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(04/23/14 4:00pm)
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering received a $10.55 million philanthropic investment nearly two weeks ago from Walter S. "Walt" and Virginia E. "Ginger" Woltosz to support its student's educational needs and faculty's research efforts, while also bettering the technical advances of its research facilities.
Walt Woltosz earned a bachelor's degree in 1969 and a master's degree in 1977 in aerospace engineering from Auburn and also holds a master's in administrative science from the University of Alabama.
In 1996, Woltosz founded Simulations Plus, a company that is now a leading developer of simulation and modeling software for drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Woltosz, now the chairman and CEO, has worked to get his product to be used by more than 200 pharmaceutical firms, including the world's Top 25, helping to analyze new products and saving millions of dollars in research and development costs.
In 1981, Walt and Virginia founded Words+, a leader in creating state-of-the-art products that unlock the person by providing the high quality communication and computer access tools available.
Beth Smith, assistant director of communications and marketing for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, said Woltosz is a prime example of an Auburn Engineer who has made an impact on the world.
"Walt has quite a distinguished career and a very interesting career," Smith said. "He is a good example of an Auburn engineer who has gone on to really make significant implications for the well-being of people throughout the world."
Woltosz idea for Word+ came about when his wife's mother became ill. It was then that Woltosz began developing augmentative communication systems for person with severe disabilities, ultimately becoming successful.
Smith said Walts influence has even reached internationally renowned people.
"His work in augmentative communications was very significant, reaching as far as Stephen Hawking, the internationally renowned astrophysicist, who used some of Walt's technology to enhance his ability to communicate," Smith said.
The $10.55 million donation is the second largest individual donation in the College of Engineering behind Samuel Ginn's $25 million donation which ultimately led the college to bear his name. The Woltosz's donation will enhance their previous support of the Woltosz graduate fellows program while also funding educational initiatives, research efforts, and advancements in the colleges research facilities.
Woltosz said he knew his education was supported by donations such as this one which is why he felt the need to give back to the university that once treated him.
"The quality of an Auburn engineering education is evidenced by the tremendous success of so many of the college's alumni, and I have been one of the very fortunate ones," Woltosz said. "We know our educations were supported by the gifts of others, so now it's our turn to 'pay it forward.'
Smith said the donation is significant not only because of the amount but also because of the things Woltosz supports.
"It's very significant, in particular because of the kinds of things that Walt is supporting," Smith said. "He has contributed to the college for many years but has done a lot for our graduate fellowship program and supporting graduate fellowships that help us increase our ability to attract some of the brightest graduate students."
In recognition of their support, the Auburn University Board of Trustees voted to name engineering's central research facility in the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology as the Woltosz Engineering Research Laboratory.
Christopher Roberts, the dean of engineering, said it's only fitting for the research laboratory to be named in Woltosz's honor.
"Given Walt's tremendous contributions to innovation throughout his career, it is quite fitting for our advanced research laboratory to be named in his honor," Roberts said. "Walt and Ginger's investment in the college is pivotal to our ability to remain at the forefront of engineering research and education as we continue our trajectory of becoming one of the nation's premier engineering programs."
(04/24/14 1:15pm)
Auburn University's Harbert College of Business placed second nearly two weeks ago at the 2nd Annual Southeastern Conference MBA Case Competition hosted by the University of Alabama.
The SEC, known for its achievements in athletics, is given the opportunity to showcase its academics in competitions such as case competitions, which serve as the varsity sports of MBA graduate students.
All 14 SEC schools were represented by four-member teams in this particular competition. Auburn's Harbert College team of Lauren Little, Ty McCormack, Torrey Trawick and Kevin Dunham earned a $6,000 prize after finishing second to the University of Florida's Hough Graduate School of Business. The University of Georgia's Terry College of Business finished third, while the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business took fourth.
The competition began with the 14 schools competing in four-team divisions, with the four division winners advancing to the final round. Shawn Bradley, Regions' head of customer insights and analysis, presented a real-word scenario facing the banking industry. The student teams were then left with a 24-hour window to map out strategies, develop solutions and prepare to present them to a panel of judges.
Torrey Trawick, MBA graduate student in the Harbert College of Business, said the team started with the basics, performing a SWOT analysis, which pointed out Regions' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the company, and then went from there.
