tin-roofed stage and music lovers take it in under light-draped trees in the backyard of Peek's home.
Sitting, standing or boogying, the grass of Peek's yard provides a show experience atypical of a concert hall.
"Everybody knows it's somebody's yard," Peek said. "It's not bar, you know what I mean? It's not somewhere you can trash, you kind of feel like you're sitting in somebody's yard and you are. People respect it."
Twelve years after the first Boogie, the event has grown from a celebration of freedom from overcrowded roads to a widely known music festival.
This year's Fall 280 Boogie, which took place Sept. 28, drew in more than 1,000 attendants and nationally recognized bands such as Houndmouth and Jason Isbell.
The stop in Waverly on their tour throughout the states provided the Illinois-based band Houndmouth with their first trip to Alabama. The crowd in Standard Deluxe took the band by surprise because they have become accustomed to playing larger music festivals and shows in more well-known venues.
"We didn't know what to expect," said Katie Toupin of Houndmouth. "When we were driving up we were like, 'Are we going to someone's house? What's happening? But then we got here and everybody was super into it. It was surprising, we didn't have any idea of what to expect. We do a lot of summer festivals, but we didn't do any smaller ones like this, so this was really kind of refreshing. It's very unique."
After touring with The Alabama Shakes, Toupin said she also appreciated getting to see their home state and, "see what they're all about."
Houndmouth took the stage second to last, and got the crowd on their feet with songs from their latest album "From the Hills Below the City."
Toupin and other band members were conversational with the crowd, cracking jokes and telling stories.
Hundreds remained after the show, packing out the yard, as night fell and headliner Jason Isbell took the stage.
Though Jason Isbell and Houndmouthwere the main events of the day-long festival, other bands such as Peewee Moore, Great Peacock, Doc Dailey and others entertained the crowd from early in the day until well into the afternoon.
"There were a lot of people there who weren't just there to see Jason Isbell," Carnley said. "And so I think that's how you can really gauge the growth of it. It wasn't just about one band. People were there, they had blankets out. They packed food, they packed beer, they made it an event which is exactly what it needs to be."
(09/25/13 1:33am)
An empty Buick parked on the second floor of the Stadium Parking Deck caught on fire at approximately 7 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 24.
According to Keith Walton, Auburn University police lieutenant, Auburn Fire Department received a call at 7:11 p.m., and responded quickly afterward.
Andrew Yakubik, owner of the vehicle and senior in exercise science, said he was eating in the Student Center Chick-fil-A when he received a text message from a friend with a picture of his inflamed vehicle.
"My friend sent me a text that said, 'I'm trying to park my car but I can't get in because of this,'" Yakubik said. "I looked at (the photo) and realized it was mine.''
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
"It could be anything from an overheated vehicle to an electrical fire," Walton said.
Walton also said there was no damage caused to surrounding vehicles.
(09/18/15 5:23am)
With the approval of a liquor license at the Auburn City Council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17, comes the expansion of a restaurant.
Upon moving to Auburn approximately one year ago from San Diego, owners Minny and Eric Jo of Arigato Sushi Boutique introduced the restaurant to the downtown area.
Walk in on any day and Arigato boasts daily specials and a menu of half-priced sushi.
Either one of the Jos are a sure presence, whether it be moderator of the "Sake Bomb" chant, sushi roller, or a shot pourer, sometimes out of a bottle that can be purchased during the meal the week before. Miney keeps the bottle chilling behind the bar.
Despite slow days in the summer, the business managed to thrive. Part of the couple's success has been attributed to their involvement within the community.
"I believe that they've already been pretty active with community involvement and that they take into account every single reaction, every individual," said Annie Encinas, waitress leader at Arigato. "They're working on a children's menu just to cater to families and any time someone comes in with fliers for Auburn events, they're more than willing to put them up in the windows."
According to Encinas, this trend of success showed no sign of slowing down, and the time seemed right to open a second location on South College Street.
