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(09/27/14 1:45am)
When the SGA president was revealed and his cabinet and committees set months ago, one goal they said they had in mind was a better Homecoming experience.
"This year were really going to try and make homecoming something no one wants to miss out on," said Colson Smith,executive vice president of programs. "It's a big time for Auburn to celebrate Auburn and for families to come out and see what Auburn is truly about."
With the streets packed with people shoulder to shoulder, the band started marching and the floats rolling.
In 2010, SGA revived the traditional Homecoming parade which featured the ODK Float Competition, as well as the AU Marching Band, cheerleaders, Miss Homecoming candidates, and other university and community organizations.
Smith said this year's turnout was the best it's been since they revived the tradition.
"We had 11 floats this year," Smith said. "It is definitely the best turn out we've had in several years."
Sam Lupas, freshmen in business, reiterated Smith's remarks when he said he was not expecting a turnout like the one he saw Friday, Sept. 26.
"I didn't expect there to be that many people out for it," Lupas said. "It's obvious that SGA did their part on getting the word out to the students and the Auburn community as a whole."
Logan Powell, SGA president, said he challenged his Homecoming team to step up to the plate.
"I think it went really well," Powell said. "This homecoming team has been working really hard and I think one of our priorities coming in the year was revitalizing the whole event and they took that by the horns and did a great job of doing that so I think it was very successful. They did a great job."
The 11 floats, some of which had sketches of Cam Newton and Bo Jackson, others which re-erected the old Toomers Corner Oaks, drew a crowd that nearly lined the entire parade route, which included College Street and Gay Street.
Lupas said he thought the floats were impressive, even mentioning one which had the infamous "Kick Six" playing on a TV on repeat.
"The floats were pretty cool, especially the one with the TV playing the Kick Six," Lupas said. "I feel like the parade just got everyone in the mood for the game. People just seemed excited to me."
Powell said the packed streets are a sign that SGA is improving the Homecoming parade and Homecoming as a whole.
"It was jam packed," Powell said. "That's the biggest sign of improvement. It's hard to manage an event like this so obviously with the turnout, they did a terrific job.
(09/18/14 4:30pm)
The Student Government Association joined with the Organizational Seating Program to bring another major change to Auburn campus operations.
SGA has changed the way organizations compete for block seating during football season.
The system, which prior to the change, was based on the amount of Ignited points an organization earned will now concentrate on the organization's overall average GPAs.
"Grades from previous semesters are not considered, so each organization begins the year with a blank slate," said Colson Smith, executive vice president of programs.
The organizational average GPA earned in the fall 2014 semester and the spring 2015 semester is the only factor for next year's football season seating.
The organizations that earn the highest average GPA will be rewarded with seats in the block seating section; a game day tradition that Smith said is disappearing across the SEC.
"The reason we made these changes is because at other SEC schools the block seating is a thing of the past," Smith said. "It's kind of died out and that's been in large part because they didn't have a good reason to allocate it, and it was one of the problems. So we're taking proactive steps that we think need to be made for us to have the block in the future."
According to members of SGA, the mission of the SGA Organizational Seating Program is to fairly and efficiently allocate reserved seating as a reward to organizations whose members demonstrate academic excellence.
Logan Powell, SGA president, said he believes this system is better for the Auburn Family because it promotes academic success in a place where it is the main focus of going to school.
"The big question we faced was: how do you take away that burden of going to events and just reward students for being students?" Powell said. "Obviously, GPA is the universal factor for all students. Every student at Auburn earns grades and so that's how we leveled the playing field for everybody."
Powell said the system used last year that included Ignited points had many shortcomings, which ultimately led to the decision to change the credentials for block seating.
Some of the issues with the Ignited points system were the burden it put on participants, the fandom it created and enforcement problems because people would leave early.
"There would be 500 people walking out during the national anthem and it was very bad as far as how it made students look and how it made the athletes perceive the student body and their interests in sports," Smith said.
According to Powell and Smith, the Ignited points system was greatly affected by organizations' size.
More people from an organization who attend an Ignited event meant more points for that organization.
Powell said smaller organizations competing for block seating were at a disadvantage from the beginning of the semester.
Now, with the GPA system in place, Powell said the size of the University organization has no bearing on an organization's ability to receive block seating in the stadium.
Thomas Bucker, sophomore in business, said he agrees with the new system since it offers an extra incentive.
"I never really liked having to go to sporting events I didn't care about," Buckner said. "Now, with the GPA system, it will keep everyone focused on their schoolwork."
The Ignited points reward system still exists through Auburn Athletics to give individual rewards for attending events where Ignited points are rewarded, but will no longer determine organizational block seating in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Powell said the rules for block seating will be the same as they have in the previous years.
This includes the rule an organizations section must be filled an hour prior to kickoff, or else the section will be opened to students trying to find seats.
"From top to bottom, we thought it was a better program for students because it's asking them to do, what they are here to do and that's make exceptional grades and go on to have great careers because of the educational experience they had here at Auburn," Powell said.
(09/16/14 2:53am)
The Student Government Associations Sep. 15 agenda only had one new order of business on it.
The bill, proposed by John LeMaster, pro-tempore, called for the appointment of Jack Wagster, freshmen in pre-business, to fill the Assistant Vice President of Facilities opening.
Wagster, who was previously a Director of Facilities, is called to fill the shoes of Taryn Wilson, who he said laid the foundation for what he plans to do this school year.
"Taryn Wilson was the last AVP of facilities and she really set a great framework for what I'm going to be doing this year," Wagster said. "Jackson and I have already begun working on some small projects but we also have a major project were working on now."
The major project Wagster and Jackson Pruett, the executive vice president of initiatives, have been working on is a student memorial that Wagster says will be constructed to honor students both present and past who passed away while their time at Auburn. The memorial, when finished, will be located across from the president's mansion.
The idea for the student memorial comes after Auburn tragically lost nine students over the course of the 2013-2014 academic year.
