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(10/17/14 4:00pm)
Auburn University student Carol Linde was recognized Oct. 7, for earning Auburn's Political Science Leadership Award. The award is given annually to an Auburn student who the department of political science chooses to recognize for their accomplishments in the classroom and community.
Linde, a native of Delaware, is a senior in the College of Liberal Arts double majoring in political science and psychology and minoring in English and women's studies.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers presented Linde with a Congressional Record detailing her many accomplishments and leadership skills at the awarding ceremony, which took place in Room 2222 of the Auburn Student Center at 1:30 p.m.
"It is my honor to announce that Ms. Carol Linde is this year's winner of Auburn's Political Science Leadership Award," Rogers said at the ceremony. "A faculty committee selected Carol after careful consideration of her outstanding credentials."
Other people who acknowledged Linde at the ceremony included University President Jay Gouge, College of Liberal Arts Dean Joseph Aistrup and department of political science chair Steven Brown. Through this accolade, Linde will have her name listed in the congressional record in Washington, D.C.
"When it comes to selection for the award, the political science faculty selects and notifies a number of students from the Honors College," Brown said. "Students who are interested in the award send back information and a resume."
According to Brown, one person is then selected from the students who respond to the original inquiry.
"It was amazing to see how many faculty members had Carol has their first choice for the award," Brown said.
During her time at Auburn, Linde has maintained a 4.0 GPA, is currently on the dean's list and is a member of Auburn's Honors Congress. She has also been recognized with several other awards, including the Sam Long Hutchinson and Sloan Y. Bashinsky, Sr. endowed scholarships. According to Linde, she has gained experience through internships at the state office of Delaware Senator Tom Carper, as well as the state office of U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers.
While also maintaining strong academic involvement and success, Linde has worked for Auburn's Miller Writing Center, worked as a peer instructor for students in the Honors College and tutored student athletes. According to Linde, she has also maintained community involvement by working with the East Alabama Food Bank, local preschools' Head Start programs and assisted in working with recycling initiatives on football game days.
"Prioritizing my academics and involvement has always been important to me," Linde said. "If I was ever worried about my grades, I pulled back on other things that I was involved with."
After graduating from Auburn University in May 2015, Linde said her next goal will be to travel abroad and teach English overseas.
"The amount of feedback I've gotten about my award has been amazing," Linde said. "It's really nice to be recognized for my work."
(10/13/14 1:02am)
The United States Tennis Association hosted their annual On Campus Fall Invitational this weekend in Hilton Head Islands, S.C, and the Auburn University club team advanced to the championship match before falling to the defending champion Florida Gators 25-18 Sunday in the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center.
After defeating N.C. State "A" in the tournament semifinals, Mitchell Vegas had the only set win for the Tigers in the final match.
Junior captain Christian Lyerly believes his team had an overall positive performance over the weekend and attributes their success to preparation.
"The competition was very tough, and we faced our biggest challenges against Georgia, N.C State, and Florida," Lyerly said, "We prepared by getting out on the court and practicing a lot. We played a warm-up tournament last month in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to get a feel for the competition and work on our team chemistry."
Auburn caught fire in the tournaments opening rounds and found a rhythm early.
"It felt great to be on such a roll," Lyerly said, "We won all of our pool matches handily and everyone was playing very well. We knew it would be tough, but we honestly believed that we had a good shot at the title."
The Tigers now look to carry the momentum into their next tournament, and Lyerly believes that the team will be ready next time they take the court.
"We're happy we made it to the finals but we hope to go one step further next time," Lyerly said. "We learned what we are good at and what we need to work on and we think we'll be ready to do our best in our next tournament. We look forward to continuing our run of success."
The USTA TOC program features more than 37,000 college students competing nationwide in intramural club play. The program gives college students the opportunity to compete on a college team without playing in a varsity program.
48 teams competed in the tournament. Alabama won the Silver Bracket, Ohio University won the Bronze, and Indiana University took home Copper.
(10/09/14 9:35pm)
According to Auburn Police Chief, Paul Register, an arrest has been made concerning the hit-and-run case that injured three teenagers this past weekend.
(10/08/14 10:36pm)
I've had someone tell me "Oh, you're so fashionable," or "Your style is awesome," more times than I can remember. It makes me wonder what qualifies as great fashion for men.
Is it simply choosing to look presentable while everyone else is dressed as if they were at home on the couch watching football on Saturday? Is it wearing colors that compliment each other well?
I don't mean I'm dressed up no matter what, because there are definitely times where Saturday football clothes are necessary.
I also started to think about the difference between someone fashionable and someone who doesn't put the amount of effort in to getting dressed.
When I look at my closet, I usually pick a pair of pants to wear first.
