1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/19/15 5:00pm)
According to Dmitry Glotov, associate professor of math and science, Auburn University's Badminton Club was created with one purpose in mind: enabling all people interested in badminton to come together and play, regardless of skill level. Established in 2007, the club has approximately 25 members this year.
Glotov is the coach and a player for the club. He said the main goal of the club is to help players of any skill level and interest to learn more about the sport of badminton in a friendly, competitive environment.
Glotov said he enjoys the competitive nature of the sport. Additionally, Glotov said badminton is a very dynamic sport, so he is able to exercise many different muscles, resulting in an efficient and fun workout. Since a typical badminton court is smaller than a tennis court, the game moves very fast.
Glotov said a shuttlecock initially travels faster than a tennis ball when hit. In addition to higher initial speeds, a shuttlecock has air drag, which results in a steep angle of travel, so players must react quickly and be alert at all times.
Hao Zhang, president of the badminton club and graduate student in mechanical engineering, serves as team captain and is in charge of communications for the club. Hao said his favorite part about playing badminton is the opportunity to make new friends.
Glotov and Hao also said badminton is a good way to increase flexibility and general health.
As president and team captain of the club, Hao said he has learned important managing and operating skills. He also realized it is necessary to be patient with new players to familiarize them with the rules and language of badminton.
The club welcomes players of all skill levels, and current members range from novice to advanced players.
The club usually only competes in internal tournaments; however, some of the more skilled players have attended the Emory Open Tournament in the past.
Lei Zhang, graduate student in food science, has been playing badminton for two years and joined the club last semester. Lei said she has enjoyed being able to meet new friends and exercise in a more interesting way.
"I enjoy badminton," Lei said. "It is more interesting than just working out, and I can meet some good friends."
Hao said the club has not competed because it lacked funds to participate in tournaments.
"We do not have any tournaments right now," Lei said. "We are playing for fun."
Glotov said all students interested in playing badminton are welcome to join the club for practice.
Rackets are not provided but, shuttlecocks are.
The club practices Fridays from 6-8 p.m. and Sundays from 2-4 p.m. on the multi-purpose court at the Recreational and Wellness Center. The current club fee is $5 per season.
(01/18/15 9:00pm)
I finally updated my phone to iOS 8 to get rid of that annoying notification badge on the Settings app. iPhones now supports a cool feature no one is talking about -- custom keyboards.
iOS 8 opened the door to different keyboard apps, something Android users have enjoyed for years.
The best third-party iOS keyboard to try is Swype, which pioneered gesture-based typing. Instead of rapidly tapping letters on your virtual keyboard, the user can finger between letters to form words.
Swipe typing seems pointless until you try it. Then it becomes amazing. Drawing words feels faster and more efficient than hunting and pecking on the regular Apple iPhone keyboard.
The app feels like a natural fit for the small iPhones (5S and older). You can hold the phone in one hand and type far easier with Swype than with the basic Apple keyboard.
The app also supports everything one would expect from a keyboard app. There is text prediction based on what the user has typed before and a personal dictionary that learns a user's words.
There is also a small collection of themes for the keyboard. Think it's too white? Swype is happy to sell you a dark theme for another $0.99.
One catch is Swype's performance. Whether the culprit is Swype for making a bad app or Apple for a buggy version of iOS, Swype performs poorly. The keyboard often doesn't appear when you tap a text field. It seems less responsive than the Apple keyboard.
To try it, download Swype from the App Store for $0.99. Switch to it using the globe key on the normal keyboard.
(01/16/15 8:30pm)
Auburn University offers hundreds of degrees to suit different areas of interest. Three of the least-common minors and majors at Auburn are botany, dance and interdisciplinary studies.
When Auburn was first founded in 1856, it was primarily a school for agriculture and engineering. Since then, the school has grown in other disciplines, but there are some areas, such as dance, that are only offered as a minor.
"If there was a [dance] major, I'd be one," said Ashlie Lauderdale, junior in biomedical sciences with a minor in dance.
After doing what they love for most of their life, many dancers at Auburn said they aspire to dance professionally, according to Lauderdale.
Lauderdale said there are often misconceptions about what is actually involved in the curriculum with majors or minors such as dance. She said if there was one thing she could make people understand about dance as a minor, it would be that it is a serious subject.
"People tend to think it's an extracurricular-type deal, like it's not actually hard when it is," Lauderdale said. "It's a three-credit class."
Another uncommon major at Auburn is botany, the scientific study of plants. There are only three students majoring in botany.
"Botany is an extremely diverse field with lots of disciplines under the title," said Evan Kilburn, junior in botany. "I'd say it's misunderstood due to a lack of knowledge about it."
Kilburn said botany has an intense College of Science and Mathematics curriculum.
"I am often asked, 'What are you going to do with that?' because many are unaware of the different, exciting careers open to someone with a botany degree," Kilburn said.
Kilburn said botany is not just a boring, basic study of plants, there is a wide array of career fields open to botany majors.