In other news, Corey Edwards, director of student involvement, spoke about the calendar for the 2015 school year. Edwards, who acknowledged that school began on Monday this year due to the newly implemented fall break, questioned whether freshmen benefitted from moving in on the Wednesday prior to school starting more than moving in on the Saturday prior to classes beginning on a Monday.
Olabode Anise, vice president of SGA, said he found those extra days prior to classes beginning to be valuable in his acclamation to his new home.
"I personally valued those extra days," Anise said. "It gives you time to get here and settled in and see what you need for your room without the stress of classes bearing down on you and that can be very beneficial."
In other SGA news, SGA launched a new way to collect student feedback and comments called Auburn Answers. Not only has SGA provided three IPad kiosks, one in village dining, one in the student center and one by caribou coffee in the library, they have also created a website for the same purpose called auburnanswers.org.
Tray Fields, director of student feedback, said the new system has been utilized by a number of students who find it to be a great way to voice their concerns
"We've already gotten a lot of positive feedback from some students," Fields said. "We do things like what 100 things you should do before you leave Auburn and it's just been very positive and fun at the same time."
(09/06/14 3:30pm)
The Auburn University Board of Trustees met for the first time in the fall semester on Friday, Sep. 5, announcing a few updates that will occur on and around Auburn's campus. Perhaps the biggest project the Board of Trustees approved was the initiation for the repair and renovation of Cater Hall.
Cater Hall was originally built in 1915 and since that time has served as the President's residence, the social center for the Quad dormitories, the administrative offices of Katherine Cooper Cater, Dean of Women, and most recently, as the home of the Honors College.
In 2003, Cater Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its historic and cultural value to the University. Ninety-nine years after its construction, the Board of Trustees approved the initiation of the project, authorizing the commencement of the architect selection process.
The proposed project is expected to cost in excess of $1,000,000.
The trustees along with those in attendance heard a report from the Chancellor of A.U.M., John Veres III, the first graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery to serve as chancellor. In his report, Veres announced that AUM signed an agreement with Southern Union Community College in Opelika.
Veres said these agreements allow for students at community colleges to begin looking ahead at their future.
"The way these things work is by providing smaller scholarships for their better students and one full scholarship to the presidential scholar that the president of their college will select," Veres said. "We're doing this to get some of their better students to start thinking about AUM moving forward."
Veres also discussed bridging the gap between first generation students and their parents, a problem which he said was very apparent at the Auburn campus in Montgomery.
"We serve a lot of first generation students," Veres said. "We have found that part of the issue we have with retention is not only the students but their families don't really understand that much about the college experience and how things work. Our orientation program, for the second year provided a family orientation to discuss what goes on in college with family members as well.
The Board of Trustees then heard from Auburn University organic chemistry professor Stewart Schneller, the professor who has headed Auburn's Ebola research for some time.
Schneller describes the virus as having the ability to turn off the body's immune system.
"People don't recognize when the virus originally starts," Schneller said. "It can be passed through bodily fluids so if you try and assist someone who is bleeding, you may in fact end up with the virus."
Schneller believes his team of researchers may have found a way to reverse the virus in a small molecule known by its lab identification number WY3161.
"The goal is to block the process that Ebola uses to turn off the immune response," Schneller said. "So far, this molecule has showed it can block that process and people may wonder how we got it so fast, but you have to keep in mind we've been working on Ebola for nearly ten years."
Professor Schneller along with his team of researchers has been working with the National Institutes of Health and will publish the details of their work this month in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry.
In closing, President Jay Gogue discussed the large incoming freshmen class which is about five hundred students above the class average.
"This creates a huge demand," Gogue said. "It may not sound like a lot when you compare it to 25,000, but you have to think about the faculty to student ratio which is currently 1 to 18. We're going to have to add more faculty and it's very hard to find people with the right credentials in this part of the United Sates. So, we have to go out and find them and that can be expensive to do."
(08/16/14 6:52pm)
Each year, thousands of girls arrive in Auburn early in order to participate in sorority recruitment with the hopes of getting in their favorite sorority. This year was no different as the green space outside of the basketball arena was filled with friends and family of those participating in recruitment.
As the door to the arena flung open, nearly 1400 girls sprinted out of the gymnasium most of which were happy with their sorority choice.
With rumors spreading throughout the Greek community that this year's recruitment would be one of the largest in the school's history, Jill Moore, the director of Auburn Greek life, said this year's recruitment was the same as every years with the exception of the number of girls.
"Over the past five years, the average new member class has been about 60 members, but that has been creeping upward," Moore said. "Based on the trends and registration and the size of the incoming freshmen class, some classes may have about 70 girls."
Moore, who estimated there to be between 1,400 and 1,500 potential members prior to recruitment, said this recruitment while larger than previous years, was still only a few potential members more than the five-year average.
"It's only about 200 more than our five-year average of 1, 214," Moore said. "The Pi Chi groups might have had two or three more people and we had to order a little more supplies, but the process did not change."
Moore continued on to say that the new member learning process, which comes after recruitment is finished, will not be affected by the larger group of girls.
"We always want new member education processes to be safe and fun," Moore said. "But these new member classes will not be big enough to mandate a change in the way we do things."
This year, Auburn panhellenic gave out 1,278 bids to girls who are now referred to as new members. 1401 girls were registered for recruitment but 17 were no shows, leaving 1,384 girls that participated in sorority recruitment.
Anna McCarthy, a junior in marketing and member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, said this year's rush was one that brought their sorority together while having the chance to meet a great group of girls.
"There was so much planning involved at times which could be a little much," McCarthy said. "However, a lot of people stepped up to the plate to help which brought everyone closer I think. I'm just excited to watch these girls join our sorority and develop over the next couple of years."
McCarthy, who accepted a bid from Pi Beta Phi nearly two years ago to the day, said she remembers the feeling of opening the panhellenic paper and knows the excitement the girls are feeling right now and will feel for some time to come.
