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(06/20/13 9:00pm)
Unless you are a professor, a member of the administrative staff, or have a building named after you or your family, parking on campus is a task best left to fools and madmen.
Parking services has no qualms about issuing tickets with inflated values. They'll even put a wheel lock on your car if you have more than two tickets, despite the fact it keeps your vehicle in the forbidden space longer. Sure, the people who work for parking services, the ones who give out the tickets, are only doing their jobs. It's not their fault parking on campus is an atrocity. They need to work like everybody else.
Don Andrae, manager of parking services and member of the Traffic and Safety Committee, said, "We've lost 3,000 spaces in five years... There are only 10,000 spaces for 26,000 students and 6,000 faculty."
The Traffic and Parking Committee, comprised of students, faculty and staff, definitely deserves some of the blame. They started the process of change claiming they wanted to make things better, and they came out giving us the metaphorical finger.
Yet, we bought it, and we're still buying it. We've allowed parking enforcement and regulation to become a big business. So we deserve the rest of the blame.
"I would be the first to admit that we have a problem. But we have to work together to satisfy student requirements," said Andrae.
Perhaps it's complacency, perhaps most of us just like giving money to the University, the answer isn't clear. What is clear is the current parking system is a quagmire of arbitrary space designations and unfair policing of those spaces. Do we need so many A and B lots? What's wrong with driving on Mell Street. between 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.? Why can A and B permit holders park in C lots?
Registration for 2013-2014 permits begins July 1. You could pay the $60 for a C or $160 to be put in the lottery for a PC permit, or you could send the Traffic and Parking Committee an email demanding change. You could even say you won't purchase a pass until the cost for a permit is lowered to its 2010 price of $30 for a C permit. If you feel like it, remind them tuition has been increased, and there is less money to go around. After all, that's what this all about: money.
"We don't make any money from tickets," Andrae said.
According to Andrae, the current parking system has caused a reduction in the amount of money brought in by tickets, money which is put into the University's general fund, and that is a sign of the systems effectiveness.
For the 2011-12 academic year, Parking Services had a revenue of $611,000 from tickets. As opposed to the current 2012-13 academic year in which they only received $426,729.
"If anything, I should be hearing from the upper administration for losing money," Andrae said.
There are most certainly not enough spaces to go around. But controlling those spaces with a bureaucratic enforcement agency only serves to demean those of us who have to commute because they can't wait on a bus that takes thirty minutes to go just a few miles. We are more than willing to work with the Traffic and Parking Committee, but it has to show initiative too.
Having five students on your committee does not accurately represent the larger student voice. Asking us to rely more on Tiger Transit when the busses are anything but reliable is not right. They say they are always working to improve, so let's keep them on task.
(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.
(06/17/13 5:28pm)
Americans who smoke and Americans who don't smoke have always been at odds. Smokers think anti and non-smokers are whiny and intrusive. Non-smokers think smokers are walking cancer machines out to kill everyone they meet.
Tobacco has been a major cash crop since the birth of the U.S., and it continues to bring in billions each year. We used to celebrate our heritage as a tobacco producing country. Now, the consensus seems to be shifting to more of a feeling of shame than pride.
Not all of the shame is unfounded.
In the constant struggle for higher profits and lower costs, the tobacco industry began putting all kinds of tasty yet toxic chemicals in cigarettes - supposedly making them more addictive. They also engaged in unethical marketing campaigns intended to appeal to audiences too young to comprehend the dangers of smoking.
However, the rest of the shame is totally unfounded.
The tobacco industry did have harmful business practices, but so have many of the cottage industries that have made America the economic powerhouse it is. The beef, iron and railroad industries killed many Americans in the days before regulation and health, which took decades to have an impact. Yet beef is not subject to a sin tax; iron is not age-restricted; and you don't have to look at pictures of train crashes before you board.
All of these other industries were allowed to go through the process of regulation and continue providing goods to American customers. Tobacco has become a taboo business, electing not to advertise, and customers must pay a hefty sin tax.
It's with this in mind that we congratulate the smokers of Auburn. You have proved the smoking policy, which went into effect fall semester of the 2012-2013 school year, to be the overzealous and ineffectual form of grand standing it is.
Enacted by Health Promotion and Wellness Services, a division of Student Affairs, the smoking policy requires all smokers to be at least 25ft. from any building on campus. The policy states, "Failure to comply with this Policy will constitute a violation of University policy and will be dealt with accordingly through established, formal disciplinary procedures."
But that has turned out to be more of a suggestion.
Granted, the smoking policy is mild compared to many other places in America. In New York, you have to pay a fine if you are caught smoking in a park, on the beach, or in many outdoor attractions, such as Times Square. However, we see this current smoking policy as a first step on the path to a total smoking ban.
We think it is absolutely ridiculous to create passive-aggressive policies and laws infringing on reasonable personal choices, so we are happy to see such a foolhardy policy being generally ignored.
There is no way to enforce it, or, at least, there isn't one preventing making the University look like it's full of overbearing authoritarians. Hiring more security guards or adding an anti-smoking enforcement amendment to the University's contract with Auburn Police Department would be a tremendous waste of time and money.
Especially on something that isn't a real problem.
(06/06/13 6:29pm)
Since last summer, Gene Chizik, John Pawlowski and Tina Deese have all been fired, and Gus Malzahn is back on The Plains. We were called liars and cheaters by Selena Roberts, and Jay Jacobs and the NCAA quickly shut her down.
