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(02/03/14 5:49pm)
There's a room off to the right of the Student Center.
It's got clear glass and three doors. Inside works a number of staff dedicated to changing the way we eat on this campus, in particular, Glenn Loughridge and Rosa Cantrell.
In Lupton Hall's newest restaurant, Plains to Plate, hardly anything goes into the kitchen premade, according to Emil Topel, senior executive chef for Auburn University.
Most of the ingredients: cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, cream and sausage, all come from local sources.
People working in the industries this institution is built on now feed this institution.
Cantrell, intern with Loughridge and leader of the on-campus organization Real Food Challenge, uses her agricultural communications degree to talk to the people who grow the food she and others now eat.
"It's more than just mindlessly eating," Cantrell said.
The Real Food Challenge began, in 2011, under Rosco Davis, an Auburn alumni.
I had the chance to interview Davis many times throughout his journey with Real Foods.
Davis inspires.
His group, they're a dedicated bunch, determined to change the way we eat, determined to see a difference in this school.
This 2014 group defines their success. Members are active. Change is apparent. Success is evident.
Real Food strives to integrate food that is local, ecological, fair and humane. It's a godly practice, logical even. Know what you eat. It's simple, matter-of-fact and wildly ignored.
But with Plains to Plate, Loughridge and Cantrell exemplify that, well, they're winning.
Walking in to this new spot, what's in those bins, the name of the family that raised them, ultimately killed them and sold them for you to ingest and sustain you through your day, hangs on the walls, for you to read and know.
Incredible.
Honestly, since I found out, I haven't eaten anywhere else. Why would I? It smells so good, just being around there.
When I sat around a table outside the new Plains to Plate with Cantrell, Topel and Loughridge, I made a comment, as us journalists do:
"It just tastes so good."
Topel, with a laugh and head shake, simply shrugged his shoulders to say, "Yeah."
We all laughed. It's logical; it tastes better, because it is better.
Not that hard.
So before you put this paper down, give props to Real Foods, Loughridge and the clan behind dining services. They are changing the face of this campus.
Topel told me about an idea he had, for when it gets warmer. He has idea to hang rosemary on the fence around the Plains to Plate dining area to grow outside and use inside.
Imagine this, it's 2:30, mid- April, just getting good outside.
The woman who just made your sandwich walks outside with a pair of garden shears and chops at the rosemary bin in front of you.
Like she did this morning.
Like she put on the sandwich you're about to bite down on.
(02/03/14 2:50pm)
A top hat, a coat and a small bottle of Captain. Maybe it was jeans rolled up at the pants leg showing his ankles, and rolled down at the waist to keep them on without a belt. In that case, usually shirtless, always shoeless.
Quirky didn't define Bear Townsend. He defined quirky. Somehow for him, it worked. He could always convince the person he was talking to that his next idea was a good one, and if not, he left them with the notion that if anyone could pull it off it would be him.
I had the privilege of being Bear Townsend's fraternity brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon. Living in the fraternity house, I saw him around almost every day.
Sitting on the front porch on a sun-warmed leather couch, he was always engulfed in the moment. Whether reading, playing guitar or listening to music obscenely loud, anyone that waked past knew a full conversation was coming their way.
That was what made Bear special. He truly cared about people. He never had a conversation in which he was waiting to talk; he actually listened. His genuine interest in everyone around him made it impossible to feel like you didn't know him on a personal level.
Even if you weren't friends with Bear, he was friends with you.
At Bear's candlelight vigil on Jan. 25, Sigma Phi Epsilon's chaplain Tanner Scott recalled a moment that described Bear's frank way of talking that everyone could relate to.
"Everyone who loves Jesus raise your hand," Bear said when asked to say a prayer before dinner. "Amen."
In conversation, Bear had a way of drawing things out of people that made it hard to not feel like his best friend. It was as if he was collecting little facts about people because he knew that one day, he would be able to talk to them again and have a meaningful conversation about what makes them happy.
Bear was born to make people happy.
Thirty minutes and 100 tries into learning to tie a bow tie for a party, Bear walked into my room with his top hat and drink.
"Hold this," he said while shoving his drink in my hand. He grabbed both sides of the bow tie and whipped out a tight knot.
"Now drink! We did it!" Then he proceeded to play through songs on my guitar until he found one we could sing together.
Sure, there was a party going on downstairs, but that moment wasn't wasted because he knew that wherever he was, was where he was happiest.
Living in the moment didn't mean putting on a show. It didn't mean making the best of where he was at. It meant honestly enjoying and gaining the most from every situation. Where he was always seemed to be where he wanted to be.
Shortly after my mid-college crisis and early into my college writing career, I found a piece of paper shoved under my door.
It was a cut out of a list that I had written for The Odyssey. It wasn't anything to be proud of, but he had written across the top, "You'll always be on my front page."
That was who Bear was. He enjoyed everything about people, and wanted people to have the confidence to do what they enjoyed. He wanted to make someone's day, and for me, it did much more than that.
If there is one thing that people can get from Bear's life, it is to live every moment with joy. Everything has a silver lining.
Bear fit more into his shortened life than most will get in 40 years. He didn't live the longest, but he lived the fullest, not a second wasted.
Bear would not stand to see someone hurting. The number of lives he changed will never be forgotten, and he will always be remembered for his selfless love.
As he often said, "The battle is already won."
This article is an adaptation from a submission from the Jan. 27 edition of The Odyssey.
(01/25/14 4:00pm)
Garfield opened his door to a horde of relatives. They found out he won the lottery and wanted a handout. As the relatives swarmed his porch, I looked up from my breakfast. In loud, twangy Southern dialects, the feline family harassed the famous cartoon-strip cat.
"The Garfield Show," a computer-generated monstrosity on Cartoon Network nowadays, is not the first of its kind to feature stupid, crude and often violent Southern-sounding characters.
