Auburn helps graduates in job search
After the spring graduates of Auburn University cross the stage with their diplomas in hand, many will begin their job search.
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After the spring graduates of Auburn University cross the stage with their diplomas in hand, many will begin their job search.
Director Anna Ferens’ documentary of Polish biochemist Waclaw Syzbalski’s life was shown in a screening in Thach Hall on Tuesday, April 28, at 6 p.m.
Auburn University was named one of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 353 Green Colleges.
Relay for Life hosted a record-breaking fundraising event Tuesday, April 25 at Auburn University. They raised $71,768.15 in donations.
The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Auburn University the first approval nationwide to conduct a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School within the Auburn University Aviation Center.
The Auburn University Panhellenic Society hosted Greek Sing on April 14, at 7 p.m. in the Auburn Arena. Phi Mu won first place at the event.
A new class will be offered in fall 2015 called Engage Interact Lead.
It’s that time in the semester when the drop period has ended, and students who may be doing poorly in their classes are faced with an ultimatum: Should I GAP or take the F?
Auburn University assistant professor Shufen “Susan” Pan has conducted research on global climate change that suggests there may be water scarcity in more than half of the world’s land area by the end of the 21st century.
The Auburn Alumni Association recognized four recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Awards at an invitation only banquet Saturday, March 14, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
Parkerson Mill Creek, which runs through Auburn University’s campus, is listed on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for pathogens.
Auburn University's SGA will host The Big Event student-run volunteer day Saturday, March 14, 2015.
Auburn University will host No Impact Week from March 8-15 to encourage students, faculty and staff to reduce their negative impact on the environment and raise awareness about personal well-being.
Kelly Jolley, philosophy professor, has written a book of poetry titled “Stony Lonesome.”
Fifty-nine-year-old Tommy “Pink” Pinkard, who is earning his second degree in undeclared liberal arts, was sitting in a mall contemplating retirement when he decided to take his first ride on a carousel.
For the first time in two years, there are two live oaks at Toomer's Corner. Fans surrounded Samford Park early Saturday morning, Feb. 14, to watch crews plant the 35-foot trees. The College Street Oak arrived on-site at approximately 8:03 a.m. and was set in the ground at approximately 9:34 a.m. The Magnolia Avenue Oak arrived shortly after, at approximately 10:13 a.m. Police cleared fans off the sidewalk as the oak was lifted and moved to Toomer's Corner. The Magnolia Avenue Oak was in the ground at approximately 11:19 a.m. The cranes were removed at approximately 12:05 p.m., while fans cheered and Samford Hall chimed the Auburn fight song. Mike Clardy, director of University communications, said a lot of preparation has gone into bringing the oaks back. "I've gone through the last four years in my mind what this day was going to look like," Clardy said. "We didn't know what we were going to have. I'm happy we had this many fans come out." Normalcy is returning to Auburn, according to Clardy. "You can't break that spirit," Clardy said. "And although the tradition of actually rolling the trees won't be back for a while, we're getting closer." Clardy said fans should refrain from rolling the trees. "While they're establishing their roots and really acclimating to the new environment, we really don't want them full of toilet paper," Clardy said. "It's stressful on the trees." It has been four years since Harvey Updyke called in to the Paul Finebaum Show, claiming to have poisoned Auburn's iconic oaks. John and Ashlyn Fordham, of Auburn, brought their 1-year-old son, Hunter, to watch the oaks take root. "It wouldn't be polite to say how I felt when the trees were poisoned," John said. Ashlyn said she was in disbelief when she heard the news. "We were absolutely devastated," Ashlyn said. "How could somebody to do that to a tradition?" The Fordhams will never forget the day they saw the new oaks planted, according to Ashlyn. "I'm proud and excited for sure," Ashlyn said. "I'm really happy our baby was here to see it. He won't remember it, but we'll have pictures." Chase Beard, junior in chemical engineering, said he was excited to watch the oaks' return. "It will be nice to roll the trees again after the games someday," Beard said. "I'm sure everybody and their mother will be here when we can roll the trees." James Gillespie, an Auburn fan from Prattville, watched from the sidewalk with his daughter, Amy. The oaks' journey is a metaphor for life, according to James. "When life kills your dreams, plant a new one," James said. "So that's kind of how we see it. This is a new beginning. Something was taken away, but this is an opportunity to start over. Don't let your life kill your dreams. Replant them. This is a new beginning and it's also history." Hannah Swanson, junior in professional and public writing, said she is glad to be part of history. "I feel really excited to be a part of a ceremony that will be remembered for years to come," Swanson said. Phase I of the Samford Park renovation is now complete. Thirty more oak trees, descendants of the original Toomer's Oaks, will be planted starting in April, with completion scheduled for 2016.