I tend to sway my decision away from jeans unless my other pants are in the laundry because jeans just seem heavy and restricting sometimes.
My favorites are my colored chinos, including yellow, red, blue, grey and some others.
Although since moving to Auburn from Washington, D.C., I've found wearing pants for the first half of fall semester is unthinkable. The heat is just way too harsh here in Alabama.
Once I've put some pants on, I grab a shirt and just look for a color that goes nicely with the pants I'm wearing, unless I've resorted to jeans, then any shirt will work.
White is one of my favorite colors for shirts, but I try to avoid it because life has shown me white shirts are not meant to stay clean.
After the shirt I'll grab a cardigan or a sweater if it's cold and some shoes to match.
I never wear free runs or tennis shoes with pants because I feel if I'm making the effort to get dressed, I'm gong to wear nice shoes to finish the outfit.
My advice to anyone who wants to dress a little better is to ditch the ever-so-common khaki shorts with a T-shirt from an event last year and work in some color.
I've got nothing against those who wear that combination, it's just very easy to blend in when wearing those clothes.
Fashion isn't my area of expertise, nor do I feel I have a better grip on it than anyone else.
However, I do feel by putting a bit more thought into getting dressed each morning you can trick people into thinking you have this much sought after fashion sense.
Kenny Moss is a photographer for The Plainsman. He can be reached via email at photo@theplainsman.com.
(10/09/14 3:00pm)
In Hong Kong Central, China, people fill the streets, blocking traffic and stealing the attention of one of China's most urbanized cities.
They don't fight the riot police who have come to drive them away, and they recycle the small amount of trash they've generated in the week-long occupation of Hong Kong's most public areas.
The protest is called The Umbrella Revolution, because protestors used umbrellas against tear gas, pepper spray and other crowd breakers used by Hong Kong riot police, while protesting
Beijing's communist government.
"It's an aging society in an economic downturn," said professor of sociology Ariana Gaetano. "I think young people are probably feeling under so much stress they don't know what their future is going to hold, and their society is hanging all on them to generate the welfare for society. China has been having tens of thousands of protests annually for the last seven or eight years."
The movement began as Occupy Central with Love and Peace.
The movement is a civil disobedience campaign created by Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, law professor at the University of Hong Kong.
The objectives of the campaign were initially to oppose the Chinese electoral process in which candidates are selected by a 1,200-person committee based in Beijing.
A student-initiated referendum against Beijing's candidate approval process was the spark that began the protests in September.
A New York Times article said the referendum denounced Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung in favor of the Beijing-centric process.
One of the rallying cries of the movement is "689," the alleged number of votes incumbent Leung amassed during his 2012 election.
"C.Y. Leung is going to be the fall guy, regardless," said Daniel McGowin, Auburn employee who studies Asia and China. "He's already become the focal point of the demands by the students to step down. He's at least trying to engage the students, but he's refusing to step down. If he's not the fall guy from the Chinese perspective, he is from the students perspective."
McGowin said the government might try to minimalize the occupation by electing a new chief executive, but protests will likely continue until citizens of Hong Kong are allowed their own free elections in the country.
"I think in the end the (people of Hong Kong) will be granted universal suffrage," McGowin said. "Eventually China knows that those 50 years will be up and Hong Kong, by the treaty and by the agreement with Britain, will be folded in. Of course, the Western hope is that China will give in and not turn Hong Kong into a communist state, but China is waging a war of attrition."
When the United Kingdom handed over control of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997, one of the stipulations was social, economic and political relations would remain unchanged for 50 years.
That provision has been in jeopardy since 2006, when Xi Jinping ascended to the head position of the Chinese government, becoming more hard-lined with conservative political policies.
"Xi Jinping is definitely hard-nosed," Gaetano said. "This guy has totally turned the tide in China by cracking down on those weaker minorities."
As the protests enter their second week, support for the occupation has begun to falter in the face of stalled negotiations and an increasing number of detractors within the civilian population.
BBC reported Monday, Oct. 6, there remained approximately more than 1,000 protestors occupying three separate locations.
"The Chinese government has been very clever about how they handle this situation, especially regarding its public image," said Ted Becker, political science professor. "They're brutal and ingenious.
According to Becker, with elections for the chief executive position not until 2017, it would seem this movement will go the same route.
(10/08/14 5:21pm)
The Auburn Police Department is investigating threatening social media remarks made toward Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn and Jordan-Hare Stadium this weekend, according to police chief Paul Register.
The threats, which were made from the Twitter account @bhayes4420, refer to cutting off Malzahn's head "ISIS-style" as well as setting off C-4 explosive devices inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The tweets have since been deleted from the account.