Trawick admitted he felt at somewhat of a disadvantage going into the competition because many of the SEC business schools are labeled as prestigious. However, Trawick said he believes Auburn's College of Business proved itself with this competition.
"I kind of went in assuming everyone would be smarter than us," Trawick said. "We didn't think we were that prestigious, but coming in second lets people know that we are capable of taking what we're learning and doing something relevant to a big company like Regions."
Prior to the competition, the team had only worked together for a brief period, much of which was practicing presenting their solutions, Trawick said.
"The only thing we did was we were given a slideshow that was a presentation Regions put together for their shareholders about how they performed in the last quarter of 2014, and we split it up in four different ways and just practiced and practiced," Trawick said.
The team's faculty adviser, management department head.
Chris Shook, said the team handled the stress extraordinarily well.
"I was impressed with how well the students did with the very limited time available and the stress they were under," Shook said.
Lauren Little, who took Shook's Business Strategy class last semester and was also a member of the case competition team, said many of the concepts learned in that class, as well as Shook's coaching advice, helped propel them into 2nd place.
"We all took his strategy class first semester and that was the foundation for everything at the competition," Little said. "We learned a lot of concepts and strategies that we were able to transfer over to the competition. We ended up using a good bit of that stuff we learned and then he was our mentor for the competition so he had a large part to play.
"He was really helpful and is a smart guy with a lot of knowledge and without a doubt was a major part in us getting 2nd place."
(04/15/14 6:15am)
The Student Government Association had a small agenda for their April 14 senate meeting. While the agenda was small, the requests were quite large.
The first new order of business on the agenda was an expansion fund request in the amount of $10,000 for the Center for Student Organization and Welcome Week Program. The Center for Student Organization provides opportunities for students to get plugged in with over 400 registered student organizations in order to enhance the Auburn experience.
The Center for Student Organization is responsible for putting on Welcome Week which is the designated period to welcome Auburn University's new and returning students to campus fall semester. Welcome Week is packed with over 50 events on campus ranging from the Block Party, pep rally and free movie, to outdoor activities, community service events and class tours.
According to Dillon Nettles, a senator for the College of Liberal Arts, the O-board is lacking sufficient funds to get them through October which is a problem for many on-campus organizations.
"This is really important for all of the organizations that are not SAP because they have to come to the O-board to request funding for travel vouchers or events for the organizations or things like that." Nettles said. "They have $5,000 to get them from August to October, and currently they spend about $3,000 to $5,000 a hearing and they have four hearings left."
The motion carried.
The second request came in the form of a $35,000 reserve fund request for the Student Media WEGL Radio Tower transmitter. The stations programming is broadcast at 3,000 watts from the Auburn's tallest building, the Haley Center.
There are a number of reasons for the relocation of WEGL 91.1 radio tower. However, President Jay Gogue's 10-year plan for the Haley Center to come down plays a large part in the decision to move the tower.
Another reason for a new transmitter came in the form of a report by an engineer nearly a year ago which stated that the transmitter only had months to a year left prior to failing, which could cost WEGL fines implemented by the FCC.
After many senators questioned whether or not to pass the bill which would grant WEGL the $35,000 for a new transmitter, Justin Matthews, a senator for the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, managed to persuade his fellow senators to pass the bill.
"This is $35,000 that is going to last us 25 years," Matthews said." Just from the internet alone, there's an average of about 3,500 people listening a month. We give UPC over a $500,000 budget for one concert that only has 4,600 tickets reserved for students. So, it's not like something we haven't done before. This compared to that is just tiny."
(04/08/14 3:10am)
The freshly appointed Student Government Association completed its confirmation of some new members to the association in its April 7 meeting. The new appointments included the 2014-2015 Organizations board as well as the confirmation of the Executive Director of Elections.
The 2014-2015 Organizations Board consists of seven individuals including Leah Bostany, Lydia Bowman, Hannah Clapp, Sharan Kalva, Lacey Kent, Alicia Valenti, and Taryn Wilson.
Sloane Bell, a junior in finance, was confirmed as the new Executive Director of Elections after her appointment weeks ago. Election board applications can be found on AU involved and are due Monday, April 14 by 4 pm.
