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(07/28/14 12:00pm)
Sarah-Baskin Champion did not grow up a pageant girl. Baskin, Miss Alabama Teen USA 2014, was a self-proclaimed introvert, something her mother, Laura Champion, said she agreed with.
"She's naturally just a very quiet, shyer person," Laura said.
Baskin, sophomore in apparel design, competed in her first pageant at Miss Alabama Teen USA 2013 after Paula Miles, director of the Miss Alabama Teen USA pageant, recruited her.
"She had a very unique look, a great personality, was cute and bubbly and personified exactly what we thought a Miss Alabama Teen USA would be," Miles said.
Baskin said she wanted to get out of her comfort zone and become comfortable around strangers, something she said the pageant taught her.
"Since she has gotten involved in the teen program, she has just blossomed," Laura said.
In Miss Alabama Teen USA 2013, she won Miss Congeniality, Most Photogenic and placed 4th runner-up overall.
In 2014, the crown was hers.
As Miss Alabama Teen USA, Baskin has spoken at programs, volunteered at aTeam Ministries, which supports children diagnosed with cancer and participated in a walk for Crohn's disease and Colitis. She also had opportunities to model; an interest of Baskin's before her involvement in pageants.
Baskin, the second of four children, has traveled around the world on medical missions with her father, Greg Champion, a doctor, and cites New Zealand, Africa and Israel as her favorite places.
Even though Baskin, whose parents graduated from the University of Alabama, grew up a die-hard Alabama fan, Auburn won her heart.
"I just love the small town feel of Auburn," she said.
Baskin said she had close friends at Auburn, loved Auburn's conservative values and knew the apparel design program was nationally ranked.
Baskin convinced her older brother, Josh Champion, junior in marketing, to transfer from Alabama to Auburn in 2013. Baskin's sister Abby Grace plans to join her on the Plains in 2015. Her favorite Auburn memory was the 2013 Iron Bowl because, not only did Auburn have a last-second victory, she was introduced on the field as Miss Alabama Teen USA.
When she is not competing, Baskin loves hiking at Chewacla State Park and water sports. At the Miss USA 2014 competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she met business tycoon Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe Organization.
According to Miles, before competing at the state pageant, contestants complete an application and interview. They are then awarded a title representative of their area. Baskin's title was Miss Vestavia Hills, her hometown.
The Miss Teen USA contestants, representing all 50 states and Washington D.C., compete in swimsuit, evening gown, interview and on-stage question.
This year's Miss Teen USA pageant is in the Bahamas, with preliminaries Aug. 1, and finals Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.
Baskin's parents, siblings, close family friends and several Phi Mu sorority sisters will be on-hand as she competes.
As for her preparations, Baskin said she will work on hair, make-up and review her questionnaire responses before flying out July 28.
"I feel like the reason I'm doing this is so girls can see you don't have to be completely fake to be a pageant girl," Baskin said. "I think it's important to stay true to yourself during pageants."
(07/17/14 12:00pm)
Lauren Terry, senior in animal sciences production management, rounded up respect in 2013 during her year as Miss Rodeo USA (MRUSA) - the spokesperson for the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA).
The Moulton native won the crown in January of 2013 and spent the year traveling the Southeast.
Lauren promoted the IPRA at rodeos and through radio and television appearances; she also promoted her platform "Roundup Respect."
"I chose that platform because I feel like our nation, and society as a whole, is lacking a sense of respect," Lauren said. "Kids don't get taught respect at home anymore."
During her visits to schools, Lauren taught the importance of manners, such as saying "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" and of not interrupting teachers.
In addition to a platform, each contestant (who must be between 19 and 26 years old) prepared two speeches, answered impromptu questions, displayed his or her knowledge about horses and the IPRA, modeled and displayed horsemanship.
Lauren rode 36 horses at MRUSA appearances throughout 2013.
"If your horsemanship isn't good to begin with, it sure will be when you finish," Lauren said with a laugh.
Lauren also got to ride a horse in the five-mile, 2014 Rose Bowl Parade with the All American Cowgirl Chicks.
Lauren grew up with an arena in her backyard and has loved horses since she was 15 months old, according to Marsha Terry, Lauren's mother.
Every morning when she was little, Lauren would wake up and ask to go see one of the horses at their barn.
"I was kind of born into horses and rodeo, and it's my life," Lauren said.
Lauren started rodeo pageants at age 10 with the encouragement of a friend.
Dakota Missildine, Lauren's friend, won the Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo pageant, as well as the MRUSA pageant in 2009.
Missildine's success and journey to the crown sparked Lauren's interest in competing for MRUSA.
In 2011, four points separated Lauren from the Miss Limestone crown, but, in 2012, she competed again and won.
The MRUSA competition began the afternoon of Jan. 14, 2013, in Oklahoma City when the girls turned in their cellphones, told their parents and teams goodbye and met their randomly selected roommate.
"Are we ready for this?" was a thought Marsha Terry had while she travelled across Arkansas to the pageant with her father, Keith,and sister, Kaitlin.
Tuesday and Wednesday during pageant week, the girls competed in speeches and modeling sessions at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.
The contestants modeled outfits from Rockabilly Filly and Addicted clothing, as well as one personal outfit.
Friday, the girls were woken up in the middle of the night for a surprise impromptu interview. Lauren had only been asleep for about 30 minutes.
"I grabbed my number and my coat and out the door I went," Lauren said. "They did this interview to see how you reacted if you were not in all your regalia."
Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, Lauren was crowned MRUSA. During the first six months of her reign, Lauren lived at home and commuted to rodeos. In June, she moved to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
Debbie Blakely, director of Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo pageant, was pleased with Lauren's growth and success as MRUSA.
"She grew from just a young teenager to a very beautiful and mature, Christian young woman," Blakely said.
Blakely said one the impromptu questions Lauren answered at the local pageant is one of his favorite memories of Lauren.
"Here's this beautiful, feminine young lady standing onstage, and suddenly she says, 'I'm going to have my own slaughterhouse,'" Blakely said.
Since completing her year as MRUSA, Lauren is back at Auburn University where she plans to graduate in December, has purchased her first-ever student football tickets and has continued her job at the meat lab - where she was first inspired to open a slaughterhouse.
Even though she is unsure about her future, Lauren, a self-proclaimed homebody who learned to survive away from home during her first year at Auburn, said, "If I hadn't come to Auburn... I probably wouldn't have become Miss Rodeo USA."
(07/19/14 12:00pm)
Auburn University recently welcomed the creation of an aviation center on campus. The Auburn University Aviation Center, as of July 1, also houses the University's flight school.
Bill Hutto, Auburn University Airport Director, will be the director of the aviation center.
According to Hutto, one goal of the center is to involve aviation students and faculty in aviation-related research throughout campus.