In an episode of "Spongebob Squarepants," Patrick and Spongebob are captured by the "trenchbillies," who challenge them to a banjo contest, a "hoot n' hollerin" competition and a wrestling match.
I know cartoons are supposed to be mindless entertainment, but I believe comedic performances can serve as the best timeline. From blackface minstrel performances to the pointed anti-conglomeration messages in Anchorman 2, entertainment is a reflection of what's on the country's mind. It wouldn't sell tickets if no one related to it.
The portrayal of Southern dialects in popular culture is worrisome (need I mention Honey Boo-Boo?).
What it says is this: Southerners are stupid. Southerners are lazy. And since this skewed depiction continues to air, we can infer that audiences are eating it up.
Patsy Rodenburg explains in her book, "The Right to Speak," that it is human nature to rate someone's intelligence solely by the way they speak. What is important here is the phrase "the way they sound," because somewhere along the way, respect for the actual words coming out of a Southern mouth was generally lost.
It isn't just Southern speech that has suffered unfortunate stereotyping. MTV's "Jersey Shore" crushed the New Jersey dialect by filming the most idiotic citizens in the state. The Cockney dialect in the United Kingdom has always been a mark of an uneducated street urchin, a direct opposite to England's Received Pronunciation.
What I propose is a change. It will be gradual, at a snail's pace. It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but we should start it now.
First, be proud of your heritage. My grandparents are Great Depression-era survivors and pioneers of education in their families. The speech that comes from their Southern mouths is wisdom. The cadence of Mack Sheehan is like poetry. Phalere Cannon's Panhandle Florida bayou tongue is acerbic and witty.
Second, fight against the stereotype. You are equipped with the knowledge that people will judge you for your dialect. Make these years in college count. Study hard so you can continue to speak intelligently. Read to your children, too, when you have them, so they will follow your steps to correcting society's view of the South. Equip your heart with gentleness that is not related to the way you sound, but to who you are as a person.
Lastly, be aware that other pop culture stereotypes may influence you. When you watch the news, cartoons or reality TV, really listen to what's being said. Strip away the segregating filter that is affixed to your ears. It's not your fault it's there, but you can start tuning it out now
(01/24/14 7:47pm)
When it comes to legacies for NFL quarterbacks, there's no measuring stick used more by critics than championships.
Dan Marino, a hall of famer and nine-time Pro Bowl selection who holds more than seven NFL passing records, often has his stellar career accomplishments overlooked by writers and analysts, who choose instead to focus on the fact that Marino was never able to win a Super Bowl.
In what are most likely the last years of his career, Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning could be headed toward an endless reel of Marino references. Manning, 1-1 in Super Bowls, has a chance to get a second ring on Feb. 2, and, depending on what happens in that game, the media will discuss one of two things.
Should the Broncos lose, they'll talk about Manning not being able to win big games. If the Broncos win, they'll debate whether he's the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.
No matter what happens come Super Bowl Sunday, the book on Manning's legacy has already been written. He is one of, if not the, greatest quarterbacks to ever play football. The stats alone are enough to make this argument; the 13 Pro Bowl selections, the 4 Most Valuable Player awards, the myriad of NFL passing records etc... Manning's resume is as impressive of any other QB who has ever put on a helmet.
What is often overlooked, however, is that Manning has single-handedly pulled two dying NFL franchises from the depths of the grave over the course of his career.
When he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts number one overall in 1998, they were coming off an embarrassing 3-13 season. By his second year in the league, Manning had led the Colts to a 13-3 regular season record and a division title.
In 2006, Manning led Indianapolis to a 12-4 regular season record, marking the fourth-straight season the Colts had won at least 12 games. That was the year Manning won his first Super Bowl, which was also the first win for the Colts franchise.
In 2011, Manning, who had not missed a start since his rookie year in 1998, underwent two neck surgeries and had to sit out the entire season. Manning was released by the Colts in March of 2012, but was signed by the Broncos just 13 days later.
Before 2013, the Broncos had just one playoff win since 2005. Now, Manning has them playing for the franchise's first Super Bowl since 1998.
Championships are the pinnacle of any sport. Manning has been there, and will probably get there again. But, I really don't think Peyton Manning has much left to prove.
(01/21/14 9:08pm)
Thank you, Richard Sherman.
I am not a Seattle Seahawks fan, but I would like to thank you for your last-second deflection in the NFC Championship Game, one that led to a game-ending interception.
It's not exactly the play for which I'm most thankful, Richard. (May I call you Richard?)
As soon as the clock hit all zeroes, FOX's Erin Andrews found you in the midst of the Seattle celebration and asked you about that one play.
The next 20 seconds ignited the entire sports world.
You called out 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree, a player you have feuded with all season long. You called him "mediocre." You told him to stop running his mouth, because you just proved that you could shut it.
People immediately took to Twitter and gave their instant reaction to your interview. (Mine was the simple, yet profound "RICHARD SHERMAN.")
Some called you a thug. Some called you classless.
I'll call you a role model.
Wait, let me finish -- a role model for other athletes. (I'm sure there are parents out there who wouldn't want their kids going full Richard Sherman on the playground.)
You just made the play of your life and refused to give a canned answer. You spoke from your heart.
In sportswriting, you get a ton of bland responses to questions. It's always the same answers.
"It was a good game." "We played hard."
But maybe your interview, Richard, despite the negative response you received from others, will help inspire other athletes.
Maybe they will tell us how they really feel and not always take the safe route.
Sports need more Richard Shermans.
They make for better stories. Everyone wins.
(01/21/14 9:01pm)
In the wake of Tre Mason's announcement that he would forego his senior year at Auburn to declare for the NFL Draft, many questions have emerged about the future of the Tigers' running game.
In Mason's announcement, he showed full faith that his successors would be able to carry his success on the ground into the next season.