Bell said she believes being on the elections council is something that people tend to overlook but an opportunity that provides experience within SGA.
"I would really encourage people to get involved on the elections council," Bell said. "It's a great opportunity to get involved that is often overlooked."
In other news, the Office of Student Involvement Technology Bank was granted a reserve fund request in the amount of $6,975.71. The funds will be used to purchase locked storage cabinets, IPad airs, cases, chargers, and cleaning solution as well as netbook chargers and a projector.
Walker Byrd, a junior in finance and senator at-large, said they just created a system which will allow the bank to monitor the technology and its condition.
"We just implemented a system where we have a contract where the borrower has to sign and agree to," Byrd said. "It's worked well so far but we can improve it and that's what this request was for, to ensure that everything is turned back in its original form."
Other new orders of business included the randomizing of ballot positions for future SGA elections. The amendment randomized ballots for each individual voter.
"This amendment will remove the chance for human error," said Savannah Silver, a sophomore in economics. "We're not all perfect people so it removes the chance of mistakes and any other trials that people face when it comes to ballot position selection process."
SGA also passed a resolution welcoming Bruce Pearl as the new Auburn University men's basketball coach. Pearl, who was hired March 18, has already made a large impression on campus participating in Pi Kappa Phi's dunk tank for Push America. Also, Pearl has opened up jobs to Auburn students.
Future orders of business include a $10,000 program expansion fund request for the Center for Student Organizations and Welcome Week as well as a $35,000 reserve fund request for WEGL Radio.
(04/05/14 2:20am)
(04/04/14 1:30pm)
Two weeks into the new Student Government Association term, the SGA executive officers said they have their focus on one large goal: obtaining student feedback.
Although the new executive officers have been in office for only two weeks, most of which was spent appointing other officers, they have their goals down on paper and are almost ready to begin discussing the plans to facilitate these goals over the next year.
The new executive committee, which includes the president, vice president, treasurer, executive vice president of initiatives, executive vice president of programming and chief of staff, has yet to meet with administrators, but has a vision for the future of the University, which is stated in their vision statement.
However, Logan Powell, SGA president and junior in political science, said he believes a strong SGA must begin by analyzing the SGA mission statement, which reads, 'Serving and promoting the individual student and unifying all that is Auburn.'
"That's one statement were 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."
Although that has been the mission statement for SGA for many years, Powell and the other executives said they are not going to brush it under the table, but are instead going to have it in the back of their minds at all times during the SGA year.
The six-person committee is hoping the mission statement will keep them focused on getting student feedback and said they believe each of them represent a different side of the University.
"Most of us come from different sections of the campus that we have represented during our time here," said Olabode Anise, SGA vice president and junior in computer science. "The main goal is making sure that we voice the concerns of them and making sure every group's voice is heard."
With an independent representative, a Greek Life representative and a Black Student Union representative in the mix of the six, Powell said he believes the University will be represented well as a whole.
"You have to go beyond that because it's only six people, but as a whole, I believe we will represent the campus well," Powell said.
All six of the executive officers have previous experience in SGA, which they said should assist in the easing of the transitioning between executive committees.
Jackson Pruett, SGA executive vice president of initiatives and senior in political science, said he believes the previous experience will help the executive officers have some knowledge of important student issues.
"It's a decent knowledge of what issues I think students are facing right now and a willingness to work hard and accomplish the goals that are going to make those students experiences better," Pruett said. "I think that's something SGA does a good job of and could always do a better job of."
Richmond Gunter, SGA treasurer and junior in finance, said he has a firm grasp on what issues students find important.
Gunter said his focus will be on spending SGA funds in an accountable manner.
"I want students to feel confident that their money is being spent in a way that's fair and accountable," Gunter said. "When you are trying to solicit feedback, it's important for you to articulate what your vision is and what you are doing, especially with our purchases or different ideas we are going to be implementing."
Taylor Akers, SGA chief of staff and junior in communications, will be assisting the director of student feedback.
Her background has both SGA experience and other organizational experience.
Although the new term started two weeks ago, Powell said he has done everything in his power to get the wheels rolling in the direction to give power to the students.
(04/06/14 2:15pm)
Jake Meadows, veteran and sophomore in international business, isn't your average student.
While many students graduate high school and go to college, Meadows graduated high school and went to the military.
