1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(07/25/13 7:57pm)
It's a trend at The Plainsman to start the summer semester expecting nothing to happen and end it feeling surprised so much has happened. This summer has been no different.
Admittedly, there have been a few weeks were we've struggled to find newsworthy content. The town of Auburn doesn't shut down during the summer, but it does seem to go in to a weird type of part-time hibernation.
Local businesses switch to summer hours; downtown is less lively on the weekend; and campus is like a ghost town. For those students who stay in town, more time is spent drinking by the pool or working than paying attention to the school that dominates the majority of their year.
But news doesn't take a summer vacation.
The Zimmerman trial, its subsequent fallout, and the scandal involving Paula Deen's alleged old-time racism have reinvigorated the national conversation on race. Both events are bleak reminders we are far from living in a post-racial society, no matter how much we wish it wasn't true.
Unfortunately, the news media has saturated every bit of its daily content with Zimmerman and other race-related topics, and it's almost maddening. These stories seem like nothing more than bottom-of-the barrel tidbits meant to illicit anger and drive up ratings.
However, exploitation of the racial divide has only been a small portion of this summer's news cycle.
One of the more dark chapters in the University's history finally came to a close with Dakota Mosley pleading guilty to the 2011 robbery at Conway Acres Trailer Park. Moseley, along with Shaun Kitchens, Mike McNeil and Antonio Goodwin, all former football players, have put a stain on the Auburn Family name, and it's good see them own up to their mistakes, even if it took a little legal cajoling.
The scandal they caused will last a lot longer than we want it to. Unfortunately, it also gives pseudo-journalists, such as Selena Roberts, ammunition in their misguided quest to expose the imaginary system of graft and corruption supposedly ruling the athletic department.
There have also been some positive news events this summer, events that made our job much more enjoyable and reminded us why we do what we do.
After a long battle with Dean Hardgrave and the College of Business administration, students and alumni with the aviation management program were able to save the Flight Program. We couldn't be happier this Auburn institution was not tossed by the wayside. It would have been damn near criminal to cheat Aviation students out of such a promising career for such trivial reasons.
We were also delighted to see the athletic department take some initiative and hire some coaches more likely to get us some wins, which we desperately need. It was unfortunate to se John Pawlowski and Tina Deese leave after all the hard work they put in, but it was time.
If the firing of Gene Chizik has taught us anything, it's that a coach has to be able lead his or her team to victory. No, we don't have to win a national championship every year - even though it would be nice - but losing so much they don't even get a chance to get a title is unacceptable.
We wish baseball coach Sunny Galloway and softball coach Clint Myers the best and hope they can help put us back on top, where we know we belong.
And we believe that can be said for the rest of Auburn as well.
We want to leave you this summer with a sense of hope. Although we tend to focus on the negative, which seems to dominate our paper some weeks, we genuinely believe the Auburn community is growing stronger.
So don't let the Varez Wards, Harvey Updykes, and Desmonte Leonards of the world bring you down, Auburn. Yes, they may be bad news now, but we are stronger and better than they will ever be, and that is why believe in Auburn and love it.
(07/13/13 1:00pm)
For Dale Katechis, founder and owner of Oskar Blues Brewery, the bathtub is only the second strangest place he's ever put craft beer.
Many bar-goers and hop-heads in Auburn know the story of Katechis.
A 1992 Auburn alumnus, Katechis began brewing beer in 1990 in a trailer off Wire Road after getting a home brew kit for Christmas.
Then he began perfecting it.
Katechis' experimental brew became popular with a local home brewing club, and he eventually started brewing larger quantities of beer in his bathtub. Katechis earned a degree in finance from Auburn and moved to Colorado where he started Oskar Blues restaurant. That restaurant became a brew pub, that brew pub expanded into a brewery, and like a beer poured too quickly into a glass, Katechis' success was soon foaming over the rim.
Oskar Blues' rise to pub prominence from a home-brewing kit is remarkable enough; however, Katechis was not just trying to get into the business. He was trying to change it entirely.
In a market where product is heavily judged by the pack- age, Katechis began canning his prized pale ale in 2002, a head-scratching move consid- ering the top beers at the time were all sold in bottles.
"Nobody was doing it at the time," Katechis said. "Cans were frowned upon. The consumer in our industry believed it was an inferior package for craft beer, mainly due to the fact that large domestic brewers that were brewing lager-style beers (were canning) their beer. And craft brewers believed that in order for beer to be high quality, it had to be in a brown bottle only because that's the only vessel a craft beer had been served in other than a keg."
That bathtub brew, now known as Dale's Pale Ale, is the flagship beer of Oskar Blues, and although it's no longer made in the tub, it's recipe has not changed much, according to Katechis. Dale's Pale Ale was named the Top American Pale Ale by the New York Times in 2005 and won a gold medal at the 2010 world Beer Championships.