Register said the police department is currently working to identify the account holder, which he said has a history of rants toward collegiate athletics.
"If you look historically, whoever has that Twitter account has a history of these type of rants involving collegiate athletics," Register said. "I don't know that it's been exclusive to Auburn, but it appears to just be someone ranting on Twitter, but we're still looking into it because they are disturbing remarks."
Register said he doubted the legitimacy of the threats, but ensured that an investigation is ongoing and stadium safety protocols are always followed.
"We check the stadium and we render that stadium safe every time we have an event over there," Register said. "We did that last time and we'll do that next time. I just don't think there's any credibility to that."
(10/05/14 2:27am)
On a day full of drama and upsets throughout college football, Auburn came out and took care of business against 16th-ranked LSU.
It was never close in Jordan-Hare Stadium, as the Tigers offense gashed the Bayou Bengals for 566 yards of total offense and won handily by a score of 41-7.
Defensively, Auburn looked strong, allowing only 142 yards through the air and 138 on the ground.
"I'm very excited about our defense," head coach Gus Malzahn said after the game. "They just played outstanding. On third down they were as good as I've seen."
Receiver Sammie Coates, who has been nagged all season by a knee injury, had the game of his season and his career, bringing in 4 passes for 144 yards and a TD.
Throwing him those passes was Nick Marshall, who also had his best game of the season thus far.
Through the air, Marshall completed 14 of his 22 attempts, totaling 207 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall also looked impressive running the ball, racking up 119 yards on 16 attempts with two tds.
"Nick played very well," Malzahn said. "He played like one of the better quarterbacks in the entire country."
Marshall said that the great week of practice the team had was the main reason were able to play so dominantly tonight.
"We just focused the whole week," Marshall said. "What carries over from practive carries over to the game."
Runningback Cameron Artis-Payne added 126 yards of his own on 24 carries.
Things got going quickly for Auburn. In the first quarter alone, the Tigers gained 247 yards of offense, the most in any quarter under Gus Malzahn. The first touchdown of the night was a 56-yard bomb from Marshall to Coates that Coates pulled down from in between two LSU defenders.
That put the Tigers up 10-0, and they kept rolling from there.
Less than four minutes later, Marshall raced in from 7 yards out on a to make it 17-0.
LSU answered on the next drive, delivering a 1-yard touchdown from Kenny Hilliard.
Auburn answered right back on their next drive, going 72 yard on 7 plays, culminating in Marshall finding a wide open C.J Uzomah, putting the Tigers ahead 24-7, just 33 seconds into the second quarter.
Marshall would find the endzone again before half's end, going 29 yards up the middle on a quarterback draw, putting Auburn ahead 31-7.
The offense continued to look strong in the second half, scoring 10 more points and gaining another 187 yards.
In addition to the offense, Ellis Johnson's defense wasn't letting LSU go anywhere. They failed to score after the first quarter, thanks in large part to the play of Auburn's front seven. LSU was 0-13 on third down conversions, and 1-for-4 on fourth down
"It was a great performance," said senior cornerback Trovon Reed. "But we've still got stuff to do. We've got to get cleaned up. We've got to continue to get better and better every week."
LSU freshman quarterback Brandon Harris was rattled all game long only completing 3 of his 14 pass attempts for a total of 58 yards.
Thanks to their dismantling of 6th ranked Texas A&M Saturday, Auburn's matchup with Mississippi State in Starkville next Saturday will most likely be a top-10 matchup. The game time has yet to be announced.
(09/27/14 11:37pm)
Although Auburn was leading 24-10 after putting up only 58 total yards of offense in the third quarter, their offense took off in the fourth as Quan Bray helped seal the victory with his 44-yard touchdown pass followed by his 75-yard punt return touchdown.
"I just keep faith in the man above, I know he'll take care of us," Bray said. "My teammates feed off one another and we did that tonight."
Bray's three touchdowns and 91 receiving yards are career-high performances for the senior.
"We talked with the seniors before the season about how this is their year," head coach Gus Malzahn said. "(Bray) really has been raising his level. In a game like this he really made some impact plays to help us win. I'm very happy for him."
Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 116 yards and Nick Marshall ran for 106 to help the team put up 254 total rushing yards.
Eight different Auburn players had at least one reception as Auburn had 219 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Even though it was a slow first quarter for Auburn's offense, the Tigers still led Louisiana Tech 7-0 thanks to the defense holding the Bulldogs offense to 35 total yards and because of Montravius Adams' 35-yard interception return that set up Cameron Artis-Payne's five-yard touchdown run on the next play.
Auburn's offense showed improvement in the second quarter as Daniel Carlson hit a 25-yarder after missing his first one, Marshall threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Bray and an 18-yard touchdown to D'haquille Williams, who made the grab with one hand.