Meadows, named after his grandfather who fought in World War II, said he received his grandfather's flag at the funeral procession and saw that as his calling to serve his country.
"My country has given plenty to me, so I feel like I need to give plenty back," Meadows said. "The world is a dangerous place with dangerous people and I feel like it's my duty to do as much as I can to stop them."
Beginning with basic training in Fort Benning, GA, Meadows embarked on a five-month journey, which consisted of many different phases.
Meadows was taught how to shoot, march, move tactically, defend himself and properly act like a soldier, things which he said eventually took a toll on everyone in training.
"Basic was no joke," Meadows said. "It's physically and mentally challenging all day. You're getting yelled at while having to perform a task, which is very difficult. By the end, everyone has been broken and has become a better person."
Following five months of basic training, Meadows boarded numerous flights, which eventually landed him and his infantry in Afghanistan.
Stationed in Leatherneck, Afghanistan, a base in southern Afghanistan, Meadows said it was like landing on a different planet.
"It was a long and uncomfortable flight," Meadows said. "We were in the middle of the desert so we were breathing dust. It was almost like going to mars. The thought of being in a combat zone sets in and you get scared and excited at the same time."
Once Meadows arrived in Leatherneck, he immediately was put to work.
Meodow's infantry started out as a light infantry unit, meaning they did things on foot, but eventually transitioned into a mounted unit which, he said allowed them to carry out their missions on convoys.
"Our job was to protect the military contractors and high ranking military officials whenever they went off base," Meadows said. "We lived on base and whenever someone wanted to go somewhere or do something off base they would come to us. We would then plane the mission and suit up and execute."
Meadows said driving the convoys, or mine resistant vehicles, which protect soldiers from IEDS, were one of his favorite memories from executing missions.
"We would usually switch out, but during these convoys, I would drive the MRAP," Meadows said. "It was fun driving a huge almost 10-foot-tall vehicle at 70 miles per hour."
On other missions, Meadows and his infantry would travel to nearby Afghani military bases to provide security to any contactors located there.
On these missions, each contactor would have two soldiers assigned to them just in case of insider attacks Meadows said.
"These are Afghanis who are in the Afghani military or police who for some reason decide to turn on the Americans who are their allies with deadly intentions," Meadows said. "They usually open up on the Americans and their fellow Afghanis with gunfire. Anything bad could happen at any second."
When Meadows was not protecting high ranking officials or carrying out other missions, he said he had little to nothing to occupy his time.
"I usually worked out twice a day to stay in good shape," Meadows said. "When I wasn't doing that or eating I would watch something on my laptop. That's really all we had to do."
After spending nearly nine months overseas in a heated combat zone, Meadows found it was time to come home, something he had been waiting to do for months, but said the feeling wasn't as great as he expected once he arrived.
"It just felt odd and I didn't know what to really think," Meadows said about returning to America. "It took a long time for it to actually hit me that I was back home in America. Sometimes I wish I could be back over there because I was so used to my routine and I was comfortable over there. It was a strange yet safe feeling."
It is quite evident to Meadows peers that the army helped form an outstanding young man. Meadows, who joined SAE this past August, has already made a large impact on the fraternity said Andrew Citrin, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and junior in biomedical sciences.
"Meadows has been an exemplary member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon," Citrin said. "We couldn't be prouder to have an individual of his caliber in our organization. Jake has proven himself to be a true gentleman through his leadership, strong work ethic and a desire to make our fraternity a better place."
After returning home and being accepted into Auburn, Meadows found that the University is doing its best to take care of their veteran students.
"The University treats me great," Meadows said. "They send me helpful emails almost every day trying to get feedback on things they can improve on when it comes to veterans. They try to help you with anything like finding a job or just managing school."
In Meadows opinion, the school could not be doing a better job in returning service to its veterans.
(04/01/14 5:00pm)
This past November, the Student Government Association tabled a bill that would change policy within Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium. The policy, which would make Jordan-Hare Stadium a No-Hate Zone, aimed to address concerns of offensive speech and slurs within the stadium.
At this senate meeting, many students spoke out on the positive effects of making the stadium a No-Hate Zone, citing beliefs that hate and disconnection poison the lively Auburn community. Many of the students who spoke said passing the bill would bring Auburn together as a whole.