Hutto mentioned potential collaborations with the College of Engineering's aerospace program, the School of Kinesiology and the College of Agriculture's recent work with unmanned area vehicles.
The center will work with industries and government to bring more economic development ideas to Alabama regarding aviation and aerospace.
The aviation center will participate in Accelerate Alabama and receive funding from the state for their participation.
Accelerate Alabama focuses on three issues: renewal of innovation and research, recruitment of industry to Alabama and retention of industry in the state. Aviation at Auburn will assist with aviation projects in those three areas.
Joe Hanna, associate dean of research and outreach in the Harbert College of Business and interim director of aviation programs, calls the aviation center "a significant and positive development" for students interested in aviation and aerospace industries.
Hanna mentioned with several high-profile companies like Boeing and Airbus coming to Alabama, Auburn will be able to "build productive relationships with key industry participants."
Through hands-on experience and interactions with aviation industry leaders, graduates of the two aviation degrees at Auburn - aviation management and professional flight management - will be more marketable to potential employers, according to Hutto.
Approval of the architectural process for the new aviation center is being sought from the Board of Trustees, and the Board hopes to secure the funding for the project soon.
Currently, the base of operations for the center will be out of the airport and the new terminal there. According to Hutto, Timothy Boosinger, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Auburn, led the plans to form the aviation center.
Auburn has taught aviation management since the 1930s, has owned the Auburn University Regional Airport since 1939 and has a "long and storied tradition," according to Hutto.
Last fall, the aviation program was in danger of losing accreditation from the Aviation Accreditation Board International because the aviation program did not have enough faculty members to teach its students. However, the program was reaccredited this past spring.
Bryan Kingston, senior in professional flight management and president of the War Eagle Flying Team, believes the new aviation center shows growth and leadership in the aviation program, which contrasts the previous year's problems.
Kingston also said there is a lot of excitement within the aviation student body.
"Everybody wants to know what's going on, and everyone wants to help out," Kingston said.
Kingston and Hutto agree the new center should help recruitment and enrollment in aviation. Both aviation programs have approximately 45 students enrolled, not including students yet to declare - a decision made during junior year.
Hutto is pleased to see a renewed focus and awareness in aviation at Auburn.
"I think this renewed focus is really going to take us back to our roots at Auburn and help us to move forward."
(07/16/14 6:45pm)
GE Aviation announced plans Tuesday, July 15, to install the additive manufacturing process at its current facility in Auburn.
Gov. Robert Bentley and GE Aviation's president and CEO David Joyce, as well as other representatives of GE and Alabama, were on hand to celebrate the announcement made at the Farnborough Air Show at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, England.
The Auburn additive manufacturing facility, the first of its kind, will start production in 2015.
The component the Auburn facility will produce is a fuel nozzle for the best-selling LEAP jet engine that CFM International is developing for service in 2016. The engine will power the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737 MAX and COMAC (China) C919 aircraft.
Additive manufacturing uses a metal powder, which is then melted with a computer-guided laser, to grow thin layers of metal. The metal particles fuse together to make the exact component needed, according to Tony Overfelt, professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University.
Traditional manufacturing begins with large chunks of metal that are then machined, creating the needed component but also leaving a pile of unwanted remaining metal chips.
Additive manufacturing and, its more commonly used name, 3D-printing are the same concept.
Kelly Walsh, GE Aviation spokesperson, said plans for the additive manufacturing facility in Auburn were first talked about at last year's Paris Air Show when Joyce met with Bentley and Auburn mayor Bill Ham, Jr. At the show, the next generation of technology, and what it will look like, was discussed.
During the past year, GE Aviation, who has a proven track record because of increasing Auburn's workforce at its existing plant, recognized the benefits of placing additive manufacturing in Auburn.
Walsh said having additive manufacturing in Auburn would expand internship and full-time employment opportunities for engineering graduates at the University.
"This is a whole new generation of cutting edge technology," Walsh said.
Installation of equipment, for the facility, will continue throughout 2014. GE is expected to invest $50 million in preparation for production at the existing 300,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2013.
Production will begin with approximately 1,000 nozzles the first year.
Production is expected to reach 40,000 nozzles at the end of the decade, and, as production increases, hiring at the facility will also increase.
Ham said he is excited about this the process coming to Auburn and expects over 200 well-paying jobs, with excellent benefits, to be created.
Ham also expects a positive effect on Auburn graduates as the facility hires more engineers.
"GE Aviation choosing Auburn is a testament to the cooperative efforts we have with Auburn University, the state and GE," Ham said.
Walsh said the additive manufacturing process will give mechanical engineers fewer limits, and more opportunities, to innovate in other components of jet engines.
"Additive is really the future of the industry," Walsh said.
(07/18/14 12:00pm)
On June 9, 2012, Desmonte Leonard allegedly opened fire in the University Heights apartment complex, currently known as Tiger Lodge. Leonard, 24, was arrested and charged with one count of capital murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree assault.
Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian, both former Auburn University football players, as well as DeMario Pitts of Opelika, were killed in the shooting. John Robertson of Roanoke, Xavier Moss of Roanoke and former Auburn football player Eric Mack were injured as well.
Jemecia Phillips, mother of Ladarious, has filed a civil lawsuit against Leonard, according to the Lee County Circuit Court.
Xavier Moss \0x200Bhas filed a civil lawsuit as well, according to the Montgomery County Circuit Court.
The families have also filed lawsuits against University Heights and its previous management team.
In The Plainsman's article titled, "Alleged University Heights shooter sued two years later" that was posted online July 7, Phillips' family's lawyer, Randy Ferguson, placed part of the blame on the malfunctioning gates at then University Heights.
"People sent their kids to a gated community expecting to be safe, and the gates were broken half of the time. If you go out there today, the gates are still wide open," Ferguson said.
Tiger Lodge's management team, Asset Campus Housing, and current owner Robert Tulloch, disputed Ferguson's statement that the gates at Tiger Lodge remain open and are broken.
"(The gates) are 100 percent operational," Tulloch said.
Asset Campus Housing purchased University Heights in February 2013 and has replaced the motors in the gates and updated how the gates open and close. The system, according to Tulloch, is more modernized and efficient at letting people into the complex.
Tulloch said the gates are only as good as the maintenance put into them. The gates functioned approximately 99 percent when University Heights was bought, according to Tulloch. Since then, management has corrected that.
Tiara Tuck, a three-year resident of Tiger Lodge, said the gate at the back of the complex has not worked since her first year at Tiger Lodge. Residents have to come to the front two gates to enter and exit the complex.
"To my knowledge, I don't think the back gates were ever functional," Tulloch said. They certainly were not when we were looking at the property."
Tulloch said the back gate is not Tiger Lodge's main point of entry and has never been. He called it an "emergency gate" and said it would be opened up if Asset Campus Housing changed the layout of the property.