It was also named world's Best Canned Beer by Details Magazine.
Since first releasing Dale's Pale Ale, Oskar Blues has introduced six more beers. All of them are aggressively hopped, all of them come in cans, and all of that is good for the beer, according to Katechis.
Now he's trying to pour a pint of that knowledge for the consumer.
When beers were first mass-produced, many craft breweries favored green glass bottles. And yet, if a beer sat in those bottles for too long, it would acquire what Katechis called a "skunky taste" as a result of too much sunlight.
Brown bottles then took over the industry and are still a staple of many craft brewers today. However, Katechis argues that cans are the superior way to store beer.
"Brown bottles eliminated a lot of that light," Katechis said. "Well aluminum cans eliminated all of it. It was just the perception that we had to get over."
Since finding this out, he has begun a "debugging process" to show America that a great beer can be bought in a can.
"We decided to dispel that myth once we decided that cans were actually a superior package due to the fact that the beer had never seen sunlight, and the dissolved oxygen levels were lower, and the package was more environmentally friendly than a bottle," Katechis said. "The modern-day aluminum can has always had the water-based lining inside to keep the beer from sitting on metal. The package was really draft-like, and our job once we learned that was to educate the consumer that that was the case, and that's when we began this mission in 2002."
The Hound tavern and restaurant in downtown Auburn was the leading seller of Oskar Blues products in Auburn in 2012, according to owner and beverage director Matt Poirier.
Poirier said Katechis is a pioneer, and he has seen a similar consumer perception problem with wine.
"People have known for years that screw-tops are better for the wine," Poirier said. "They preserve it better. There's no loss of quality. The cork is more likely to fail. All kinds of things can go wrong with the cork. But for hundreds of years, it's been the cork. The idea is that screw-top wines are cheap wines and can't be good. Same thing with cans. Cans have been Budweiser and Bud Light, beers that aren't necessarily known for their quality."
In addition to blocking almost all sunlight and oxygen, the cans' size and shape makes them easier for retailers to store, all the while holding the same amount of beer as a heavier glass bottle.
These days, it seems Katechis' message is catching on.
"A lot of the big guys are following suit now," Poirier said. "A lot of the old-guard craft beer companies are now turning to cans."
And why not?
The modern day can is not only better for the brewery's bottom line, it's better for the beer and all who drink it.
Oskar Blues just recently celebrated its "Canniversary" honoring 10 years of mass producing its beers solely in kegs and cans. The brewery also just opened a new branch in Brevard, N.C. Despite this success, however, Katechis said he will continue to fight America's "brainwashing."
Needless to say, neither his passion nor his beer show any signs of going flat.
(07/11/13 11:34pm)
Updated with additional comments.
Senior defensive end Dee Ford and junior tight end CJ. Uzomah were both named to the Chuck Bednarik and John Mackey awards preseason watch lists for 2013 this week. Ford was one of 75 players to be named on the Bednarik Award watch list, which is given to the top defensive player in college football. "I'm very surprised to hear that I'm on the Bednarik Award list. This just makes me want to solidify my qualifications and work even harder to show that Auburn should be represented on this list," Ford said.\0x2028
Ford, a native of Odenville, is a three-year letterman at defensive end and has emerged as a veteran leader not only on the defensive side of the ball, but for the whole team. He has 64 career tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 10 career sacks.
"It's been a long journey for me, and I owe any success to my strength coaches, football coaches, and teammates for being patient with me while I developed," Ford said. "I'm very thankful for this new responsibility and the opportunity we have this season."
Ford also earned preseason all-SEC recognition from Athlon Sports. The semi-finalists will be named Oct. 29, and the three finalists will be named Nov. 3.
The winner will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held Dec. 5.
The formal presentations of the Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's entertainment Atlantic City March 7, 2014. Uzomah was also among 37 players for the Mackey Award preseason watch list, which is given to the most outstanding tight end in college football.\0x2028
"It's an honor to be mentioned among the top tight ends this preseason, but I realize there is still a lot of work to be done," Uzomah said. "Individual achievements are a blessing and I give the glory to God, but more important is what our team can achieve in the season ahead."
Last season, he became a late season starter after Phillip Lutzenkirchen's season ended because of injury, but then his season was cut short also because of a broken bone in his hand.
A 6-foot-4 253-pound native of Suwanee, Ga., Uzomah recorded seven receptions for 136 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown catch from Jonathan Wallace against Texas A&M. Even though he only played briefly last season he showed he has the tools to be a weapon in Gus Malzahn's offense.
Uzomah will likely be sharing time with fellow tight end Brandon Fulse. Malzahn's hurry up no huddle offense allows the tight end to play as a base tight end, an H-back and a slot receiver. This allows the tight end to have more opportunities to make plays in the passing game.