"It's an overwhelming feeling but it really doesn't set in until a few days later," McCarthy said. "Going through a week of rush isn't as easy as some people make it out to be. There's a lot of waking up early and a list of other things. Today is a day of celebration and finally some relaxation for everyone."
Hope Hays, an incoming freshman and now a new member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, said the experience was exhausting at times but worth it when it is all said and done.
"I met a lot of awesome girls over the past week and made friendships that may not have been made without going through recruitment," Hays said. "I'm so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to join ADPI. A week of recruitment is without a doubt worth it when bid day comes around and I can't wait to see what the coming years have in store."
The new members will now go through their sorority's new member education process prior to be initiated into the sorority in which they received a bid.
(07/25/14 12:00pm)
Following the election of SGA president Logan Powell and the selection of his five-person executive committee, the six executive officers honed in on one goal: obtaining student feedback.
SGA meetings were filled with appointing officers left from the previous spring semester, forcing the newly elected SGA members to set the goals for the future on the wayside.
Now, four months after being elected, Powell and his executive committee have carved out a clear plan for the upcoming year. With each executive officer assigned different tasks, they have spent their summer coming up with plans of action to complete these tasks to better Auburn University.
However, Powell said he believes, before beginning their tasks, SGA must begin by analyzing the SGA mission statement, which reads, "Serving and promoting the individual student and unifying all that is Auburn."
Four months into their term, the committee still has the mission statement in the back of their mind as they sprint to the fall semester, Powell said.
"That's one statement we're going to look to throughout the year as we try and obtain our goals and, really, as we just serve in the positions," Powell said. "A lot of times, we have the tendency, of four months from now, to kind of be in a vacuum getting our stuff done, and we forget why we ran and what SGA is for, and so that has to bring us back to that base line."
Colson Smith, vice president of programming and senior in biomedical sciences, has worked with Powell this summer to coordinate a game-day committee to discuss all game days, including basketball, baseball, equestrian and football.
"We will just kind of be the mouthpiece for students to the athletic department," Smith said. "We haven't had that in the past so it would kind of be a permanent committee that could make recommendations on what we need. For example, if it's too crowded in the stadium, the committee would come up with a solution for that and other game day issues."
Taylor Akers, chief of staff and senior in communications, said the committee has completely overhauled last year's student feedback program with a new one - Auburn Answers.
Akers said the committee has had discussions on the best way to go about retrieving better feedback.
"The communication side has been about where it's going to be most effective for us to get the feedback and setting up organization visits and chapter visits and just making sure we are really reaching all of Auburn's campus," Akers said.
Following a 3.7 percent tuition increase this summer, Richmond Gunter, SGA treasurer and senior in finance, said he believes the most important things for students to do is to keep SGA and the University accountable for the money they spend. Gunter said he sees accountability as one of the most important aspects to his job and said the committee is going to implement a purchase order procedure for every student activity portfolio.
This portfolio allows students to see what UPS or SGA spends money on. For example, if SGA spends $1.50 on pencils, students will be able to see the charge and what it was spent on, according to Gunter.
"That is the level of detail you will be able to drill down, so you will do a better job of holding us accountable because I truly believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant," Gunter said. "It's the student body's money, so they have the right to know exactly how that money is being spent and to hold people accountable to that."
Tying in with Gunter's focus of being accountable, Jackson Pruett, vice president of initiatives and senior in political science, spent his summer working with the University and the executive committee to make University transportation more efficient. Pruett said the late night transit system was set up a few years ago for students to get around campus at night and to go downtown areas safely.
"We feel like we do a pretty good job keeping students safe right now but one thing we want to do in addition to that is to make the transit system as efficient as possible, which ties into the thing of how we are spending our money in an accountable, good way."
Pruett said with the exception of one drop-off/pick up location, the other transit stops would remain the same. An example of attempting to increase efficiency would be changing from a transit bus to a van in lower traffic areas, according to Pruett.
"We're trying to meet supply and demand, and so there's some areas that are being serviced by buses right now that probably a van could service," Pruett said.
Gunter, who commended his fellow executive officers on a summer well done, said there is no time to play while on SGA because of the limited time they have in office.
"This is a sprint, and we are running as hard as we can to the finish line," Gunter said. "We don't have time to play with small ideas, so we are going big and trying to start things that will carry on two, three, four, five years down the road."
(07/25/14 4:00pm)
Call him what you want: family man, Auburn man, a winner or even a loser, if you don't cheer for the Auburn Tigers.
But one thing cannot be denied about Coach Gus Malzahn -- he is a man of second chances.
While many people wonder why Malzahn continues to give players second chances, the answer is simple.
It seems to have worked out for Malzahn as a coach so far, as well as for the players.
It started in 2010 when a kid by the name of Cam Newton transferred to Auburn University from Blinn Junior College in Texas.
But that's not where the real story begins. Newton and Malzahn's connection began after Newton allegedly stole a laptop while attending the University of Florida.
Months later, it was uncovered Newton had allegedly violated the honor code as a freshmen by cheating in class.
Yes, the same football player who left Florida after allegedly stealing a laptop came to Auburn, where he was later named the Heisman Trophy winner -- the player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.
Fast forward to 2013, Malzahn's first season as the head football coach at Auburn.
A young man by the name of Nick Marshall was dismissed from the University of Georgia for allegedly stealing from a teammate.
In an instant, Marshall's career looked as though it was over.
However, a little help from Coach Malzahn got Marshall back on his feet faster than ever, literally.
Marshall took the job as Auburn's starting quarterback where he also thrived, leading the team to within 13 seconds of the school's third national football title and leaving his name in the Heisman mix for the upcoming season.
Many people online have called Auburn a classless program, but what is classless about giving a kid a second chance and watching him succeed and become a role model?
Nothing, nothing at all.
Every time Malzahn decides to give a future to a player with a sordid past, he sticks his neck out and takes the risk.
He puts his own reputation and the University's on the line.
Malzahn has enough confidence in his program and coaching staff to ignore the potential backfire with his players' reputation.