"We want people coming in through the front gate... the back gates are just closed. Period," Tulloch said.
Ebony Sullivan, senior in environmental science, has lived at Tiger Lodge for a year does not recommend moving to the complex.
"(The gates) are more of a headache than an actual luxury," Sullivan said. "Don't move here."
Tuck said if she is driving behind someone entering the gate and does not have her clicker for the gate, she can trail in behind the person in front of her.
Tulloch said he is unsure to the extent trailing occurs, but asked residents to help out when they drive through the gates by waiting until the gate closes behind them to continue driving.
"I wouldn't say a gate on any property can keep people safe. I think that's a stretch," Tulloch said. "I think a gate performs as well as a gate performs."
He also said his heart goes out to the families involved in the Leonard shooting and asked residents to be mindful of their community and keep a watch out for their neighbors.
(07/10/14 8:30pm)
Auburn University and the City of Auburn recently announced they will receive consultations from the Urban Sustainability Accelerator (USA) program at Portland State University over the next year.
USA, housed in the School of Urban Studies and Planning, offers year-long services to smaller and midsized communities called cohorts, throughout the United States, according to Robert Liberty, executive director of USA.
These services provide consultations to help implement sustainability and redevelopment projects in interested cities.
In Auburn, three main projects will receive consultations: downtown's section of College Street, stormwater infrastructure and the alleys and back lots downtown.
Kevin Cowper, assistant city manager of Auburn, said calming the wide stretches of College Street between intersections downtown is a top priority for the city.
Similar to how the crosswalks on Magnolia Avenue funnel pedestrians off campus, the city wants to build crosswalks across College Street and between Samford Avenue and Roosevelt Drive.
The recent development and popularity of the Heart of Dixie shopping center and adjacent Barbecue House have caused an increase in students and faculty jaywalking across College Street, resulting in the need for a crosswalk.
The city also plans to redevelop the intersection of Toomer's Corner to match the changes being made to the University's corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. The project is scheduled to start in the summer of 2015.
Cowper said a landscaped median is planned between Samford and Thach Avenue to make "a more aesthetically pleasing entrance to campus and downtown."
Projects increasing the stormwater infrastructure on and off campus will also receive consultations.
Recent improvements to Parkerson Mill Creek, near the Wellness Kitchen, showcase how the University wants to increase flood protection and water quality on campus, according to Liberty.
Liberty said he hopes the plans to allow rainwater and run-off to soak into the ground will create long-term solutions to growing flooding concerns and will help replenish Auburn's water table, the underground surface saturated with water.
Another project involves cleaning up the alleys and back lots behind Little Italy and Moe's Barbecue on Magnolia Avenue.
The project, scheduled to start in December, will allow Auburn to grow up, not out, according to Liberty.
Building on the existing structures and space will better use Auburn's developed downtown and will increase the area's attractiveness.
Liberty said he also wants to rethink the way Tiger Transits are used. He thinks using the transits for more off-campus trips, similar to how the transit currently runs to Wal-Mart and Tiger Town, could better benefit more faculty, staff and students.
Mike Kensler, director of campus sustainability operations, said these projects should make Auburn a more pedestrian-friendly campus and create a greater "sense of place" where students can congregate at places, such as Toomer's Corner.
Liberty said USA researched between 40 and 50 towns and talked to more than 200 people before settling on this year's cohorts.
Each college and town cohort is required to give $18,000 to USA, which will cover 20 percent of the cost of consultations.
The remainder of USA's funding comes from three sources this year: the Summit Foundation in Washington, D.C., the Entity for Sustainable Solutions at Pennsylvania State University and an independent grant from the California Strategic Growth Council.
The program also receives monetary gifts and volunteered consultation services.
Kensler said a group of seven people from Auburn will go to Portland, Oregon, in mid-July to meet with the consultants.
After their consultation, the group, consisting of three University employees and four city employees, will revise their plans.
Liberty, who visited Auburn this spring, said he enjoyed touring Auburn, despite the heat, because of the hospitality and interest in USA he saw.
"It's a pleasure working with Southerners because of their graciousness," Liberty said.
Kenser said he is looking forward to the city and University's collaboration with USA.
"This gives us another opportunity to enhance that relationship and work together to create outcomes that are really going to be enjoyable and visible by the people of the Auburn community," Kensler said.
(07/09/14 8:00pm)
Trinity Lutheran Church will hold its annual Peach Festival July 19. The festival, in its 22nd year, will sell Chilton County peaches, as well as peach cobblers and pies, in the church's fellowship hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Patricia Schroer, chairman of the Peach Festival for the past two years, said Norman and Hazel Klase, longtime members of Trinity Lutheran, began the festival as a community outreach project.
All of the peaches used at the festival come from the church's grower in Chilton County, and all the cobblers and pies sold are completely homemade, using the same recipe every year.
The festival, normally in conjunction with the church's Peach Fun Run, was delayed this year because of a late freeze in Chilton that postponed the peach season. Forty-seven people participated in the run, despite the festival's delay.
According to Schroer, a couple of weeks ago, 27 people made more than 100 pie crusts that were then frozen and will be thawed, filled and baked the week before the festival.
Schroer said the people who helped ranged from those who made pies for years to those who never picked up a rolling pin.
The peaches for the cobblers and pies will be peeled the week leading up to the Peach Festival with the help of members of greater Auburn and Trinity Lutheran communities.
Mary Zellmer, a member of Trinity Lutheran, said she loves the camaraderie and companionship that goes into putting on the festival, as well as connecting with the Auburn community the day of the festival.
Allan Hudspith, pastor of Trinity Lutheran for four years, said the festival has two goals for outreach: interacting with members of the church community while preparing for the festival and meeting community members who attend.
The proceeds of the Peach Festival are given on a three-year cycle to local, national and international charities and are approximately $2,000 each year.
In the past, proceeds were given to Alabama Rural Ministries and were sent as tornado relief to Tuscaloosa in 2011. Last year, the funds were used to purchase mosquito nets that would help prevent malaria in southern Africa.
This year, all money raised will be split between two local needs: the East Alabama Food Bank and Women's Hope Medical Clinic.
Schroer, who never had a Chilton County peach until she moved to Alabama, believes "having had them from other places, the taste of Chilton County peaches is much better," even better than Georgia peaches.
Zellmer echoed her praise of the peaches and said," I don't think there's any peach better than a Chilton County peach."
Hudspith, who enjoys the feeling of community that comes from peeling the fresh peaches, said, "Not only are the peaches good, it's great fun being together."
Prices for the festival are as follows: whole pies, $8; slices of pie, $2; whole cobbler, $10; serving of cobbler, $2; a half-peck of peaches, $7.50; and a peck of peaches, $15.