"Those guys are ready," Mason said. "I see a lot of talent in those guys and they're very hard workers."
While losing a gifted back like Mason leaves a hole in the Auburn depth chart, the Tigers have a stable of running backs that look able to do the job.
Both Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are senior backs who will look to take the lead position.
Payne came to Auburn last year out of Allan Hancock Community College in California. In the 2013 season, Payne split carries with Mason throughout the first part of the season, but saw Mason gain the majority of the carries as the season went on.
Payne, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound back, had 610 yards and six touchdowns last season on 91 carries.
While Payne is seen as a power back, Opelika native Corey Grant is well known for being a speedster.
Grant became involved in the Tigers backfield after transferring from Alabama before the 2012 season. Grant is known for his big-play tendencies, and had a breakout game in Auburn's opener against Washington State, having a 75-yard touchdown run and 146 yards on nine carries.
Grant finished with 647 yards and six touchdowns on 66 carries in 2013.
Johnathon "Rudy" Ford will try to get his name in the mix at running back after moving to defense to aid a thin secondary this past season.
Ford will have to overcome redshirt-freshman Peyton Barber, who played alongside Carl Lawson at Alpharetta High School (Ga.). Barber was originally committed to play for the Ole Miss Rebels, but flipped his commitment after being persuaded by the Auburn recruiters and Lawson.
Barber has impressed fellow teammates with his work in practice, especially Tre Mason.
"[Barber] is probably, skill wise, the best out of all of us," Mason said. "That guy is good. He's very consistent when he's scrimmaging."
Arguably the most intriguing possibility is Auburn commitment Racean "Roc" Thomas. Thomas, a five-star recruit out of Oxford High School, is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 2 running back prospect and the No. 12 overall prospect in the nation.
Thomas has an incredible blend of rushing skills, with lightning-quick lateral movement, great power and tackle-breaking skills and freakish breakaway speed.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back will look to be the next breakout back for Auburn, and will look to be active in his first season on The Plains.
In order to do so, he'll have to beat out a whole stable of talented backs.
While Mason is tough to lose, it's comforting knowing that Auburn has no depth issues at running back.
(01/16/14 8:08pm)
Years of debate over whether or not video games are an art might finally be over. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has recently added "Flower," by Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago of thatgamecompany and "Halo 2600," by Ed Fries, to their permanent collection.
Controversy started in 2005 when Roger Ebert proclaimed that video games could never be art after reviewing "Doom," a movie based on a popular video game from 1993.
Other factors have caused resistance to video games being accepted in the art world. Growing up, my parents taught me that playing them would rot my brain. Many other children are taught that video games are bad from an early age as well. I understand I could be doing something more productive, but the shaming doesn't end there.
With recent shootings and terrorist attacks, the media and government are quick to use video games as a scapegoat. These groups cite games displaying gratuitous violence and sex, such as "Call of Duty" or "Grand Theft Auto," to back their claims. These claims are inaccurate and assume what might be true about one part holds true of all of its parts.
Could I convince you that all books are turning people into sadistic nymphomaniacs by citing "Fifty Shades of Grey" and the genre of erotic literature? Such a claim would be taken as a farce.
These factors are used as fodder for people to not take video games as a serious anything, much less art.
Though some video games might feel like Dadaism, it would be a shame to assume this medium is being created to satiate the lust of a debased generation determined to spoil itself.
This relatively new and controversial form of art exposes audiences to new trains of thought and empathy. Video games break the fourth wall by allowing the audience to experience through action and manipulation.
This new mode of art manipulation helps in fostering a deeper understanding of concepts and feelings the game is trying to express. Forcing audiences to make decisions that might break social norms and procedure, video games can lead to dramatic evaluations of ethics and morality. By combining manipulation with cinematography, music and literature, video games create an artistic experience like no other.
"Flower" allows players an escape to nature. The audience takes control of a sweeping wind as it picks up flower petals.
"Flower" brings about relaxation with all the Zen, therapeutic remedies that looking at a piece of landscape art has. Finally, the ability to watch art unfold just as fast as Bob Ross can paint it!
However, "Flower" goes beyond aesthetic value. The game slowly transitions from a rural to metropolitan setting. With the same task of traversing the land and making flowers bloom, "Flower" communicates a need to find harmony between nature and urban life.
It is clear that "Flower" is an aesthetic medium used to express ideas and shared feelings in a visually compelling way. In other words, it's art. And there are other good, artistic games out there created by inspired thinkers with artistic minds trying to share their message with an audience.
(01/14/14 10:16pm)
Everybody has bad days. Everyone has those mornings where your alarm clock goes off and you hit snooze 20 times and then finally drag yourself from bed, to shower, to class in a daze that, for once, probably has nothing to do with a hangover.
It's just how life is. We're all sleep-deprived college students. We all get grumpy sometimes. We all have days where we'd rather pretend humanity doesn't exist and the only world we know is Netflix and drawn curtains. I get it. I do. I'm totally there approximately 97 percent of the time.
That does not, however, give you, me or anyone else permission to be a total ass to other people.
The South is generally a pretty friendly place overall, and from my experience, Auburn tends to be really good about exemplifying that Southern Hospitality. But it's week two and I've already found myself angry and without a lot of residual hope for humanity due to some of the interactions I've seen on this campus.
Don't be rude to the men and women who drive the Tiger Transit. Don't talk down to the people working in campus dining; they're all working and just doing their jobs. Hell, don't talk down to anybody. The moment you think you're better than someone else is the moment you're decidedly the opposite. That's the moment you lose my respect.
You're here in college presumably to, like me, get an education that will help you try to make your dreams into a reality. Do you really think someone dreamed up standing behind the counter of a Starbucks counter all day? I mean, maybe, and if so I'm not dissing that, but seriously--just think about people. Take two seconds to consider someone's life other than your own.
