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(10/28/14 1:30pm)
Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. I love zombies. I love candy corn. It falls during what might be the most pleasant-weathered month of the calendar year, and it gives me a reason to buy the obscene amounts of fake blood I pine for the other 365 days.
But the older I've gotten, the more I've noticed Halloween changing -- and not in the typical "you're too old to trick-or-treat" way. Halloween has become political. It has been infected by a misogynistic society. Yes, I'm talking about slut-shaming.
Let's stop shying away from it: humans -- that means men and, shocker, women -- are sexual creatures. Whether or not you believe that is because of a god's design or biology is irrelevant; even the Bible mentions sex has its place and is meant to be enjoyed.
Women and men desire sex equally, contrary to what movies with cuckolding wives would have us believe. But it's stereotypical female roles like that that lead to the perception that a woman who loves her body, who loves to show it off and use it, is a whore.
Men who do the same thing are typically given high-fives and hearty shouts of "get it, bro."
Halloween reinforces that.
Have you ever looked at the difference in men and women's Halloween costumes? Head on over to Party City and take a gander, if you haven't. A man can be a firefighter, a policeman, a superhero. Women are Flirty Firefighter, Curvy Cop, Sexy Superhero. Let's face it, ladies, when it comes to mainstream costumes we have a pretty limited selection, and who doesn't want to look cute?
Nobody, and yet when we wear things that show off our assets -- the things every other girl is wearing, we're met with a social-media chorus of "Girls, respect yourselves, don't dress like a slut!"
What if I wear a short dress because I like my legs? What if I wear a corset because it makes my waist look awesome? What if women wear these costumes to feel good about themselves and not in the hopes of snagging a man to take home at the end of the night?
Revealing costumes are not the same thing as a booty call. Wearing a bikini top to a bar does not mean yes. It doesn't mean that if someone does choose to take advantage of a girl it's her fault.
Women, wear what you want, and wear it for you. Men and women alike, stop perpetuating a rape-culture mentality. Drop the words skank and slut from your Halloween vocabulary. Drop them from your entire vocabulary, actually. If you're don't want to wear something skimpy, don't wear it. But don't be offended because other people do, and especially don't shame people who aren't like you. Be comfortable in your own skin. Wear what makes you feel beautiful, or enchanted, or -- if you're like me -- undead and hungry for the brains of the living. But most importantly, show each other the respect and kindness you want to be shown, and have a fun, safe Halloween.
Raye May is the photography editor at The Plainsman. She can be reached at photo@theplainsman.com
(08/25/14 4:00pm)
On any given weekend, I'd much rather spend my nights eating cereal on my couch and binging on my latest Netflix addiction. In those moments, the thought of going downtown to drink repulses me on a level similar to going to the dentist.
But that's what people in this town do.
Picture this: it's 9:30 on a Friday night. You've abandoned shoes and pants for an oversized t-shirt and a bowl of Froot Loops. You're well into a happy TV coma when suddenly, your phone lights up. It's your BFFs, and they're all out at Skybar, furiously texting you to come get your drink on with them.
Some people might jump at the chance to go out and party with friends, and that's okay. You do you. But let me do me, too, and say no.
It's not that I don't like my friends. It's not that I don't enjoy a beer or two every now and then. I just don't like bars--especially the overcrowded, sweaty, loud ones in downtown Auburn.
I don't like the music. I don't like dancing. I'm not a big fan of crowds, and I'd like to be able to carry on a conversation with my friends. Five minutes of fruitless yelling into each other's ear only to nod and smile and pretend we had any clue what was said doesn't count as conversation.
Whenever I go out I come home with a thinner wallet, a pounding headache and usually the disdain of my friends because I left too early.
I don't understand why college students are expected to like this stuff.
I don't get why I'm seen as some kind of lame, prudish outlier for not.
If I'm hanging out with someone, it's because I want to spend time with them. I want to hear their thoughts and have a conversation without having to scream over the newest misogynistic rap song or maneuver around sweaty, wasted couples grinding in odd contortions on the dance floor.
Not to mention being a girl is like a crime at the bar, where the punishment is having random drunk guys groping your ass and trying to sleep with you.
Sorry, no, I'm not going to put myself in those situations.
I'm not interested in being hollered at or having my personal space invaded. I'm not interested in paying way too much for some watered down drink I could make at home. I don't need to feel like I'm partying like a celebrity.
And that's okay.
But until my fellow students start treating it like it's okay, I'm going to keep ignoring your texts and pretending to be asleep.
