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(10/10/14 7:30pm)
I've never been great at makeup. If I put on concealer and mascara, it's a good day. Eyeliner? Get outta town.
So, when I had the chance to get my makeup done by one of my favorite drag queens, I leapt at the opportunity.
Femma Nazi, otherwise known as Joey Falcon, is one of the reigning queens of The House of THC, a group of drag queens in Auburn who perform at Mama Mocha's.
Falcon is also thinking of doing makeup professionally. He said he loves doing other people's makeup, so I think we were both excited about this project.
Falcon welcomed me into his home Sunday. The makeup studio was actually an art studio, where paintings done by his roommate hung. Two cats prowled around the house while Joey painted his own artwork - my face.
For any makeup question I had, Falcon had an answer. I think I learned more in an hour in his chair than in nine years of wearing makeup.
He told me about some of his upcoming makeup looks, such as his plan to start wearing bright eyeliner colors.
"I don't know if this is actually a thing," Falcon said. "I just feel it in my soul. I'm just going to start doing crazy-color eyeliners every day of the week. Bright purple, magenta, blue, electric green..."
For eyeliner, he favors gel, brandishing a pot of black MAC gel eyeliner for my eyes.
"I just find that it has that better sharp matte-ness to it that doesn't fade away during the day," Falcon said. "I've tried the pencil ones and the liquid ones, and it's just never as black as I want it to be."
The eyeshadow accent underneath is made with a stiff brush and boldly pigmented black eye shadow.
The inspiration for the lips came from Joey experimenting with different lip colors, applying different powders on top to create a new dimension.
"I was like, 'I need to do something fresh for this. What am I going to do?'" Falcon said. "I was just sitting in the bathroom, putting on different lipsticks with powders on top, and I loved this."
The lipstick is Rebel by MAC. Joey said it's perfect for when you're feeling lazy and want to do a dramatic lip.
"It's this really deep purple, and I love it," Falcon said. "It's ridiculously sexy, but also so perfect for fall."
Joey's love of makeup is addictive, spreading out of his pores and infecting everyone involved.
"All the parts of makeup are my favorite," Falcon said. "It's just so fun to me to be like, 'I'm just going to be a different person right now.'"
It's true. I walked in, bare faced and as boring as beige wallpaper. When I left, I was transformed. After all, it's difficult to be boring when you have gold spilling from your lips. I walked into the cool October night a queen.
Rachel Davis is a community writer for The Plainsman. She can be reached via email at community@theplainsman.com.
(10/14/14 1:30pm)
The National Football League has dealt with numerous off-the-field problems this season, but believe it or not, the problem getting the most attention is definitely not a new one. The only reason why this problem of domestic violence is getting more attention than ever is because of a video.
Roger Goodell and the NFL took a stand against the ongoing problem of domestic violence in the league simply because of the Ray Rice elevator video TMZ released.
The second video should have changed nothing, but it ended up changing everything. The facts of the case remained unchanged, and the NFL and Goodell all knew Rice assaulted his then fiancee in the elevator after seeing the initial footage of Rice dragging her limp body out of the elevator.
So why did it take video evidence of what happened in the elevator to increase the suspension?
After Rice's original two-game suspension was released, there was some public outcry about how it is unacceptable a player who assaulted a woman gets only two games while players who take Adderall get suspended three times the amount of games. But after a couple of weeks, it seemed like the NFL was actually going to not only get away with the joke of a two-game suspension, but also escape their ongoing domestic abuse problem.
The NFL made this strong stance against domestic abuse only because this was the first time one of their players has been caught on video hitting a woman. Once again, the video changed everything.
According to USA Today's NFL Arrests Database, since 2000, 77 NFL players have been involved in 85 domestic violence incidents. Of those cases, six players received one-game suspensions, and Rice was only the second player to be suspended for two games.
In 2005, nine NFL players were arrested for domestic assault charges and only one of those players received the strict one-game suspension. Domestic violence is by no means a new problem in the NFL.
The NFL was always able to escape their ongoing domestic violence problem because the league always had complete control of the problem. It didn't matter 77 of their players were involved with domestic abuse. The fact none of them were caught on video is the reason why the public never got control of the problem.
The NFL is a moneymaking machine. No matter how many players were involved with domestic abuse before Rice, the problem never got out of the NFL's control because video never got out.
Losing sponsors means losing money, therefore, once money became an issue for the NFL, they knew they had to finally make a stance against domestic violence by suspending Rice indefinitely.
It's too little, too late for the NFL to make an actual, genuine stance against domestic violence.
You're not fooling anyone, NFL. Video evidence of the ongoing domestic violence problem that caused financial problems is the only reason why the stance was made.
Kyle Van Fechtmann is the assistant sports editor at The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com
(10/13/14 1:30pm)
Auburn's football team has found great success in the last seven weeks. Few can complain about a 5-0 start, so I won't.
The program's recent success can be attributed to a fantastic coaching staff, among other things, but primarily it's the leadership and vision of head coach Gus Malzahn.
If you're an Auburn fan, right now is about as good as it gets as far as the regular season is concerned. Alabama lost to Ole Miss, and the Tigers beat down the No. 15 team in the country at Jordan-Hare.
However, something else that comes with success is that others start to take notice, and Malzahn has had arguably the best offense at every level at which he's been The NFL will have noticed by now.