If Malzahn ignored Marshall and Newton, the odds of them becoming successful role models would have been low, which points the finger at an issue with today's society.
The trouble with today's society is not enough youth are given a second chance.
I understand life is not fair and not everyone gets a second chance, but throwing a kid in jail only makes his or her behavior worse.
Removing Newton and Marshall from football, the game they loved, for minor hiccups when they were younger would have only created more unsuccessful members of society.
Auburn has only had three football players arrested since Malzahn arrived in Auburn in December of 2012.
So I'll agree with Father Flanagan, whose core belief was "there are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking."
(07/19/14 12:00pm)
Every Tuesday during the summer, farmers from the surrounding the Auburn area flock to the Opelika Courthouse Square to showoff and sell their produce to market goers.
The market is open every Tuesday from 3 - 6 p.m. and will most likely continue to September.
At the market, customers find an array of different produce ranging from heirloom tomatoes grown in Selma to collard greens, bread and honey harvested in Tallapoosa County.
The market attracts many different kinds of farmers most of which farm with other family members.
Under the shade of a tent on the square sits Peggy Bryce, wife of a long-time Selma farmer, Morgan Bryce.
Over the constant chatter about produce and smells of good food, Peggy explained they have her experience at farmer's markets.
"We started 53 years ago and went to the original farmers market in Columbus [Georgia] to start with for years, and then they started having Opelika under the bridge and we moved over here," Peggy said.
With the exception of a few dry summers, Peggy said the business has been great, made evident when customers travel a few tents down to find another Bryce tent.
A third generation farmer, Morgan said he remembers farming around the age of 6, and has enjoyed it ever since.
"My granddad started farming in 1961," Morgan said. "Then after moving back to Auburn my Dad started farming in 1993. I started farming at 5 years old, helping sell and when I was about 6 or 7 (years old) I got my very first bean patch so I started picking beans and now I help pick everything and sell and also plant, water and hoe."
Morgan, who has been attending the farmer's market on and off for the past six years, said the turnout has not been all it could be do to the lack of advertisement but he remains hopeful on the future of the market..
"The turnout this year has been pretty good," Morgan said. "I just feel like the advertisement could have been better for this market, but I feel like word of mouth is really how the news of this market spreads. Its one of those things you would think after 5 o'clock you would have some of the people come by after work but between three and four is usually the peak hour for us selling wise."
Judy Freeman, mother of 11 children, said prior to starting a garden, she and her children would bake and have lemonade stands as a way for her children to make money from home.
Now, instead of a lemonade stand, Freeman and her three daughters Mary, Anna and Liana travel to the Opelika Courthouse Square to showoff and sell their homegrown crops from their own backyard.
"We started a big garden at home as a way for them to make money from home," Freeman said. "It's a good experience for the children because they learn responsibility. They have to be here on time and have to manage money."
Charles McCollum of Tallapoosa County has a large amount of honeybees he harvests honey from while also harvesting produce.
McCollum, who has been participating in the Opelika's Farmer's Market for sometime, said he could see the positive effects of the market in Opelika.
"I've been doing it since it was on the railroad down there and we moved up here, and we've done good here," McCollum said. "It's a good thing they got going here. There are people of all ages, including a lot of kids, and I just know its real good for the area."
(07/16/14 9:00pm)
The Auburn City Council approved a tax-free weekend for Auburn stores this past June. The tax-free weekend, which removes the Alabama state and city sales tax on some items, will take place from Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3.
The tax-free weekend will offer savings for parents sending their children back to school this fall while also allowing other store goers the chance at cheaper items.
Shoppers will be exempt from sales tax on certain items, including clothing, computers and computer supplies and any school supplies worth $50 or less.
According to Davis Wilder, an employee of The Locker Room - a men's clothing store in downtown Auburn - the tax-free weekend attracts customers at a time when business tends to slow down.
Other local business, such as J&M Bookstore in downtown Auburn, found the tax-free weekend does not increase sales.
"It helps a little bit," said Toby Hannah, manager of the art department at J & M. "We don't see as much business as some of the other stores around town, like the box stores. Pricing wise, we just can't compete with these big stores. We order stuff made by the gross and they order stuff made by the thousands."
While stores in Auburn have different views on the business effects of the annual tax-free weekend, both J&M Bookstore and The Locker Room employees agree the local economy would benefit more if it took place when more students are in Auburn for the tax-free weekend.
"The more traffic you have the more business you do, so it would be great for the economy," Wilder said.
Hannah, of J&M Bookstore, echoed Wilder and agreed the store would thrive more on the tax-free weekend if it were closer to the beginning of the fall semester.
"Yes, I think the students especially, if it were closer to the first of the semester, would help our business out especially since our business is primarily the college student business," Hannah said.
City officials said shopping locally keeps the economy moving as well as programs funded by tax dollars.
"Shopping locally helps the local economy and the local businesses that are owned, managed and staffed by your local friends and neighbors," said Director of Public Affairs David Dorton. "The rest of the year, shopping locally does all of that and supports the local tax base that supports a nationally ranked school system, the local streets and water, and all of the city services that citizens expect, including trash and recycling to police and fire to Parks and Recreation."
Items exempt from state and city sales tax:
- Clothing: All human worn apparel suitable for general use is exempt unless it otherwise appears on the taxable list; clothing items must cost $100 or less per article of clothing to be exempt.
- Computers, computer software and school computer supplies: A single purchase with a sales price of $750 or less will be exempt. Exempt item include computers, computer software and any item commonly used by a student in a course of study in which a computer is used.
- School supplies: Any items of $50 or less per item commonly used by a student in a course of study will be exempt. Supplies may include art supplies, reference maps and globes, textbooks on an official school book list with a sales price of more than $30 but less than $50 and books with a sales price of $30 or less per book
Items not exempt from the state and city sales tax include clothing accessories such as purses, jewelry and sunglasses. Also, furniture and devices or software are not exempt from the sales tax.
A list of exempt items may be found on the city's homepage at AuburnAlabama.org.