"In the second location we expect an even greater response, just because there will be parking and it won't be quite so hectic," Encinas said.
The second Arigato is expected to open in November.
In other business:
Oktoberfest also received an alcohol license.
Request for amendments to Articles II, III, IV, V, VI and VII was approved, which will "broaden the scope of real estate signs" and prohibit electronic reader boards in the College Edge Overlay District.
Resolution authorizing street closings for the Homecoming Parade on Friday, Oct. 11 was rescheduled.
Service agreement worth $289,476 with East Alabama Healthcare Authority to provide emergency response was approved.
SGA spoke of the upcoming Capitol on The Plains Oct. 8 at 5:15 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. State legislatures will meet in a panel to discuss issues effecting the state.
Appointed one board position for the Lee County Youth Development Center.
(09/18/15 5:23am)
With the approval of a liquor license at the Auburn City Council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17, comes the expansion of a restaurant.
(09/12/13 9:02pm)
During his time at Auburn, he was a Camp War Eagle Counselor, philanthropy chair of his social fraternity, vice president of his club soccer team, employee of Foy information desk, director for Alternative Student Breaks and now, he's joining the Peace Corps.
Nick Davis graduated from Auburn in May 2013 with a bachelor of science in biomedical sciences, a bachelor of arts in psychology and scores of experiences through involvement and activities.
As his time at Auburn dwindled, however, Davis continued to feel unsure about his future plans.
"I didn't know what I wanted to do when I graduated," Davis said. "And then I started looking into (the Peace Corps) more, and I just fell in love with it."
One thing his colorful past of involvement at Auburn sparked within, however, was his spirit for serving.
"I went on a trip to Costa Rica [with Alternative Student Breaks] and we worked on community development," Davis said. "We actually worked on a couple of orphanages. I always was passionate about service, but that trip just came at a point in my life where I was like, 'OK, I love this. I could do this.'"
Davis applied to volunteer for the Peace Corps in April 2012, after his mother suggested the idea.
"As he progressed in college, it just seemed that he was more interested in getting involved and helping people on different avenues," said Denise Davis, Nick's mother. "I'm very proud of him, he took it all into his own hands and he's doing it, so let's just all say a bunch of prayers for him."
After completing the application paper work, hour-long interview, multiple check-up visits for vaccinations, legal forms and more, Nick Davis was accepted into the Peace Corps and placed into a program.
The Peace Corps allows applicants to select preferences for regions of the world they would like to live in and type of work they would like to do, but Davis left all boxes unchecked.
"I didn't care what I did," Davis said. "I just knew I wanted to do something like this, so I put no preference on everything."
The open-ended nature of Davis' application led him to Mozambique, Africa -- a Portuguese-speaking country on the coast of the Indian Ocean west of Madagascar.
Davis said he knows he will be teaching science classes in Portuguese to high school-aged students, but the details are still unknown.
"Living situations could be anything," Davis said. "The only stipulations we have are where ever we live will either have no windows or locking windows, a lock on the door and we'll have a water filter. From there, I could be in anything from a mud hut to an apartment."
Throughout his journey with the Peace Corps, Davis said he has remained open about many things in his life: post-graduate plans, preferences of the region of the world in which he will live, the work he will do. But when it comes to future plans for his time in Mozambique, it's clear Davis has a vision.
"I would love to start up something in the community I'm in," Davis said. "Whether it be a student athletic program or a health clinic, I really want to work with the system there and see what they need help with.
"I have so much contact here of people who want to help and just don't know how. I would love to be that person who sets something up in my community, and I can reach out to everyone I know here to send benefits and whatever help they can.
"So I don't know what exactly, but I'm hoping to start something up. I want to leave a mark for the people I'm going to be living with."
Stay updated with Davis' adventures through his blog: NickInMozambique.Blogspot.com.