The success of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, whose offense was ranked first last season, leads me to believe that next on the list of college coaches to be called on to make the jump to NFL is Malzhan.
Kelly and Malzahn's offense are different, but their hurry-up style of play is becoming more and more potent in the NFL, and there are almost always head coaching jobs available at the end of each season.
Nick Saban tried to make the jump, Pete Carroll has successfully made the jump and Jim Harbaugh, even with talks of disdain between him and the San Francisco front office, seems to have cemented a place in the NFL.
I'm not saying Gus Malzahn is the next Bill Walsh, but there are few people who turn down the NFL when it comes knocking, and Auburn needs to be prepared to lose Malzahn in the next few years.
The NFL is moving to a more spread attack with a quarterback who can run and throw.
Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and possibly Andrew Luck could all fall into the category of quarterbacks who can run if need be.
The league is still dominated by pass-first quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, but with the constantly improving speed of pass rushers in the NFL, the need to escape the pocket is becoming more and more of a necessity.
It's unknown whether Malzahn wants to go to the NFL, but if he were to answer the bell, I'd look to San Francisco. He and quarterback Kaepernick could be lethal with a defense that's still top of the league.
I'd be watching for other college teams to swoop in and take Rhett Lashlee in the next couple years. Then where will Auburn be?
Patrick Lucas is a sports writer at The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com
(10/07/14 1:30pm)
A few minutes passed in the fourth quarter of the Iron Bowl last year when I decided to get up and leave. Alabama was up, and my hopes were down for Auburn. I remember walking all the way back to my apartment from Jordan-Hare that night and right when I arrived to my front door my mother called.
"We just won the Iron Bowl," she screamed.
I turned on the television to see the replay of Chris Davis returning the field goal 109 yards for the game-winning touchdown. I began to cry.
That fall semester had been one of the hardest for me to get through. I was dealing with depression and anxiety, trying to have hope and stay positive.
I let all of my feelings and stress get in the way of experiencing what would have been one of the greatest moments I could have had in college.
So in that moment I realized I learned one of the biggest lessons I could learn from leaving a football game.
Do not lose hope. Do not give into a negative mindset. There is always going to be a bump in the road one time or another.
College is a time for growing, discovering and learning from mistakes.
I let everything build up until I could not handle it anymore, and, in return, that gave way to one of the worst semesters I could have.
Losing sleep and downing energy drinks have been submersed into the daily life of a student.
I cannot remember the last time I woke up excited to come to campus.
I am here to tell you it is important to make good decisions for yourself and in return you will see positive progress.
If things are turning bad take action and ask for help before it could make a negative impact.
Lots of students often experience depression.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) college students are not getting the proper treatment they need.
It is best to reach out if you are having a problem with class work or if something is bothering you.
Professors and advisers are always willing to assist students who are struggling.
I have learned the sooner you take care of an issue, the faster you will be on the right track. There is always a way to work things out.
The medical clinic at the university offers student counseling and 10 sessions to students per academic year.
You can call Auburn Student Counseling Services at 334-844-5123 to make an appointment.
Take action now, reduce stress and eat healthy. It is not too late to make this semester a great one.
Also, never leave the Iron Bowl early.
(10/06/14 1:30pm)
Standing in the shadows of the haunted Spring Villa Mansion on Tuesday night, eight gun shots went off somewhere in the woods.
I don't believe in ghosts, and I'm always skeptical about paranormal activity. But as the padlock to the mansion door unlocked with a click, chills went up my back. The gun shots made me look over my shoulder, but the allegedly haunted house made the hair on my back stand up.
It was possible I was chilled on the first night under 70 degrees since summer began, but it was also possible that constantly reassuring myself on the 20-minute car ride wasn't enough of a morale booster to escape feeling a little spooked.
I will be going to more allegedly haunted houses every week in October. They are all nearby, some are even near Auburn's campus.
None of them however, are in the clearly defined Auburn bubble.
I had never spent time in the South before I left my home in California four years ago for the red brick buildings of Auburn University.
I knew it would be different, and I wanted to experience every difference there is between the central coast of California and small town Alabama.
However, the Auburn bubble is hard to escape.
I joined a fraternity, one of the best choices I have ever made, and I went through the motions of college life at Auburn.
I went to the same bars every week, ate at the same places-usually Chipotle-and talked to the same groups of people.
Then I joined The Plainsman's community section in the fall of last year, and I was able to see past the framework of ideas and activities that make up nearly every Auburn student's life.
Downtown Opelika is experiencing a cultural revival of food and art. The people leading the charge are drawing in talented artists and creating an atmosphere of creativity that will keep growing.
The John Emerald Distilling Company is distilling liquor and is willing to give you free private tours of the process after tastings.
Listening to John and Jimmy Sharp describe how they left a stable family business in Montgomery in order to follow their passions made me question my own choices.
The longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world is only 45 minutes away in Columbus, Georgia. They also have a zip line from the Georgia banks to the Alabama banks of the Chattahoochee River, where you can see rafters taking on the class five rapids from 100 feet in the air.
A little bit of digging into what is going on in the community opens doors and offers new opportunities.
College is about taking a chance on new things because there may not be another time to do it.
There is so much more to the Auburn area than Auburn University, and it is just waiting to be explored. All that needs to happen is popping the Auburn bubble.