Kilburn said he is excited that he may one day be "fighting invasive species around the globe, finding new cures or even working in research and development" because of all the options botany offers.
Samuel Price, junior in interdisciplinary studies, said one of the most confusing majors to attempt to explain is interdisciplinary studies.
"I think many more people would choose to do it if they knew how easy it is to customize your own major," Price said.
Interdisciplinary studies is designed so students with a specific career goal in mind can design their own curriculum based upon classes they think they will need to accomplish their dream.
"This semester, I am teaching Indian music to children in India that haven't really had exposure to it, which is definitely something I'd probably want to continue doing," Price said.
Price said if there was one thing he could clarify about his major, it would be his major has good career prospects.
"People think it will be hard for those of us majoring in IDSC to find jobs, when really we are more equipped to find a job because our major is so specific for what we want to do," Price said.
Students in majors as uncommon as these wish for people to learn about what their major entails before disregarding or judging it as lesser, according to Kilburn.
"It's always good for people to know more about something you love," Kilburn said.
(01/16/15 5:00pm)
Choir students raise their voices in different ways every day, according to those participating in the program.
Chamber choir president Seth McCollough, senior in instrumental and vocal music education, is involved in conductors' chorus, men's chorus, chamber choir and gospel choir.
McCollough studies with a vocal coach and takes instrumental classes. Each choir class lasts 50 minutes. He also participates in concerts on select Sundays, which last an hour and half to two hours.
"Each day is different," McCollough said.
William Powell, director of choral activity, said the days start with a warm-up, which changes depending on the class' goal.
Some days, choir members focus on balance in their warm ups by making sure one section does not stick out from the rest, according to Powell.
Powell said other days they will focus on blending by making sure no one is standing out within the section.
The rest of the day consists of learning new songs or mastering just one. Chamber choir often focuses on one piece per day.
"Just like an actor with a script, we have to be true to the composer and the style of the piece," Powell said.
Alumnus Taylor Vogl was in chamber choir, men's chorus and opera workshop. He also taught singing technique.
Vogl said he only spent two choir-related hours per day, and two and a half to three hours per day practicing.
Powell or another music major lead the warm-ups, according to Vogl.
Vogl said most of the chamber choir's rehearsal was focused on phrasing words in the music, not necessarily just the notes. The choirs sometimes break into sections to practice.
"Dr. Powell was good at helping us see what a piece was trying to tell us," Vogl said. "That is what made us one of the best choirs in the region."
Vogl said Powell gives students a good feel for the style of each piece.
Amanda Anderson, senior in music education and vocal performance, is involved in chamber choir and AU Singers.
Anderson said she spends two to three hours in class, and two to three hours practicing per day.
Anderson also described her day in chamber choir as varying from day to day. After the 10-minute warm-up, Powell and the choir discuss what they're working on.
"We come to a collected, understood and agreed upon meaning for what the composer is saying," Powell said.
(01/09/15 4:03am)
Steffi Ledbetter, junior in theater, was featured in Thursday's, Jan. 8, episode of American Idol. Ledbetter performed a cover before judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban.
"When you're singing, it feels like it's inside of you," Lopez said to Ledbetter. "It's not coming out of you. Having said that, you are a really talented vocalist."
Lopez and Urban voted yes, sending her to compete in Hollywood at the next level of the competition.
"I really do believe I can do this," Ledbetter said. "I know I can. I really do... this means everything to me."
(12/30/14 8:30pm)
Zac Hawkins said he hit rock bottom one night during his freshman year outside Dowdell Hall. No matter how hard he tried, his ex-girlfriend would not come down from her room to talk to him.
The two had broken up earlier that night around 8:30 p.m. on the steps outside the RBD Library. Hawkins said she wanted to establish herself, to get more involved with her sorority and make friends at Auburn.
"I was kind of the opposite," Hawkins said. "I wanted to hang out with her all the time."
According to Hawkins, his life at this point consisted of going to class, hanging out with his then-girlfriend and playing video games.
Hawkins said he played an "unreasonable amount" of video games. At one point he was ranked number one on the global Gears of War leaderboards, playing 9-10 hours every day.
"It was like a job," Hawkins said.
When his girlfriend -- one of the biggest parts of his life -- left him, Hawkins said it hurt.
"I sat [outside her dorm] for 15 minutes, crying, hoping," Hawkins said.
At that point, Paul Stephens, then a senior in mechanical engineering, was passing by and saw Hawkins sitting alone on the steps in the cold. Stephens invited Hawkins to visit the Hill to accompany him and a group of other students who attended First Baptist Church in Opelika for their prayer group.
"I was desperate for friendship, for community, for something," Hawkins said. "So I ended up hopping in the car with this random stranger and going up to the Hill."
While the others played ping pong, Stephens spoke with Hawkins. Stephens gave Hawkins a piece of advice, something Hawkins said changed his life.
"It just hit me, this girl was not a problem," Stephens said. "It was his relationship with God."
Talking to Stephens made Hawkins realize he needed to take his religious faith more seriously. He described his faith as more casual until that point, something he and his family did because it was expected.
