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Presidents United to Solve Hunger and foreign dignitaries met in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 17, to discuss hunger issues and implement a plan of action to end hunger all over the world.
Auburn University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, the highest federal honor a higher education institution can receive for service work, for the fourth consecutive year.
The National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC) holds a presidential leadership summit for incoming and outgoing college student body presidents every year in May or June.
Bike Share is a service that campus students have been asking about, according to Jennifer Morse, communications and outreach manager with the Office of Sustainability.
Studying abroad for a month or a semester can seem like a long time. Volunteering abroad for a year and a half can seem like forever to some.
Auburn University was named one of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 353 Green Colleges.
Environmental Awareness Organization (EAO) of Auburn University hosted Earthfest in the Donald E. Davis Arboretum on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
The date was June 20, 2001. Andrea Pia Kennedy-Yates, in the span of an (unsupervised) hour, drowned all five of her children in the family bathtub in Houston. Her motivation? She claimed that she had failed as a mother and that the only way to save her children from the Devil was through the ultimate sacrifice —giving up (murdering) her innocent children, saving them, but accepting her eternal damnation. (Keep in mind, the eldest child was 7 years old.) The court proceedings lasted for 5 years and garnered national attention. Growing up in Houston, I personally remember this case more than any from watching the news throughout those years. The defense in the trial fought for — and won — the trial on the basis that Yates was clinically insane. There is no doubt about this, as countless medical evaluations proved it over and over again. Throughout the course of the defense’s argument, it came to light that the Yates family were religious students of a man named Michael Peter Woroniecki. Woroniecki teaches an interpretation of Christianity than can easily be compared to that of the Westboro Baptist Church — full of vitriol and ridiculous twisting of the Bible. Now, where did the Yates family become familiar with this man’s teachings? Auburn University, where Russell “Rusty” Yates, a student at the time, and later husband of Andrea, met Woroniecki as he traveled around the country as an evangelist. The defense in the trial focused heavily on this connection, as after Rusty left Auburn, he became even more engrossed with Woroniecki’s teachings and, upon meeting his wife some years later, brought her into the fold. Woroniecki’s teachings, combined with Andrea’s mental illness, served as the perfect combination to lead to the tragic events on that summer day in 2001. Fast forward to this past November. On Nov. 3, two earnest-looking street preachers occupied the concourse in between the Student Center and Parker, preaching their interpretation of the Bible to anyone who passed by, often to disgust and anger by students and faculty alike. The Auburn community is familiar with these kinds of demonstrations, but this was a unique one — these street preachers were Mr. Woroniecki’s son and daughter. Dangerous teachings such as the Woronieckis’ — which have proven to end in terrible disaster — have no place on our campus. Unfortunately, as a public institution, we have certain requirements to allow public forum, and as outlined in the University’s policies, this area is only confined to the steps of the RBD Library. (i.e. the aforementioned demonstration between the Student Center and Parker should have been shut down immediately) While we can’t ban groups such as the Woroniecki’s outright, we can sustain dialogue with our fellow colleagues when such incidents do arise. Had someone challenged Mr. Woroniecki’s beliefs when he was at Auburn, or Rusty’s once he started falling into the fold, those 5 children could very well still be alive. We as an Auburn Family need to protect each other. We have to. Drake Pooley Harbert College of Business Senator
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist discussed the coverage of racial struggles during the Civil Rights Era to a packed auditorium at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on Wednesday, April 15.
A new class will be offered in fall 2015 called Engage Interact Lead.
Auburn University shattered an unusual ecological system when it gave land for a new medical college, leaving only “fragments,” according to John Kush, research fellow in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
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.
Sara Rains, senior in nutrition and wellness, and Jessica Adams, senior in microbial biology, were named finalists for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the most competitive public service award for undergraduates in the nation, according to Paul Harris, associate professor and associate director of the University Honors College.
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.
Moriah Gilbertson, freshman in undeclared science and math, planned to go to college. She planned to major in medicine, make new friends and obtain her dream job as a radiologist. She never expected she would be doing all of that while also caring for her 1-year-old daughter, Elliyah.
The Auburn City Council put a suspension on development when the council members present voted to pass an apartment moratorium. Councilwoman Beth Witten, Ward 3, and Councilman Clemon Byrd, Ward 1, were not in attendance. Property owners and citizens from all over the community attended the meeting Feb. 17, to argue for and against the moratorium. Councilman Brent Beard, Ward 4, said in nine years, he hasn't seen greater conflict brought before the City Council. "I've had communications with people on both sides of the fence for over a month now ... and they've all been right," Beard said. "I can't argue with any of them so it makes it very difficult." Effective starting Feb. 17, there will be a temporary halt on construction of multiple unit developments. This will include apartments, condominiums or any other form of ownership or operation within the University service zoning district located east of College Street, according to city documents. Councilman Gene Dulaney, Ward 7, said this was not a result of conflict surrounding the new development at 160 N. Ross St. as many citizens against the moratorium had mentioned. "When we look at multi-unit family development ... it's not following the normal supply and demand that we typically see in a competitive market," Dulaney said. "It's not sustainable and because it's not sustainable it's creating unintended consequences that are affecting our city as a whole." The moratorium will not impact any multiple unit developments that have received a zoning certificate from the City Planning Department, a valid land disturbance permit from the City Public Works Department or a construction or building permit from the City Codes Enforcement Division on or before Feb. 17. Councilman Tommy Dawson, Ward 8, said he thought it was time to look at the issue of the moratorium from a public safety standpoint. "We have people coming to live in these apartments that have been vacated by students, that frankly, we don't want in Auburn," Dawson said. "I primarily look at the safety of these kids." City documents state that the moratorium will be in effect for six months unless it is terminated or extended by action of the City Council. Mayor Bill Ham Jr. said he believes the council had to consider the impacts of their decisions on the community 50 and 100 years from now. "This community is not going to stop growing," Ham said. "As long as (we have) the quality of life, the school system, Auburn University and all the things that are good, people will continue to want to be a part of that." Other topics at the meeting included: -The council passed an annexation for the Industrial Development Board of the City of Auburn located south of Beehive Road. It will be approximately 78.35 acres. -The council passed an agreement with the City of Opelika for a traffic signal at the intersection of Opelika Road/Pepperrell Parkway and Commerce Drive. -The council granted a retail alcoholic beverage license to University Station RV and Resort as well as a request for a retail beer and wine license for the convenience store also located on the property.