You don't know what everyone else has been going through. There's literally (not figuratively, just so we clear up that little discrepancy right off the bat) no reason to be rude to anyone, even if they were rude to you first. It's wholly unnecessary and childish.
Auburn, we're all tired. We've all got things outside of school and work to deal with. We could probably all use more sleep. But we can all definitely put forth a little more effort to be kind to everyone we meet.
(10/17/13 5:48pm)
Growing up in Auburn was like growing up in a box. More specifically, a cardboard box with holes in it.
You can see light shining through, but not the whole picture.
You can hear everything being said around you, but it's all the same.
Raised extremely conservative, a classic "Southern Belle," if you will, the opinions I grew accustomed to were all the same.
Girls act this way; boys act that way. One day you get married, have kids, then you die. Act like a lady throughout.
Don't make the family look bad.
It wasn't until my junior year of high school that I was officially questioned about my own "opinions." My first answer was silence. I didn't know.
Then the essay era began.
Analyze the author's tone. How does it convey feministic views?
The protagonist is also the antagonist, how is this possible?
How would a narcissist have behaved differently?
Write a four-page paper on abortion.
Write about gay marriage.
Include your own opinion.
For many years, I remained unsure. I tried to avoid the uncomfortable topics, mainly because I didn't want go against my parents in a kitchen-table debate with no real ammo.
I also feared I might be rooting for the wrong team.
When I couldn't keep quiet any longer, abortion became the first controversial topic of discussion, and it was easy. No abortion. Babies are innocent.
My parents were proud.
Then gay marriage became the big topic in question.
I was raised Baptist. I believe in God. The Bible is my guide too.
But I have gay friends, both girls and guys.They don't seem different from any other person I've ever met: they drink water and breathe air.
One day, I was talking to one of my closest friends about getting married. Just the usual bridesmaid-dress this and wedding-venue that.
Suddenly, she stopped laughing and her smile faded. She glanced at her feet and then looked back up at me with a strange look on her face, "Too bad I'll never have a wedding."
And my heart broke.
I love my faith and I love my family. But I also love my friends. They've never judged me, even when most would have; how could I possibly judge them? I am not God. I cannot play God.
The Bible has many moral codes, and I respect them all. I do not judge.
If it's the "sanctity" of marriage in jeopardy, then rename another legally binding contract.
Divorce is legal. Where in the Bible does it condone that luxury?
Why are we even using the Bible vs. law comparison anyway? Not everyone that's gay is a Christian. How do you logically enforce a law based on a religion when this government blatantly speaks out against theocracies?
Despite these thoughts, I wasn't truly convinced of my stance on gay marriage until recently when sitting with a friend, eating chocolate ice cream.
It's funny how something as simple as ice cream can trigger a political epiphany.
My friend was enjoying his vanilla ice cream next to me when I realized how sad I would be if chocolate was unavailable.
Even worse, what if I wasn't allowed to eat chocolate ice cream? But the worst nightmare imaginable is what if I was only allowed to eat vanilla?
Gag me.
The government cannot choose, or change, one's preferences.
We symbolize freedom. Our country is a beautiful, ever-changing democracy with many great laws in place, and a few yet to exist.
Church and state are separate. Not to say one is more right than the other, but not relevant in relation to one another.
I wish America, and especially the South, could see that.
(10/04/13 1:30pm)
I am writing this column to warn you, American sports fan, of what is about to happen in this country.
Hopefully, you will read this and get on board before you get blindsided.
You may have noticed a change in sports programming across the major networks and cable channels. There have been more and more instances of an 11 vs.11 game that uses a round ball instead of a brown, egg-shaped one. In an act of pure defiance to American sports ideals, the players' hands are rarely used. The clock counts up instead of down.
I know this sport may seem foreign to you. That's completely understandable because up until the last few decades, the sport we know here in North America as soccer was a completely foreign game.
But times have changed. Soccer is now spreading like wildfire in the United States. Seattle's Century Link Field was filled to capacity for a regular season match in a league that is less than two decades old.
American fans now have more television access to the world-famous English Premier League than people who actually live in England.
The movement is showing no signs of slowing down, either.
What was once considered a fad for "hipster sports fans" is now, according to research compiled by ESPN, the second most popular sport in the United States for people ages 12-25.
So what should you do in light of all this change, American sports fan?
Embrace it. Give the sport a chance.
It's no surprise the Southeast, the stronghold of college football, is behind the rest of the country when it comes to soccer. So, if are from this area, you might not have had much access to the game growing up.
But the game is growing rapidly, and we have more access to it than ever before.
So why not do what so many people in the South are doing and start paying soccer some attention?
Do you hate the constant commercials of football or the slow pace of baseball?
Soccer is constant, commercial-free action for two 45-minute stretches -- it only takes about two hours to watch a match on television.
Get upset when your favorite sport is in its offseason?
There is always top-level soccer on. The world's best leagues run from August to May, and the summer is filled with international and MLS competition for American fans.
Love college sports?
Soccer is the closest thing the rest of the world has to the passion and tradition of college football and basketball.
I could go on and on about why you should start watching soccer, but there is probably not enough space in this entire paper for all of what I want to say.
If you love sports, turn to NBC Sports on Saturday morning --before college football begins, of course -- and start watching a couple of Premier League matches.
You can move on later in the week to some Champions League action, where the best clubs in the world go toe-to-toe.
You may be surprised with how much you enjoy watching a sport that has been ignored in America for so long.
But if you try it out and you don't enjoy it, that's fine. On behalf of all American soccer fans, we would like to thank you for giving "The Beautiful Game" a chance. Like every other sport on the planet, it's not for everyone.
But don't knock it until you try it.
(10/04/13 1:32pm)
I stood on Toomer's Corner among the hanging toilet paper with tears trickling down my cheeks.