(07/18/14 6:00pm)
Plainsman sports editor Eric Wallace and managing editor Justin Ferguson bring you this weeks happenings in Auburn sports.
(07/16/14 5:15pm)
Highlights from this year's SEC Media Days event.
(07/14/14 8:23pm)
Dozens of fans crowded the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel at SEC Media Days on Monday, and most of them belonged to Auburn.
Several said that attending the annual press event to support the Auburn football team was an act of tradition.
"I just do it every year," said Adam Kelley of Tuscaloosa. "I come to see the coaches and players and a lot of the media personalities."
Kelley said he arrived at the hotel on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
"I got off work at 7 this morning, and I haven't been to bed yet," Kelley said. "I drove from Tuscaloosa this morning."
Kyle Bradberry, a 2010 alumnus and Birmingham native, also cited tradition as his reason for attending SEC Media Days.
"I came last year, and there weren't many Auburn people here," Bradberry said. "It was fun to just see Coach Malzahn and see the players. I thought, 'if I have some free time, I'll come again next year,' and it's funny to see that there's way more people and way more media coverage."
Jim McDaed of Vestavia Hills also echoed the sentiment of tradition, and said Auburn fans gather no matter the reason.
"This is the Auburn Family," McDaed said. "We come together for all occasions. Happy, sad, or today, where we might get a little information about this season."
The fans also spent time reminiscing on Auburn games and players past, saying that it was good to be in the company of other Auburn people.
McDaed said that while the trip to California for January's BCS National Championship Game was fantastic, he really wanted the victory, and hopes that this year's team will go back and finish the job.
"This team needs to have a theme of 'let's finish this thing," McDaed said.
Another common topic among fans was quarterback Nick Marshall and Gus Malzahn's decision to pull him from appearing at Media Days.
"Most importantly to me, he was not driving under the influence," McDaed said. "Thirty years ago, you'd be thrown off the team, lose your scholarship...but I think Coach Malzahn will definitely apply the right level of discipline to this situation."
Bradberry said he is confident in Malzahn's ability to get Marshall back into good standing.
"Malzahn will get him right," Bradberry said. "I think (Marshall) will continue to lead our team. I'm still confident in that, even though I'm disappointed."
In addition to tradition, being with other Auburn fans and learning about the next season, fans also said they came to see the sights of Media Days.
Auburn fan Dickie Pearson pointed out radio host Paul Finebaum, calling him "one of the most hated men in the state of Alabama."
"A couple of years ago I was up here and he walked right by me and stuck out his hand," Pearson said. "Before I could think I shook his hand, and I immediately went to the restroom and washed my hands."
Media Days is not only a chance to enjoy the company of other fans, McDaed said, but also an opportunity to poke fun at rival fans.
"I noticed the man wearing a national championship ring as a hat is almost as short as Nick Saban," McDaed said. "This is a chance to be with Auburn people, and we get to look at and laugh at Alabama fans that come in here looking ridiculous."
(06/29/14 11:17pm)
Auburn fans gathered at Toomer's Corner on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the life of former Tiger Philip Lutzenkirchen.
Lutzenkirchen, a member of the 2010 National Championship team and fan favorite, passed away early Sunday morning after a car he was a passenger in careened out of control for more than 450 feet before overturning several times.
Lutzenkirchen was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene outside of LaGrange, Georgia.
"It's obviously a time for mourning, but we should also be celebrating what a great man he was and what he brought to the football team, to the Auburn family and the SEC in general," said Morgan Jackson, senior and daughter of Auburn great Bo Jackson.
Approximately 150 people showed up to show their respect, with many wearing the familiar #43 jersey that Lutzenkirchen wore for the Tigers.
"When I first came here, he seemed to be the safety net of the team," said Kathleen Johnson, senior from Canton, Georgia. "He was my favorite player."
Fans brought toilet paper to throw into trees; something usually saved for victories.
Lutzenkirchen became an Auburn legend when, with Auburn trailing Alabama 27-21 in the 2010 Iron Bowl, Cam Newton found Lutzenkirchen for the game-winning touchdown to keep the Tigers on their path to the national title.
The "Lutzie", Lutzenkirchen's dance after the touchdown, became a sensation.
"When I told my parents this morning, my dad (Bo) said, 'Phil? The touchdown dancing guy?'," said Jackson. "It was really hard for him to hear that."
Lutzenkirchen's Auburn career ended after sustaining a hip injury against Ole Miss in 2012. The following year, he signed a free agent contract with the Rams, but was released four months later due to the same injury. He finished with 59 caught passes for 628 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Tigers.