A midseason watch list for the award will be announced Oct. 14, the semifinalists Nov. 18 and the finalists November 25.
The recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee; the award will be presented live Dec. 12 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show.
(07/03/13 8:06pm)
Since track star Snitz Snider participated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands Auburn University has seen more than 100 of its former athletes become Olympians.
And thanks to the efforts of those Olympians and the school of kinesiology, Auburn has a chance to become the home of dozens of first-time Olympic participants at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Representatives from USA Team Handball will visit The Plains July 12-13 to see if the University could become the new residency program for the United States' national handball teams.
The residency bid, led by former Auburn Tiger and handball Olympian Reita Clanton, could make Auburn the new home for Olympic team handball in the U.S.
"Essentially what they need is a gym to train in, adequate housing for their athletes and opportunities for their athletes to work or continue their education," Clanton said. "Auburn has all of these things and more. We have the infrastructure for support services like athletic training and strength and conditioning. Through the school of kinesiology and the Performance Optimization Center, we have possibilities to collaborate with the team and provide them new opportunities."
One of those new Olympians living and training in Auburn could be a current University student.
As part of USA Team Handball's visit, there will be an open tryout for the men's training squad for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Participants will be evaluated on ball handling skills, throwing ability, physical abilities and teamwork.
Since team handball is a relatively unknown sport in the United States--no American national team has qualified since the 1996 Games in Atlanta--no experience with the sport is required to tryout.
"(The national team coaches) are always looking for great athletes," Clanton said. "Team handball combines all these skills we use in American sports--running, jumping, throwing and catching--so it could be something a really great athlete out there could play well. There might be some young people here that have what it takes to train with the national team."
Clanton, the director of the new Performance Optimization Center, would know what it takes to be a member of the national team. A native of nearby Lafayette, Clanton was one of the first multi-sport athletes in Auburn's budding women's athletics program.
After playing and coaching women's basketball, volleyball and softball at Auburn, Clanton received a letter from the United States Olympic Committee asking her to try out for the country's newly formed team handball program.
"I had no idea what team handball was--I thought I was going to go whack the little ball up against the wall," Clanton said with a chuckle. "When I got to Iowa State University and saw the sport for the first time, I was like, 'This is a gift from heaven!' It was all of my favorite sports rolled into one."
Despite missing out on the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Clanton and her teammates qualified for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. At those Games, the United States women's handball team placed fourth in a campaign that included an opening-round upset of No. 1-ranked China.
Clanton went on to coach the national team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, just 100 miles from her hometown. After her coaching days were over, Clanton continued her close ties to the program, which led to Auburn's bid for the residency program.
"One of my former coaches, Javier Garcia Cuesta, called me back in late April to tell me he was back in the States and that he had taken the men's national team coaching job," Clanton said. "We were just chatting, and I asked him where the national team was now. He said they were kind of in limbo at that point, and they were looking for a residency program for their men's and women's national teams."
Clanton said her wheels started turning when Cuesta, who will be at the open tryout July 13, described the places the national team was looking at for the residency program. While he named off places such as Boston, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs, Clanton decided to throw Auburn's name into the hat.
"Auburn can offer just as much more than a regular training center because we are a university," Clanton said. "We have one of the top schools of kinesiology in the country and we have a Performance Optimization Center. We have cutting edge research, expert skills and emerging technology to help the national teams with performance enhancement."
Clanton went over the plan with Mary Rudisill and David Pascoe, the head and assistant head of the school of kinesiology. They and the rest of the school thought the bid would be great for Auburn, and a date was set.
During the visit, USA Team Handball will outline their vision for the national team in 2013 and beyond. Clanton believes Auburn could play a huge role in the future success of the program.
"I've always said that handball doesn't have to be a major sport in the United States in order to be successful," Clanton said. "It could be just a regional sport because we have enough good athletes around that if we built a culture of team handball here in the Southeast, we could gain an international level of competitive excellence.
"A residency program here in Auburn would be great for the game at the national team level and at a grassroots level. It's all about building awareness and developing that culture."
(06/23/13 5:13am)
Auburn swimmer Kyle Owens was recognized as a Capital One Academic All-American on Thursday, June 6. Owens, who graduated in May, was also named an Academic All-American last season.
"It feels good being an athlete and to be given such a high academic award," Owens said. "It is an inspiration and a standard for everyone on the team."
Owens, originally from Johnson City, Tenn., came into his senior season at Auburn as a co-captain alongside Stuart Ferguson. The responsibility as a captain prompted Owens to set a standard and be a role model for the other swimmers.
"I had to lead by example for the others," Owens said. "I enjoyed doing that for the team."
Owens graduated with a degree in biomedical science and will be attending Quillen College in Johnson City starting in July.