The tissue-decorated wires looked so pitiful against the night sky. Cheerful children were running around, oblivious to the missing pieces of this tradition.
The overall atmosphere was still joyful, but there was a new, almost melancholy damper on the usually happy celebration.
Overheard were remarks from new fans and old fans, as well as from those simply wandering the streets:
"What are these wires?"
"Why can't they just put up fake trees?"
"The toilet paper just falls off the wires! This is so lame."
And I have to agree.
Although I was not around when the trees were planted in the late 1930s or even when they began to be rolled in the 1970s, the removal of these two iconic trees last April signified the end to an important part of my childhood.
I had grown up throwing toilet paper into the branches of these oaks, and now my future children won't be able to roll the same trees.
By the 2014 football season, however, renovations of this corner with new trees and enlarged walkways should be completed.
Wizened alumni rolling the wires were reflecting on the similarities of this event and the wires they had rolled decades ago in observance of victories past.
The Auburn wires recently strung up were almost nostalgic to them, reminding them of the power lines they used to roll.
The rolling of Toomer's isn't supposed to be a pitiful occurrence.
It isn't supposed to be even remotely sad.
It's not about what structure we're rolling --be it a tree or a wire -- but about why we're celebrating in the first place.
This tradition was never about the toilet paper, nor even solely about the sports team; instead, it was about uniting fans and players alike in honor of a shared love for Auburn University.
So after our next victory, I, for one, will proudly throw my toilet paper over the Toomer's wires, even if it does slide off to the other side.
I will not mourn the loss of the majestic history, but will rejoice in the moment.
(09/19/13 3:08pm)
Most Auburn freshmen live on campus in the residence halls.
Few sophomores or juniors live on campus, and even fewer seniors live on campus.
I am in that small percentage of Auburn seniors who live in the residence halls. I have lived on campus all four years in college.
Most people look at me funny when I say I live on campus. I have private security, personal trash collection, complimentary cleaning services and I don't have to cook -- what more could you ask for?
There are four housing areas on campus now -- South Donahue, the Village, the Quad and the Hill.
Each housing area has its own personality and each area is set up differently.
In the Hill, there are 12 residence halls, all in a cluster focused around the dining hall, Terrell (some pronounce it Ter-rail, I don't judge).
The Quad has 10 residence halls divided into upper and lower sections. These halls are on central campus.
The Village has eight residence halls and a dining hall.
The South Donahue Residence Hall is one hall, but houses 418 students.
Many people do not see the silver lining, but living on campus has perks. I have unlimited hot water, fantastic WiFi (who are we kidding, it's not THAT great) and Antarctic air conditioning. My air conditioner has two settings -- soul-freezingly cold or off.
After living on campus for three years, you learn the prime time for laundry, the best food places, the best parking places and the quickest way to the Haley Center. You learn which washers don't have nasty encrusted into them and which dryers are portals to hell.
Harvard University estimated 97 percent of their undergraduate students live on campus. There's a reason for that, and it has to do with academics. Living in the dorms provides structure because you never leave the University setting. I think, living on campus provides students with an academic structure. Since I live on campus, everything is more convenient.
I can walk to the library or hitch a ride on the Security Shuttle (known in other social circles as the drunk bus).
Most students think parking on Auburn's campus is a nightmare.
Since I live in the dorms, I can park right outside and merrily skip to my room. I mostly walk everywhere and central campus is right across the street.
But let me be frank, living on campus has a downside. I can't tell you how many times I've been woken up from a delightful nap by the banshee lady trapped in the fire alarm because someone tried to microwave their Pop-Tart with the wrapper still on, or tried to see if their popcorn could begin nuclear fusion.
If I had the choice, I would not live anywhere else in Auburn. Living on Auburn's campus is like a home away from home. I do not see my room as a concrete prison, like some on-campus residents.
When you get to the front door with your Tiger Card, there is always a smiling face to greet you or some sobbing fool who has been locked out for a day and a night.
Living on campus is what you make of it.
You can hate the structure and be miserable, or embrace the community you share with the other residents, and make the best of it. When you live on campus, you realize there is something always going on.
(09/16/13 9:00pm)
Waiting for 20 minutes for the possibility at riding a bus should not be a reality.
Anyone who has to ride the west campus Tiger Transit route knows my pain.
I should not have to wake up and get on the bus 40 minutes before my class starts, an 8 a.m. class no less, to get a seat.
Although it's expected to have many students riding the buses the first week of class, it's now September, and the west campus buses are still packed, causing various stops to be skipped because people are already standing up.
I understand Tiger Transit has gone through some changes, such as hiring many new bus drivers, but their inexperience is not the problem.
There are not enough buses on the west campus route at prime points in the day.
For example, at 2 p.m. at the Student Center, there was a mob of students wanting to get on the west campus bus, as if the driver was handing out free ice cream. I was not fortunate enough to get on that bus and had to wait for another one.
There were only three buses on the west campus route at that time, while at other parts of the day there were as many as five buses on the route at a time.
I understand it costs more money to run more buses and that patience is a virtue, but west campus has never had this problem before this semester.
Thousands of students live in apartments off Glenn Avenue and Hemlock Drive, so there should be enough buses to accommodate those people without making them wait for another bus or two in order to get to class.
Some students' stops get skipped because the bus that arrives is already full (little repetitive) and they end up just walking to class.
Other routes, including Haley West, Old Row, Webster Road and Wire Road are also reportedly overcrowded.
Although there are problems with the number of buses on the west campus route, Tiger Transit does do a phenomenal job caring for the students' needs on the buses and the drivers are some of the sweetest people I have ever met.
All I ask is to put more buses on the west campus route throughout the entire day.
That would alleviate stress for students getting to and from class, making Auburn a happier place than it already is.