"He was a great Auburn football player," said Erica Seymour, senior from Hueytown. "Nobody had a bad thing to say about him. I honestly hate that I didn't know him personally."
Graduating in 2012, Lutzenkirchen remained a familiar face in the Auburn community, attending football games and other athletic events.
"He was a very good family friend and a good guy," said Jessica Carroll, senior in Public Relations. "He never really let go of Auburn. It's a place in his heart."
(06/20/14 4:00pm)
Cat's view:
Yes, we are still living in a weak economy. Finding a remedy to our economic woes is paramount, but this doesn't mean we should support every solution proposed.
Raising the minimum wage is a quick-fix solution Americans would be smart to avoid. Sure, it sounds nice, but the reality is anything but nice.
Obviously, the money has to come from somewhere. The government may make the law, but they aren't giving any money to the people who actually pay out: business owners.
It's the business owners who will have no choice, but to increase their selling prices to stay within the law. This includes price increases for food, clothing, gas and anything else you frequently buy.
Say goodbye to the Dollar Menu.
Economists David Neumark, of UC-Irvine, and William Wascher, of the Federal Reserve Board, recently released a collective study showing 85 percent of research points to a loss of jobs following an increase in minimum wage.
Since the majority of the retail workforce is comprised of minimum wage employees, the already difficult task of finding a job for unskilled workers will become much worse. When businesses are forced to pay people more, they naturally hire fewer people.
So if you happen to be one of the lucky few with a job, you'll be explaining to infuriated customers why they can no longer afford their lunches.
Let's say we do raise the minimum wage. Will the poor really benefit? Unfortunately, the answer is no. According to the Census Bureau, approximately 60 percent of people living in poverty are unemployed and would not benefit from a raise.
We should also pay attention to the 28 states that have increased the minimum wage in the four years prior to the most recent federal minimum wage increase. Economists from Cornell and American Universities found no associated reduction in poverty rates in these states.
Another study, published in the Journal of Human Resources, found a higher minimum wage can actually increase the proportion of families living at or near the poverty.
This is the result of business owners being forced to make the tough choice of cutting staff or closing shop.
The real issue is inflation.
If we continue to ignore the corporate price gouging that's already making our hard earned cash disappear faster than ever before, the minimum wage will be the last thing to worry about.
__________________________________________________________
Raye's view:
The minimum wage was established in America in 1938 when President Roosevelt signed into law the post-Depression era Fair Labor Standards Act, placing the minimum wage at 25 cents per hour and establishing a maximum 44-hour work week.
The value of the minimum wage rose steadily to adjust for inflation, according to raisetheminimumwage.com, until it reached its high point in 1968 at $1.60 per hour, when Congress began failing to adjust for inflation.
At its inception, the minimum wage was meant to be a living wage, or the amount of money an earner could feasibly live on and stay above the poverty line.
A minimum wage employee earning $7.25 per hour working 40 hours per week will only earn $15,080 per year.
The poverty line rests just above that at $15,130.
Living at or below the poverty line isn't earning a living wage -- it's the definition of poverty.
We like to think those working at minimum wage jobs are teenagers and college students, but that simply isn't the reality.
Many people working these jobs have husbands, wives and children they're supporting. Many of them work two jobs just to make ends meet.
What can't you pay for earning a $15,130 yearly wage?
A house.
A decent car.
College.
You may be able to have one of those things, but with the cost of gas, groceries, electricity, water -- with a $500 per month rent payment, you're already out $6,000 -- nearly half of your yearly earnings -- and few apartments are cheap.
By raising the minimum wage, we give people a chance.
A chance to get out of government housing.
A chance to rise above welfare.
Without it? We keep the poor poor.
We make the wealth divide even greater and the climb to the top even steeper.
We take away the chances of those who are already given so little.
The current minimum wage is creating a ceiling for those who already have little.
It forces men and women into working, sometimes upwards of 80 hours per week -- and for what? Survival.
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
By refusing to raise it, we condemn the 3.6 million people earning $7.25 or less to a life of near poverty, poverty or worse.
(05/24/14 7:00pm)
Music festival season is upon us. Maybe you just got back from Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores. Maybe you're gearing up to head to Bonnaroo in Tennessee in June or Lollapalooza this August in Chicago. If that's the case, I envy you.
If you're anything like me, you don't have the funds to spend upwards of $300 on tickets, travel and a place to stay. Not to mention food and souvenirs, because, let's be real, no matter how many times you say you won't buy a t-shirt, you're going to buy a t-shirt.