While I do believe hate and disconnection do indeed harm the Auburn community and we should stand together as one student body, I do not think making Jordan-Hare Stadium a No-Hate Zone will solve the hate and discrimination within the stadium. There are many reasons why this policy would not work.
First, I do not think we should implement a policy to fix an on-campus moral problem. If there is hate or discrimination happening on campus, the University needs to look for a way to bring its student body together. Students should be able to walk through campus without the thought of being discriminated against crossing through their heads or even the thought that another student might want to say something hateful.
Although the policy has good intentions, the University should focus on fixing a problem if there is one present, rather than just implementing a policy and sweeping the problem under the table.
The second reason I do not think we should implement a No-Hate policy within the stadium is because many of our chants and battle cries are host to a curse word or two. If we implement the No-Hate policy within the stadium, we are throwing away years of tradition, something Auburn is known to value.
I'm not saying hate and discrimination are a part of Auburn's tradition; rather, I am saying that Auburn values tradition. If we rid our stadium of the chants and battle cries that have been screamed in there many times a year for many years, we are throwing away part of Auburn tradition. Other than parents with small children and sometimes not even those parents, I don't see many fans getting upset over the curse words used in our chants such as "War damn Eagle" or "Weagle weagle," so why throw them out?
On any given Saturday, if you ask a fan from an opposing team what they think of our fan base, they typically respond with words similar to "very respectful." What kind of message would we be sending opposing fans if they hear about the No-Hate policy prior to arriving in Auburn? They would more than likely think that Jordan-Hare, and maybe even Auburn as a whole, are hate-filled places with hate-filled people, possibly causing them to cancel their original plans. What happens when less people visit the campus? Odds are that the number of student applications and possibly even enrollment will go down.
The third reason I do not believe Jordan-Hare should be a No-Hate Zone is because it would take University dollars to fund some sort of No-Hate police or security. While this is a good idea, I find that it would be quite difficult to monitor every mouth inside the stadium - 87, 451 mouths to be exact. Also, what kind of message would Auburn be sending if it only took action on some of the reports, as the University would probably receive more reports in one day than it could handle during one game.
For example, let's say someone reports that a fan made a discriminating remark towards another fan and then a second person reports that a fan made a hateful remark towards the other teams fan base as a whole. What if the No-Hate police were unable to respond to the hateful remarks towards the other fan base but are able to handle the discriminatory remarks made in the first report? Auburn would be sending a message that we only care about certain remarks.
Overall, it would be a very difficult task to stop hateful speech or remarks within Jordan-Hare Stadium and if the policy comes as a way to curb hateful speech on campus, the university should find a way to bring its students together rather than making them act like they are together.
(03/26/14 3:16am)
The March 24 Student Government Association meeting had a smaller agenda than usual.
While the past two SGA meetings were filled with senator and executive officer appointments, the March 24 meeting only saw two new appointments.
The College of Architecture, Design and Construction schools council received a new Vice President in senior architect Jack Bigbie.
The council for the School of Nursing also found itself with a new Vice President as Hope Harrelson, a sophomore in pre-nursing, was voted in to fill the previously vacant position.
In other SGA news, the senate approved the deletion of the Auxiliary Services, Facilities and Campus Safety, and Legislative Affairs committees from the code of laws. The deletion of these committees was made up for by the creation of the Student Affairs Committee to the code of laws.
"The deletion of these committees will not really have an impact on the student body," said Olabode Anise, the vice president of SGA. "We felt like as a whole, those committees did not get enough done so we basically consolidated them into one committee which will catch everything that was done away with when the other committees were deleted."
The Student Affairs committee will be larger than many of the other committees within SGA.
(03/18/14 5:07am)
The SGA Student Senate meeting March 17 followed in the same fashion as the previous senate meeting.
The previous meeting, held March 2, called for the appointment of numerous senators and college council presidents in the College of education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Nursing and College of Business.
While the previous meeting readied the student senate for a year-long term, tonight's meeting aimed at filling the remaining vacant executive officers positions, which included the executive vice president of initiatives and the executive vice president of programs.
Logan Powell made all of the appointments.
Powell chose to appoint Taylor Akers, junior in communications, as the chief of staff.