(09/12/13 2:43am)
Every wild fantasy - read "stupid idea" - I've ever had has come true in Auburn.
Giving credit where credit is due: Auburn and the University, compared to everywhere else in the world that I've ever been (and I'm an Air Force brat, so that number is pretty damn high), host some of the most helpful, outgoing and supportive communities, social circles and individuals.
Want to start a small business? Go for it. The folks at Auburn City Hall will get you squared away.
Want to start a student organization? Utilize Auburn University's O-Board and AUInvolve resources, or just email John-Michael Roehm at roehmjm@auburn.edu.
Want to be a radio DJ? Sign-up at WEGL 91.1 FM or ask the Auburn University New Media Club if they'd be interested in producing a podcast. Seriously, you just add your name to a list and attend a few meetings.
I have done all of these things, and they aren't hard to do.
Auburn has helped me take everything I've ever wanted to do and turned it into what I am doing, and often times helped me get paid for doing it.
But, there is a caveat.
For all of the interesting and creative avenues available to students and locals, there are those whom simply see students and the Auburn youth as free-labor, easily manipulated "apprentices" of sorts - and as a demographic to exploit for profit.
They are the "Pied Pipers" of our small community.
Because Auburn has a scene ripe for the picking - scattered and with a lack of leadership - all it takes is a new face with a lot of talk to make us all dance to their tune and think we've finally found our own personal patron.
This is where the moral kicks in, the big, inflated, bouncy-castle of a message that I want to blow up in your mind: DO NOT BUILD YOUR IDEA AROUND A CORE PERSONALITY.
It's like every bad band break-up you've ever read about, and a lot that you haven't. There are those that want to be heroes and those that love to take part in hero-worship.
DIY culture, generally and in Auburn, only benefits from a collective of folks that share ideals, principles, and the same idea of what makes something cool as hell. But all of those things can get flushed faster than you can say "local arts" if the organization or group becomes a monument to one member's ego - and there is no use saying that "it'll never happen here", because it already has.
Out of the decade and some change that I've been a member of the Auburn community I have seen some great ideas go from talk to reality, and some go from talk to hurt feelings and a desire to never take part in local enterprise again.
Cool stuff happens in Auburn, all of the time, but the best stuff, the stuff that lasts, centers around an idea and some honest-to-God students putting their souls into their work.
So my PSA of the semester, my swan song of my time at Auburn: if you want to do something, start doing it.
But if in your travels you encounter some folks who seem too eager to help you, who seem to want something for helping you even before they lend a hand - and who you've heard a lot about but have never really seen anything they've done - you should be cautious. That isn't to say there aren't helpful people in Auburn and you should throw every opportunity to the curb; just be careful.
Find other people just like you and make something wonderful together. Don't let someone hovering in the wings tell you what you should do and how you should do it unless they really garner your respect and you genuinely feel like they know what they are talking about.
Auburn University - and college in general - really is about experimenting and learning what makes you happy, but it isn't about throwing away the best years of your life to someone telling you what you should care about. Just stick to your guns.
(09/05/13 9:43pm)
As bass singer Avi Kaplan of Pentatonix's voice reverberated through the speakers and the audience members' chests, a deeper roar was growing in mine.
I didn't understand what it was until the end of UPC's concert Thursday, Aug. 29, but when I did, it came upon me so suddenly I had no choice but to yield to its fury.
Hoping my 1,000 other Auburn Family members would help me, I cracked open my lips and expelled the breathtaking cry,
"Waaaaaaaar..."
And incredibly, those around me were caught up in the involuntary, powerful moment and joined me, their voices melding into something majestic.
As I guided them into the crescendo, culminating in "...eagle, hey!" I had finally done what many Auburn freshmen dream of doing: I led the Auburn game day cry.
It lasted only 6 seconds.
But within those 6 seconds, I checked off almost everything on my Auburn University bucket list, and it had only taken six years to do so.
With my graduation looming, it made me conscious of time and how fleeting it is. People say they blink and are forty; imagine how quickly your four, or six, years of college will fly by.
I hope you have the chance to experience the successes I've had and the mistakes I've made.
I've failed classes, used all my GAPs, wished I had more and learned lessons from years of immaturity.
I've gone to football games, lost my voice, bled blue and orange and bled red in boyish scuffles defending the honor of Auburn's football team against LSU fans.
I've had nights I'll never forget and some I'll never remember at bars and fraternity houses.
I've broken nearly every rule while living in the dorms, but nothing illegal in an on-campus dorm.
I've made enemies and forgiven them, and made friends who I hope will last a lifetime.
I've loved and lost, loved and lost and chosen to stoically love again.
I've gone from an out-of-state student confused whether the mascot was Aubie or an eagle to a member of the Auburn Family explaining the story of both to others.
I read the creed and believe in it wholeheartedly, hoping my peers set their life to its course because it won't lead them astray.
Poet Robert Herrick told the virgins to make much of time, and Robin Williams told us it meant carpe diem, "seize the day."
So, make the most of your time left at Auburn, because when it's gone, you'll never get it back, and while you'll always be an Auburn alumnus or alumna, you will never be an Auburn student again.
I wish I would have joined an a capella club, been more active in intramural sports, cultivated new interests, studied abroad, found something to devote my life to and engendered more friendships that will last a lifetime.
But my time is coming to an end, and wishing wounds the heart. Your time may be ending as well, or just beginning, but make the most of it, and ensure the pages of your story at Auburn are written in indelible ink.
That's what college is: sweet, poignant and then? Over.
Leave a legacy, and learn something beyond the major on your diploma, something that lasts forever.
The thing I've learned at Auburn, and not from any single event, person or class, but the culmination of everything?
I believe in Auburn and love it.
(08/29/13 3:41pm)
Summer is certainly an exciting time for college students throughout the country.