Realistically, any one of these music fests is probably going to run you at least $500.
The cheapest might be the Hangout Festival for Auburn students because of the location, but even after you spend $229 on tickets, roughly $40 on the gas to get down to Gulf Shores and a minimum of two nights in a hotel -- maybe about $125 a night, if you're lucky -- you're already out nearly $400, and you haven't even bought food.
Don't pretend you won't buy those $6 beers either, because you totally will.
So what's a poor college kid without a "real" job or parental paycheck to do?
Nothing, really, unless you're willing to go broke and eat Ramen noodles for months in advance.
Or you could do a bit of research and take advantage of some of the more localized festivals that won't break the bank.
The weekend of May 9-11, I went to Atlanta for the second annual Shaky Knees Music Festival. Tickets cost me a grand total of $160.
It's close enough that you can stay in Auburn and make the drive.
My friend and I got lucky at the last minute and found a friend who let us crash at his place for free. Before that, we'd found a cheap hotel ten minutes from the venue that was going to cost us, when split, $90 total for two nights.
We spent $30 on parking for the weekend and each bought a $25 t-shirt.
Instead of eating at the festival, we bought most of our food on the cheap at a nearby Kroger.
My rough total for the whole weekend, give or take a few dollars and cents for rounding, was $275.
It's still steep, but it's not $500.
It's possible to get your festival fix for even cheaper, though. Auburn and Opelika host an impressive number of local festivals all summer long.
This past weekend, the Auburn Arts Association put on their annual Jazz and Bluegrass festival, complete with multiple artists from around the state, vendors and food stands. Tickets were $20.
Every Thursday this month, Town Creek Park hosts a free concert from 6-7:30 p.m.
If the single-day festivals aren't enough of a fix for you, May 28-June 1, University Station RV Resort in Auburn holds Bluegrass on the Plains, a 5-day, $105-dollar festival just a six-minute journey from the University down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Sure, these local fests might not feature Modest Mouse and Childish Gambino, but they're well worth the prices.
They're great ways to get some sun, a great place to hang out and a wonderful way to support local and rising artists.
Who knows? Maybe the banjo player you see at an Auburn festival will make it big and headline something major next year, and by supporting them here, you'll have helped them get there.
(05/23/14 2:00pm)
There's nothing wrong with downtown Auburn. There are a ton of cool shops and places to eat and it's generally a fun place to hang out and relax, especially on the weekends.
But if you're like me and just can't seem to get into the college bar scene--overly loud rap music and brightly colored drinks that promise terrible hangovers--Friday nights can get tedious. When all your friends are hanging out at Sky Bar until 3 a.m., what's a college kid to do?
I asked the same question and spent more than a few weekends Netflix-binging on the couch instead of having a social life the first couple years of college. And then an older friend invited me to come to a small cafe in downtown Opelika called Eighth & Rail.
At the intersection of 8th Street and Railroad Avenue in historic downtown Opelika is the arts district: an old railway station converted into colorful strips of shopping, dining and all things art.
You can head to one of the awesome local eateries like Ma Fia's for pizza, or my personal favorite, Irish Bred Pub, for a pint or two or three--if you're old enough, of course. For dessert, there's The Cheesecake Cottage just around the corner serving up homemade sweets.
If you're into art, there's no better place to hang out. Head to The Gallery on Railroad for original art, or design your own clothes at Kiss My Little Sass. At Uptown Art you can spend your evening painting, or you can head a few streets over to 10th Street and visit the Overall Company's upstairs art gallery, featuring local and university artists, designers and more.
If it's music you want, downtown Opelika is the place to be. Eighth & Rail serves desserts and drinks and hosts live music just about every night, and Irish Bred Pub hosts upstairs bands nearly every weekend.
Occasionally, The Railyard across the street will even bring in bands for an outdoor show. Last summer, they hosted an all-day local music and art festival to support Auburn and Opelika artists.
Auburn is an amazing place full of awesome things to do, but it shouldn't be the only thing you see during your stay here.
Opelika has so many cool things to offer, especially if you prefer your entertainment a little off the beaten path. Drunken revelry has its place, but don't forgo the more cultured side of having fun.
(01/14/14 10:16pm)
Everybody has bad days. Everyone has those mornings where your alarm clock goes off and you hit snooze 20 times and then finally drag yourself from bed, to shower, to class in a daze that, for once, probably has nothing to do with a hangover.