(08/28/13 3:05pm)
The College of Liberal Arts' School of Communication and Journalism announced Aug. 28 the beginning of a partnership with Raycom Media, Inc.
Raycom Media is one of the nation's largest broadcasters, and owns or provides services for 53 television stations in 36 markets and 18 states, according to its website.
As a result of this partnership, the release stated a "state-of-the-art studio" will be built a block from campus on Gay Street for student and Raycom use.
Raycom Media will house a news bureau in the studio, allowing Auburn students pursuing multimedia journalism to learn more about the field in a hands-on environment.
According to the press release, this method of teaching and learning journalism has been "strongly advocated for by media executives and journalism foundations."
Last fall, these advocates and executives issued an open letter to University presidents, detailing the need for a side-by-side, journalistic education because of the consistently changing nature of the field.
"News consumption habits are rapidly changing, and that calls for new ways to prepare tomorrow's multimedia professionals," said Auburn University President Jay Gogue in the release. "We're excited about where this innovative partnership will position Auburn in the communication and journalism profession."
Paul McTear, Raycom Media president and CEO, added details about the partnership.
"Raycom Media will provide studio equipment, editing software, cameras, sets, furniture and professional expertise as a means to guide and further educate journalism students. The partnership will help students learn how to handle the challenges of today's news operation," McTear said. "It will also demonstrate the importance of journalistic integrity, while providing Auburn students with an understanding of the need to quickly disseminate news on multiple platforms. In addition, this is a tremendous vehicle for the news gathering industry to identify and grow those up and coming journalists for our fields."
Valued at more than $350,000, Raycom Media's investment through the partnership with Auburn will provide students with "technology, time and training."
The studio is expected to open by October 2014.
(08/21/13 8:58pm)
Correction: Parker Ivey is an Auburn graduate, not a current senior as the article previously noted. The Plainsman apologizes for this error.
(08/19/13 5:41pm)
What once stood as a block of abandoned warehouses is now transforming into a home for the up and coming arts scene in downtown Opelika.
Rising up as The Lebanon Art District, the area encompasses the 700 block between 7th and 8th Street.
The district is already home to several music venues, a recording studio, a coffee shop known for its creative vibes and more; but it continues to grow with the persistence of the growing artistic community.
"It came about initially when I bought the [Lebanon Arts District] property and was deciding what to do with it," said Richard Patton,
"Then we decided that Cottonseed Studio would go in there, which kind of naturally led to an arts district.
"We wanted to place that could become a hub where creatives could come together and collaborate and build and create and design and perform. We also wanted to give that place to the masses so they can come and see and be a part of it."
With concerts lined up throughout the fall and names such as Dawes and Nicki Bluhm coming through, there will be plenty of opportunities for the masses to become involved.
Chandler Jones, a senior in RTVF who spent the summer interning with Patton says the eventual goal of Lebanon Art District is to have an entire community existing within it.
This would mean artist lofts, living spaces, additional music venues, coffee shops, bars and more.
"The big vision is having a space for creatives to co-exist because when artists co-exist in one place, they can't help but draw inspiration from one another," said Jones "Essentially it creates better work in a better community."
Part of Jones' role in helping to develop the community involved discovering and historically researching the original Lebanon settlement from which Opelika sprang and for which the arts district is named. According to Jones, the reasoning behind why the Lebanon Art District will carry the name Lebanon is largely because of Opelika's history.
"Only Creek Indians used to live where Opelika is now," Jones said. "Then they got drawn out and the Europeans moved there. The original settlement they had was called Lebanon."
The families that settled there would meet in a cabin where they would discuss politics and hold church services said Jones.
"They were a bunch of people coming together, collaborating and making this artistic community, and eventually forming something greater than themselves that benefitted an entire community," Jones said.
"That's essentially what Lebanon (Art District) is because not only will Lebanon benefit those who work there, it will benefit the entire area of Opelika, of Auburn, of students coming to Auburn University so they can be a part of this creative movement that's there."