At the end of the half the Tigers led 24-3, as the defense continued to stop the Bulldogs offense.
The lone touchdown in the third quarter came from the Bulldogs' top running threat Kenneth Dixon, as the junior rushed into the endzone for his 37th career touchdown.
The fourth quarter put the game out of reach, starting with Marshall's ability to escape two defenders in order to throw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Bray. After Auburn's defense forced another three-and-out, Bray's punt return touchdown made it 38-10.
The Bulldogs did not quit then though. They responded in the following drive with a successful drive capped off by another Dixon touchdown run.
Then Jeremy Johnson replaced Marshall at quarterback and took advantage of his reps at the end of the game as he found C.J. Uzomah with a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 45-17.
With this homecoming victory and 300th win in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn is now 4-0 heading into their 6 p.m. game next weekend against LSU.
"We're still going to continue to go up," Malzahn said. "Obviously we have a very tough game next week at home but we just need to keep improving."
(09/29/14 1:30pm)
When it comes to impact freshmen, Auburn enjoyed its fair share of talented recruits last season, but often overlooked were the accomplishments of Katie Frerking, the 6-foot-1, sharpshooting sophomore for the women's basketball team.
The Johns Creek, Georgia native is the daughter of Bill and Susan Frerking, and attended Wesleyan High School where she stood out as a three-sport athlete, competing in basketball, softball and track. Although Frerking had many athletic talents, she excelled most on the hardwood.
Frerking attributes her growth as an athlete to her father, Bill.
"My dad was my first ever basketball coach," Frerking said. "He taught me how to shoot and all the fundamentals, and he was a three-sport athlete just like I was."
Throughout her career at Wesleyan, Frerking found many ways to contribute to the success of her team, averaging 20.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game as a senior. Her production led to four-straight state titles.
Frerking was named the 2012 NCSAA National Player of the Year and earned consideration to compete in the 2012 McDonald's All-American Game, leaving her fingerprints all over Wesleyan's record books in the process.
Frerking's outstanding high school career, however, did not come without its setbacks. A torn ACL can be a problem for some athletes, but Frerking's high school coach, Jan Azar, felt like it was a blessing is disguise.
"Katie tore her ACL in her first varsity basketball game," Azar said. "Although she could not play, her leadership still stood out as a freshman and it was a big part of what we accomplished that year. She was at every practice, she was at every game, and I feel like that trial really helped her discover the true passion she had for the game of basketball."
When the time came for her to make a college decision, Frerking had scholarship offers from Richmond, SMU, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, James Madison, Lehigh and Samford, among others, but chose Auburn because of the good vibes she received from the campus and coaches.
"When I came on my visit, honestly, I just had a good feeling about it," Frerking said. "The coaches really made me feel like I was a part of the family whether I was committed or not. "
Most coaches agree having a motor is an important skill, and coach Terri Williams-Flournoy was looking for that type of player when recruiting Frerking.
"I thought Katie was always a player that just played hard," Williams-Flournoy said. "She was passionate about the game and for the way we play, and our style of play; being able to play hard and love the game, she fit right in to our program."
Not only did Frerking fit in, she immediately climbed the depth chart, becoming the fifth true freshman to start in a season opener for the women's basketball program in the last 10 years.
In her first full season on the Plains, Frerking led the team in three-point shooting percentage, was second on the team in free throw shooting percentage and was also the Tigers' sixth leading scorer. Although Frerking did most of her damage as a marksman, she feels like there are still aspects to her game we have not seen yet.
"I never felt like my game was just three-point shooting," Frerking said. "That's one thing I can do, but when I got to Auburn my coaches told me that was one of the main things this team needed, and it was a way I could contribute."
Heading into her sophomore campaign, both Frerking and Williams-Flournoy have higher expectations regarding how she can elevate the performance of the team.
"Katie's sophomore year will be about becoming more confident offensively," Williams-Flournoy said. "She has to come in with a stronger mindset that as soon as the game starts that she can score."
(09/29/14 12:00pm)
The Mises Institute is located in a small, two-story building next to the Village parking lot. It sits between the Donahue Drive Momma Goldberg's and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. Only a small sign at the front advertises an institute is there at all.
"We are sort of a school, we're sort of a website, we're sort of a library and a book repository and we're sort of a think tank," said Jeff Deist, president of the Institute. "We have a pretty broad mission, but first and foremost we are about keeping the legacy and the current elements of the Austrian school of economics alive and healthy."
Deist said Mises scholars publish academic research on the Institute's website to explain Austrian economics to the public.
Professor of economics Henry Thompson said the Austrian school of economics is a way of thinking about the economy that focuses on historical and theoretical information rather than empirical data.