"We just went to church because it was the Southern thing to do," Hawkins said.
After his night with Stephens, though, Hawkins said he placed his faith before relationships with other people. Despite dating all through middle and high school and his first semester of college, Hawkins remained single until his senior year.
Instead, he went on mission trips, attended church at First Baptist Opelika and tried to lead a Christian life.
Hawkins said the charitable work helped him socialize more easily with people. Whether he was taking care of someone's kids or fixing a roof, the work pushed him out of his shell. Even if he only said 5-10 words at one time, it was a start.
One of the people he met on a mission trip to Port St. Joe, Florida., was his future wife Carmen Johnson, now a senior in elementary education. Hawkins and Johnson said their conversations on the car trip there helped revitalize Johnson's faith as well.
"Zac has really taught me just what it means to live so selflessly," Johnson said.
Joe Hwang, an Auburn graduate at whose wedding Zac served as best man, said he is glad Hawkins became more active in his faith.
"I can't say too much about his life before he started following Jesus other than that he was lost and living for himself," Hwang said. "I am very blessed and thankful to have a brother in Christ like Zac."
Four years after his conversion, Hawkins is living in Denver, with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Auburn and a new apartment. He and Johnson plan to get married Jan. 3.
Hawkins said he doesn't miss his old life. Though he plays video games against his brother occasionally on visits home, he abstains for the most part.
"I'm sure I could get back into it," Hawkins said. "I've been invited to go play MLG, which is Major League Gaming, in Dallas, Texas; and in Chicago. It's kinda crazy to think I could have spent my whole life playing video games and making money off the sponsors."
(12/24/14 6:30pm)
Many different Christmas traditions are found on the plains. What Christmas traditions do you have?
(12/23/14 7:00pm)
Yedurag "Yedu" Babu of Kerala, India, has developed an enjoyment for bluegrass music thanks to his international buddy.
In summer 2013, the Office of International Programs started the International Buddy Program, a way for international and local students to form meaningful friendships.
Babu, graduate student in industrial engineering, said he and his buddy, Trent Miller, senior in international business, have formed a deep friendship.
"It's cool because we are both guitarists and are really into similar things," Babu said. "We have the same interests even though we're from different cultures. I'm more than happy with the way it's turned out."
Babu and Miller have started jamming to different genres of music as a study break every Saturday.
"We started making music together and showing each other different things about the music where we come from," Babu said. "I'm in a metal band, and Trent's in a folk one, and playing all types of our favorite music has given us a better understanding of each other."
Buddies are asked to spend time together at least once per month, but now that Babu and Miller have gotten to know each other well, they hang out as often as possible.
A few months ago, Miller took Babu to his first metal concert in Birmingham.
"I wasn't the only one to show and teach him things," Miller said. "It's been really special to hear the kind of music he likes, try to play it and try some Indian food he's prepared for me and my friends. We have more in common than two people from different cultures ever would have realized."
Katherine Williams, the program adviser for the International Buddy Program, said she saw the need for international students and American students connecting.
"When people arrive here from another country, there's a basic cultural adjustment," Williams said, "but we can't do that by ourselves. We need a team."
Over the past year and a half, Williams said the International Buddy Program has taken off and became the team international students need.
"The world is becoming globalized, and Auburn is too, even if students don't realize it," Williams said. "It enriches your life so much to know someone from another culture, and it changes your perspective. It can be challenging, but it's so rewarding to see your differences and your friendship grow."
Williams, who paired Miller and Babu together, said she's been overjoyed at how successful the program has worked for them.
"We interview the applicants, and noticed that both of them said they had a strong interest in music," Williams said. "It was a perfect friendship match, and I want their success to encourage other students to find one for themselves with our program."
Williams said the best part about the pair is that they likely wouldn't have met without the buddy program.
"Just think about it," Williams said. "How often do you see an Indian guy and a student in a fraternity hanging out together? Their paths likely wouldn't have crossed, and when they did, they turned out to have a great time together."
Babu said moving to the United States was easier because of his friendship with Miller.
"The culture shock was a lot easier to handle because of Trent," Babu said. "It's a completely different world than India, and Trent really helped me get to know it."
Babu and Miller agreed that they plan to remain friends long after graduation.
"Our friendship has impacted me so much because he's made me appreciate where we come from and what we have," Miller said. "These days, it's easy to stay in contact through the social media, and after making all these music together, I really hope we never stop."
Miller said Babu has taught him a lot about the Indian culture, but he's showed him a lot about different cultures as a whole.
"We have similar interests, but it was cool to realize that we think the same way, too," Miller said. "We're both really laid back people, and this experience has shown me that, no matter where we come from, we're not all so different after all."
To apply to the International Buddy Program, contact Katherine Williams at kgw0005@auburn.edu, or (334) 740-6103.
(12/21/14 7:00pm)
For college students, Auburn can be a tough town to live in when the University isn't in session. It can be hard to stay behind after all your college friends leave to go back home.