(07/04/14 12:00pm)
On August 31, 2000, War Eagle VI, or Tiger, became the first golden eagle to soar through Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium as part of the pre-game football festivities.
Tiger, who retired from stadium flights after the University of Georgia football game in 2006, died June 18, at the age of 34.
Jamie Bellah, director of the Southeastern Raptor Center since 2004, said Tiger was an icon for nearly 30 years.
"Tiger was beautiful, powerful, and she contributed so much to Auburn," Bellah said.
Bellah's first experience with Tiger was prior to the 2004 football game versus UGA.
"It's a different experience when you watch the eagles practice in the stadium," Bellah said.
There are few people in the stadium then, and Bellah described the sight as beautiful.
"It was my first experience seeing her fly," Bellah said. "You don't forget that."
Bellah grew up out West where golden eagles live naturally, but are not often seen. Bellah said it is special to be in Auburn where the eagles participate in educational programs for children.
"It's hard to imagine how much impact she made over the years in educating kids," Bellah said.
Alpha Phi Omega is the coeducational national service fraternity that has cared for Auburn's eagles for 40 years.
Mark Bransby, one of Tiger's last caretakers before the Raptor Center took over care of the eagles from Alpha Phi Omega in 2000, said visiting schools with Tiger was always a special treat.
"Kids always ask the funniest things," Bransby said. "For example: 'What do you do if her beak falls off?'"
Bransby was part of the team that began the stadium flights.
"I clearly remember beginning to practice flying out of the tunnel and then working our way to the upper deck," Bransby said. "Of course I'm biased, but Tiger's flights were always the best,"
According to Bransby, Tiger usually made at least one complete circle around the stadium, whereas Nova and Spirit, the Raptor Center's remaining eagles, rarely circle the whole field.
David Self, also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, first saw Tiger at Camp War Eagle in 1999.
The camp's pep rally was his first visit to the stadium, but Self spent more time watching Tiger than he did learning the cheers.
Self, along with the other trainers, helped prepare Tiger's food, made replacement jesses (the leather anklets that attach to the trainers), gave educational talks about raptors, took Tiger to the veterinary school for her yearly check-ups and served as her surrogate family.
Bransby and Self both remembered being careful not to get "footed" by Tiger. Self described Tiger's talons as vice-like, remembering she would clamp on his arm when upset.
Self remembers narrowly avoiding disaster with Tiger one day.
He had her "covered" in his arms as he was trained to do, with his free arm over her wings and pulled into his body, so that he could avoid spooking her during the eight feet he had to walk to get them under an archway. This did not take long because Self is 6'10".
"Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my chest and looked down to see her foot placed squarely over my heart," he said.
Once he cleared the archway, Self saw he had a hole in his shirt from where her talon had hung on it.
"It was a deeply humbling experience to work with her and to be so closely connected to not only such a magnificent and beautiful creature, but something that was and is uniquely Auburn," Self said.
Bellah said when he hears the phrase "War Eagle," he thinks of Tiger and calls her the "matriarch of War Eagle."
"We lost a member of the Auburn Family, but her spirit will go on," Bellah said. "She symbolizes what Auburn spirit is all about."
(07/04/14 4:00pm)
Auburn University's radio, television and film (RTVF) program recently changed its title to media studies.
The name change reflects a dramatic and quickly shifting media landscape, according to George Plasketes, professor and associate director of the media studies program.
Last year, the department of communication and journalism became the School of Communication and Journalism in order to modernize the four programs under it: journalism, communication, public relations and RTVF.
The program's name change led to the creation of media studies, according to Susan Brinson, professor in media studies.
In the past 20 years, the media industry has changed dramatically with the development of Web 2.0 - a more interactive Internet than what was originally developed.
Convergence, the shifting of all media to the Internet has also occurred, as well as the decline in the radio industry.
"For us to continue calling the major radio, television and film really wasn't an accurate representation of the industry as it currently stands," Brinson said.
Media studies will reflect a shifting emphasis towards mass media, which is any medium used to communicate to mass audiences, and digital media, according to Brinson.
Plasketes agreed, and said media studies "is more comprehensive and contemporary."
According to Plasketes and Brinson, the program's change was a team effort by the media studies faculty and was encouraged by Jennifer Adams, director of the School of Communication and Journalism.
"Everybody felt it was a positive and good step to make," Plasketes said.
The faculty researched the program names of the top media schools in the country, especially the top schools in the Southeastern Conference.
While no school had a degree titled media studies, they all had similar titles, which encouraged Auburn's faculty they were on the right track, according to Brinson.
Although the program's name has changed, the faculty and curriculum are relatively unchanged, and the new degree name will only affect the incoming freshmen of 2014.
When Plasketes mentioned RTVF was changing its name, during a class this spring, students seemed uncomfortable.
"I respected that discomfort, but I tried to convince them that it's basically the same thing," Plasketes said.
James Coker, senior in media studies, says the program's new name is a welcomed change.
Coker believes other students, pursuing similar majors in the South Eastern Conference, are more successful because of their all-encompassing degree titles.
"More opportunities are offered to them as a senior and after college just by the name they studied under," Coker said.
Plasketes hopes future employers will look at courses taken and skills learned instead of focusing on the name of a graduate's degree.
One change, which will be implemented in the fall, is a new visual media track inside the media studies degree.
Professors Hollie Lavenstein and Kevin Smith have spent the last two years developing new courses and course sequences for the visual media program, according to Plasketes.
The new track will include more filmmaking, sequence design and a concentration on new media.
Media studies courses will be identified as MDIA, but the faculty is satisfied, according to Plasketes.
(06/26/14 12:00pm)
For some students, parts of the Camp War Eagle experience leave much to be desired.
Others love the two-day crash-course about life on Auburn University's campus.
Caroline Stewart, a native of Montgomery who will study agricultural communications in the fall, said she thought it was intimidating to be grouped with people she did not know at the beginning of the session.
As camp progressed, Stewart got to know her group better and enjoyed the Tiger Talks her counselor led.
Stewart said she felt her group broke through walls of differing beliefs that would have otherwise divided them.
Although she enjoyed the pep rally and Toomer's Corner lemonade, Stewart felt the experience of getting to know people was tiring.
"I feel like you have to be extra extroverted to get to know people," Stewart said. "And sometimes that's a tiring experience."
With her family only 45 minutes away, Auburn was her final choice. However, it was more than the distance from her family that helped make her decision.
"It's just a family atmosphere," Stewart said. "You can see that at the football games, but you can also see that when you visit campus."
Stewart also said student services workers in the College of Agriculture built her excitement about studying agricultural communications, which makes her eager for the fall semester to start.
"I really enjoy interacting with people and that's where some of my natural talent lies," Stewart said.
Olivia Taylor, from Macon, Georgia, will study social work at Auburn and said she thought Camp War Eagle was overwhelming.