It's just how life is. We're all sleep-deprived college students. We all get grumpy sometimes. We all have days where we'd rather pretend humanity doesn't exist and the only world we know is Netflix and drawn curtains. I get it. I do. I'm totally there approximately 97 percent of the time.
That does not, however, give you, me or anyone else permission to be a total ass to other people.
The South is generally a pretty friendly place overall, and from my experience, Auburn tends to be really good about exemplifying that Southern Hospitality. But it's week two and I've already found myself angry and without a lot of residual hope for humanity due to some of the interactions I've seen on this campus.
Don't be rude to the men and women who drive the Tiger Transit. Don't talk down to the people working in campus dining; they're all working and just doing their jobs. Hell, don't talk down to anybody. The moment you think you're better than someone else is the moment you're decidedly the opposite. That's the moment you lose my respect.
You're here in college presumably to, like me, get an education that will help you try to make your dreams into a reality. Do you really think someone dreamed up standing behind the counter of a Starbucks counter all day? I mean, maybe, and if so I'm not dissing that, but seriously--just think about people. Take two seconds to consider someone's life other than your own.
You don't know what everyone else has been going through. There's literally (not figuratively, just so we clear up that little discrepancy right off the bat) no reason to be rude to anyone, even if they were rude to you first. It's wholly unnecessary and childish.
Auburn, we're all tired. We've all got things outside of school and work to deal with. We could probably all use more sleep. But we can all definitely put forth a little more effort to be kind to everyone we meet.
(07/12/13 12:31am)
The first step is admitting you have a problem. My name is Raye, and I'm a nerd. Well, allegedly, anyway. Hardly a day goes by when that adjective isn't thrown my way for some reason or another.
I could quote Lord of the Rings to you in three different Elvish languages, and my wedding rings are replicas of the ones worn by Galadriel in the movies. In high school, I wore Arwen's necklace to homecoming.
I reference Star Wars almost daily, and I have a Deathly Hallows bracelet. I dressed up in costume with friends for the midnight release of The Hobbit. I still play all my old Nintendo 64 games, and I could school you in Mario Party.
Lately, though, I've noticed the word "nerd" is becoming synonymous with "hipsters who want to seem smart." I saw a chick in a Death Star t-shirt and frameless black glasses on Facebook with the caption, "live long and prosper." I almost died.
Loving the new Star Trek movies doesn't make you a nerd. Popping the lenses out of plastic black glasses doesn't make you look smart.
We're all making fun of you. Well, except the people who are doing it with you, but they think you're a poser, and they were doing it before it was cool. \0x2028 I get it; I really do. People want to be trendy, and that's fine. I bought a pair of wedges the other day because every girl at Sky Bar last week was wearing them, and they look pretty cute. I can't walk in them, but that's another column for another time.
My question is this: why do you have to sacrifice your individuality to be in fashion or cool? And why is "nerd" the new thing? Being a nerd has been historically the opposite of cool, and the true nerds out there are still being shunned.
How many of you would be willing to openly talk about your World of Warcraft raids or your character in Dungeons and Dragons? Anybody? I didn't think so.
Pop-culture knowledge and Internet memes do not a nerd make. Leave me and the other true nerds alone, hipsters. Stop stealing the only thing that's ours. Go take more Instagram pictures of that vegan dinner you had last night. (By the way, we know you ate a hamburger afterwards. That couldn't feed a hamster, and you're not fooling anyone.)
Just be you. Why would you want to be anybody else? When you stop giving a damn what the rest of the world thinks I promise you'll be happier. Stop doing things because it's what's "in." If you like it? Great. But don't just do it to fit in.
There are a million squares and circles and triangles out there. You don't have to be one of them. Embrace your weirdness, be amorphous and may the Force be with you.
(05/24/13 9:13pm)
Nobody likes going to work. I get that. I love my job, but there are still days where I would rather just stay in bed and rewatch an entire season of "Arrested Development" on Netflix. So when I say this, I want everyone who works in campus dining to understand that I feel your pain. I do.
(04/21/13 6:47pm)
Toni Beth Holland and her boyfriend of five years, Ray Sapp, shouted "War Eagle" as well as "I do," Sunday, April 21.
(04/19/13 2:57pm)
Rodeo is a special time of year where we suspend disbelief and pretend we're all from Texas and nobody questions it. That's not a slight at Texas, but it's true. Is there really that much use for cowboy boots in Alabama?
(01/26/13 12:59am)
"Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be smart, breathtakingly beautiful, nice and kind. Not when there are blobbies who are willing to take their clothes off in public."