That's why it's important to keep finding things to do in Auburn, even over the break. Don't lock yourself up in your room to binge Netflix. You owe it to yourself to get out there and explore Auburn. There's a surprising amount of things to do, even when no one else is in town.
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art stays open for some of the break. It's running an exhibit called Rembrandt, Rubens, and Gainsborough, and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe through Jan. 4. You can always drive down South College Street to check out some of the finest European paintings ever made, all through break. The Museum will be closed Dec. 22-25 and Dec. 29-Jan. 1 for Christmas and the New Year.
You can also take advantage of the reduced crowds to see this year's slate of Christmas movies. Imagine how much more you can enjoy films like "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" and "The Imitation Game" when you're not fighting anyone else for the good seats in the theater.
If you're not in the mood to stay inside, Auburn always has some fun stuff going on outdoors. Chewacla State Park stays open during the break. Even when it's cold out, the park is always good for a brisk hike. Don't try renting one of the canoes or kayaks, though. It's definitely too chilly for that.
The only bad part about visiting Chewacla is the couple dollars it charges for entrance. For a free outdoors experience, try the Davis Nature Preserve on North College Street. It offers a nice set of hiking trails for free. I've hiked the park before, and it's a nice experience. The trees aren't as lush in the winter, but it's still a way to get out of the house.
For those more interested in a sports experience, the Auburn men's basketball team keeps playing over break. They have a game against Texas Southern on Dec. 23 and one against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 29.
You could also give back some this Christmas. The Lee County Humane Society always appreciates volunteers who come by when the place is open (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) to walk the dogs and let them work out some of their energy. It's free, you get to play with dogs and do something good all at the same time.
Similarly, you can always volunteer at different charitable organizations. The holidays are always a busy time for charities. Doing some good and making someone else's Christmas happier can be the perfect way to spend the holidays. Volunteering for something like The Food Bank of East Alabama is as easy as walking in and asking to help.
Regardless of what you choose to do, there are still things to do in Auburn over break. It's just a matter of pushing yourself to find them.
(12/20/14 8:30pm)
Five Nights at Freddy's tries to do something different than most apps -- scare you. Where other apps try to be beautiful, useful or simply entertaining, this odd horror game just wants to make you jump.
(12/19/14 5:00pm)
This week, The Plainsman focuses on music you listen to when your exams are done. These are the jams you turn on when you finally leave campus exam-free and without the burden of knowing how you did on those exams. To listen to the playlist, follow The Auburn Plainsman on Spotify.
(12/17/14 9:00pm)
Students come to Auburn from all over the United States and the world. Sometimes maintaining long-distance romantic and platonic relationships with those back home takes a toll.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, families provide members with a sense of belonging and a distinctive identity. Families are typically a source of emotional support, comfort, and security to each member; this is why maintaining a close bond with one's family is crucial to individual growth in young adult years.
"I try to call my family at least once a week," said Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney, senior in history. "My grandmother will look out for me and text me when there is bad weather and I typically get a lot of care packages from her as well."
Hof-Mahoney said she keeps close ties with her family even though she is several hours away from their Stuart, Florida home.
Connor Romanelli, sophomore in business, also said he talks to his family a great deal, though he also tries to build close relationships with his college peers.
"It's just as important to find people here that you are just as close with," Romanelli said. "They will become your family away from your family."
Long distance friendships are also important to sustain, but can become a more complex task than just picking up the phone according to The Huffington Post. When dealing with friends your own age, their lives are often constantly changing, unlike the family always waiting at home. Long distance friendship requires constant attention, similar to that of a significant other.
"I Snapchat a lot of my old friends and I try to text my really close friends at least twice a week," said Taylor Mollere, freshman in undeclared science and mathematics.
Mollere is from Miami and said she rarely gets to see her old friends.
Eric Turner, sophomore in aerospace engineering, said he also uses social media to stay in touch.
"Social media is always fun and occasionally calling, but FaceTiming is what is really fun and a great way to keep up with each other," Turner said.
Some students use breaks to see their long-distance friends, and are planning special events to catch up.
"When we were in high school, we used to have Christmas parties every year," said Sami Bustos, senior in microbial, cellular and molecular biology, who is originally from the Bay Area in California. "We are having one again this year for the first time in four years. I am so excited to see what's up with all my old friends, one is married now and another one is finally coming home from studying abroad in Italy."
Some students, such as Matt McCutcheon, freshman in business, have a long distance relationship with a significant other.
CBS News reported up to 75 percent of college students are in a long-distance relationship at some point, making it something that affects large numbers of students.
"I went to prep school in Maine last year so we were always separated by a 3.5 hour drive even then," McCutcheon.said.
McCutcheon is originally from Boston, where his girlfriend still lives.
"She has been able to come down two times during this football season, but it's the time in between that is hard," McCutcheon said. "FaceTime, Skype, texting, phone calls, and really expensive plane tickets is the only way to make it work."