Taylor, who has attended football games in Jordan-Hare Stadium for years, loved the pep rally and said she felt like a student when she was in the stadium.
"The campus is awesome and I like the whole idea of the Auburn Family," Taylor said.
Taylor's mother and sisters attended Auburn. Even though it meant giving up the Georgia state lottery scholarship, she decided attending Auburn was worth it.
Taylor said her social work advisers were helpful and made the class registration process easier.
"This registration process is kind of stressful," Taylor said, "because you have to have back-up classes and back-ups to your back-ups."
Christian Hersey, a mechanical engineering major from Enterprise, decided Auburn was the college for him because "it's the best engineering college around."
"It's the only college I even applied for," Hersey said.
Hersey, whose first time in Jordan-Hare Stadium was for the pep rally, enjoyed Camp War Eagle, but said the pep rally was not loud enough and cannot wait for football games in the fall.
"With the cheers and the War Damn Eagle, I wasn't expecting that, but I liked it," Hersey said with a laugh.
Hersey also enjoyed getting to know his camp group and thought the group made the orientation process more personal.
"I'm ready for college now," he said. "I don't want to go home after this."
(06/24/14 7:13pm)
Larnelle Harris, 5-time Grammy and 11-time Dove Award winning artist, will be performing at Auburn United Methodist Church's 13th Star Spangled Spectacular on Friday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Harris, who has sung at the Kremlin for United Nations Ambassadors and has performed on CNN and The 700 Club, has loved music since he was a child.
Harris used to sit at his family's piano with dark glasses on, hit random chords and rock back and forth, channeling his inner Ray Charles.
"It was a tough life [as a boy soprano]," Harris said jokingly. "The ladies in the church would just cry when they'd heard me sing," Harris said. "The kids my own age would just laugh and throw things."
Harris continued to sing during his teenage years and ended up at Western Kentucky University where he graduated in 1969 with a degree in music and voice.
Harris recorded his first record in the mid-70s with the song "Tell It To Jesus" and has been recording ever since.
"What I'm doing helps people to hopefully discover the next stage in the Christian walk," Harris said.
Harris said that even though he sings some of the same songs he sang when he was a child, "they must show some life and some growth."
He tries to only record songs that he loves and "could make part of (his) DNA."
Harris views his Grammy Awards as tools that have allowed him access to places he never would have been otherwise and they have allowed him to be able to share the gospel of Jesus.
"Now that doesn't always mean that I'm grabbing somebody by the collar and shaking them and asking them about their soul," Harris said.
It allows him to show people that, even as a Christian, he has a sense of humor and can have a casual conversation.
"Notoriety is a tool that God has used in my heart to share his love," Harris said.
Bill and Gloria Gaither, as well as Sandi Patti, are some of Harris's favorite artists he has performed with.
"I just hope that those collaborations continually remind us that we're all in this together, that God wants to use us all," Harris said.
Gary Klarenbeek, director of music at Auburn UMC, heard months ago that Harris was planning a national patriotic tour, the One Nation Under God tour.
When Klarenbeek discovered that Harris was available for the Star Spangled Spectacular, he had to book him.
"He really walks the walk and is such an incredible singer," Klarenbeek said.
Harris has performed in Auburn several times before and is one of a few artists that will invite local singers to perform with him.
Jacquie Cruz, Klarenbeek's daughter and local performer, will perform "I've Just Seen Jesus" with Harris.
Cruz says performing with Harris is something she has dreamt of since she was a little girl.
"I don't have to check anything else off my bucket list," Cruz said with a laugh.
In addition to the song with Cruz, Harris will sing "The Greatest of These," a song taken directly from scripture in the New International Version of the Bible, as well as traditional patriotic works.
Cruz says the Star Spangled Spectacular is a reminder to put God at the head of decisions the United States makes and it will serve as a time to reflect and remember with the community of the sacrifices made for the nation.
According to Klarenbeek, the Spectacular is a great time of community outreach and a time when different denominations come together to celebrate the United States.
More than 80 performers and 35 orchestra members from Atlanta and the Gulf Coast will be at the event.
(06/19/14 4:00pm)
The Auburn City Council approved the rezoning of properties along Opelika Road at their meeting Tuesday evening.
One five-acre parcel was removed from the rezoning during the ordinances section of the meeting.
The parcel does not have frontage on Opelika Road, but is behind the former Chili's, soon to be Mugshots.
The property continues all the way back to Gateway Drive.
"Where this parcel is at, it might be more appropriate for residential use than commercial use," said Forrest Cotten, director of the Auburn Planning Department.
The parcel was kept zoned as a Comprehensive Development District (CDD) instead of being made a Corridor Redevelopment District - Suburban (CRD-S), which will make it more expedient to get certain residential uses approved there, according to Cotten.
All other properties on that road were rezoned CRD-S and Corridor Redevelopment District - Urban.
During the citizen's communication portion of the meeting, Rhonwyn Pugh approached the council about de-annexing 1.49 acres of land out of the city of Auburn and into Lee County.
Pugh has moved a modular home onto the property and is unable to have power run to the home because the modular home does not meet city guidelines.
Pugh asked that the property be de-annexed so that she can "move on with (her) life" and have power run to her modular home.
Pugh originally had the land annexed into the city so that members of her family could attend school in Auburn.
Council members were hesitant to approve the de-annexation for fear of setting a precedent allowing property owners to annex into the city.
They would do so fo their children to be able to attend school in Auburn and then leaving the city once the school's services were no longer needed.
The council was not able to reach a decision on the de-annexation.
(06/13/14 12:00pm)
Caitlin Brunell, Miss Leeds Area, won the 2014 Miss Alabama Pageant Saturday night at Samford University's Wright Center.
Brunell, graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in dance, was one of 47 women who vyed for the crown, eight of whom attend Auburn University.
First runner-up was Katie Malone, Miss Point Mallard; second runner-up was Briana Kinsey, Miss Marble Valley; third runner-up was Elisabeth Chramer, Miss Tennessee Valley; and fourth runner-up was KeLeigh Edwards, Miss Smiths Station.
As Miss Alabama, Brunell will receive a $10,000 scholarship, in addition to any in-kind scholarships for which she qualifys.
According to Frank Kanelos, historian and public relations manager for the pageant, in-kind scholarship are those that individual colleges in the state make available to the contestants, and are totaled at more than $4.9 million this year.
The main benefit to Miss Alabama participants is the scholarship money available.
Each contestant is awarded scholarship money, even if they do not win or place in the competition.
Cash scholarships, raised through Miss Alabama Golf Classic, Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen program, Rising Star Program and Miss Alabama fashion show, totaled $95,000 for 2014.
The pageant is comprised of five parts: interview, swimsuit, talent, evening gown and on-stage question. Contestants competed in those events during preliminaries earlier in the week.