(04/28/16 2:10am)
A couple weeks ago, an anonymous Yik Yak user claimed a fraternity member had raped a female student.
(09/20/14 8:00pm)
Out of all my time here at Auburn, one of my favorite experiences was the time I wrote a spectacularly bad story.
It was sophomore year, and I had just moved into Aubie Hall. I met all kinds of cool people, including Matt Diaz, then a junior who worked for The Circle.
If you've never heard of The Circle, well, you're not alone. The Circle is one of Auburn University's best-kept secrets. A group of English majors, photographers and other creative people spend each semester working on a huge magazine of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and photography.
You might have seen them handing it out on the concourse at the end of each semester. It's cool, and more people should come to their semester-end gatherings.
Diaz and my roommate Matthew Pollock both worked for The Circle. Pollock told me they were running into the same problem. They needed more stories to fill the space in the magazine.
I immediately turned to another roommate, Abraham Schnake, and challenged him to a contest.
We would each try to write the worst story possible and submit it to The Circle. The winner was the person who got their worst story published.
I was thrilled with the challenge. After spending my life trying to write quality work, it would be fun to cut loose and produce the worst piece of fiction anyone had ever read.
It took only an hour in the library to create my monstrosity. It had everything a good bad story needs: epic battles, evil clones and overwritten drama.
I loved it.
The protagonist was a thinly disguised version of Schnake. Writing bad fiction about my own roommate was too amusing to pass up.
I was proud of my efforts. One of the more exciting passages read something like:
"Schnake swung his sword upward and deflected every missile up into the sky. Instead of hitting the rebels, the missiles instead hit the evil empire's ships in orbit. Brilliant!"
That's the level that I was writing at.
Imagine a 10-year-old hyped on Mountain Dew after sitting through a nonstop showing of the old "Star Trek" films and you'd have a good idea of my state of mind while writing this
story.
We submitted our stories to The Circle.
We waited eagerly to hear back from the editors, to see if either one of us had somehow passed the editorial gauntlet and gotten into the paper.
Of course the answer was no. They rejected our stories immediately.
The Circle may have been having trouble getting submissions, but it still had standards.
That wasn't the point of the joke, though. The real fun was taking an existing Auburn institution, like The Circle, and tweaking it by sending in God-awful stories. The best part was writing the stories and sharing them with our friends.
I got a laugh from talking to Diaz after he read our stories. He wasn't a fan.
Diaz was even less of a fan when we did the same thing the next year and wrote him into the story.
You can find enjoyment out of unexpected things, like writing silly stories for The Circle. This week, try doing something new -- something out of your comfort zone. I did, and it proved to be one of the better experiences I've had at Auburn.
If you're stuck for ideas, don't worry about it. The Circle will be accepting submissions in January.
(02/24/15 7:13pm)
It happens more than you think, and it's not OK.
It is the one in six women who have been victims of rape or attempted rape, according to the Center for Family Justice, or the 60 percent of sexual assaults not reported to the police.
It's how I can look at one of my own college classrooms and know, if those statistics are correct, the other women in that room and myself are four times more likely to be date raped than any other age group in the country.
It's how I can sit around with my female friends and recall countless times where we felt harassed, threatened or afraid, and it's how some of those stories turned into something much worse than being scared.
It's how I can't tell you what I wore on my thirteenth birthday, but I can remember with perfect clarity how the construction workers in my neighborhood would wolf-whistle and cat-call every time I walked the family dog that same year.
A group of young men at North Carolina State University invented a nail polish with the ability to test a drink for date rape drugs with the quick dip of a finger.
I don't intend to belittle their idea, because it's awesome and I wish them nothing but the best, but do we -- not just girls, not just women, but everyone -- deserve a society where date rape drug nail polish needs to exist at all? If I buy this nail polish and it saves me from an assault, what about the girl who decided to spend her money on a meal or school supplies instead?
A Columbia student named Emma Sulkowicz has carried a mattress around campus in protest of the school's refusal to expel her rapist. Now a senior, she was assaulted two years ago in her own dorm room by a classmate.
Two other students have come forward to claim the same man raped them, but by some gross judgment, the case has been dismissed. Sulkowicz said she would carry around the mattress until her rapist is no longer at the school.
On Sept. 11, a group of Columbia students, male and female, gathered to help her carry the mattress from place to place.
In the end, Sulkowicz's protest is still just a protest. Her rapist is still at her school, and while I can't speak to how she feels, I can only imagine seeing him expelled won't do much to clear out the memories.
But if we want to see a change in this world, and if you want to see your daughter, or sister or yourself be able to walk around without a rape whistle or scientific nail polish, maybe helping Emma Sulkowicz lighten her load is a good place to start.
(09/17/14 10:30pm)
Following Auburn's first game against Arkansas, many things became clear: Jeremy Johnson is extremely overqualified as Auburn's backup quarterback, Duke Williams is a special player and Arkansas is much improved from last season.
Perhaps most of all, though, is Jordan-Hare Stadium needs some updating.
Right from the start, the scoreboard clocks malfunctioned and could not be repaired until halftime.
For this to happen at all, let alone in the first game of the year, is unacceptable.
The sound system is also subpar. While that does not seem like a huge deal, it is something that is missing from the game day experience.