(12/16/14 5:00pm)
In order for a team to attain success on the field, court or diamond, coaches and players must work to get there. That is not an exception for the Auburn women's basketball team. Aside from the coaches that support and teach the players, there is a group of men who help the basketball team perform on the court.
The practice squad, or scout team as they are officially called, is a group of male students who practice with the women's basketball team. They do drills against the players and scrimmage against them to push them to be faster and stronger.
Being a member of the practice squad is different than being a student athlete even though their purpose is to help the team improve.
According to Hunter DeFalco, freshman in business, they practice whenever they can.
"We try to have at least five or six guys here every practice," DeFalco said.
They do not have to try out or be recruited, they are recommended to be on the scout team. All of the guys on the team played in high school, according to John Segrest, freshman in business.
DeFalco and Segrest are both new to the team this year, but Lawrence Nourzad, senior in marketing, is a veteran to the squad. As a fifth-year at Auburn, he is familiar with the team and helping the women practice.
"Most people think, 'What is this guy?' when they see my Auburn backpack or something because they know I'm not actually an athlete," Nourzad said. "I usually just tell them I help out with the women's basketball team."
As a part of helping out with the team and being a former basketball player in high school, Lawrence said he has made memories from the practice squad and always playing against girls.
"One time I got a little breakaway there and thought I had it," Nourzad said. "It was just me and the basket, and she skied out of nowhere. Like she can really get up. She can almost dunk it."
DeFalco and Segrest claim they do not get intimidated when they are playing against the women in practice.
They said they're just glad they can be out there practicing and they can continue to play basketball while helping Auburn's basketball program by playing every week.
During the women's basketball game, one can see the girls playing on the court. One can also see the coaches on the sidelines, and one can even see the girls on the bench. What is not visible is the team that helps them during practice by providing a different type of competition.
(12/15/14 5:00pm)
As the days become shorter and colder and classes become more difficult, the number of students in the gym drops.
Summer Myrick, senior in communication disorders and Spanish, works as a group fitness instructor at the Recreation and Wellness Center. She teaches a U-Jam and a butts and guts group fitness class.
Myrick said she thinks less students spend time at the gym as the semester plays out because of reasons such as colder weather, the sun setting faster and stress from school.
"When it's cold outside you drink all of those hot drinks that are filled with sugar and it makes you want to cuddle up," Myrick said. "It's not as motivating as when it's hot outside and you are going to the pool all the time."
Myrick said she sees a decline in the number of students that attend her classes, but she puts in extra effort to encourage them to come back as the semester progresses.
"I try to build a relationship with them so that they will want to come back because they are my friends, not just another number," Myrick said.
According to Myrick, she tends to slack off on her own workout routine toward the end of the semester, but still works out a few times a week. Instead of spending an hour at the rec, Myrick said she does 10-minute YouTube workouts in between tasks that make up her busy schedule.
Myrick said she encourages students to participate in group fitness classes because "it keeps you accountable and someone else is making the workout for you."
"Don't beat yourself up if you get out of your routine," Myrick said. "Find ways to move your body."
Kindala Owens, group fitness graduate assistant for the Recreation and Wellness Center and graduate student in exercise science, said she also sees a decline in the number of students in group fitness classes toward the end of the fall semesters.
Owens said the number of students who attend group fitness classes is measured by using the IMLeagues online enrollment system. Students reserve their spot in the group fitness class through the website and then check in with the instructor when they arrive. The instructor then puts the data into the system.
"We generate our reports off of that," Owens said.
She attributes the decline to factors similar with Myrick's, including the weather.
"If it's raining, people won't come out," Owens said.
Owens said she also realizes with the New Year comes an increase in the number of students spending time at the gym because they want to get healthier or lose weight.
"It's a part of our culture, I think," Owens said.
Camille Huang, personal trainer graduate assistant for the Recreation and Wellness Center and graduate student in physical activity and health, said she attributes the lack of students working out to finals and the two-week break between Thanksgiving and Christmas break.
"The facility as a whole is less crowded, especially around the December month," said Huang.
However, she said she agrees with Owens that the number of students at the gym increases after New Year's because of goals to be healthier.
"I think people just have it on their mind," Huang said. "New year, new you."
(12/15/14 1:00pm)
In Section 99 of the east upper deck of Jordan-Hare Stadium, there is a new inhabitant: bats. The bats are most active at night and can be seen leaving their nest each day at sunset. It is typical for the bats to return back to their nests between 4-5 a.m.
"I first heard the bats one night while I was walking back to my dorm," said Hannah Vanderheiden, freshman in sciences and math. "I only noticed them because the noise they made sounded like the squeaks of a million Camelbak water bottles going off at the same time."
Once she heard them, Vanderheiden said she saw the bats emerge gradually from under Section 99 in multiple small groups, not one mass.
The bats are said to be living within the crevices of cement underneath Section 99. Proof of the bats existence can be seen through the dark stain of their droppings on the cement directly under the stadium seats.
Several Facilities Management directors could not reached for comment.
The bats' existence has yet to cause problems with fans during home football games and is not causing any problems for the student body so far.