While recognized in academics, Thompson said most mainstream economists would not call themselves Austrian economists.
The Mises Institute also breaks from the mainstream because of its location. Many famous think tanks, such as the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution, operate in major cities, such as Washington, D.C., according to their websites.
"It really is almost an accident of fate that we came to be here at Auburn," Deist said.
Deist attributed the Institute's founding in Auburn to help from Auburn University board members, such as John Denson, and a friendly academic climate.
The founders were also drawn to Auburn because the University rented space to them in the Harbert College of Business.
Mark Thornton, senior fellow at the Mises Institute, said the economics faculty in 1982 was unusually friendly to debating different ideas about economics.
"Most economics programs at the time did not have the same kind of open-mindedness," Thornton said.
Thornton said the Austrian school of economics has an unconventional way of thinking about economic issues.
"We're free market (economists), which is an alternative," Thornton said. "Some would say it's a radical alternative."
Deist said Carl Menger and Ludwig von Mises, the Mises Institute's namesake, created a school of thought focusing on minimal government and private sector investment. The nationality of von Mises and Menger, both Austrian, became the collective banner for their theories.
Work done by Mises scholars has drawn support from famous libertarians, such as Ron Paul and Andrew Napolitano, both of whom, Deist said, have spoken at the Mises Institute.
Thompson said the thinking presented by the Austrian scholars breaks from academic convention in economics.
"The economics here at Auburn is more theoretical and empirical," Thompson said. "The mode of thought over there [at Mises] is a little different. It's more historical. The techniques aren't what you find in most economics journals."
Thompson said Austrian economics, while less popular than other schools of thought, still has influenced debate over the last century.
"I think it has a place," Thompson said. "It's hard to say what percentage of economists [are Austrian economists], but it's not trivial and everybody is at least aware of the ideas and give (them) some credence."
Thornton said educating the public, not influencing government policy, is the Mises Institute's purpose.
"The Mises Institute is not a traditional think tank," Thornton said. "Its purpose is to promote economics education."
Mises scholars educate people through publishing on the website, Mises.org, writing academic papers and open seminars.
Deist said the Mises Institute works mainly through its website, but holds several seminars a year open to Auburn students. One in the summer, Mises U, targets undergraduates.
"The Auburn community is a part of just about everything we do," Thornton said.
While Deist and Thompson said there are no official ties between the University and the Mises Institute, both departments maintain what Deist called "a good working relationship."
"I'm personal friends with three or four of the people there, but I see them more on a social basis," Thompson said.
John Sophocleus, adjunct economics instructor, said he appreciated having other scholars to contribute to academic debate, regardless of their school of thought.
"I think they're great," Sophocleus said. "I think if you're in the debate, you're doing something. That's really what education is supposed to be."
(09/19/14 5:45am)
Never has the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Nick Marshall been better on display than what we saw Thursday night in Manhattan, Kansas.
At times, many of the bad tendencies Marshall displayed in 2013, a lack of touch on deep balls, low passes that are batted down at the line and poor decisions on the zone read, reared their ugly head against the Wildcats.
It got to the point that the couch-seat coaches of social media began calling for Marshall to be yanked in favor of backup quarterback Jeremy Johnson.
But then came the moments of brilliance, such as the pinpoint pass to D'haquille Williams in the corner of the end zone for a third quarter touchdown.
Then it was his poised connection with Duke on third-and-9 in his own territory late in the fourth quarter, a completion that sealed Auburn's victory over a scrappy Kansas State team fighting to claw back late in the game.
Marshall's final pass Thursday night is a prime example of why Marshall is, and should continue to be, Auburn's starting quarterback: Gus Malzahn trusts him with the game on the line.
"He has that knack for when the game is on the line," Malzahn said of his senior quarterback. "He did it all last year, and he did it tonight. He helped find a way to help our team win the game."
This isn't the first, and likely won't be the last time that Marshall stepped up when given the opportunity.
Whether it's the oft-forgotten game-winner to C.J. Uzomah against Mississippi State last season, or his improvisation on the tying touchdown of the Iron Bowl, Marshall has shown an icy calmness in late-game situations.
While it's hard not to be critical of the quarterback as he continues to miss open receivers deep down the field, it's also important to realize how easy he's made late-game situations look as a starter.
Marshall has lost two games as a starter, and one of those required a last-minute drive from a Heisman trophy winning quarterback.
We've yet to see the significant passing improvement from Marshall that Malzahn and his coaching staff raved about this offseason.
But one thing hasn't changed: Marshall's teammates and coaches fully trust him to make a play when his team needs it.
It's about time Auburn's fanbase showed that trust as well.