After the game, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema complained his assistant coaches were stuck in an elevator during halftime, something that is, again, unacceptable.
Those are just the technical problems.
Aesthetically, Jordan-Hare falls short of other conference rivals' stadiums, many of which have recently undergone significant upgrades.
LSU is finishing their expansion to Tiger Stadium, which brings its capacity to more than 102,000 and cost approximately $80 million.
Texas A&M is also finishing renovations to Kyle Field, bringing its capacity to more than 102,000, as well, and costing $450 million.
Mississippi State finished renovations to Davis-Wade Stadium, adding approximately 8,000 seats, as well as several suites.
Not to mention Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa is one of the best-looking stadiums in America.
The renovations are not just about adding seats; they are about improving the game day experience.
I'm not saying Jordan-Hare needs to expand.
Considering this was the first year since 2011 Auburn sold all of its season packages, it would be difficult to consistently sell-out for most of the smaller games.
First of all, the little things need to be fixed: improve or add scoreboards, improve the sound system, renovate the usually forgotten press box.
Instead of expansion, the outside of the stadium needs to be focused on.
Large, plastic murals are the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of the outside of our stadium.
Those are nothing compared to the stadiums of Auburn's rivals.
The concrete "ribs" descending from the upper decks need to be covered or at least made visually appealing.
The metal bleachers in the end zones are outdated and need attention sooner rather than later.
With Gus Malzahn leading the program, Auburn football is heading in the right direction.
But to stay in that direction, you need to be able to recruit.
Recruits love nothing more than being wowed by impressive stadiums. As it stands, several other stadiums in the SEC outshine Jordan-Hare.
If Malzahn continues his success on the field, other programs with more impressive facilities will come calling with loads of cash.
I do not see Malzahn leaving for another school, but why give him any reason to?
Just improve the man's facilities, especially the stadium, and enjoy rooting for one of the smartest coaches in the country.
(09/17/14 4:30pm)
Floyd "Money" Mayweather, also known as "Pretty Boy," remains unscathed after his Sept. 13 rematch against contender Marcos Maidana. The Argentinian lost the first meeting between the two with a round score of 9-3 on May 3. However, the score is misleading and doesn't show how close the fight was.
The spring contest, labeled as "The Moment," left Mayweather with a bloody forehead and an angry opponent.
Almost immediately after the first bout, Maidana's team asked for a rematch, and Mayweather didn't bat an eye before agreeing.
According to Forbes.com, Mayweather was guaranteed $32 million for the rematch, marking this his 10th straight fight with a payout of at least $25 million.
The fight itself could be considered a bit of a disappointment compared to the original, and Mayweather's made his game plan well known to viewers: keep moving, and stay off the ropes.
The first round was a feel out period for both fighters. Maidana came out swinging and was met with Mayweather jabs.
Through the first couple rounds, it was apparent that Maidana wanted to get the Champ to the ropes, but Mayweather's footwork was too much for the Argentinian.
Mayweather owned the opening three rounds, other than a big right hand at the end of the 3rd round from the contender.
Maidana's strong right seemed to give him confidence going into the 4th and 5th rounds.
Similarily to the first fight, Mayweather found himself on the ropes taking body shots.
Unfortunately for Maidana, after the 5th round, Mayweather started to impose his dominance in both technique and strategy.
The strangest turn of events came in the 8th round when Mayweather accused Maidana of biting his hand, through his glove and through a mouthpiece. Plausible or not, Maidana seemed amused when returning to his corner.
However, rounds 9-12 seemed rather uneventful, except for a point deduction against Maidana in the 10th. While embraced, Maidana seemingly ran Mayweather into the ground.
The fight ended in a unanimous decision in favor of the world No. 1.
This latest fight shows why, even at 37 years old, "Money" Mayweather is still the world's best boxer and it helps cement a 47-0 record (26 KO's).
It's safe to say when the veteran hangs up the gloves, boxing will lose one of its most dominant and controversial stars since Muhammed Ali.
(09/17/14 7:30pm)
It's easy to forget sometimes that every move we make online is recorded and essentially kept forever.
Every drunk text, regrettable tweet and out of focus Instagram photo is sitting on servers in air conditioned rooms in nondescript office buildings all across the country.
Every time you agree to the terms of service of some new app or website, buried deep in the unreadable legalese is the permission for that company to collect and keep everything you do on their website.
Almost every website you go to leaves a file called a cookie behind that is designed to remember who you are and what you look at on the Internet, so that website can target advertisements to what you're interested in.
College is a time for growing into adulthood. That growth isn't always easy or mistake free.
Students who went to school before Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat were allowed to forget about the dumb things they've done.
Today, students need to be vigilant to protect their online reputations.
Employers will search for you on Facebook, Twitter or whatever social media site may exist in the future.
Un-tagging or hiding a photo may prevent an employer from finding an embarrassing moment, but it is still online. A selfie never dies; it just gets buried in the news feed.
One tip to avoiding possible embarrassment is to know who you're connecting with while using social media. Adding a friend on Facebook should be something to take more seriously.
Just because your tweets are protected doesn't mean they're private. A devious follower can easily copy and paste anything you tweet.
In fact, having protected tweets could be worse. Anyone wanting to destroy your reputation could easily fake a retweet in your name, and if your tweets aren't visible, people would have no way to tell what you really tweeted.