Bats are known to carry diseases common to rodents. The two main diseases associated with bats are histoplasmosis, a disease from bat feces that infects the lungs; and rabies, a disease that infects the immune and nervous system in humans. Nevertheless, the manifestation of either of these two diseases within bat populations are rare.
"The main concern with bats is rabies," said James Wright, professor in pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. "Even though there are a very small number (rabies infected bats), if one got away after it has bitten someone, that person would have to undergo months of rabies post-exposure injections."
Wright suggested the population of bats should be removed as soon as possible because of the threat of disease, but not by extermination methods because certain species of bats are protected in this area.
"We need to exclude them from that area to keep them from roosting, and this can be done by keeping the area uncomfortable for the them," Wright said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, even though bats can carry diseases they can peacefully co-exist with humans because of the benefits they provide to human populations.
Some of these benefits include eating pests that cost farmers billions of dollars annually, as well as seed dispersal and pollination activities vital to forest survival and revival.
The bats may not be around for much longer, however. Bats local to this region either migrate to warmer climates or go into hibernation during the cold seasons, according to The Alabama Cooperative Extension System website. The bats may begin to disappear around the beginning of December, staying away or in hibernation until mid-March next spring.
(12/06/14 7:00pm)
From New York City to a farm in Huntsville, Auburn graduates are finding their passions through their post-graduate careers.
Sarah Ragan graduated in December 2012 with a degree in art, concentrating in printmaking. Today, she is a calligrapher and designer focusing on weddings, creating custom invitation suites. She has an online print shop called Ragan House.
"I fell in love with hands-on production and found that it was much more satisfying than working solely on a computer," Ragan said. "I knew that, when I graduated, I wanted to explore more hands-on design, which led to me finding calligraphy."
While trying to learn calligraphy and launch her business, Ragan said she had doubts and frustrations, but she learned to be fearless when trying new practices.
Morgan Myers graduated in December 2012, and her husband, Taylor Myers graduated in May 2012. They met in fruit and nut production class their junior year, both pursuing degrees in fruit and vegetable production, and married in July 2012.
"There are two things that we know that we are called to do, and one of them is to feed people, physically and spiritually," Morgan said.
Along with caring for their 5-month-old daughter, they are currently building a cabin in Trenton, Alabama, near Huntsville, and plan to move in at the beginning of 2015. Taylor has set aside approximately 15 acres to grow or rotate animals on. They have a little more than an acre filled up to grow on next year.
"It hasn't all fleshed out yet, and our dreams are still growing," Morgan said.
They said the goal is to supply fresh produce to restaurants, start one farmer's market and have a small community-supportive agriculture.
The idea is a family that wants fresh produce would sign up ahead of time and pay an upfront payment to plant the seeds. Then, every week, the farmer meets the family at a specific time with a box of vegetables, herbs and recipes.
"I think because we're together, me and Taylor, the things that I don't know, he does and the things that he needs help with," Morgan said.
Through this, the Myers said they can pursue their dreams of feeding and loving others.
McKenzie Strawn studied apparel merchandising and graduated in August 2014. As a student, Strawn interned at Moda Operandi, a company which allows customers to pre-order designer collections online.
Strawn said she heard of the companythrough the Apparel Merchandising and Design Association.
"Use relationships to your advantage, and be humble about it," Strawn said. "It's really all about who you know, and having those connections helped ten-folds over."
After completing her internship, Strawn went back home to Atlanta and started lining up interviews. After freelancing for the company, Strawn's boss offered her a position helping their new initiative for pre-selling boutique merchandise.
"It's been kind of stressful because I feel like all of this has been happening at once," Strawn said. "I can barely stay afloat, but that's fun."
The fashion industry is incredibly last-minute and in-the-moment, according to Strawn, and she is learning to run with it.
"It was cool to see everybody wanted to help me get to where I needed to be, and I feel very blessed to be where I am," Strawn said.
(12/05/14 1:00pm)
It was Thanksgiving break, but 64 college students stayed in Auburn. They took no time off, continuing to work 24-hour shifts between 48-hour breaks.
The 62 men and 2 women who participate in the city of Auburn's student firefighter program don't take vacations.
"It's a pretty unique program," said Deputy Chief John Lankford. "No one else in the United States has a program like we do."
Lankford said after passing 10 weeks of fire and six weeks of emergency medical technician training, students work as fully fledged firefighters.
While other stations might limit how much students can do, Auburn student firefighters perform the same duties as their non-student counterparts.
Lankford said student firefighters' duties for an average day begin at 7 a.m. when they arrive at the station and relieve the last shift.
The students sweep, mop and vacuum the station. They check their equipment and make sure it's ready for use. At 8:30 a.m., they pause for breakfast.
After that, every day is different. Stephen Jackson, senior in building science with five and a half years experience as a student firefighter, said he enjoys the variety.
"I've had shifts where I do everything," Jackson said. "Fire, wreck, medical calls all day long. You really don't know what you're going to get."