(09/11/14 6:30pm)
It has been 13 years since the terrorist group al-Qaida killed almost 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks.
The attacks occurred in New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but they affected people around the country.
Wanda McGatheran, Opelika resident, said 9/11 reminded her of another dark day in American history.
"I remember thinking this must be what my parents felt like during Pearl Harbor," McGatheran said. "This was the first time we had been attacked on American soil since that day."
McGatheran also said many local people feared for their loved ones' safety.
"There were a lot of people in and around Auburn who knew people in New York, and they didn't know if they had made it out until days later," McGatheran said.
According to McGatheran, the Auburn community came together in the wake of the attacks.
"There were lots of prayer vigils held," McGatheran said. "There were lots of first responders there. I think after that day, we started to take them a little less lightly. So many of them did not know it was a terrorist attack, but they still would've gone even if they did."
In December 2001, Esquire magazine published the article "162 Reasons It's Good to Be an American Man," by Charles P. Pierce in an attempt to boost morale.
The lemonade sold at Toomer's Drugs was No.1 on the list.
Pierce wrote of the lemonade, "When God was a little boy and He needed extra money, He put up a card table outside His folks' house. This is what He sold."Michelle and Michael Overstreet, Toomer's Drugstore managers, were in college in 2001.
"We were in college when it happened," Michelle said. "I was in class, and I didn't believe it when someone said a tower had fallen. I was almost in disbelief."
According to Michael, people were not sure how to respond to the news of the terrorist attack.
"I think for the first day or two, everyone was kind of in shock," Michael said.
Michael said he did not know about the Esquire article until one of his employees informed him.
"We ran out to get one, and wanted to make sure everyone we knew saw that what we were involved in was getting national attention," Michael said.
According to Michael, the article was the talk of the town.
"People would come in and say 'I saw y'all in a magazine,'" Michael said.
(09/07/14 8:42pm)
Auburn brought home one win after playing three matches on the road this weekend at the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic in Columbus, Ohio.
The Tigers fell 3-0 (14-25, 14-25, 20-25) to the host, Ohio State in their opening match at St. John Arena Friday morning.
Sophomore Stephanie Campbell led Auburn with eight kills and hit a team-high .278 against the Buckeyes, while freshman Courtney Crable and sophomore Emily Klizke both had six kills in the loss.
Junior setter Alyssa Ivey had a team-best eight digs with a service ace, while junior Mary Hannah Arrington had seven digs.
Ohio State held the Tigers to a season-low in hitting percentage (.032), kills (27) and assists (20).
Auburn did not have more luck in their second match Friday against Southern Illinois.
The team fell 3-0 (23-25, 20-25, 19-25) to the Salukis.
Nine service errors from Auburn along with seven team blocks from Southern Illinois kept the Tigers from a victory against a team they fared well against statistically.
Crable posted a season-high 15 kills, hitting .323, while freshman middle blocker Macy Reece collected 10 kills and hit a season-best .381. Reece also picked up three blocks for the Tigers on defense.
Junior Mary Hannah Arrington recorded nine digs for the Tigers, while freshman Alexa Filley had eight in the second match of the tournament. Filley also compiled a match-high 34 kills in the loss.
After having Saturday off, the Tigers did not leave Columbus without a win for the weekend.
Auburn (3-3) beat Florida Gulf Coast, 3-1 (30-28, 17-25, 25-18, 25-18) Sunday afternoon for head coach Rick Nold's 50th win at Auburn.
The team hit .323 and collected 29 of its 51 kills along with five blocks to beat the Eagles in their concluding match.
Campbell tied a career-high with 13 kills on a season-best 37 attempts. The middle blocker also added in four blocks and five digs in the victory. Klitzke posted a season-high 12 kills, hitting .217 along with six blocks. Sophomore Breanna Barksdale contributed a career-high 10 kills and six blocks to the Tigers win. Ivey helped the Tigers' passing game with a career-best 22 digs.
Filley had 43 assists in the win and added in a pair of kills and two blocks. Crable picked up her first career double-double as a freshman with 10 kills and 10 digs.
The Tigers will play their first home matches in the Active Ankle Challenge against Troy, South Florida and Winthrop at Auburn Arena, Sept. 12-13.
(09/01/14 12:25am)
The Auburn volleyball team opened their 43rd season over the weekend at the George Washington Invitational in Washington D.C., posting two wins out of three matches.
The Tigers played two matches on Friday, first defeating North Dakota and then taking a loss to George Washington, the tournament host. They wrapped up the two-day tournament action Saturday against Arkansas State at the Charles E. Smith Center.
The Tigers' first match Friday was a 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22) victory over North Dakota.