Trusting who you connect with online is important, but good security practices are equally important.
Having different passwords for different websites is the best way to protect your online information.
Society in the future may become, or will have to become, more forgiving of what our online youth shows the world. But until that day, we should guard what we post online and always remember: the Internet is forever.
(09/17/14 1:30pm)
Young people go to college for many reasons, but most go in hope of finding themselves.
Even after graduation, some are still unsure about their calling in this chaotic world.
Fortunately for me, I knew my reason for living at the age of 4.
When I was little, I was often asked the timeless question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Smiling brightly, I'd hoist a baby doll up in the air like Simba, and chirp, "A mommy!"
Whoever asked would nod and smile about how cute I was.
Now, just 17 years later, I can no longer give a similar answer and receive a positive response.
My dream is to be a homemaker, and when people hear this, they ask, "Then why did you even go to college?"
To that, my answer is simple: everyone needs a way to support themselves if ever need be. I needed to see, after getting a taste of the workplace, if I'd have the same domestic desires.
I needed to see if this dream of mine was something I'd grow out of.
Three and a half years later, I've given academics my all. I snagged an internship at the fifth largest paper in New York this summer and was on the front page eight times. My work was distributed to more than 120,000 readers daily, but even so, I never caught the career bug that everyone else seems to possess.
After all this time, my heart is still the same.
Like any senior, I am frequently posed with questions about my future after I walk across the stage Dec. 13.
It's easy to rattle off companies I could work for in my hometown of Albany, New York, but I can never give my real answer.
When asked, "What do you want to do with your life?" an answer like "be a mother" used to be adorable, but now it's considered weird, childish and even stupid.
I quickly learned to bite my tongue after people raised their eyebrows in judgment and asked what was wrong with me.
My response to that? Absolutely nothing.
I know what I want to do with my life, but I've been made to feel like my dreams are socially unacceptable.
That is so, so wrong.
When I was in high school, peers would ridicule me for my stay at home desire.
"Hopefully you won't be a disgrace to the female gender forever," they'd jeer, or, "Just wait until you get to college. You'll change."
In just a few months, I'll graduate with a degree in journalism, and I'm eager because I'd be content as a journalist.
I could have a successful career in the field, but even so, I know it's not my passion.
My passion is to be a dedicated wife, mother and caretaker to my loved ones - and that's OK.
All our lives, we're told to go for our dreams. We're told to "shoot for the moon because if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
But if we don't have a "normal" moon to shoot for, we're made to feel like there is something wrong with us.
To the men or women out there who feel their sole purpose is to take care of their family, know this: Being a homemaker is definitely something admirable to shoot for.
Sure, many can balance a high-powered career and a family, but I just don't want to juggle them.
I might be alone here, and that's fine with me. I just hope you won't judge others if you hear them say, "I want to stay home with my children."
It isn't lazy, and it isn't wasting your talents. If it's what you want to do, you should do it.
It's what I want more than anything, and after 21 years of thinking it over, there isn't a doubt in my mind.
After all, since when is what society says the best thing for everyone?
(09/15/14 8:00pm)
Spandex, bell-bottoms, Afros and big glasses are all trends that have come and gone and come again over the past century. One fashion trend back in the U.S., and more specifically on campus, is Birkenstocks.
Birkenstock is a German company that manufactures shoes for men and women. Birkenstocks are receiving high praise from various patrons of the comfortable, yet stylish sandals.
Lilly Woodruff, senior in apparel design, is intrigued by the brand and their appeal to such a wide demographic.
"People in Europe haven't stopped wearing them because they are the most comfortable shoe," Woodruff said. "Fashion over there is a lot earlier than the U.S., especially a place like Auburn."
Woodruff said the trend hasn't gone away overseas and people in the U.S. have started catching the trend again.
"Someone may be wearing them for practical purposes and then someone else sees them as something they can throw on with anything, and before you know it, everybody's wearing them again," Woodruff said.
Della Smith, junior at Lipscomb University, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has noticed the return of the Birkenstocks.
"At first, I thought other people were trying to bring them back," Smith said. "Then, I realized more and more people wearing them around campus and just out. They really are in style now. I might get myself a pair."
Birkenstocks certainly have made their way back into the wardrobes of students all over campus.
The practicality and style are what lure the students in according to Woodruff.
"I think the comfort in big, trendy places like Italy and New York, where people walk everywhere, a shoe like a Birkenstock makes sense," Woodruff said. "Then, you see them as cute and take an interest in the style."
She also praised the company for diversifying their look over the years.
"Birkenstock as a brand has done a great job of expanding their appeal," Woodruff said. "Last year, they came out with a gladiator style. I have been shocked at the number of compliments I receive every single time I wear mine."
Margaret Manifold, junior in public relations, is skeptical about fads, but she thinks Birkenstocks are a trend that should stick around for a while.
"I think trends are always being recycled, and you can either go right or wrong," Manifold said. "I know I want to order a pair, and I like that they have different styles."
For a shoe that is known for its comfort, they are now a fashion statement. Patrons of the sandals may show others that they appreciate being comfortable and practical in their wardrobe choices.
People who wear Birkenstocks are also into what is in style and know how to stay hip, yet casual, in the world of fashion and shoes.