Mi'a Callens, junior in radio, television and film, was the only Auburn student to make the top 10.
The remaining top 10 finalists were Megan Smith, Miss Center Point; Hayley Barber, Miss Phenix City; Alyssa Boyd, Miss Lake City; and Cassidy Jacks, Miss Tuscaloosa.
Callens, Miss Jefferson County, will receive a $1,000 scholarship as a semi-finalist.
According to Miss Auburn University scholarship program director Katie Willoughby, sophomore in communication disorders, this program gives girls once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
"I would say, as a whole, the Miss America program develops incredibly well-rounded, driven women," Willoughby said. "Regardless of their scholarship winnings, being a participant is a credential or benefit of itself."
Contestants learn public speaking skills, show work ethic toward health and their bodies and learn appreciation of the arts.
"I see pageants as a positive mainly because they are a positive influence on the participants' lives," Willoughby said.
Each contestant has a platform, as well as the national platform of Miss America - Children's Miracle Network.
Brunell's platform was Caitlin's Closet, an organization that provides homecoming and prom dresses for girls that can not afford to attend those events.
Leading up to the pageant, Kanelos said the ladies not only rehearsed, but had press events at Colonial Brookwood Mall.
Ann-Marie Riley, who attended the pageant's final night, "had a wonderful time watching so many talented young women and hearing about each of their platforms and all of their accomplishments."
Brunell will compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 9-14.
(06/12/14 6:00pm)
Parkerson Mill Creek is undergoing restoration that will transform the formerly unappealing and eroding creek into a part of campus that will encourage passersby to enjoy being near the water. The section of creek being restored is the farthest northeastern branch of exposed creek on campus, according to Ben Burmester, campus planner with facilities management.
This branch runs by the Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum and the new Wellness Kitchen; its restoration is scheduled to finish in time for the fall semester.
The current restoration is the only definite plan that Facilities Management has for Parkerson Mill Creek, but the campus master plan designates the creek as a natural resource management area and has a long-term goal of improving the creek throughout University property.
Eve Brantley, extension agent and associate professor in the Department of Crop, Soils and Environmental Sciences, has led the restoration efforts.
Brantley, Burmester and Charlene LeBleu, associate professor of the School of Landscape Architecture, agree this restoration is a collaborative effort that will provide campus-wide benefits.
The Office of Sustainability, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Facilities Management, Landscape Architecture, Biosystems Engineering, School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and the School of Forestry are some of the groups that have contributed to the restoration.
Funding for the project has come from the Department of Environmental Management grants and equal funding from Facilities Management.
Brantley says the plans for the creek include improving floodplain protection and improving the habitat by adding natural, deep-rooted vegetation to slow down the erosion that storm water causes as it hits the creek bank.
The new vegetation will shade and cool the water and provide better living conditions for aquatic life, as well as keep the soil in place, which will prevent erosion.
Structures have been built close to the stream on campus. Infrastructure nearby is threatened when storm water from the nearby buildings builds up energy that then flows into and erode the creek.
Brantley said groups are partnering to look at managing storm water more effciently so it is not sent into the creek.
It would instead be contained and able to sink into the ground.
LeBleu said Parkerson Mill Creek is a private and public stream because the creek runs through the University and the city of Auburn.
LeBleu calls Parkerson Mill Creek a watershed and compares it to a bathtub because it drains to a single point. Parkerson Mill Creek drains into Chewacla Creek and the Tallapoosa River.
Brantley, who came to Auburn in 2002, said she remembers coming to campus for the first time and thinking "this could be a fantastic outdoor classroom" and hopes the restoration will encourage the creek's use.
As a land-grant university, Auburn's mission has three points: research, instruction and extension.
"Our mission is to help people learn more about how to be good stewards of our natural resources and use them wisely so future generations have access to them," Brantley said.
Brantley said she believes the University has a chance to implement its mission at Parkerson Mill Creek as the stream evolves.
"I think it might be corny, but there's probably something for every department and college on campus because we're all tied to water," Brantley said.
Several science classes have helped with the upkeep of the stream and the College of Liberal Arts community engagement practicum allows students to put plants along the stream as part of their training in improving water quality.
LeBleu, who has also worked on watershed restoration efforts at Town Creek and Saugahatchee Creek, said this restoration will provide an "awe-inspiring demonstration for the possibilities of the whole creek."
According to LeBleu, there were talks of putting the creek in a pipe and forgeting about it several years ago.
"In the past, people have thought of the creek as a ditch," LeBleu said. "This new design reclaims the creek's name and reclaims it as a living and functional stream."
LeBleu's said her goal for the restoration is to transform the creek from a ditch to a destination. She wants people to meet at Parkerson Mill Creek, relax and enjoy the scenery.
Brantley said she wants to build a greenway path that would follow the stream through campus and showcase the stream as an integral part of campus.
Brantley said she is optimistic for the creek's future.
"Nature can be resilient if we push it in the right direction," Brantley said.
(06/08/14 8:30pm)
Jim Gorrie has been a fan of the Atlanta Braves his entire life, but his involvement with the Major League Baseball team just got bigger.
Gorrie, 1984 building science alumnus of Auburn University, is president and CEO of Brasfield & Gorrie, one of four construction companies jointly named American Builders 2017, recently awarded the contract to build the new Braves stadium.
Barton Malow Company, New South Construction and Mortenson Construction are the other companies that make up American Builders 2017.
This group was formed to highlight each of the four companies' strengths. Brasfield & Gorrie took the lead position because of their large presence in Atlanta and Cobb County.
Gorrie graduated with New South Construction CEO Doug Davidson in spring 1984 and has always had "a tremendous amount of respect for [Davidson's] firm."
Gorrie, whose parents are Auburn alumni, grew up attending football games and said football Saturdays with his friends and family are one of his favorite memories of the Plains.
"Meeting my wife, Alison, our senior year was a highlight for sure," Gorrie said of his time in Auburn.
Gorrie and Alison met through mutual friends, after which Alison asked him to go to the Kappa Delta formal her senior year.
The couple has been married for 29 years and resides in Mountain Brook. They have two children, Mills, who attends Samford University, and Alie B., who attends Belmont University.
Gorrie was in Kappa Alpha Fraternity where he served as president and rush chairman. He was also an SGA senator and parliamentarian, member of the Builders Science Builder's Guild, Sigma Lambda Chi, Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa.
Spending time at the KA house was one of Gorrie's favorite activities to do during his years in Auburn.
He also frequented the BBQ House, Momma Goldberg's Deli, Guthrie's and Taco Casa; each meal followed by a trip to the Santa Freeze.
No matter the fun he had outside of class, Gorrie always came back to his schoolwork.
When Gorrie came to Auburn, he knew that building science was the degree for him.