Whether students are taking vacations to exotic locations, studying abroad, getting internships or just spending lazy days with their friends back home, the summer is always a welcome relief from the stresses of the school year.
As a kid, there was no question that the summer was my favorite time of the year. While summer is still great fun, the two years spent at this University have taught me one important thing about the seasons: No other time of the year can compete with the fall in Auburn.
The dreariness of the spring semester and the sweltering summer semesters pale in comparison to the excitement and atmosphere on campus during the fall semester.
It goes without saying that football season brings a lot of energy to Auburn's campus.
But, looking past the football side of it, the atmosphere on football Saturday in Auburn is something a 500-word column just can't do justice. You have to be here to experience it.
What other time of the year does a minimum of 100,000 people descend upon this small town all for the same reason?
Have you ever experienced every sidewalk within a 2-mile radius of campus completely blocked by parked cars other than on a game day?
For those rowdy fans enjoying their pre-game tailgates, authorities are more lenient than usual to our shenanigans on game days.
I mean, when else will you have the opportunity to down a beer in front of the Student Center or enjoy a cigarette on our newly "Smoke-Free" campus?
As last year showed us, Auburn football can have its worst season in 60 years, and we'll still be voted the best tailgating school in the nation by Yahoo.
Tailgating is a major reason why fall is the best season in Auburn, but it's just a start.
Whether you're making that slightly tipsy walk to an 8 a.m., or simply enjoying lunch out on the green, the weather in Auburn is never better than during the fall.
On those days when the temperature lows are in the mid-'50s, and the highs just break into the '70s, the struggle to dress for the temperature becomes irrelevant.
You can dress however you choose and know that you'll be comfortable.
The cool weather also is an excuse to indulge in whatever hot coffee drink you prefer. Auburn's abundance of quality coffee shops makes certain that you'll never run out of new drinks to try.
For those who prefer a night in with friends, the cool weather makes bonfires, camping or hanging out on someone's front porch as a chill way to spend the night.
Then there's partying.
Not that anybody needed an excuse to party, but with Halloween, fall concerts and game days approaching, the fall festivities in Auburn are sure to be excellent as always.
As students get settled into their fall schedules and those dog days of August mercifully pass, one can't help but look ahead to the upcoming fall season with eagerness and excitement.
The best season is upon us yet again.
(08/29/13 3:31pm)
Parking. It seems to be an issue on every college campus, and Auburn is no exception.
The parking system is definitely skewed. How is it that parking passes are only given out based
on a lottery system? At Auburn, I think we need a more systematic way to handle this situation.
By doing so, there would be fewer student complaints and frustration.
It is evident that in most majors at Auburn, the only way to advance into a higher program is by meeting a minimum GPA requirement and seniority. I think parking passes should follow a similar regulation. Why not make parking permits available based on GPA and seniority? It only seems fair and reasonable.
As a senior, I feel parking should not be a hassle, as I have already had to deal with it for three years. The system for registering for classes is based on seniority and number of hours, so why shouldn't parking have the same standards?
A parking lottery does not make sense. I am a senior with good academic standing, why should I not be able to get parking when an incoming freshman can.
I am not the only one. Many of my friends this year are facing the same problem and are disappointed and frustrated.
Aside from parking on campus during regular school hours, game day parking is something that has always frustrated me as well. I love game day weekends in Auburn, but I could do without all the hassles of parking. If you asked other students, they would feel the same way.
As proud as I am to say it, Auburn was recently voted No. 1 for tailgating.
Auburn even has a new plan to make game day even better. They are planning to open up an extra 2,000 free parking spaces around campus just for game day.
How is the University able to do this for game day, when there are not even enough parking spaces for students during the week?
I realize Auburn football is important, but weekly classes and academics should be a priority.
That being said, parking plays an important role.
Students who commute or drive to campus every day should not have to worry about parking, or getting ticketed when their focus should be on getting to class.
If the University is able to open 2,000 extra spaces for game day why can't this be applied during the academic school year?
If this is not an option, then there needs to be a better system in place.
Upperclassmen in good academic standing should not be penalized.
If a better system was in place with clearer rules, I believe a great deal of hassle, complaints and confusion would be minimized.
I believe in Auburn and love it, minus the parking.
Parking is an issue that I understand will never be completely resolved, and people will always have an issue with it.
However, without making the parking tag selection process more systematic, I don't see how the situation can improve.
(08/23/13 4:11pm)
Imagine a world in which you were forced to remain close with your first batch of friends.
The best man or the maid of honor at your wedding would be determined by which kindergarten classmate was best at sharing blocks.
You'd forever be tethered to the pale kid down the block whose videogame consoles more than made up for his inherent weirdness and predilection for eating paste.
This is the world proposed by the recent hit single "No New Friends" by DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, or at least a literal interpretation of it.
"No New Friends" heavily advocates loyalty to both friends and birthplace through repetition of the phrase no new friends.
The message should seem laughable coming from a group of men with wildly different backgrounds and origins.
But it seems to have caught on. DJ Khaled, 37, is a Miami-based radio personality; Drake, 26, was formerly a teen-actor and is from Toronto; Rick Ross, 37, was a correctional officer in Florida before stardom and Lil Wayne, 30, has been a fixture in music since his days as part of teen-rap group The Hot Boys in New Orleans.
However, "No New Friends" has been on The Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks and peaked at No. 37 on the chart.
The song has definitely found an audience.
While the authenticity of the song's central theme does seem a little shaky, it would be hard to imagine sentiments supporting loyalty and close-knit friendships might not be the most harmful things to broadcast.
"No New Friends" isn't just a song title but also an older mantra within rap and hip-hop, and one that has caught on with people in a way that might not be positive.
Chief Keef, a Chicago-based rapper, has endorsed the no new friends mindset in his music, and it would seem like that isn't a good thing.