(07/12/14 4:00pm)
In the near future, when an order is placed online, the customer may no longer receive the package through the traditional United States Postal Service, ground or air delivery. Instead, an unmanned drone will deliver the package.
Chase Murray, associate professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering, is part of a research group at Auburn that has developed a plan to address changes in the material handling and logistics industry. These changes could allow for packages to be delivered by unmanned drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within two years.
"(Technology's) heading that way," Murray said. "However, we are still a ways off. Right now, it's illegal to fly UAVs for commercial purposes in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration will not allow it, but it is supposed to provide Congress with guidelines for the use of UAVs in 2015."
Murray said the idea came about after seeing an episode of 60 Minutes, which did a feature on Amazon. The episode revealed Amazon had UAVs and were planning to use them to start delivering packages.
"This sent shockwaves through the industry because of all the manpower (drones) could save," Murray said. "Instead of a person flying a plane, its an unmanned aircraft."
Amazon uses an eight-rotor octocopter, which is outfitted with a lunchbox-type carrier that sits below the UAV. The carrier can hold packages weighing up to six pounds. The octocopter will fly to the driveway, land, release the package and then fly away, Murray said.
The one major drawback right now is the UAV's battery life, which only allows for the Amazon's UAVs to travel within a 10 mile radius, according to Murray.
"That's very limited," Murray said. "The solution would be to try and increase battery capacity. However, that comes with a tradeoff. A better battery is probably heavier which may take away from the flight endurance of the UAV."
Murray teamed up with three other Auburn professors in order to workout the technical challenges.
David Bevly, professor in mechanical engineering, is responsible for working with the GPS and trying to find alternatives to GPS navigation.
"The UAVs rely on GPS, which is not a very reliable source," Murray said. "More work needs to be done in order for the drone to find its exact destination."
According to Murray, another drawback is the chance they may collide with passenger airplanes. Saad Biaz, professor in computer science and software engineering, is working on collision avoidance technology.
"We have a fleet of small UAVs that are able to fly in the same airspace," Murray said. "They avoid collisions by communicating with the ground control station that directs traffic."
Kevin Gue, associate professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering, works on a logistics plan which involves the process of getting goods from the manufacturer to the customer.
Gue said the idea came about after he met with Henrik Christensen of Georgia Tech at a Material Handling Industry (MHI) meeting. It was at the meeting Christensen suggested the materials handling and logistics industry undertake a plan similar to the one he had orchestrated for the robotics industry.
"It's from that roadmap that he came up with the idea of advancing technologies for delivery by UAVs," Murray said.
Gue utilized his research expertise in warehousing, material handling and order fulfillment to examine how upcoming technologies can have a direct impact on companies now, as well as 10 to 15 years in the future.
With companies like Amazon pioneering the use of UAVs through package delivery, Gue said he believes the industry will undergo a change.
"In robotics in particular, we're going to see a revolution in the next three to 10 years that I think is going to be shocking and exciting at the same time," Gue said. "We're going to have robots doing things that we never thought could be done. The technology is pushing us."
(07/10/14 6:00pm)
With the fall semester a month and a half away, the University is preparing to accommodate one of its largest freshmen classes since 2010.
It began last fall when Gus Malzahn and his staff drew in more than a million people to the TV and stadiums. Coming off a 3-8 season, Malzahn was able to come in his first season and only lose one game while giving Auburn fans what seemed to be one of the most miraculous seasons in Auburn history.
Although the Auburn football team fell thirteen seconds short of winning its third national title, the University saw an increase in the form of the number sixteen.
President Gogue said the University receives around 20,000 applications for a class that is between 3,800 and 4,000 in a normal year.
The football team's miraculous turnaround, on top of perhaps two of the most exciting games in Auburn history, led to a 16 percent increase in the number of applications received by the end of fall, Gogue said during his State of the University Address this past February.
"We're up about 16 percent in terms of total applications this year versus last year," Gogue said. "And that certainly ties in with the success of our football program."
Now, five months after Gogue addressed the state of the university and the increase in applications, it's time for the University to gear up for the upcoming freshmen class.
First Year Experience, the group that coordinates Camp War Eagle, was not permitted to release the number of incoming freshmen but did confirm that this freshmen class is larger than the average class size.
Each year, thousands of girls arrive in Auburn early in order to participate in sorority recruitment with the hopes of getting in their favorite sorority. This year will not be any different from previous years besides the number of girls, according to Jill Moore, Director of Auburn Greek Life.
"We estimate there will be between 1,400 and 1,500 potential members this year," Moore said. "This is only about 200 more than our five-year average of 1,214. The Pi Chi groups might have two or three more people and we will need to order more supplies, but our process will not change."
Moore also said the number of new members will not effect the new member learning process that comes after recruitment is finished.
"We always want new member education processes to be safe and fun, " Moore said. "But the new member classes will not be big enough to mandate a change in the way we do things."
While Auburn does not lack much in its on campus dining, the University has funded the construction of a new dining facility, President Gogue said. This new facility will help alleviate the cluster that often happens in the student center during dining hours and also provide healthy alternatives.
"It will be open to all students and it's supposed to have all of these different choices of food that are color coated," Gogue said. "So, if you are on a gluten free diet, you will be able to pick all the foods that are that color."
(07/05/14 4:30pm)
Dusty Slay, of Opelika, began his journey as a comedian in 2004 after leaving for Charleston, South Carolina.
Nearly 10 years later, Slay is set to return to Opelika to perform on The Road Trip Comedy Tour.
Tuesday, July 8, at 6 p.m., Slay along with Vince Fabra. Evan Berke and Derek Humphrey will take the stage at the event center in downtown Opelika for a two-hour show.
Tickets are $10 in advance at the Opelika Event Center website or by phone at 334-705-5466 and are $15 at the door.
The doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.
The tour, hosted by comedian Evan Berke, begins Saturday, July 5 in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
When Slay moved to Charleston, South Carolina, he said he found little to no comedy scene or mic nights.