Students go out with the rest of the firefighters, who respond to calls ranging from elderly people who've fallen to house fires. Lankford estimates the department receives 10-15 calls per day.
"We go do just about anything," said Alan McGinty, freshman in nursing. "It might not be the first thing you want to do at 12 o'clock at night, but you at least helped somebody."
McGinty, who graduated from firefighter training Aug. 15, said he enjoys having the opportunity to go on calls and help others.
Some days, the station gets a fire call. Jackson described fighting a fire as "intense." McGinty called it "an adrenaline rush."
Steven Barnes, master's student in public administration and student firefighter, said firefighters enjoy those calls -- even with the danger.
"I think anyone who goes through the training to become a fireman enjoys fighting fires," Barnes said. "I think we all have that same need for adrenaline."
McGinty said he relies on his training when he's on the scene of a fire.
Jackson, the five-year veteran, said training is the difference between safety and the very real dangers of fighting a fire.
To prepare, Jackson said the firefighters often perform drills and training exercises.
Between drills and calls, the student firefighters do chores around the station. Between chores, they do schoolwork.
"If we're not running anything at the moment, we're in that office or this office doing homework," Jackson said.
Barnes said the job has helped him procrastinate less. With 24-hour shifts, Barnes said there is little room for delays.
"You develop very good time-management skills," Barnes said. "It just becomes a balancing act that you just learn to cope with."
Student firefighters also have to balance their work against attending class. Though shifts are 24 hours, Lankford said students are allowed to leave to attend class without needing someone to cover for them.
According to Jackson, the flexibility compares well to other jobs.
"You can't find a job while you're in school or even out of school that works with you as much as Auburn works with us," Jackson said.
Jackson said the flexibility is one reason he's worked as a student firefighter for so long. He said he also appreciates everything he's learned on the job.
"I honestly thought it was fun at first," Jackson said. "It is fun, but it's also extremely valuable work. We get exposed to people at their highs and their lows. If you can work with that, you can work with anything."
(12/09/14 1:00pm)
The Teach for America program has one goal: to give all kids access to a better education by assigning college students and graduates to teach in disadvantaged areas.
TFA began in 1990 with 500 college graduates dedicated to the cause of eliminating inequality in education. The program now boasts approximately 33,000 college students and graduates who have reached nearly 3 million children total, according to their website.
TFA has one of the hardest screening processes for potential employees, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
The number of applications has doubled in the last seven years, ranging from approximately 25,000 in 2008 to more than 50,000 today. TFA only accepted 14 percent of applicants this past year.
Current Auburn student Dillon Nettles, senior in political science, and recent Auburn graduates Lindsay Heim and Christine Acker were chosen to participate in the program.
"I'm most excited for the relationships I hope to build," Nettles said. "It will be the most exciting, but also most challenging part. I want to be (the kids') every resource for everything they need, even if I can play only a small role in their daily lives. I want to watch the kids grow through all the ups and downs from the beginning of the school year to the end."
Nettles said he is excited to start his time with TFA during 2015-16 school year. He will teach middle school English in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"I just want to jump in and combat the issue of educational inequality," Nettles said.
Heim majored in biomedical science and is currently teaching seventh- and eighth-grade science at McNair Junior High School in Huntsville through TFA.
"I was nervous going into teaching since I was not an education major and did not have any classroom experience," Heim said. "But through training this summer and all of the professional development sessions offered, I am confident that I am prepared to provide my students the education they deserve."
Overall, Heim said she enjoys the program and is thrilled to be involved with an organization "whose passion for their students is truly contagious."
Christine Acker was an elementary education major at Auburn. She applied to TFA open to the idea of teaching middle school or high school, but was placed as an Elementary Generalist, EC-6, when accepted into the program. Acker said her education prepared her well for the job.
"Teaching fourth graders who have seen more in life than I have seen in my 23 years has its incredibly challenging days, but it's insanely rewarding, and that's why I can say I love what I do," Acker said. "I joined TFA over approaching other teaching opportunities because I firmly believe it is not only my responsibility, but our responsibility as a nation to do what we can to better the lives of those around us."
(12/03/14 4:00pm)
With final exams approaching, Auburn students' knowledge is not the only thing being tested. Bliss Bailey, chief information officer of the Office of Information Technology, said finals week is a major test for the campus Wi-Fi network.
"We know finals are a busy time for us," Bailey said. "We've made big upgrades in that area."
According to Bailey, maintaining a University-wide Wi-Fi network, especially during finals week, is a challenge.
The period before final exams is particularly stressful for OIT because of all the students who come on campus to study. The increased number of people concentrated in one place, such as the library, slows down or stops AU WiFi.
"If you come here over the Christmas holidays when no one is around, we've got great coverage," Bailey said. "You can go to many places and get signal, and it's not a problem. The problem comes with those periods of time where we see really heavy, heavy usage, and those locations where we see really heavy usage."
The way Bailey put it, wireless coverage can be understood in terms of coverage and density. Coverage is measured in feet and miles. It determines where on campus a device can connect to AU WiFi. Density is measured in how many devices in that area can connect to the network simultaneously.