Despite his excellence in the pool, he is focusing on education in hopes of becoming a doctor.
Owens has been fascinated with educational pursuits, and the Honors College at Auburn and the support staff have awarded him the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
"With the help of Dr. Paul Harris in the Honors College and Coach [Brett] Hawke, I've gotten all the help I need in trying to get various scholarships and opportunities," Owens said.
Owens' journey towards medicine began when he was 11 years old.
"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a kid," Owens said. "I would go in with her for her chemo and having it hit so close to home, I knew I wanted to be a doctor."
Despite the illness she overcame, Owen's mother, Heather, stayed strong and made sure her son would continue to progress in the classroom and in the pool.
"All of those mornings that he needed to be in the water at 5 a.m., I was taking them there," Heather said. "He saw my dedication to what he could become [in the pool]. After all his meets, he would bring me his medals, and I always thought it was sort of a testament and a way to say, 'Thanks mom.'"
Owens has worked hard to earn recognition in the pool and in the classroom. He successfully defended his SEC titles in the 100 and 200 meter backstroke at the SEC Championships while taking part in four different relay team titles. He is a 12-time SEC Champion, has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and was the 2011-2012 Auburn University Male Athlete of the Year while also being a swimmer for the USA National Team.
Despite the athletic accomplishments, Owens believes the academic honors take precedent.
"Swimming has taught me so much, and I was ready to compete in the World University Games in Russia this summer," Owens said. "The first day of the meet is the first day classes start at Quillen. People kept acting like it was such a big decision to make, but it was simple; I think it's a signal to me that my swimming career is over, and it's time to hang up the towel."
Owens submitted his retirement letter to the national team and is excited to begin the next phase of his life.
"It's hard right now to think I'm done swimming," Owens said. "But I know better things will come out of it."
(06/22/13 3:47am)
Auburn City Councilman A.L. Dowdell took up his megaphone Friday night on the steps of the Auburn Police Division to protest and raise awareness of what he says is rampant racism prevalent in Auburn's city government.
"These powers, these old racist chronicles, who are still looking at us (African-American) as second-class citizens, it's not the new whites, it's still those old people who are headed to the pits of Hell," Dowdell said. "If you judge me because I'm black, and if you say that you love the Lord in all of these big churches downtown, there's some of these same Klansman-like people going there, and they really do believe what they are doing is right. We know it's not right, and that's why we're out here. We're out here standing up for what we believe is right."
Speaking to a small crowd, Dowdell touched on several instances of racial profiling in Auburn, specifically relating to the recent naming of Assistant Chief Paul Register as Auburn chief of police. Dowdell said the police department should, at the least, hire a African-American assistant chief to fill Register's vacant position.
"We have been fighting against wrongdoings for more than 30 years, and now we've got a police chief, Chief Dawson, who is one of the best chiefs we've ever had that is going to retire," Dowdell said. "I don't have a problem with (Register). I think he's going to make a good chief. But I believe there are the powers that be: evil forces; racists, working behind the scenes that will not allow him to do the thing that he needs to do and hire a black assistant chief. There is a black captain in position more qualified than Register. He's been to FBI school. He has two degrees. He could easily fill the chief of police position. But they're just waving it off because that good ol' boy system is still here. We will no longer have that in the city of Auburn."
Retired fireman William Felton said African-American firemen are struggling with the same issues that are plaguing the police department. In 1974, Felton, along with another fireman, became the first African-American firefighters hired by the Auburn Fire Department.
"There has not been a black person promoted to lieutenant (in the fire department) without a lawsuit being filed," Felton said. "Every time you file a lawsuit, they'll promote somebody to lieutenant. But no one's ever been promoted without a lawsuit being filed."
Felton said he was promoted after a lawsuit in 1978.
When asked specifically who the evil forces that were preventing African-Americans from rising through the ranks in Auburn city government were, Dowdell said it was all on the backs of the city administration.
"It's the people in the city government. It's some of the people in the administration that are behind the scenes," Dowdell said. "I think the city manager (Charlie Duggan, Jr.) needs to rise up and do his job. I really do believe that this city manager is one of the most lax city managers we've ever had. He allows too much to go on in the city of Auburn; turns his head. He's young."
John Zellars, president of the Lee County chapter of the Alabama New South Coalition, a statewide organization that advocates for justice and social change in the state of Alabama, was also present to show his support for the cause.
"There has to be an attitude change. It has to be done through the mayor, the city council and the people, both black and white, working together to see that Auburn complies with the civil rights laws," Zellars said.
Dowdell added that the NAACP state president has already voiced his support for their cause.
"Like old days, we're going to have rallies with hundreds of people. If they don't change it before school starts, we will protest," Dowdell said. "We're going to go to city hall and we're going to march in these streets. We're going to ask Jesse Jackson and Reverend Sharpton, we know them personally, to come and stand against what we believe is a cancer in the city of Auburn."