"I enjoyed my senior thesis because it brought all of the pieces of my building science education together," Gorrie said. "I liked all my building science classes and teachers. We had great teachers. In fact, I talked Mark Taylor into becoming house dad for the KAs in 1983, and I'm not sure he has forgiven me for that."
Gorrie's father, M. Miller Gorrie, a 1957 Auburn alumnus, bought out the assets of the Thomas C. Brasfield Company in 1964 and subsequently renamed the company Brasfield & Gorrie.
The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
"It is all I have ever done or known," Gorrie said. "I never really considered anything else and have enjoyed working with my father and learning from some pretty special people."
Gorrie believes every job the company takes is special, but counts the Georgia Dome, the Kirklin Clinic in Birmingham and the M. Miller Gorrie Center in Auburn as a few of his favorites.
The M. Miller Gorrie Center was made possible through donations from Brasfield & Gorrie employees and was a named in honor of the Gorrie's father, chairman and founder of Brasfield and Gorrie.
"We surprised my father," Gorrie said. "Auburn officials were present one night at the Birmingham Country Club to spring the news on him."
Brasfield & Gorrie also completed the last renovation to Jordan-Hare in the mid-eighties.
Even though Brasfield & Gorrie recruits employees from all over the country, Gorrie remembers his Auburn roots.
"We have a pretty strong Auburn presence in our company for sure," Gorrie said.
Gorrie has also donated to the J. Steve Williams Endowed Scholarship in the McWhorter School of Building Science this year.
Gorrie considers landing the Braves contract a "great win" and is excited about working with the team.
Gorrie grew up listening to the Braves play on the radio with his grandfather.
The lifelong Braves fan frequently watches the team on TV, even though he rarely makes it to games at Turner Field.
"I did take my son the day before we were selected for the Braves stadium," Gorrie said. "We had a great time, even though the Braves lost."
(06/09/14 2:00pm)
With the bright sun and muggy air of summer comes another guest to the Loveliest Village on the Plains - the Camp War Eagle student.
With the arrival of those students comes the beautiful sight of specials and deals in stores around town.
Everyone can benefit from the incoming potential freshmen and their parents.
The employees at The Pink Room in downtown Auburn are excited about the arrival of campers and have several specials to show it.
"During Camp War Eagle, we're going to have 'Daily Deals,' so we'll have a full outfit put together each day that is a large percentage off," said Haley Guntharp, owner of The Pink Room.
If customers buy an outfit instead of individual pieces, an additional 20 percent is taken off the price.
Sometimes buying a complete outfit can pay off, especially when customers are able to get two pieces for a fraction more than what one regular priced item.
In addition to having "Daily Deals" during Camp War Eagle, The Pink Room will have specials the day before and after camp.
An additional 20 percent will be taken off all sale merchandise during Camp War Eagle.
Every Wednesday before camp, everything pink in the shop will be 20 percent off, in reference to the movie "Mean Girls."
Everything in the store that has navy on it will be 20 percent off the first day of camp. Anything with orange will also have 20 percent off on the following day.
Ellie Boutique and its sister store Ellie Shoe Boutique are also getting in the spirit of Camp War Eagle with extended store hours.
The store, which normally closes at 6 p.m., will stay open until 7 p.m. the night before each camp session, according to Quinley Etheredge, store manager.
Coupons for Ellie Boutique can be found in the students' camp books.
"They can come in, you know, while they're here," Etheredge said, "but it expires sometime in the fall, so they can use it when they come back."
Tiger Rags is having a buy one, get one free T-shirt deal, according to employee Katelyn Walden. The store is also handing out a 20 percent off coupon at the business fair held the second day of every camp session.
Trips to Toomer's Drugs at the corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue, a large part of the Auburn culture, are built into the Camp War Eagle schedule. The first night of every camp, Toomer's Drugs will open from 10-11:30 p.m. to allow campers to purchase Blue Bell ice cream and their famous fresh-squeezed lemonade.
(06/08/14 6:00pm)
Caitlin Brunell, Miss Leeds Area, won the 2014 Miss Alabama Pageant Saturday night at Samford University's Wright Center.
Brunell, a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in dance, was one of 47 women, eight of whom attend Auburn University, who vied for the crown.
As Miss Alabama, Brunell will receive a $10,000 cash scholarship, in addition to any in-kind scholarships for which she may qualify.
According to Frank Kanelos, historian and public relations manager for the pageant, in-kind scholarships, those that individual colleges in the state make available to the contestants, totaled more than $4.9 million this year.
The main benefit to Miss Alabama participants is the scholarship money available, a piece of which every contestant takes home, even if they do not win or place in the competition.
Cash scholarships, raised through the Miss Alabama Golf Classic, the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen program, the Rising Star program and Miss Alabama fashion show, totaled $95,000 for 2014.
The pageant is comprised of five parts - interview, swimsuit, talent, evening gown and on-stage question. All 47 contestants competed in those events during preliminaries earlier in the week.
During finals, the top 10 contestants participated in swimsuit, talent and evening gown.
Mi'a Callens, a junior studying radio, television and film, was the only Auburn student to make the top 10.
Callens, Miss Jefferson County, will receive a $1,000 scholarship for being a semi-finalist.
The top five contestants competed in the on-stage question during the finals.
Kanelos says that, in addition to the scholarship money, contestants benefit from the Miss Alabama pageant when they learn and use interview skills and showcase their talent in front of hundreds of people, not to mention the five judges tasked with selecting each year's queen.
According to Miss Auburn University scholarship program director Katie Willoughby, a sophomore studying communication disorders, this program gives girls once-in-a-lifetime experiences and lessons.
"I would say, as a whole, the Miss America program develops incredibly well-rounded, driven women," Willoughby said. "Regardless of their scholarship winnings, being a participant is a credential or benefit of itself."
Contestants learn public speaking skills, show work ethic toward health and their bodies and learn appreciation of the arts.
"I see pageants as a positive mainly because they are a positive influence on the participants' lives," Willoughby said.
The young women make life-long friends during the two weeks they rehearse for Miss Alabama and also participate in community service projects, called platforms.
Each contestant has a platform, as well as the national platform of Miss America - Children's Miracle Network. This year, the on-stage question during finals was related to the respective platforms of the top five.
Brunell's platform was Caitlin's Closet, originally an organization that provided homecoming and prom dresses for girls that could not afford to attend those events.
Caitlin's Closet, according to Brunell's on-stage response, gives people hope no matter their circumstances, has recently launched a new website and hopes to soon have a phone application to more easily help those in need.
Leading up to the pageant, Kanelos said the ladies not only rehearsed, but had press events at Colonial Brookwood Mall where they also signed autographs, went to Alabama Adventure and ate at Dreamland BBQ, where they had a contest to see who could eat a rib the fastest.