(09/16/14 4:00pm)
Moe's Southwest Grill and Chipotle are two dining options in Auburn. Although they offer similar cuisines, each restaurant has its own elements that make it different.
Anne Penrose, licensed dietician and graduate assistant, said she has never been to Moe's Southwest Grill and has eaten at Chipotle only a few times.
After dining at Chipotle, Penrose formed an opinion of her own.
"It's fast and convenient and it tastes good, to be honest," Penrose said. "It's a fast food version of a sit-down meal."
Although she said she enjoys Chipotle, Penrose said healthy options are available at both restaurants.
"They offer kind of the same things, but it's all about moderation," Penrose said. "In terms of the plate you could build, they are similar."
After researching the two restaurants, Penrose said she learned Chipotle tries to get ingredients locally when possible, and Moe's tries to get hormone-free meat.
However, she said even though the restaurants share similar dining options, they have their differences.
"I think their overall atmospheres are different," Penrose said. "They are different from when you walk in one to another."
Penrose said no matter where students choose to dine, "it's about knowing the smart choices to make."
Courtney Cox, junior in nursing, said she prefers Moe's rather than Chipotle.
"I like their chicken and queso better," Cox said.
According to Cox, her favorite thing on the Moe's menu is their quesadillas.
However, she attributes the success of Chipotle in Auburn to its advertisement of fresh and local ingredients.
"I feel like it gets promoted on college campuses," Cox said. "Especially ours because of our agriculture program."
Cox said she appreciates Moe's for reasons other than their quesadillas.
"It's really good Tex-Mex, and it's fast," Cox said.
Andrea Tuttolomondo, sophomore in communication disorders, said she likes Chipotle and Moe's.
"I don't think one is better than the other," Tuttolomondo said.
According to Tuttolomondo, she has eaten at both restaurants, and they share one thing in common.
"They're both kind of overwhelming," Tuttolomondo said.
Tuttolomondo said she thinks more people prefer Chipotle.
"I think Chipotle has fresher ingredients," Tuttolomondo said. "I guess it's just personal preference."
Tuttolomondo also considers one thing to be a downfall of Chipotle.
"The cilantro," Tuttolomondo said. "That's why a lot of people don't like Chipotle."
Unlike Tuttolomondo, Trent Boyd, senior in information systems management, said he loves Chipotle.
"It is always fresh and consistently good food," Boyd said.
Boyd said his favorite meal from Chipotle is a burrito with brown rice, black beans, chicken, salsa, corn, cheese and sour cream.
"It's enough food to always fill me up," Boyd said.
Boyd said he attributes the success of Chipotle to its organic, homegrown, fresh food.
"People prefer Chipotle and are willing to stand behind Chipotle because Chipotle stands for strong things," Boyd said.
However, Boyd said he realizes that strong stance may be the reason for people disliking Chipotle.
"You don't have people who are on the fence about Chipotle," Boyd said. "You have people who love Chipotle or hate it."
While the two dining options in Auburn offer similar cuisines in different ways, customers can enjoy healthy choices at each.
(09/15/14 6:00pm)
Saturday at noon in Seale, Alabama, greeted me with the heady scent of red Alabama dirt, the singing of cicadas and the dry tickle of September grass. The sun pressed close and beads of moisture clung to my upper lip. Never had I felt so romantically Southern.
A Harper Lee quote danced in my head: "Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum."
The Museum of Wonder is 45 minutes away from Auburn on AL-169 S. I pass it every time I visit family in Dothan. My boyfriend and I had finally taken a pre-game mini road trip so I could honor my curiosity.
Four shipping containers by the side of the road serve as the world's first drive-thru art and antique gallery museum -- Seale Cultural Center and Butch Anthony's creative vehicle.
The opened containers display Anthony's collection of found and repurposed objects, folk art and taxidermy.
Each piece evokes the entwined past of Anthony and his hometown, like a box of jumbled items in their collective attic. Trophies, photographs, portraits and scrawled phrases fit together to create shrine-like structures.
Each item is given meaning. The profound, sarcastic, comic and heartbreaking all blend into a single expression of a collaborative history.
Walking among buried treasure in a near-sacred space stirred my mind.
Our life experiences, the moments we give meaning, homogenized like a potion we drink daily that determines how we continue to interpret the world.
My potion is the color of the Carolina foothills where I grew up. It has steely blue and sage in spring. It sloshes in my throat and thrusts forth images, sounds and phantom smells, my own museum of wonder.
There is a mote of dust floating in a sunbeam; a beating from a man other than my father; a cry, "Olly olly oxen-free," to end flashlight tag; a rush of poetry after midnight and the scramble for my sparkly purple pen; the tiny whistle of air as I fly over the balance beam upside down; applause, accolades, critiques and ear-popping laughter.
There are snatches of quotes from great books and lyrics from all the songs I've ever heard. There are movie stills and paintings and faces and buildings -- Versailles, Harold and Maude, The Clash and Jane Eyre are all on equal footing.
There are skylines from Buenos Aires to Seoul, from New York to London. There are sunsets and sunrises and cotton fields. There are stories in my grandmother's genteel Dothan dialect and witticisms penned in my aunt's handwriting. There is an encouraging glance and a hand on my shoulder. There are bedtime stories and fairy tales and corny dad-jokes.
There are 7 billion museums of wonder. Each is unique. Each is valuable. They evolve daily as we turn over new meaning in our lives -- as we put the pieces together and time carries us further from the most painful memories.