Dowdell concluded with a rendition of "We Shall Overcome," sung through his megaphone, and final thoughts for the four in attendance.
"We will fight with every breath in our bodies. We've been fighting for 30 years. We're going to fight until we see equal justice served in this city," Dowdell said.
(06/21/13 5:28pm)
The single largest donation in University history was officially announced during the Auburn University Board the morning of Friday, June 21.
After a unanimous vote to approve the $40 million donation, the College of Business received a new name and a boost towards its vision of national prominence.
The college will now be known as the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business following the historic financial commitment from the Birmingham-based CEO and outgoing president pro tempore on the Board of Trustees.
"This really is a significant change for us, going from an unnamed College of Business to the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business," said Bill Hardgrave, dean of the College of Business. "Over time, what we hope to see is that migration from the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business to eventually what we see with others now, that (the name) just becomes Harbert... and that attracts great students."
Harbert, a 1982 Auburn graduate, serves as chairman and CEO of Harbert Management Corporation, an independent investment firm.
According to U.S. News & World Report, 42 of the top 50 ranked business schools in America are named after benefactors. Auburn College of Business officials believe this gift and name change will give the college a new level of prestige.
"There's a tremendous sense of pride in having the college named for me and it being there after I'm long gone," Harbert said. "The bigger sense of pride will be watching (Hardgrave) implement this vision and watching it become successful. When we are talking about the Harbert College in the same vein as some of the other well-known and great business schools, that will be when I'm particularly proud."
Hardgrave said Harbert's donation will strengthen the college's position as a national leader in many different ways, from creating national eminent scholar chairs for top faculty members to forming a doctoral program in finance.
"It is extremely gratifying to have this opportunity to help move Auburn forward, and I look forward to Dean Hardgrave making these improvements," Harbert said. "I have always felt that college was a place to explore and find out who you are, and I hope this gift will allow Auburn to seek out professors who will challenge the students to be the best they can be."
A $15 million matching gift was included in the $40 million donation, challenging other alumni to partner with Harbert in helping the College of Business achieve these goals.
"(The matching gift) is a very generous thing for Mr. Harbert to do," Hardgrave said. "This allows us to go out now and get those funds in order to grow our endowment. We just went out these last few weeks and already have had three people give at least $1 million as part of this matching campaign.
"So when we talk about a $40 million gift, it really becomes a $55 million gift by the time we're all said and done."
Harbert and his wife Kathryn were presented a gavel made out of the wood from the Toomer's Oaks as a gift of appreciation for his record-setting donation.
(06/19/13 10:13pm)
One year ago, I met the most hated man in Auburn.
I was nervous, inexperienced and had just begun my first semester as community news editor for The Plainsman.
He was on trial, unhealthy and understandably miserable.
Despite all of this, Harvey Updyke was nothing short of polite.
We spoke for a time about a variety of topics. I learned we're both Louisiana residents. In fact, he and his wife, Elva, have a house about 45 minutes west of my parents'.
I also learned he and an unnamed accomplice did, indeed, poison the Toomer's oak trees.
Even so, we smiled, shook hands and Elva and I exchanged contact information to do a feature on Updyke in the future.
None of us knew we would never speak again.
None of us understood the price of being honest.
Much has changed since June 19, 2012, when Updyke confessed his guilt to me during his own jury selection, and most who care know the rest of the story.
I published an article detailing the confession and was subsequently subpoenaed and placed under a gag order. After Updyke's attorney called me a liar, my name was apparently changed to "student journalist" and The Plainsman then became "Auburn's student-run newspaper." Under the gag order, I was defenseless.
But that's not the issue. Updyke has now served his sentence, the trees have been removed and I can now speak and write freely once more.
A year removed, I will say this: I imagined the day going much differently before I spoke to Updyke.
I saw Updyke for the first time earlier that day. Judge Jacob Walker read the charges against Updyke, and with each word, Updyke's eyelids drooped lower and his breathing became more labored.
After tweeting the observation and having it questioned, I went to the source. The Updykes stood by themselves outside the elevator at the Lee County Justice Center. I had left everything but my cell phone in my bag. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I settled for texting quotes and notes to myself.
Updyke confirmed that he felt ready to "pass out" all morning, and the two were more than candid about Updyke's somewhat publicized health issues.
The numbers alone were staggering: 62 pounds lost since his arrest, 18 different medications in his system and thousands of Auburn fans clamoring for him to end his days in a cell.
Numerous stories portraying his mistakes had poured from the media outlets (including The Plainsman) almost daily. But part of journalism is occasionally advocating for the devil, and I wanted Auburn to know the man being demonized.