Freshman Alexa Filley, 2013-14 Gatorade National Player of the Year, had a double-double with 43 assists, the most by an Auburn setter in a match since 2011, and 13 digs.
Thirteen of the Tigers' kills came from freshman Courtney Crable, Kentucky's Miss Volleyball and a First-Team Under Armour All-American in 2013. Sophomore Emily Klitzke and freshman Macy Reece had 11 kills each, while Stephanie Campbell had 10. Auburn had 13 blocks in the match.
The Tigers took their first loss of the season in their second match Friday against George Washington. The tournament hosts beat Auburn 3-0 (13-25, 18-25, 20-25). Auburn was held to 33 kills, hitting .082 with 24 errors against the Colonials.
Offensively, redshirt freshman Kristel Moor led the way with seven kills on 13 attempts in her first match for the Tigers on Friday night. Crable and Klitzke contributed with six kills apiece. Junior Mary Hannah Arrington had a team-high 18 digs, while Filley had 28 assists at the setter position.
The Tigers recorded a weekend-best 43 kills on Saturday to beat Arkansas State 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-16) in their concluding match.
Crable led the team with 13 kills and 14 points, while sophomore Stephanie Campbell hit a team-high .471 and converted 8-of-17 attempts. Freshman Macy Reece added nine kills in her first collegiate debut. Auburn finished 39-of-58 (75%) in sideouts.
Sophomore Taylor Schill had a career-high 14 digs in the final match of the two-day tournament, while Filley recorded another double-double, posting 34 assists and 10 digs. Filley also had a pair of aces in Saturday's win to help the Tigers finish 2-1 at the George Washington Invitational.
Auburn will take its talent to Columbus, Ohio for the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic next weekend, where they will compete with host Ohio State, Southern Illinois and Florida Gulf Coast. The three-day tournament will be the Tiger's final non-conference competition.
(08/30/14 1:39am)
The Auburn volleyball team opened the 2014 season with a win against North Dakota and a loss against George Washington in Washington D.C Friday.
The Tigers won thier first match by a score of 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22). True freshman setter Alexa Filley led the way with 43 assists. With 13 digs as well, she led the team against a North Dakota squad that refused to lie down.
Other big performers included Breanna Barksdale and Courtney Crable. Barksdale led the team with 3.5 blocks. Courtney Crable, another one of Auburn's talented freshman, went for 13 kills. The next closest attack came from Emily Klitzke who tallied 11 solo kills.
Filley and freshman libero Kelly Stewart combined for 28 digs. Junior Mary Hannah Arrington, a two-time Academic Honor roll recipient, had 25 digs by herself.
The offense grew steadily throughout the match. In the first set there were 7 kills and 7 errors; which grew to 13 kills and 5 errors in the second set. There were 31 kills over the last two sets (15, 16) and 12 errors (8, 5).
The Tigers dropped their second match by a score of 3-0 (13-25, 18-25, 20-25).
Auburn's next match is against Arkansas State Saturday at 12 p.m. The game will be played in Washington D.C.
(08/22/14 3:25am)
The Southeastern Conference head coaches released their picks for the preseason all-SEC team Thursday.
While Alabama and LSU led the conference, Auburn landed three players on the list, all on the offensive side of the ball.
Center Reese Dismukes, wide receiver Sammy Coates and quarterback Nick Marshall were all chosen.
Marshall, who won't start in the Tigers season opener against Arkansas, returns for his senior season after posting 1,976 yards through the air in 2013, his first year on the Plains.
Coates comes into the 2014 season following a breakout performance in 2013, grabbing 42 receptions for 902 yards.
Several other Tigers were named to the second and third teams.
Tight end C.J. Uzomah, defensive lineman Gabe Wright and cornerback Johnathon Mincy were named to the second team, as well as offensive lineman Alex Kozan, despite the fact that he will sit out the entire 2014 season due to back surgery.
Players named to the third team were offensive lineman Chad Slade, defensive lineman Montravius Adams, and defensive back Robinson Therezie.
The Auburn football team opens its 2014 season on August 30 against SEC West foe Arkansas at 3:00 p.m.
(08/16/14 4:49am)
With only two weeks before the season opener, the offense is confident in Jeremy Johnson and Nick Marshall and both Johnson and Marshall are confident and ready to lead the team at quarterback.
Head coach Gus Malzahn has already announced that Marshall will not get the starting nod against Arkansas on Aug. 30. Since then Marshall has taken responsibility and put the work in to earn back the team's respect, according to senior tight end C.J. Uzomah.
"He's been tremendous," Uzomah said. "I think aside from Reese (Dismukes) who has been a four-year starter in this league and a huge leader on our team, I think that Nick is right next to him."
Marshall also has become much more vocal this fall and it has shown during practice and after practices.