Ann-Marie Riley, who attended the pageant's final night, "had a wonderful time watching so many talented young women ad hearing about their platforms and accomplishments."
Brunell will compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 9-14.
(06/04/14 4:57am)
Tom Whatley was elected as the Republican candidate for Alabama Senate District 27, which is comprised of Lee, Tallapoosa and Russell counties, Tuesday evening in a close race against Andy Carter.
Before the Lee County native was named the winner of the race, Whatley said he was "cautious, but optimistic."
Whatley, a 1994 Auburn alumnus in public administration and graduate of the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University, said his motivation through the re-election process was his family and friends, and he is looking forward to the general election.
Whatley received a commission from the Auburn University Army ROTC in 1992, serves as a lieutenant colonel and is a veteran of 25 years with the Alabama National Guard.
Whatley also operates a small law firm based out of Auburn.
Whatley currently serves as chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation Committee, chairman of the Lee County Legislative Delegation and co-chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
If Whatley is re-elected in November, he said he will continue to support job creation, improvements in education and increasing the accountability of the government.
"Thank you to everyone who supported my campaign," Whatley said. "I hope to represent with honor and integrity the people of Lee, Russell and Tallapoosa counties."
(05/31/14 4:00pm)
Auburn Parks and Recreation is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Therapeutic Summer Day Camp, which serves children with special needs.
Fifty-four children with special needs, all from the Lee County area, will start camp on Monday, June 2, according to Dana Stewart, special programs coordinator for Parks and Recreation.
Campers this year range from ages 15 to 49 and have different types of disabilities, from autism to speech or hearing disabilities to Down syndrome.
Students are at the camp for eight hours each day, which gives their parents time to run errands and go to work.
The program, which is in conjunction with Auburn University's special education practicum class, teaches basic daily life skills to the campers, such as hygiene, laundry and how to count money.
"I'm a real big advocate of promoting their abilities, not their disabilities," Stewart said.
The Hood family benefited exponentially from the program.
Lamar and Twynette Hood, who have been with the program since its inception, have four children with Down syndrome, Jennifer, 42; Amy Joy, 33; Anna, 31; and Jason, 26.
"A group of parents actually created a foundation which originally started, and then the city of Auburn donated the space," Twynette said.
In addition to classes, the campers swim,which the Hoods are fond of, and play basketball, kickball and volleyball.
"The activity is so good for them," Twynette said. "And the day camp always stresses nutrition, and that helps to have somebody back us up."
Stewart said Auburn's practicum students get as much out of the program as the campers do because they get hands-on experience working with people with special needs of various ages.
"Every year I hear [the practicum students] saying 'I never would have learned from a book what I learned hands-on at that camp,'" Stewart said.
The camp has classes that teach manners and social skills, which the campers then put into action every Friday when they go on field trips.
Every year they go to Sylacauga to tour the Blue Bell creamery, which is met with great response from both students and Blue Bell.
"They're always calling me in the spring wanting to know if I'm bringing my campers back," Stewart said.
Trips to Pine Mountain, Atlanta Braves games and the movie theater are also scheduled each year.
The Hood children are particularly excited to find out what movie they will be seeing. "The Amazing Spiderman," and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" are high on their wish list.
"Anna has so many movies. It's sort of an obsession with her," Twynette said with a laugh. "It's not sort of. It is!"
For some children with special needs, these field trips are some of the only times they are in the public sector.
As for the Hoods, she said they are out in the community often because all four children have jobs they go to a couple of days a week.
The city's Love Your Heart Run/Crank Your Heart Ride funds scholarships for the summer camp.
"This includes everything: their swimming, their bowling, their field trips," Stewart said. "It's $150 for a whole summer."
Addison Combs, senior in collaborative special education, is involved with the day camp, for the first time.
Combs said she thinks Auburn does a great job supporting people with special needs in Auburn.
"I think that it's crucially important to have an inclusive family atmosphere," Combs said.
Twynette has seen the camp grow from 11 campers to the 54 they have today and is grateful her children are a part of this program, which they look forward to each year.
"They love it," Twynette said. "They absolutely love it."
(05/29/14 6:52pm)
Renovations to Foy Hall are scheduled to begin at the end of this month and run through January 2015.
Two phases of renovations are planned: one to the East Plaza, scheduled to be finished by the end of August, and two to increase Foy's dining space to include a Chicken Salad Chick, scheduled to open January 2015.
"The biggest ailment of the east side renovation is we did have some maintenance work we had to do out there," said Jim Carroll, university architect with Facilities Management.
Auburn's Facilities Management looked at the east side of Foy as their next project because the sidewalk needed replacement due to age and tree roots breaking through the pavement.
Carroll said the area across Ross Square and Foy is a highly traveled part of campus.
According to Carroll, the goal of this renovation is to better the exterior environment students frequent.
"It'll be a sort of a more open and inviting plaza for students, faculty, staff and really the Auburn Family," Carroll said.
The project at Ross Square was started in late February 2013. Some students have complained about more construction coming to campus, as other projects are being completed.
"I think it's a nice idea, but I will admit I'm a tad tired of construction work happening at Auburn," said Lindsey Henson, senior in psychology.
As a student recruiter, Henson struggles talking over loud construction and has to alter her tour routes because of it.
"I think we have enough relaxation and courtyard areas that Auburn could wait until next spring to do renovations," Henson said.
The construction bid for the East Plaza renovations came in at about $150,000. This funding comes through general funds from the University, specifically a Facilities Management deferred maintenance account.
"Our deferred maintenance fund is a fund that allows us to manage facilities throughout the campus," Carroll said.
Auxiliary Services pursued the $2.2 million dining hall renovation, which the vice president of student affairs, as well as students and members of SGA have given feedback on.
"It's a great location because it's going to be right on the Thach Concourse," Carroll said, "What's interesting about it is it will engage the students and activate the courtyard, as well."
Historically, the open brick courtyard has been a hot, unwelcoming corner of campus.
Facilities Management's solution to Foy's unintentional sauna is to incorporate more landscaping and canopies in the courtyard.
"We're removing the relative discomfort back there because we're taking away the large, open-masonry feel that was on the floor," Carroll said.
The new dining venue will extend into the courtyard, creating different seating areas outside; additional seating inside is also planned.
"People have really supported the food venues in Foy over the years, and this one, in particular, should be pretty good," Carroll said.
Mitchell Kilpatrick, a graduate student in communication, is excited about the renovations coming to Foy.
"It's been there for a while, so I think it's time for maybe a little upgrade," Kilpatrick said. "I've spent more time in Foy recently than I have in the past, so it would be good to see those upgrades and see what they add to it."
Henson, though she would love a semester free from construction, said, "I don't like the process, but I like the results. Auburn never disappoints me in their renovations."