The father whose daughter would no longer speak to him. The Alabama fan whose beloved university banned him from its campus, stadiums included.
To me, it was only fair.
The chance for a sympathetic piece passed by when his candor spread to the crime he had pleaded innocent of. When he admitted he was involved in the incident, he said that was all he would say about the matter. And yet the question came to my lips anyway as a sort of due diligence, anticipating a "no comment."
"So, what happened that night?"
In this case, the former Texas state trooper was a straight shooter: "Did I do it? Yes."
Harvey and Elva watched as I took notes on my phone. Even so, we said farewell amicably and left on good terms. I had just met with the most despised man on The Plains, and I left with sympathy for the devil. Not to mention an obligation to create more mayhem in an already difficult situation.
Maybe it was all an orchestrated plot to change the venue or add credibility to his insanity defense. Perhaps Updyke truly had given up.
Whatever the reason, as a journalist, his confession was breaking news, immeasurably more important than any softer feature story.
As an Auburn man, the destruction of the historic oaks was deserving of punitive measures. And yet, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. I still do. Had I never spoken to Harvey Updyke, the biased Tiger in me would most likely still loathe him.
Updyke still has an elephant's share of lawsuits to deal with, but one year later, I can only hope he's beginning to get his life back together.
(06/20/13 1:30am)
Spring practice has passed, and as fall practice approaches, a glaring question has yet to be answered.
Who will be the starting quarterback?
Many thought this decision would have been made before the end of spring practice, especially with Gus Malzahn's "chosen one," Kiehl Frazier, competing for the job.
But spring is gone, and neither Frazier, nor Jonathan Wallace showed the coaching staff enough for them to pull the trigger and name a starting quarterback.
Frazier has the benefit of being hand-chosen by Malzahn to run this offense and has been playing in this offense his whole life.
"I definitely feel more comfortable in this offense," Frazier said after A-Day. "This is the system that I ran in high school and what I expected to run when I got to Auburn."
But Frazier has continuously shown he is a timid quarterback, and this tendency continued during the A-Day scrimmage.
However, he has also shown some bright spots. He has an extremely strong arm and some athletic ability, which he showed with his touchdown throw to Emory Blake against Clemson, and his Hail Mary against Louisiana Monroe.
But his inability to make quick decisions has handicapped him throughout his career so far.
If he can fix this flaw in his game, then he will finally be able to show off the strengths people saw in him when he was a high school star.
His competitor and teammate, Wallace, also has a lot of upside. He has shown he can lead even in tough situations. With his tireless work ethic, Wallace focuses on every detail to make him and his team better.
"That's the only way I'm going to get better," Wallace said. "I can't focus on one or two things, I need to focus on everything and look at the big picture."
Wallace also has some big issues. He lacks the ideal size for an SEC quarterback, at 209 pounds, while Frazier is 234 pounds and has a better frame to withstand an SEC schedule. Wallace also only has average throwing capabilities, with decent arm strength and accuracy, but neither are exceptional.
If Auburn wants to be a better football team in 2013, Frazier is going to have to step up and improve on his decision-making abilities. He is the only quarterback Auburn has right now with the basic abilities to succeed in this conference.
Newcomers Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson have things to bring to the table to compete in fall camp, but right now they are not the answer to Auburn's effort to improve the quarterbacks.
Marshall is unproven. In fact, no one knows what he will be able to do to help the Tigers.
Johnson has a bright future ahead of him, but he will not be ready this season.
If one of the newcomers starts this season, it will only be an average year for the Tigers.
Will Frazier step up, improve on his decision-making and seize the job he was recruited for?
We will see in fall camp.
(06/17/13 7:29pm)
As college students, we are educated on numerous subjects, some resulting from our choosing, but most from the University curriculum's choosing.
(06/17/13 5:15pm)
After wrapping up a collegiate career that would be the envy of any college student, recent Auburn graduate Blanche Alverson has even loftier aspirations in mind. While adding to a list of accolades including being named Miss Homecoming and the 2012 SEC women's basketball scholar-athlete of the year may seem to be a daunting task, Alverson seems to be up to the challenge.
After signing a training camp contract with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream in early May, she stayed with the team for a week and a half, appearing in two preseason games: one against the Tulsa Shock in Oklahoma and another versus the Brazilian national team in Atlanta. While Alverson's stay with the Dream wasn't a lengthy one, her International Basketball Federation accredited agent, Auburn alumnus and brother, William Alverson, said her experience with the WNBA team was crucial for her development as a player.
"Even though she wasn't with the Dream for very long, she was a great teammate to all of them. It was also good to see her succeed in the fast-paced system most WNBA teams run. She was only in that type of system for (her senior) season at Auburn, but in those two preseason games, she was able to not only play, but play well," William said. "After talking to the Dream officials, they made it very clear that it was an extremely difficult decision to let her go, but she definitely exceeded their expectations and proved that she belonged with players of that caliber."