"After practice we needed an extra pace period, which is the worst thing," Uzomah said. "And he said, 'yeah, we need another pace period, let's do two.' That just shows his drive and willingness to win."
Marshall knows how important those pace periods are to their hurry-up no huddle offense.
"The pace is what our edge is," Uzomah said. "That's what we thrive on. I think as far as a leadership standpoint, (Marshall) is back to where we want him to be."
Marshall has also been taking advantage of the free time before classes begin by getting extra reps in with the receivers and other quarterbacks outside of practices.
"He texts everyone," Uzomah said. "He has a group message where he'll text the receivers letting us know that we need to get out there and throw."
Johnson has also grown into more of a leadership role before his sophomore season.
"(Johnson) knows that we trust him," Uzomah said. "He knows where we're going to be. We know that he's going to put the ball where it needs to be. His connection with receivers has boosted his confidence tremendously."
Marshall isn't the only quarterback who has been speaking up at fall practices.
"If we drop a ball Jeremy will get on us to do it again and run the same play," Uzomah said. "He wants to make sure that we're clicking."
Although Johnson has become more vocal this year, Uzomah is even more impressed with his skills and abilities at quarterback.
"I think he could start anywhere else in the SEC," Uzomah said. "That's no disrespect to any other SEC team, that's just how we feel about him. We have all the confidence in the world in him."
(08/10/14 11:02pm)
Auburn Arena was buzzing with excitement on Sunday, Aug. 10, but it had nothing to do with Bruce Pearl and the basketball team.
Football's annual Fan Day was taking place and both gym floors were filled with fans waiting to meet and greet their favorite Tigers.
Jim Pitt, Auburn native and his nine-year-old son Jack waited in line to see C.J. Uzomah.
"I think the defense is going to be a lot better and the offense will have more versatility with throwing the ball," Jim said. "We are going to have another good year."
Jack was quick to name his favorite Auburn player.
"Nick Marshall," Jack said without a beat.
A record 9,500 fans came out to get autographs and pictures with the defending SEC Champions.
Boys in football jerseys waited with their parents while fight song music played over the loud speakers.
Seven-year-old Carson McCulloch of Montgomery patiently stood in line for the chance to meet Sammie Coates.
Corey Orr, 11, of Auburn was confident about this football season.
"Undefeated," Orr said. "National title."
The line to see Coach Gus Malzahn stretched all the way outside and halfway around the arena.
Upstairs on the concourse, little girls in cheerleading uniforms waited to meet the Tiger Paws, Auburn cheerleaders and Aubie.
The longest lines of the day, besides for Malzahn, were for quarterback Nick Marshall and wide receiver Sammie Coates, with both lines winding around the gymnasium.
Brooks Forehand, season ticket holder from Columbus, Georgia, was excited for the upcoming season.
"We definitely have more talent than we did last year," Forehand said. "This is our year."
(08/06/14 7:08pm)
Auburn took to Pat Dye Field in Jordan-Hare Stadium Wednesday for the first scrimmage of fall practice.
While practice was closed to the media, head coach Gus Malzahn said the practice was run-heavy as the Tigers' offense readies for the upcoming season.
A key role in Auburn's run game in 2013, fullback Jay Prosch, was drafted by the Houston Texans in the NFL Draft, leaving an opening at the position.
H-back Brandon Fulse and tight end C.J. Uzomah are two names Malzahn has mentioned as potential replacements.
"(Fulse) will play a similar role, him and CJ (Uzomah) both," Malzahn said. "Brandon has very good receiving skills. He's used to splitting out, since last year we split him out at the No. 2 receiver and some at the No. 1. He's got a lot of versatility."
Along the lines, offensive lineman Chad Slade and defensive lineman Devaroe Lawrence were held out of the scrimmage.
Malzahn described both Slade and Lawrence as "a little banged up."
On the defensive side, veteran defensive tackle Jeff Whitaker may have played just three games in the last two seasons, but that hasn't changed the respect he's earned from his teammates.
"He's a guy that all of his teammates respect," Malzahn said. "He's a guy that all the coaches trust and respect. You have to have strong leaders and you know I'm one of those guys that puts a lot on seniors."
Whitaker was voted by teammates as one of the top leaders on the team. He thinks Auburn's defense has the potential to steal some of the headlines from the offense this fall.
"I think we have the potential to be something special," Whitaker said. "But like Coach (Garner) says, potential only means we haven't done anything yet. We got to keep working."
The second half of two-a-days will focus more heavily on situation preparations, but Malzahn doesn't expect the physicality to differ.
"It's going to be a little more special situations and a lot of teaching," Malzahn said. "It was pretty physical out there, which is good."
(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."