"So I started one," Slay said. "We'd be in front of terrible audiences. One night I took the stage and everyone actually paid attention, and it was the most terrifying thing in the world."
From there, Slay began coming up with a comedy routine.
In his routine, Slay said he shares observations from his life growing up; life with (and without) drinking; his many years of waiting tables and the many things people said that don't make sense.
Slay has a different perspective and a genuine approach to stand-up comedy and loves to make people laugh.
"I work at a seafood restaurant that brings in lots of tourists," Slay said. "I carry my note pad, and when something weird happens I write it down. If I have a bad table, I just tell myself, 'This could make a great joke.'"
In 2012, Slay quit drinking and left his job in pesticides to focus on being a stand-up comic.
After two years of focusing on stand-up, he said his goal is to become famous enough to do stand-up anywhere.
"I want to be famous enough that any club will book me, but I don't need to be Dave Chappelle," Slay said. "If I saw everyone on the street screaming, 'I'm Rick James!' I might go crazy."
Slay made a move towards his dream of becoming famous when he went to New York for a month and performed everyday, sometimes multiple times a day.
"I liked the idea of doing comedy every day for 30 days," Slay said. "So last August, I went to New York and did 36 open mics and seven showcases."
During one performance, Slay said he vividly remembers embarrassing his parents, and credits that moment to his parents never attending his shows.
"The first time my dad came to a show, this middle-aged couple was there wasted," Slay said. "The woman dropped her glass and it shattered as her face hit the table. They got up to leave and I said, 'Well there goes Mom and Dad. That's why they never come to my shows.' It was the biggest laugh of the night."
Through his performances, Slay said he found comedy is a form of art because of the immediate feedback necessary for success.
"Comedy is one of the most natural forms of art," Slay said. "People can say they love a painter's painting even if they don't. But if a comedian's jokes aren't funny, he's going to know. If no one laughs, it ain't funny."
(06/25/14 8:30pm)
Smartphones, laptops, iPads and global positioning systems help people connect and simplify their lives, but even with these tools, people cannot always connect with the help they need.
Medical help, in particular, can be hard to come by in rural areas where patients often have to drive long distances to receive medical attention. In Alabama there is only one hospital for every 557 square miles, and the lack of medical coverage has had a negative impact on the state's overall health.
Two professors, from Auburn University and the University of Alabama, have teamed up to find an answer to this problem. Rafay Ishfaq, assistant professor of supply chain management in the Harbert College of Business, and Alabama's Uzma Raja are using their backgrounds in logistics and business analytics to find a unique alternative to traveling long distances for medical care.
Ishfaq said the plan is to create a road map that will assist policy makers by identifying strategic locations in Alabama where telemedicine centers could be opened and operated.
According to Ishfaq, telemedicine is a healthcare delivery mechanism for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients where doctors and patients are separated by space.
Ishfaq said he believes telemedicine can be used to connect patients to doctors thousands of miles away.
"You can use technology to potentially connect local patients with specialists as far out as a cancer hospital in Houston or a heart specialist in New York City," Ishfaq said.
Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology.
"In telemedicine, patients are mediated through information and communication technologies," Ishfaq said. "The use of telemedicine is typical in regions with large and dispersed rural population, much like in Alabama, where geographical, economical and cultural barriers have resulted in misdistribution of hospital-delivered healthcare services."
Ishfaq believes many chronic health issues in rural communities stem from patients not receiving the correct post-operative care and regular monitoring. Ishfaq also noted that doctors will not travel long distances just to see one patient.
Ishfaq said once patients who live far away from the nearest hospital are discharged, they are seemingly on their own, which is where telemedicine is useful.
"Can you imagine post-operative care and the regimen that needs to be with a person with depression or a heart condition," Ishfaq asked. "They need regular monitoring. A specialist is not going to travel to a remote location to see his patient."
Ishfaq said he believes the solution to this healthcare problem is through incorporating logistics such as location and travel time as well as how many patients could be seen at one time.
The patients who find themselves far from medical care can now begin to count on telemedicine health centers throughout the states rural areas.
"You need to design that healthcare delivery system which incorporates logistical considerations. Where do you put your health care facilities? How far does a patient have to travel to get to that place? What would be the patient load at a facility that you don't overwhelm its resources?"
Business analytics techniques can be applied to identify heath care needs in particular areas.
"The rural communities of the Black Belt region have specific healthcare issues," said Raja. "The ability to accurately predict the demand of healthcare services is critical while designing the rural healthcare infrastructure."
Ishfaq and Raja used census data for county-level demographics and health survey data from U.S. Center for Disease Control.
Ishfaq said they would use the estimates and build on top of the logistical issues as they do in supply chain management and sees no reason why the techniques of supply chain management cannot be used for healthcare services.
Raja said big data collection, storage and access has opened doors to "new research opportunities."
Ishfaq said he believes there's two elements to telemedicine service and believes their research has paved the way for providing economically viable human healthcare.
(06/13/14 11:50pm)
An Auburn University student was struck by a vehicle Thursday morning around 9 a.m. at the corner of Cox Street and West Glenn Avenue.
According to Opelika Auburn News, the 22-year-old student was airlifted to a Columbus, Georgia hospital after she was struck by a grey 2013 Jeep Wrangler.
Capt. Lorenza Dorsey of the Auburn Police Division said officers responded to a call at 9:09 a.m. Thursday. He said the female, who he did not identify, was traveling northbound away from campus. The driver of the Jeep was a 44-year-old unidentified female Auburn native who was heading westbound, according to Dorsey.
Amy Wright, a junior in zoology, was on the scene moments after the woman was hit and described the woman as unrecognizable do to the injuries suffered during the impact.
"She was really badly injured," Wright said. " Most of her top teeth were knocked out because her jaw was impacted in. Her leg looked disjointed from her knee and maybe a couple of broken ribs and a broken nose."
Wright said the woman was completely still when she first saw her but was still somewhat responsive when they began taking her to EAMC. Wright was unsure if the woman lived in her apartment complex or not and could not verify do to the injuries suffered.