Human capacity to translate and record life is essential for survival. We make art. We reach out. We accomplish wonders.
(09/14/14 8:00pm)
On the Friday before Auburn's home opener against Arkansas, students lined up in droves outside the Student Center to catch a glimpse of a former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback.
Cam Newton? No, he's too busy getting ready for the NFL season with the Carolina Panthers. Enter Tim Tebow, who was in town as an analyst for the newly created SEC Network's traveling pregame show SEC Nation.
Rounded out by play-by-play announcer, Joe Tessitore; former star LSU defensive lineman, Marcus Spears; and talk show host Paul Finebaum, SEC Nation's crew caused quite the stir by being on Auburn's campus for the game.
For me, their presence reinforced my beliefs on the exciting opportunities the network presents for students, student athletes and fans of the SEC.
While many Auburn fans will be thrilled with the greater coverage of popular sports, such as football, basketball and baseball, I am more intrigued by the exposure the lesser-viewed sports in the SEC will receive.
The SEC is comprised of 21 sports (nine men's and 12 women's NCAA sanctioned sports) and yet many of them never get the chance to be seen by fans because they are never on TV. The creation of this new network gives fans the chance to see lesser known sports, such as equestrian or indoor track and field, from the comfort of their own homes.
What the SEC Network's involvement with Auburn excites me the most is the opportunity it brings to students like me.
This fall, the SEC Network teamed up with Auburn to create War Eagle Productions to produce live sporting events and coaching shows, while also developing footage for Auburn's athletic website.
A studio is in the process of being completed at the telecommunications building next toOn the Friday before Auburn's home opener against Arkansas, students lined up in droves outside the Student Center to catch a glimpse of a former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback.
Cam Newton? No, he's too busy getting ready for the NFL season with the Carolina Panthers. Enter Tim Tebow, who was in town as an analyst for the newly created SEC Network's traveling pregame show SEC Nation.
Rounded out by play-by-play announcer, Joe Tessitore; former star LSU defensive lineman, Marcus Spears; and talk show host Paul Finebaum, SEC Nation's crew caused quite the stir by being on Auburn's campus for the game.
For me, their presence reinforced my beliefs on the exciting opportunities the network presents for students, student athletes and fans of the SEC.
While many Auburn fans will be thrilled with the greater coverage of popular sports, such as football, basketball and baseball, I am more intrigued by the exposure the lesser-viewed sports in the SEC will receive.
The SEC is comprised of 21 sports (nine men's and 12 women's NCAA sanctioned sports) and yet many of them never get the chance to be seen by fans because they are never on TV. The creation of this new network gives fans the chance to see lesser known sports, such as equestrian or indoor track and field, from the comfort of their own homes.
What the SEC Network's involvement with Auburn excites me the most is the opportunity it brings to students like me.
This fall, the SEC Network teamed up with Auburn to create War Eagle Productions to produce live sporting events and coaching shows, while also developing footage for Auburn's athletic website.
A studio is in the process of being completed at the telecommunications building next to the Auburn Athletics Complex. This building is also home to a new class on sports production that has students working with the SEC Network on a part-time basis.
As a student currently enrolled in the class, and an aspiring sports journalist, I can tell you that this class is an amazing opportunity to get a feel for all aspects of sports production, including filming, editing and broadcasting.
The SEC Network is something that will change the scope of sports in Auburn and the SEC for years to come. While many students will be excited with the increased appearances of famous people on campus, such as Tim Tebow, they should be even more excited about the bundle of opportunities the SEC Network provides for them. the Auburn Athletics Complex. This building is also home to a new class on sports production that has students working with the SEC Network on a part-time basis.
As a student currently enrolled in the class, and an aspiring sports journalist, I can tell you that this class is an amazing opportunity to get a feel for all aspects of sports production, including filming, editing and broadcasting.
The SEC Network is something that will change the scope of sports in Auburn and the SEC for years to come. While many students will be excited with the increased appearances of famous people on campus, such as Tim Tebow, they should be even more excited about the bundle of opportunities the SEC Network provides for them.
(09/13/14 4:00pm)
Things are different when you come back for another degree in your thirties. Trust me, I am living it.
I returned to Auburn for my second undergraduate degree last August and have seen the differences between college back then and college now.
This whole "submit your assignment via Canvas" was foreign to me. What was this Canvas they were talking about? I didn't want to ask because I didn't want to seem old.
I was once asked in class to explain to my entire class the significance of a cigar in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky case. A professor then told me I would be her go to guy for all old references.
When I state how old I am, I have experienced the gasps of my classmates. When I bring up the 1980s, I lose everyone.
Let's just say I haven't been to Skybar in a long time.
During summer classes, I noticed I was closer in age to the parents bringing their kids to Camp War Eagle than the freshmen themselves. This took a hilarious turn when an incoming freshman asked me, "Are you moving your kid into a dorm as well?"
Coming back to school at this age has its advantages, though.
I now see professors in a new light. Instead of fearing them and thinking they are there to make your life hard, I know they are doing their best to educate and prepare us for our careers. I consider a couple of professors friends now.
Class is not just something you have to attend, but a place where you can have intelligent conversation with others. Nothing excites me more than a great discussion in class.