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.
The SGA Senate held their first meeting of 2015 Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Treasurer Richmond Gunter introduced a plan for future SGA cabinet members to spend the $1.3 million in the student involvement reserve fund throughout the next 4 to 5 years. "The reserve fund is where student activity money goes that has not been spent by Student Activity Projects (SAPs) during the course of the year," Gunter said. "The problem is there has not been a lot of vision or planning to spend this down in a way that benefits the student body and also has an affect that lasts several years." According to Gunter, the SGA cabinet has put together a plan to spend the money in ways that would benefit future SGA members as well as the entire Auburn student body. "We wanted to be the group that sat down and put together a bold vision for the future," Gunter said. Spending would include improvements to the Student Involvement office, creating a student memorial, transforming the Student Activities Center into a functional auditorium and improvements to the Student Center. The SGA would especially like to see expansions to the Student Center, according to Gunter. "Auburn's Student Center is currently smaller than Georgia State's," Gunter said. "I think this current space underserves the students, and it will only get worse." In other Senate news: The SGA Senate introduced three proposals to be voted on next week. The first proposal, introduced by Sen. Natalie Thomley, is a proposal for SGA to add a referendum to the Spring election ballot for candidates for the 2015 Final Lecture. "The final lecture is given by a professor who has made extraordinary contributions to Auburn University," Thomley said. The second proposal is a request to change a Constitutional Amendment, which will be voted on by the student body. In order for a change, 25 percent of the student body must vote with 10 percent approval. Presented by Sen. Abby Lemons, the amendment would change the GPA requirement for joining SGA. "This amendment will propose a GPA requirement from a 2.25 to a 2.5," Lemons said. The last proposal to be voted on next week is to recognize Auburn as a Styrofoam-free campus. "This is a resolution that recognizes all the hard work put in by Tiger Dining and the Office of Sustainability to make our campus a little more environmentally friendly," said Luke Carlson, senator for sustainability.
Oysters, beer, bourbon, fresh foraged foods and scholarship money will all be on the table Jan. 30 at the Alabama Oyster Social. Acre restaurant staff is partnering with the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory to host this event, and the proceeds will benefit the laboratory. "We're donating the money in the form of a scholarship for the professors at the shellfish laboratory and the students going into the studies of stable shellfish harvesting," said David Bancroft, chef at Acre. The event will have six different chefs, Caleb Fischer, Jason Stanhope, Adam Evans, Rob McDaniel, Wesley True and Bancroft cooking oysters in different ways. They will prepare fried oysters, chargrilled oysters with garlic and parmesan, oyster stew with chickweed and smoked ham, poached oysters with ham hock broth, a raw oyster bar, different condiments, catfish from Auburn University fisheries and shrimp. "After, obviously, Katrina and the amount of oyster farmers that were struggling, (we were) seeing the progress that they've made over the last few years and watching them with their sustainable oyster research," Bancroft said. "(I was) speaking with a few other chefs, and everybody just really agreed that it was something we wanted to highlight, such an awesome resource to have off the coast of Alabama." Bill Walton, associate professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said that they will use the money for student research so they can focus on the questions that oyster farmers have. They have been looking at what is working in other places for oyster farmers and developing their own methods for better oyster farming. "Because our waters are so productive, the oysters grow fast, but so does everything else and so baskets that you're raising the oysters in will get covered up with seaweed and barnacles," Walton said. "You're spending so much time keeping them clean ... that you just weren't going to make any money." Walton said they recommend growing oysters by taking them out of the water to dry for a period of time because the oysters will survive but the things growing on them will not. Each of the oyster farmers providing oysters for the social raises their oysters in different waters and has oysters with a different taste. "Oysters, they take on the flavor of where they're grown," Walton said. "Even though they're all Alabama oysters, they're grown in three different locations. They're going to get a variety of taste." Cullan Duke, oyster farmer off the west coast of Dauphin Island, said there is a historical difference in oysters from different regions of the country. "The best part is just kind of seeing what everyone has going on in Alabama and realizing we can produce world class oysters right here in Alabama," Duke said. "What we're doing that's different is having individually named oysters from specific different kinds of microenvironments that have different tastes." They will also have drinks from Back Forty Beer, Cathead Distillery, Sazerac Bourbon, International Wine and Pinnacle Imports. The event will start at 6 p.m. and are $57.92. "My grandfather is a fish farmer in Alabama with Auburn University, and I have a brother who is a graduate of the fisheries program," Bancroft said. "Working with Auburn University fisheries has always been something important for our family."