The College of Architecture's Rural Studios program is giving impoverished residents of Hale County something to be proud of. Director of Rural Studios Andrew Freear and his team of architecture students have designed and donated $20,000 homes that fit the needs of impoverished people who would otherwise be living in substandard conditions. Rural Studios has donated one house per year since the program started in 1993 for third-year architecture students who move to the rural Alabama town of Newbern for one semester to study under Freear and other faculty. But after 10 years of learning more about designing affordable housing and helping the poor, Freear said the Rural Studios team took action. "We wanted to give people a plan they could take to a contractor," Freear said. "We established the amount of $20,000 because we thought that was a mortgage payment that even the poorest of the poor could afford. Over a 30-year fixed-interest rate, the monthly payment would be $100." According to Freear, the challenge of the project has been to build something that won't deteriorate physically or lose value. Freear said he and his team focused on making the homes sustainable, affordable, heated and cooled while still retaining beauty on a limited budget. "We tried to learn a lot from antebellum homes in the area," Freear said. "They're all mostly made of wood and still standing many years later. They're sensible. They have high ceilings that allow hot air to rise and porches. So we utilized both of those things in the 20k houses to increase energy efficiency and create a welcoming effect." Conner Bailey, professor of agricultural economics and rural sociology, said many of the poorer residents of the Hale County area are forced to live in houses and mobile homes that do not provide adequate shelter because of their financial situation. Bailey said the psychological effects of having to worry about the fundamental aspects of living can make a person less productive in their pursuit of the American dream. "Owning a home gives people a sense of self-pride," Bailey said. According to Bailey, the level of substandard living in Hale County and surrounding areas in west Alabama is greater than in other areas of the state because of the area's transition from row crop farming to forestry over the course of decades. As farmers gradually left the area, a decrease in population resulted in economic decline that has yet to rebound. Audrey Hodges, Rural Studios student and senior in interior architecture, said leaving the "life of luxury" in Auburn to live in Newbern for a semester made her a better observer of how the people in the area live and affected how she interacted with the residents. "We were taught to value community there," Hodges said. "The people were so grateful to have place to take care of their families. It made me grateful for what I have."
Auburn University has been selected as one of Alabama's 2015 Green Ribbon Schools in recognition of the University's progress in environmental education and sustainability. This is the first year the state education department and the Alabama Commission for Higher Education have collectively nominated a university for the national Green Ribbon Award, according to Mike Kensler, director of the Office of Sustainability. Leonard Lock, director of instruction and special projects for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, said Auburn integrated sustainability efforts into its overall strategic plan. "The extent of the initiatives and the documentation is extremely impressive," Lock said. Office of Sustainability program manager Amy Strickland said Auburn's sustainability programs affect all students. "What really stood out was that we have accomplished more than we could fit on the nomination application in ways that affect everyone on campus," Strickland said. Strickland said as a part of the application process, Auburn presented evidence of how they reduced their environmental impact and costs. Programs such as Tiger Transit and the newly introduced Bike Share program lower emissions, according to Strickland. Strickland said the second requirement was for Auburn to show how it improves the health and wellness of students, faculty and staff. Wellness initiatives including TigerFit, the Recreation and Wellness Center and the Med Clinic contribute to the well-being of the campus community by encouraging well-being of the mind, body and soul, according to Strickland. The final step was for Auburn to demonstrate how they have instituted effective environmental and sustainability education programs. The University has integrated sustainability into its educational programs, offering sustainability as a minor. In 2011, Auburn adopted a sustainability policy stating a commitment to environmental sustainability. This outlined a "campus master plan" for Auburn to utilize sustainability in all facets of the University, including operations, instruction, research and outreach activities. This policy details the sustainability goals of the University and assesses the progress on the goals with a commitment to continuous improvement. Auburn is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Through this association, Auburn was awarded a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System Silver rating by the association for their contributions. Office of Sustainability communications and outreach manager Jennifer Morse said she sees a movement emerging that will raise awareness about sustainability on campuses across the nation. "The more frequently we highlight the programs and awards of sustainability, the more people realize that they should get on board," Morse said. Morse said the University has signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, committing to be involved in finding the answer to address global climate change. The award winners will be announced April 22 in honor of Earth Day.
Changes have been made to sporting event tickets. Faculty and staff will now be provided with a ticket for each individual game instead of a season pass. Employee ID cards are no longer need to be presented. This change is said to enhance security efforts by lowering the possibility of IDs becoming lost or stolen. There will now be a 20 percent discount for faculty and staff for their regular season ticket purchase. Payment plans will also be made available for faculty and staff who would rather make payments over the course of months rather than pay the total sum upfront. The ticket priority policy has been amended to award tickets based on the number of years the faculty or staff member has supported Auburn athletics in previous ticket purchases. This change will be in effect beginning in 2016. The current policy will remain for athletic events in 2015. The seating priority of those who purchase tickets in 2015 will remain the same until 2016 onward unless an upgrade is requested. A lottery system will determine away-game and post-season ticket priority in 2015. This lottery system will be arranged so that faculty and staff with the most points have a greater possibility of being selected.
Active Minds, SGA and Theta Chi fraternity are partnering to host Mental Wealth Week to raise awareness and give students the opportunity to speak out about mental health by participating in a series of events the week of Jan. 20-23. According to Kyle Marchuk, Active Minds president and senior in marketing, the leadership committee consists of two representatives from each sponsoring organization. Joe Cotton, SGA senator for student affairs and graduate student in pharmacy, said mental health is important for college students. "We've had a wide range of issues on Auburn's campus that SGA needed to respond to by making sure that mental health is a priority," Cotton said. The week kicked off Tuesday, Jan. 20 in the Foy Auditorium with comedian and mental health activist Kevin Breel's TED talk. A documentary on addiction will be shown in Haley 2182 on Jan. 21 from 7-9 p.m. there will be a social movement on the concourse all day called "Reasons I Speak" on Thursday, Jan. 22. Students will participate by writing their reason for speaking out on mental health awareness on a chalkboard. They will then take a Polaroid picture of themselves holding their chalkboard. Mental Wealth Week will conclude Friday Jan. 23 with "Stomp out Stigma" on the concourse. Students are welcome to stop by and pop bubble wrap, which represents eliminating mental health stigmas. Kohl Weir, Theta Chi vice president of health and safety and senior in industrial engineering, said students should feel safe to share their thoughts during Mental Health Week. "We want to create an environment that gives students the sense that they can be open about how they're coping with the stresses of college life," Weir said. Marchuk said the organizations involved hope to make Mental Wealth Week an annual event. "College is an important and busy time in our lives but it's also a time to stay focused on personal health through creating 'wealth' in positive thought, action and awareness," Marchuk said.