Wright said the female was treated at the scene by emergency personnel and Dorsey confirmed that she was subsequently airlifted to Columbus Regional Healthcare System. He said the injuries the victim sustained were not life-threatening.
Dorsey said that although the incident appears to be an accident, it is still under investigation.
(06/13/14 4:00pm)
An Auburn professor designed a new mobile application that makes class attendance easy to check.
Wei Wang, alumni professor of graphic design in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design, created the app "Class Roll," which is designed for taking class attendance on an iPad or iPhone.
Both a teacher and designer, Wang said he knew what was needed to make the app useful and easy for students and professors to use.
During the past spring semester, Wang took on the project while teaching his graphic design students how to create mobile applications.
Wang worked on the project at night to stay a step ahead of his students, which allowed him to create "Class Roll" as a model for the class.
The app allows students to log into class using their iPhone or iPad.
A few key features of the app include: editing attendance records, customizing class schedules, viewing individual student attendance records and sharing class attendance reports.
A full list of features can be found at ClassRoll/App.com and on Apple's App Store.
"Class Roll" could replace the iClickers niche of large class attendance taking at the University.
This can save students money that currently goes to purchasing an iClicker.
"I would much rather download 'Class Roll' than buy an iClicker," said Hunter Graham, sophomore in aviation management."People will most likely always have their phone on them whereas I see people leave their iClickers at home or in their car quite a few times a week. I think it would make the teacher and students' lives easier."
Wang graduated with a Bachelors in Industrial Design from Shenzhen University in China in 1993, followed by a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Utah State University in 1997 and a Masters in Fine Arts from Louisiana Tech University in 1999.
Wang has been teaching graphic design in the School of Industrial & Graphic Design, College of Architecture, Design and Construction at the University, since he graduated from Louisiana Tech University.
Founder and creative director of Oneway Studio and the associate art director of DesignAlabama, Wang's main areas of research are brand strategy, user-experience design and web and interactive design.
Wang has also designed corporate logos, websites and advertising campaigns for many clients in the United States, such as NASA, Coca Cola and Volkswagon.
Wang's work has been featured in the book "Global Corporate Identity 2" and he has been the recipient of numerous of awards including an Auburn University Alumni Professorship from 2009-14, numerous American Advertising Federation ADDY awards, Horizontal International Interactive Design awards and an Interactive Media Award.
"Class Roll" is available for $2.99 on the Apple App Store.
(06/12/14 12:00pm)
An Opelika Youth Ministry has been under fierce scrutiny the past week due to the erection of a billboard featuring an Adolf Hitler quote.
A billboard at the Village Mall in Auburn, was put up, covered and then removed in just days. The billboard featured five children, a quote from Adolf Hitler and a bible verse.
According to Lamar Advertising's Montgomery office, the billboard was rented out by Life Savers Ministries, based in Opelika.
The Hitler quote read: "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." The quote was taken from a 1935 speech in which Hitler tried to capture youth's attention towards the Nazi movement.
Below the Hitler quote was a Bible verse from Proverbs which read "Train up a child the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
The billboard, seen by thousands via internet alone, has caused people in the Auburn community to wonder why an organization such as Life Savers Ministry would put up the billboard.
"I just don't see why in the world someone would put a Hitler quote next to a Bible verse, much less next to kids," said Jamie Shepherd, a sophomore in pre-communication. "I don't see how that billboard could help the ministry in any way possible, but maybe that's just me."
The billboard went up Friday and was taken down shortly after, following a request from Life Savers Ministry.
Life Savers Ministries, founded in 1996, now has a number of school buses and a facility of its own "where hundreds of boys and girls are brought from around 20 different rough and tough locations throughout Opelika and Auburn," according to the ministries site's about page.
Founder James Anderegg told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer it was not their intention to confuse the public and sees that other quotes could have been used.
"We are pulling the billboard and certainly never intended to cause confusion," Anderegg told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Anderegg went on to say that President Herbert Hoover would have been a better person to quote, also saying that the children were the heart of their ministry.
'Children are our most valuable resource,'" Anderegg said. "We are a children's organization and had honorable intentions and nothing less."
Although it was LSM's decision to put up the billboard and then remove it, Lamar Advertising Company ultimately has the final decision in what content reaches their billboards. Deemed the "Outdoor Advertising Company," Lamar works the same as a television station or newspaper and is therefore not required to put up any sign from anyone who pays them.
The Auburn Plainsman was unable to reach anyone at the Lamar Advertising firm in Montgomery for comment.
However, according to their about us page on their site, Lamar Advertising gives their customers a blank page in which Lamar Advertising will help create the ad in order to deliver the message with a strong impact.
"We offer our customers a blank canvas and provide the support to deliver their messages with maximum impact, from start to finish," reads the page on their site.
(06/04/14 6:56pm)
Maya Angelou, internationally known author and poet, died in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Wednesday, May 28 after reportedly being in poor health. Angelou published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry. She was also credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years.
In 2011, President Barack Obama presented Angelou with the highest award a civilian can receive: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This award recognizes individuals who have made commendable contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
In the Fall of 2012, the College of Liberal Arts hosted Angelou as part of an event called "Angelou and the Arts." Following the event, Angelou gave a speech in the sold out Auburn Hotel Conference Center as part of the Women's Leadership Institute Extraordinary Women Lecture Series.
Longtime friend and Assistant Vice President of Access and Community Affairs, Paulette Dilworth, recalled the speech as being your average Maya Angelou speech, which were never truly that average.
"It was pretty typical of Maya," Dilworth said. "I would say it was the little nuggets of wisdom that she always shared with people about life and living and always looking for ways to be hopeful."
Angelou's legacy is ingrained in her artistic works that have influenced many generations by taking a stance for justice, education and equality.
Dilworth remembered her friendship with Angelou starting at Emory University, where Dilworth heard Angelou speak for the first time.