Sometimes, though, I feel myself talking too much in class and can only imagine my classmates saying, "When will this dinosaur shut up?"
Returning at my age has also given me a chance to see that our future is not as bad as some make it out to be.
I am constantly impressed by my classmates and have learned from them. They teach me new things every day (Snapchat!) I like the fact they aren't afraid to make fun of my age (and neither are my professors).
Most of all, I am inspired by their thirst for knowledge and striving for success. The amount of extracurricular activities and the time some of my classmates contribute to Auburn are what makes this University so great. I am bewildered at times by the poise and maturity of my much younger classmates.
They inspire this old guy every day.
(09/11/14 5:29pm)
Tears were streaming down my mother's cheeks the entire ride home.
She was mourning with the rest of America after they heard the North and South towers were struck by two planes, later confirmed to be hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists.
Precautions were taken seriously on Ft. Benning, the military base in Georgia I lived on, after the World Trade Center was attacked Sept. 11, 2001.
As a seventh grader, all I knew was Americans had been killed, and more were in danger because of the airplane crashes.
I remember telling my mom in the car it was going to be all right. I didn't have a clue what was really going on, or what al-Qaida or Taliban even meant. I was glued to the television when we got home.
Seeing the footage of the planes flying into the towers horrified me, but realizing there are people who willfully want to hurt us changed me.
Watching the Marines, soldiers, airmen and sailors fighting in the Middle East after 9/11 on television motivated me to do something about what happened to our country when I was in middle school.
I wanted to make a difference, so I joined the United States Marine Corps Infantry when I turned 18.
Casualty rates in Iraq and Afghanistan were rising and service people were coming back with the invisible wounds of PTSD, among other things from their combat experiences. I knew it wasn't a matter of if I was going to go to combat when I joined, but a matter of when.
I wasn't worried about any of that. You can't be worried about every bad thing that might happen to you because it prevents you from doing your job.
I just wanted to join the thousands of others who signed up for duty after the 9/11 attacks.
My unit was deployed to some of the worst areas of Iraq and Afghanistan. We saw first-hand the evil the Islamic terrorist groups are capable of.
While I saw plenty of bad things over there, I will never again experience the camaraderie like I had with the Marines
We deployed in some of the most hostile environments imaginable, but we still knew how to make each other laugh, and we all knew we had each other's back when something goes down.
We all shared a sense of pride I couldn't have found anywhere else.
If the attacks on 9/11 did not happen, I'm not sure I would have enlisted in the military or ever experienced any of that. That's the kind of stuff that made me who I am today.
Going to the Middle East and fighting was my way of looking evil in the eye. It gave me the opportunity to do my small part and let people know that Americans are not going to live in fear.
Being able to see many of my brothers, ordinary guys, do extraordinary things was an experience I couldn't have gotten from any civilian job.
As devastating as 9/11 was, it revived a sense of pride in this nation. It encouraged brave Americans to run toward danger and face evil head on.
It changed peoples' lives, like mine, and pushed them to do things they probably would not have. Most of all, 9/11 taught people how to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
(09/09/14 7:30pm)
"Why are Southerners so serious about tailgating?" my friend from Pennsylvania asked when he visited on his first trip to the South.
Growing up around the tailgating, and never really thinking about this question before, I couldn't give him an answer.
In other parts of the country, sports fans tailgate, but Southerners take it to a whole different level.
Southerners have a couple important reasons to take tailgating seriously: tradition and fun.
Our deep attachment to college football in Alabama is partly because of the lack of a professional team in the state, but we take the tailgating as far as we do because it is an honored sports tradition, and we really enjoy doing it.
Nothing gets you ready better for Saturday games at home than pop-up tents spread throughout the campus, food on the grill and coolers packed full with beer.
Surrounded in tradition and the college town atmosphere, tailgates give fans the energy that translates into the passionate cheering for the home team inside the stadium.
Tailgating and the game go hand-in-hand.
Every school has its own way of sprucing up the game day experience.
I know in Auburn, Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers are not the only ones showing off their skills Saturdays. Tiger tailgaters are too.
For some of the more serious tailgaters, it has become a competition to see who can have the best tailgate--the one everybody talks about.
The amount of effort you put into your tailgate can reflect how much you love your team for some passionate fans.
While some fans take extreme pride in their team-themed tailgate spot, others can consist of a couple fold-up chairs and a cooler.
Experiences vary for everyone, but they all add a unique element to the experience.
While tradition is a reason college football fans in the south are so big on participating in tailgates, having fun is why many campuses are covered in party and tailgate tents just before the game.
There is not a better pre-game party than a tailgate, if you do it right.
Drinking games, signature drinks, the outdoors and giving the opposing teams' fans a hard time are all part of the festive outdoor celebration.
There will not be a shortage of food, music, beer and fun. I know people that say they enjoy the tailgate way more than watching the actual game.
There is not a better way to celebrate the anticipation building up to the showdown, and to escape a hard week of classes, than to go to have a tailgate. It's all about food, fun and company.
College football game days are about more than just the actual game, they are about the experience.
You can't get a better experience than you will get tailgating, and Southerners know this.
(09/06/14 9:29pm)
After the first week of the regular season, the conference is looking to re-establish their championship pedigree after being upended by the ACC last year. Widely considered the best conference in America, here are my predictions for some of its top players.