Keef has been a constant source of controversy with multiple arrests, alleged drug use and a brief incarceration in January 2013 for violating his probation.
The rapper's lyrics often boast of his southside Chicago origins, and his record label, Interscope Records, have given Keef his own subsidiary record label, Glory Boyz Entertainmen, in 2011.
True to the no new friends mentality, the current roster of Glory Boyz Entertainment is populated with Keef 's friends.
It would be hard to think that it is in the 18-year-old's best interest to continue to surround himself with, and pledge loyalty to, people that would likely make a possible beneficial change in lifestyle more difficult.
Ultimately, "No New Friends" is just a piece of pop music, and isn't any more sinister or revelatory than any other chart topper, but its message is problematic.
At its best, the idea of no new friends is impractical and at least slightly insincere.
At its worst, the song's mentality could be a recipe for disaster.
(07/28/13 3:29am)
In just two months after being hired, Gus Malzahn was able to bring together an impressive coaching staff that managed to finish with the nation's No. 8 overall recruiting class.
Malzahn was able to hold together the class of 2013 that witnessed the firing of the coaching staff that gained its pledges. If that wasn't a feat by itself, Malzahn then added some of the country's best players on top of it. If he can finish No. 8 overall in nearly 65 days, I believe 2014 will be a monumental recruiting year for Auburn.
The summer began with a bang when Auburn gained five commitments in May, then slowed to a screeching halt. I was even considering writing a column on the lack of recruiting news coming out of Auburn, but decided against it because of the lack of recruiting news everywhere.
Recruiting is a yearlong process for teams, but the dog days of summer are normally slower than the fall in commitment numbers. Then Auburn held its final summer football camp of the year, and everything changed.
In one weekend Auburn hosted more than 500 recruits from across the southeast and the visits paid off, landing the Tigers five commitments.
Once again co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig flashed his recruiting talents by reeling in the nation's top junior college receiver in D'haquille Williams. The four-star talent is Craig's eighth commitment as the leading recruiter in the class of 2014.
The feat earned him the No. 1 position on 24/7Sports' recruiter rankings for the class of 2014.
Craig's role in securing pledges from linebacker Tre Williams, defensive end Justin Thornton and linebacker Deshaun Davis showcases his ability to influence defensive players even as an offensive coach.
Forming relationships with recruits and their families can be the most beneficial deciding factor for players, more important than wins, facilities or location. Coach Craig seems to be the best at forming these crucial relationships.
D'haquille Williams told AuburnSports.com he can't talk to everyone about problems he may have off the field, but Coach Craig is someone he can open up to, and it helped earn his commitment.
I know a student who worked with Craig at Florida State and said he treats everyone with the same caring, passionate and mentoring personality he would with a recruit. As soon as we hired Craig, my friend texted me to say Auburn just hired the greatest recruiter in the country, and he was right.
As the recruiting season continues to heat up toward signing day in February, the combination of Malzahn, Craig and the Auburn experience should prove to be more than enough to sway some of the nation's remaining top recruits. Don't be surprised if Auburn can once again finish with a top-10 class, and with a few key commitments, possibly higher.
(07/28/13 3:24am)
During last week's SEC Media Days, between Jadeveon Clowney confirming that opposing quarterbacks are scared of him and Will Muschamp tongue lashing the Ohio State coaching staff for reporting the Gators for recruiting violations, Bret Bielema had a bone to pick.
The first year Arkansas head coach wasn't complaining about inheriting a team with a measly 4-8 record in arguably the toughest division in the country, or the fact that his Razorbacks have never won an SEC Championship. He was just upset that other coaches would dare put their player's health at risk by running a fast paced, hurry-up offense.
"It's something that I really feel strongly about, Bielema said. "It's not rhetoric. If you want to play hurry-up offense, play it. I'll play you. I don't care. But it doesn't mean that I cannot try to protect my players offensively and defensively."
Don't get me wrong, if the health of a player is being threatened by a certain style of play, I would support a rule change to effectively protect the players. But does running more plays at a faster pace really put those players at risk?
In a recent study done by Dave Bartoo, a national college football attrition expert and analytics consultant, data shows that teams that run more plays actually have a better chance of staying healthy. According to Bartoo, the top 15 "fast" teams in automatic qualifying conferences, that is, the teams that ran the most plays per game, suffered 24 fewer starts lost to injury than the 15 "slowest" teams. Not to mention that the "fast" teams ran 2,697 more plays than the "slow" teams.
Nick Saban has long been an outspoken adversary to the hurry-up, no-huddle offense, and for good reason. His renowned defense centers entirely on depth and situational substitutions, two ideas that the hurry-up offense completely undermines. With the arrival of Gus Malzahn at Auburn and Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M, both firm believers in the hurry-up offense, Saban has realized that two of his divisional rivals pose an immediate threat to his traditional success, and he's doing everything he can to stop them.
After all, the Crimson Tide's lone loss last year came at the hands of Sumlin's Aggies. At the midweek coaches teleconference last year after Alabama's win against Ole Miss, Saban had something to say about the dangers of the fast paced attack.
"The team gets in the same formation group. You can't substitute defensive players. You go on a 14-, 16- or 18-play drive, and they're snapping the ball as fast as you can go, and you look out there and all your players are walking around and can't even get lined up. That's when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt... when they're not ready to play," Saban said.
But what about the offensive players? They are on the field for just as many plays, if not more, as the defense is. How are they able to get lined up and "ready to play?" Teams that emphasize the hurry-up philosophy must be well conditioned to be able to implement their style of play effectively. Should they be penalized for being in better shape than their opponents?
If the NCAA allows vocal coaches to shape the rules of the game, simply because a different style of offense doesn't meld with their defensive agenda, then where will it stop?
In my opinion, Malzahn said it best.
"(Fast football) is where college football is going," he said. "And I like it."