Bailey said coverage density becomes important in places such as the Student Center and RBD Library, where students cluster to study.
OIT has been working on improving AU WiFi's coverage around campus, especially in the library.
Bailey said AU WiFi is built to handle 75,000 computers, phones or tablets at once. On an average day, 25,000 of those devices will connect to the network. He said OIT is planning to increase AU WiFi's capacity to 100,000 devices.
"We don't quite have the demand yet, but it'll get there," Bailey said.
Increased demand is another factor contributing to Wi-Fi slowdowns. OIT Help Desk manager Paula Dale said Wi-Fi is in more demand than ever with the increase in smartphone, tablet and laptop usage.
"The wireless network we have is several years old, and it was developed more for casual network use than the devices," Dale said.
Bailey said OIT modernizes AU WiFi by upgrading its servers and adding access points.
Servers are large computers OIT keeps in its headquarters and other locations around campus to run AU WiFi.
"They're like your desktop computer on steroids," Bailey said.
As OIT upgrades older servers, the network quality improves. However, it can only upgrade so many servers at a time within its budget.
Bailey said OIT also adds Wi-Fi access points around campus in high-density areas. However, with issues such as co-channel interference , placing these access points can be difficult.
"Access points don't like to be close to each other," Bailey said.
(12/03/14 2:30pm)
After three years of hard work, Diane Barnard sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
Barnard, a Ph.D student in clothing and textiles, became a doctoral student when she was 58. Now 61, the doctoral student rides a scooter to class every day to save money for textbooks and other school expenses and said she loves every minute of it.
"I did things backwards," Barnard said. "I got married young, raised kids, homeschooled them and then went back to school."
Barnard said she waited to attend school until after her children left the nest for a reason.
"I never wanted someone to meet my child and say, 'Where are their parents?'" Barnard said. "I was there for them, and now they're successfully on their own. Now, it's my turn -- it's mama's time."
Ever since she was a child, Barnard said she loved fabric. When something frustrated her, there were two places she would go to let off steam: the library or the fabric store.
"I would just walk and run my hands over those beautiful fabrics," Barnard recalled with her eyes closed and a smile playing across her lips. "I can't explain to you what it is about them, but they're just apart of me."
After working with her master's for a few years as a historic costume and textile consultant, Barnard realized that research wasn't what she wanted. When the opportunity arose to return to school and get her doctorate, Barnard decided to go for it.
"You should always be examining your life," said Karla Teel, associate professor of apparel design. "If you have a dream or there's a job you want and you have the opportunity to do it, go for it. It sounds cliche, but it's never too late."
Teel, who has guided Barnard through the doctoral program, said she wants her student to be an encouragement to other mature adults.
"Diane is a great student and teacher, and she's someone many people can look up to," Teel said. "She realized her passion and did something about it. Often, that's harder to do than it sounds, especially when you're older than most students in the program."
Pamela Ulrich, graduate program officer and professor in the department of consumer and design sciences, said she is proud of Barnard for her dedication to the program despite her personal struggles over the years.
"Diane's been through a lot, but she hasn't given up," Ulrich said. "Her experiences have helped her be more engaged in learning and conversation with faculty and students."
Barnard's life experiences before Auburn have added to her effectiveness as a teacher, Ulrich said.
After raising her children while her husband served overseas and battling health issues, Barnard said she found ways to give back before going after her dreams.
In 2003, Barnard traveled to Iraq on a mission trip to build a medical clinic in Baghdad while Saddam Hussein was still in hiding.
"We never drove the same way twice," Barnard said. "I had to write a letter in case I didn't come back home, but those three weeks changed my life."
Barnard said she'd never forget an old woman who came up to the gate in her hijab and held out her hand to her on her last day in Baghdad.
"She said, 'Please help us,'" Barnard said. "I can still see her face, and the deep sorrow in her eyes. She was the face of the Iraqi people. She was the face of the lesson I brought home."
Barnard said if anything, she feels her age has helped instead of hindered her as a doctoral student.
"Seeing things like the woman in Iraq makes you not so timid anymore," Barnard said. "These experiences were brought to me for a reason, and I've learned that life's too short to waste it."
Teel said Barnard is going to be successful because of the way she listens and teaches with the heart -- a trait she's developed for 61 years.
"It's great to get your degree early on because you have your whole life ahead of you, but there's something really special about getting it after living a few more decades," Teel said. "When you come back as a mature adult, you know that each day is a gift and that you can't waste it doing something you don't like doing. That knowledge and wisdom has changed how I talk to my students, and I'm certain it's made Diane a better teacher to her students."
Barnard said she appreciates encouragement from faculty and fellow students, but feels her life experiences and decisions aren't anything to brag about.
"It is what it is," Barnard said. "I was going to be this age anyway, so I might as well do something with it because I'm still breathing. You don't stop contributing to this world until you're dead, so keep on contributing. You never know where it could lead you, or what that light is at the end of it all."