Using her positive experience with the Dream as a springboard, Blanche has since been negotiating a contract with a professional team in Europe. Though the final details haven't been set in stone, she will be joining the team in September.
"I'll be playing (in Europe) for at least a year, depending on how the season goes," Blanche said. "If I go over and have a great season in Europe and am presented with an opportunity to keep playing, then I'll do that. But that will just have to be a decision I make when that time comes."
While Blanche is fully prepared to continue her professional basketball career, she is more than willing and able to pursue other options if she feels that is the right career move at that time. She boasted a 3.68 grade-point average in biomedical sciences at Auburn and hopes to one day enroll in medical school to fulfill her life-long dream of becoming a pediatrician.
"Regardless, I'll probably end up in medical school," Blanche said. "I think that long-term I want to be a pediatrician."
While the past few months have been a whirlwind for both Alversons, the brother-sister duo agreed being able to work so closely with one another has been the most gratifying aspect of the entire process.
"While she was not my first client, she was the first international contract I did," William said. "It was really cool to be able to go through that process with my sister. I've got a little more comfort with her background than with my other clients, and knowing I'm able to help put her in a good situation has been really rewarding."
When asked what it has been like working hand-in-hand with William, Blanche had nothing but good things to say about the comfort level her brother has afforded her with.
"It's been awesome. It's been so much easier to work with him, because we obviously have that previous relationship," Blanche said. "I think it's brought us closer, and I know that he'll always be honest with me. I know that he'll do whatever it takes for me to be put in the best situation to succeed."
William has been equally impressed with Blanche's seemingly seamless transition from college star to professional athlete.
"She's a hard worker and follows through on everything she says she is going to do," William said. "She juggles around so much. It's really quite impressive that she never drops the ball on anything. If I tell her that she's got to be at a workout, she's there early and always stays late. I've just been impressed to see her grow, not only as a basketball player, but as a person."
(06/16/13 9:17pm)
Athletics Director Jay Jacobs announced Sunny Golloway has been named Auburn's next baseball coach Friday, June 14.
This was the second hire of the day after Jacobs hired Clint Myers as the new softball coach earlier Friday afternoon.
Golloway has spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, and has led the Sooners to seven NCAA regional berths, four NCAA super-regionals and the 2010 College World Series.
In his introductory press conference Saturday, June 15, Golloway said there were two things that secured his interest in being Auburn's next baseball coach. The first was the Auburn community, its people and traditions, and the second was Jacobs.
"The minute I met Jay Jacobs I knew," Golloway said. "When I met Jay I knew there was a commitment to winning championships, and sometimes when you sit down with people you hit it off and you know."
Jacobs said Golloway possessed everything he was looking for in a new baseball coach.
"When we started out we wanted to hire a coach that was a proven winner and someone that had a proven track record of developing players," Jacobs said. "Sunny has had more than 100 players drafted and he's been to 14 of the last 15 regionals. That's really important, but we have all come to admire about coach is his character and integrity. He wants to invest in these young men's lives. Not just on the baseball diamond, but also in their life."
Golloway said he has had other opportunities to make a move and come to the SEC, but the time was never right. After his success in Okla., Golloway said it didn't seem like he would ever leave.
"I know in my gut when to make the pitching change, when to make the hit and run, when to lay down a bunt and I also know when to make a move," Golloway said. "We've been offered opportunities to come to the SEC conference in the past and it wasn't the right time in life."
Golloway also said that the recruiting hotbed of the SEC is another reason why he decided to make the move.
"I know we are in a hotbed for baseball talent and we are going to be able to bring those Athletes to Auburn," Golloway said. "We know Atlanta and we know the East Cobb League and there isn't a quality team in the country that doesn't. It's been hard to pull those players out of the SEC, so these players are going to desire coming to Auburn. I can only imagine what it's going to be like on football game day and we are recruiting them."
Golloway plans to take time to celebrate Father's Day with his family and then work on hiring a coaching staff, meeting with the current players and begin to start building relationships with recruits.
He also said he has brought some assistant coaches with him from Okla. and they will decide if they want to join him at Auburn.
"They've got to make sure their family is on board before I actually announce them, but everything looks really good," Golloway said.
His coaching philosophy is simple, but he also believes that you have to be open to change if you want to keep up in college baseball.
"Pitching and defense are what win championships, there is no doubt about that," Golloway said. "But, you have to be able to score some runs once the pitching and defense is shutting them down. Pitching and defense has definitely changed over the years and you have to be able to change with it."
With the SEC putting nine teams into postseason play and two in the College World Series, Golloway knows that he has a tough task ahead.