"She came to Emory a couple of times while I was there, but the one time that stuck out to me was the first time I actually met her," Dilworth said. "I actually had a chance to sit with her and talk to her and she was just very authentic, nothing fake, nothing phony."
Dilworth said she was always impressed with Angelou for trying to better people's lives in any way she could.
"I think for me what was always impressive wherever she talked, or whatever talk she gave, it was looking for ways to honor the humanity in people like this whole idea of diversity was important to her or people learning how to live better lives with each other," Dilworth said.
Angelou was known for having immeasurable wisdom and Dilworth said she also seemed to care about each person she encountered, and what was going on in his or her minds.
"She pretty much had what I would characterize as a lot of wisdom to share all the time," Dilworth said. "She was always interested too in knowing a little bit more about you as an individual and what was on your mind."
Angelou had a difficult childhood, which she portrayed in her first autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." The first of three autobiographies debuted in 1969 and vividly portrayed racism in the South.
In one interview, Angelou said she wanted her readers to feel as if they were experiencing what they were reading instead of thinking that they were reading.
"I want to write so well that a person is 30 or 40 pages in a book of mine before she realizes she's reading," Angelou once said.
Dilworth was quick to say that she thought Angelou reached that goal of getting the readers into the story.
"She absolutely did that," Dilworth said. "I read 'I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings' in one night and then was upset with myself because I read it so fast. Then I had to go get the next one. I mean, that's just how she wrote."
While Dilworth does not believe it was Angelou's intention to set the precedent for female writers, she said she certainly believes Angelou did so.
"I think what she showed us was that it is possible to carve out a place for you to tell your story and tell your story the way you want to tell it if you are a woman and you are a writer, " Dilworth said.
(05/21/14 2:20am)
The Auburn City Council approved a number of allowing new contracts between the city and three new companies at the Tuesday night meeting.
Although The McPherson Companies, Inc. have worked with Auburn in the past in fuel sales to the city, they also served as the fuel accounting company for the city. According to City Manager Charles Duggan, this new agreement will still
allow for the purchase of The McPherson Companies Inc. fuel, but will shift the accounting responsibilities.
"We were using McPherson to account for the gasoline we were purchasing and through their system we were assessing those charges to each department," Duggan said. "Now, we are going to get a new system where we can divvy that out ourselves."
According to Duggan, prior to the new agreement Auburn paid McPherson strictly for units of gasoline used. Now the city will pay them upfront for an amount of fuel rather than by units.
"So, before they were delivering the gasoline to our tanks and as we were using it and paying them," Duggan said. "Now they will just deliver it, put it in the tank and we will pay for it and take care of the accounting ourselves."
In another agreement involving The McPherson Companies, Inc., the Auburn city council authorized the purchase of $40,189.56 of fuel.
The second agreement the council reached was an agreement with Kann Manufacturing Corporation, a manufacturer of refuse, garbage, recycling and agricultural truck bodies. Kann will utilize $29,154 of grant funds to purchase three compartmentalized containers for trough loader recycling collection trucks.
City Council also approved a sales tax holiday from Friday, August 1 to Sunday, August 3, which will allow for certain items to be exempt from city sales tax. According to Duggan, the Sales Tax Holiday aims toward lowering prices for those participating in back to school shopping.
(04/28/14 12:19am)
Auburn University took time Sunday, April 27, to honor the lives of nine of students who passed away during the academic year.
Gathering on the campus, which these men spent much of their time on, friends and family celebrated the lives of Matthew Cole, Scott Kincaid, Stephen Kirby, John William McCarron, Justin Mooney, Dawson Morris, Scott Shockley, Tate Sutherland and Barrett Townsend.
Jon Waggoner, interim vice president for student affairs, said the overall academic and non-academic efforts by these nine students should not be overlooked, but rather should be praised.
"I would like to acknowledge that these students achieved so much just by working so hard to get to Auburn and by studying and contributing everyday while they were here," Waggoner said. "These efforts are to be commended and praised."
Waggoner said while the lives of these nine men were cut short, it is the quality of life they lived that makes them so special.
"It is in the final analysis, what we do with our lives that matters and not how long we lived," Waggoner said.
In front of saddened friends and family, Randy Roberts, assistant director of the fellowship of Christian athletes, expressed the University's condolences to the families, as well as the University's desire to walk with them through these tough times.
"The Auburn family's desire is to reach out to you, to touch you, someway expressing that we are faithful," Roberts said. "We remember and we celebrate the lives that many of you allowed us to experience."
Following Robert's remarks, family members of those that passed lit a candle in honor of each of the nine students.
Candles lit and the room silenced, Waggoner once again spoke of the students and their accomplishments, pointing out something special about each individual student.
"These boys accomplished so much during their lives and touched so many of us so deeply," Waggoner said. "And so, we will think of them often, playing guitar at the house, throwing a ball with the dog at Chewacla, discovering the stars through a telescope, helping others as a gentle giant, playing practical jokes on a friend, being tapped for lambda sigma, marching in the Auburn University Marching Band or even crushing a chemistry final."
Logan Powell, junior in political science and president of Student Government Association, said although times like these are tough, it's times like these when the Auburn Family should gather around one another.
"Obviously, today's ceremony was saddening as we remembered the lives of our fellow Auburn students," Powell said. "But, it's times like this one that remind you of the importance of the Auburn Family and the support system we can provide for one another in times of grief or hardship."
Powell said these nine students will be remembered by the Auburn Family for a long time.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those we have lost," Powell said.
In his closing, Waggoner assured the families that their sons would forever be Auburn men.
"We will remember them with fondness," Waggoner said. "Forever Auburn men, forever frozen in their youth and their victories. Their glory will not fade."
(04/25/14 2:45pm)
Q: What services does the career center offer students who have just graduated?
A: For students who have just graduated, we offer pretty much all of our services just like we do our students who are currently in session.
So, that's everything from helping with resume writing, cover letters, grad school applications, mock interviews and job search strategies.
We can meet with students one- on-one to do this and then also our e-resume review service is available if the student is moving away.