(05/30/13 5:21pm)
We like the Auburn Police Department. On average, it is forthcoming with whatever information we request, and it is willing to answer the majority of our questions. It seems to be genuinely interested in helping us do our jobs.
(05/24/13 9:13pm)
Nobody likes going to work. I get that. I love my job, but there are still days where I would rather just stay in bed and rewatch an entire season of "Arrested Development" on Netflix. So when I say this, I want everyone who works in campus dining to understand that I feel your pain. I do.
(05/24/13 9:12pm)
The streets close, the drinks appear and the people come in droves to have a good time with friends and spend copious amounts of money, but it only happens three or four times a year.
(05/21/13 11:41pm)
We've all heard someone say, "There's nothing to do in Auburn," usually in a whiney and annoying tone of voice. They complain about the lack of cool bars, dance clubs, hipster hangouts or whatever else larger, cooler cities have.
Normally, we wouldn't pay these whiners any attention, but the recent Hangout Fest in Orange Beach has got us thinking and asking some tough questions.
For instance, can we do better than Sky Bar?
Now, before those of you who live in Sky every weekend throw a hissy fit, let us explain. We're not putting down Auburn's most popular bar; we're simply using it as a paradigm.
Most weeks, Sky has a few no-name cover bands as their main form of entertainment. Some might be great; some might be terrible. Either way, they're just cover bands repeating the same old college music shtick.
We can only listen to a bunch of lame cover bands pretending to be cool for so long.
Think about Athens, Ga. as what Auburn could be like.
We don't have the money to truly compete with Athens, but there's nothing wrong with establishing Auburn as a town with appealing venues that real bands - who play their own music - want to come to.
There is one big building on campus that's used for only half the year and would be perfect for big-name acts: the Auburn Arena.
The arena cost approximately $92.5 million and seats more than 9,000 people. Unfortunately, the basketball teams haven't done much to attract people to the arena, and the University Program Council shows are hit or miss when it comes to getting acts with the ability to draw a crowd.
Sure, people went to see Train, but hopefully they learned the error of their ways and repented.
We can't imagine spending so much money on a building and using it so infrequently. It's akin to the elderly woman who buys a nice couch only to cover it in plastic and never lets anybody sit on it.
Basically, the arena could be use to make Auburn a great place to see a show, but instead it gets used like the civic center in the most boring town in the country. The UPC has the budget to make this happen, but we get Train instead.
The University could even charge money for events that aren't put on by UPC. Imagine getting a ticket and not driving all the way to Atlanta or Birmingham to see a band you like.
We want to make this happen. We want to issue a charge the UPC. Only the whiniest among us should ever say Auburn is boring.
There is no need to be a sleepy little village on the plains when we could be a vibrant community that appreciates the value of entertainment and the godsend a viable concert venue could be to the local economy.
(05/21/13 8:42pm)
The 10 seed Auburn Tigers fell 6-3 to their bitter rivals the 7 seed Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the SEC Tournament Tuesday, May 21 at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
(05/21/13 5:41am)
Flight is an amazing thing; Pink Floyd has written a few songs about it. A human piloting a massive piece of metal thousands of feet into the sky is something to behold, even though it may seem mundane in our constantly moving culture.
(05/10/13 8:39pm)
You might feel like the major you pick now, in the infancy of your college career, has to be what you are supposed to do for the rest of your life. The thoughts running through your mind might be scary and new and casting a gloomy shadow over what should otherwise be a fun and new experience.
(04/25/13 3:53pm)
With the end of the semester staring us in the face, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the past few months. A lot has happened, and it seems like a good time to put things into perspective.
(04/19/13 2:44pm)
Most college students suffer from stress. We have to deal with long papers, brain-melting exams and less than cordial professors. Some of us even have to deal with the added stress of a part-time job along with our regular college coursework. But we keep going, keep trying to make it to graduation and the promised land of employment.
(04/11/13 2:43am)
In the past few weeks, a potential to make history or setback the LGBT community has been a hot button pressed too many times to count. Naturally, I am referring to the United State's Supreme Court's decision to hear the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 cases. The outcome of these cases will not only have an impact on modern day society; they will have an impact on my future, as well. As a student, attending any college or university can be quite the obstacle; however, as a gay student attending a nationally ranked university in the heart of the South's Bible Belt, life can be anything but easy. Simply put, life as a gay man in the South is a daily struggle.
(04/11/13 2:41am)
I would like to think of America as a place where people of every race are treated equally, since that's what our constitution says and it is one of the main cornerstones our country takes pride in.
(04/11/13 2:26am)
It's no secret college sports are rife with scandal. The mix of young adults who want to make it big and old people who want to make lots of money provides many perfect opportunities for corruption and vice.
(04/08/13 12:36am)
Women have had to fight hard to get where they are in America. During our nation's infancy, women were treated and expected to act like domestic automatons, a robot that could breast feed and cook a turkey dinner without making too much of a fuss.
(04/04/13 4:03am)
The astounding quantity of information released in the recent Selena Roberts report stemming from former Auburn football player Michael McNeil is an overabundance of stretched words and assumptions waiting to be picked apart. While some accusations may be true, it seems the entire article should not be read as fact.
(04/03/13 2:58pm)
From a purely journalistic standpoint, Harvey Updyke is a treasure. His ability to make news that is interesting and entertaining is priceless.
(03/22/14 1:31am)
Dear Editorial Board,