"Being in the SEC is very appealing to anybody in the country," Golloway said. "This is without question the best conference in America, and we're really looking forward to the challenge."
Golloway said he is looking forward to what Auburn has to offer, and what he can bring to the table.
"I'm really excited about this opportunity because I've always held the Auburn baseball program in very high regard," Golloway said.
(06/06/13 6:45pm)
The Golf Coaches Association of America announced Friday, May 31, senior Dominic Bozzelli and sophomore Michael Johnson were named to the Division I PING All-Region Team after their performances in the NCAA Championship earlier in the week.
(05/23/13 5:31pm)
Pitcher Conner Kendrick's lights-out performance against No. 11 Arkansas Thursday, May 16 couldn't have come at a better time for his team, and he was handed the SEC Pitcher of the Week award because of it.
(05/21/13 11:42pm)
Auburn second baseman Jordan Ebert was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday, May 13, after a breakout week that helped Auburn go 4-1.
(05/16/13 12:14am)
"You want to see my daily ritual?" Wayne Keith asked with a smirk.
(04/27/13 7:07pm)
There's a reason why Auburn is called the loveliest village on the Plains: its natural beauty.
(04/26/13 8:43am)
After serving 10 years as a community gathering and one of Auburn's favorite subcultural hubs, The Gnu's Room is closing its doors.
(04/26/13 8:33am)
Stephen Malkoff, auburn alum, has returned to his roots to draw Toomer's Oaks.
"I'm an Auburn man and I've played football at Auburn and I've studied architecture at Auburn," Malkoff said. "I'm a tree artist, which is kind of unusual. They're not many people that specialize in drawing trees, so it makes sense that I'll be the one drawing the trees."
Immediately after graduation, Malkoff decided that he did not want to pursue his architecture career.
"When I came home from Auburn I met my wife. I became a starving artist," Malkoff said.
Malkoff started drawing trees when he created a piece for his wife and his one-year anniversary.
"There's an old oak tree they call the Ole Oak in Geneva, Ala," Malkoff said. "She loves the tree and it's where we go to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. I thought, 'You know what, I'm going to draw that tree for her.'"
When Malkoff started working on the rendering of the Ole Oak he found his calling.
"It's kind of weird how sometimes in life you don't really know your destiny or calling, but drawing that tree for my wife ended up being my career," Malkoff said.
Malkoff strictly uses pencils for his tree drawings.
"I love pencil," Malkoff said. "I just love pencil because it's so pure. What you see is what you get. I love the fact that I'm a modern artist and the drawings I do are modern works of art, but when you look at them they look like they could have been done hundreds of years ago."
After he created the piece for his wife, Malkoff began to draw other iconic trees across the country.
"I drew the tree that Walt Disney played on as a boy," Malkoff said. "It's a giant cottonwood tree in Marceline, Mo. and I drew the tree that George Washington planted at Mount Vernon. I stayed at Mount Vernon as a guest and that was just an incredible experiment."
Malkoff was not expecting to draw the Toomer's Oaks for a while until he got a call about the poisoning.
"First I didn't believe it," Malkoff said. "I'm thinking it's a joke and then I'm thinking 'You know what this is for real.' So I grab my camera and I head to Auburn to photograph the trees."
Malkoff photographed the oaks in winter of 2011 and started drawing them during the summer of 2011. The final prints were released in fall 2011.
"I marketed the prints on my own, but I felt like it was time to do something with our alumni association to preserve the memory of The Oaks and to raise money for scholarships," Malkoff said.
The original drawing is currently located in President Jay Gogue's home.
"One day my hope is that it will hang in the Jules Colins Smith Museum of Art where more people can see my work," Malkoff said. "Most of my drawings are in private collections, but I'm always honored when the public can see my work."
While at Auburn, Malkoff said he took rolling Toomer's Trees for granted.
"You don't think of the not being here," Malkoff said. "I loved rolling the trees and what an awesome unique tradition. I can't think of any other university flying an eagle before every game, the Tiger Walk and watching the band march in. And then after a victory, you can go roll some trees without getting arrested."
Malkoff said he does not even like to say Udyke's name.
"I feel bad for the guy because there are certain people that determine their self-worth depending on an event or relationship," Malkoff said. "I determine my self-worth on who my creator is. Some people just take it too far and the trees were an easy target."
Malkoff said Auburn made a tremendous effort to save the trees.
"Alabama folks came to help save the trees too," Malkoff said. "The University of Alabama folks that get it and understand tradition, they came through for us."
To purchase the renderings of Toomer's Oaks visit Malkoff's website, Tiger30.com, or call his gallery at (888) 410-3559.
(04/24/13 5:27pm)
Although A-Day has come and gone with this past weekend, the Auburn Tigers were back on the practice field Tuesday and Wednesday morning, making them the last SEC team still holding spring practice.