Akers, who has experienced both inside and outside of SGA, said she hopes to get students more involved in SGA life.
"The goal I have for next year is to get a calendar out to the student body to say that this is what SGA is doing right now," Akers said. "So, if they want to volunteer or get involved in SGA things, like Hey Day and the Big Event, they can just look at the calendar and then go volunteer."
Powell appointed Jackson Pruett, senior in political science, as the executive vice president of initiatives. Pruett served as a senator at large on last year's student senate.
Pruett said the executive officers' focus will be getting student feedback in order to better the University.
"Hopefully over this next year we are going to launch a new program to gather student feedback directly," Pruett said. "It's going to involve going to where students are, whether it be organizations, fraternities or sororities. It's all about finding out what is going to make Auburn a better place."
Colson Smith, senior in biomedical sciences, was appointed as the executive vice president of programming.
Smith, who served on last year's cabinet, said his focus will be on bettering homecoming for everyone in the Auburn Family and downsizing the Big Event to some extent.
"Homecoming should be an awesome thing in Auburn," Smith said. "With the Auburn Family and the way alumni like to come back, homecoming should be a big deal to not only us, but everyone in the Auburn family."
Akers, Pruett and Smith will join alongside Powell, Vice President Olabode Anise and Treasurer Richmond Gunter to serve as the 2014-2015 SGA executive officers.
(03/04/14 3:01am)
The 2014-2015 Student Government Associations year began Monday, March 3, with the newly appointed members taking their seats.
With no new orders of business on the agenda, John Lemaster, pro tempore and junior in chemical engineering, made a motion to amend the agenda in order to get the SGA ball rolling.
The motion called for the first 13 future orders of business, which dealt with the appointment of bodies to vacant senate positions, to be moved to the March 3 agenda instead of voting on them after spring break.
Logan Powell, the newly elected SGA President, said he put a lot of time and effort into the appointments, believing they were the best decisions for the University.
"Tonight a lot of appointments are going to come through," Powell said. "You have the right to ask questions if you feel the need to."
The first order of business was the appointment of Kaitlin McPheeters, freshmen in graphic design, as the student senate executive secretary.
Nicole Jones, freshmen in business was appointed the student senate parliamentarian.
The third order of business continued along the same lines as the previous two, naming Mary Katherine White, sophomore in undeclared math and sciences, as the senate technician.
The new president of the College of Math and Sciences Council is Graham Norwood, sophomore in undeclared math and science, and the new president for the School of Nursing Council is Kristen Sims, junior in nursing.
Kohl Weir, junior in industrial and systems engineering, was appointed senator at large by Powell.
A number of new names will fill senator seats for six different colleges within Auburn.
Korey Boyd, GTA in the Kinesiology department, as well as Megan Eldridge, junior in exercise science, were appointed senators of the College of Education.
The appointment of Savannah Silver, sophomore in economics, as the senator of the College of Liberal Arts, caused some chatter about the meeting, but was quickly hushed when Powell walked the senate through his thought process on appointing Silver.
"Last year, I was able to witness Savannah coming to so many meanings, which she really had no incentive, she didn't have to take roll and she didn't have to click her clicker," Powell said. "It meant a lot to me that she spoke up on the issues she cared about. It meant a lot that she showed the passion and commitment to Auburn and Auburn students without even having the incentive."
Silver received the most votes out of the losing candidates, while receiving one-third of the votes from the College of Liberal Arts.
The College of Veterinary Medicine gained India Napier, junor in biomedical science, as senator.
Charlie Welch, sophomore in finance, was appointed as a senator for the College of Business while Logan Dean, junior in the School of Nursing, was appointed to the vacant senate seat in the School of Nursing.
SGA Senate meetings will continue following spring break with the appointment of a chief of staff, an executive vice president of initiatives and an executive vice president of programming.
(02/28/14 9:30pm)
Yik Yak, the newest social media app, has taken Auburn by storm over the past few weeks.
The mobile phone app gives users an anonymous live feed of what people are saying and doing around them without actually having to know them.
The app, which was created by two Furman University students in October 2013, requires no sign up, profile or password.
Yik Yak is completely community driven, with users creating all the content, which could be a major problem.
Yik Yak was created for the sole purpose of griping about things, people, places, classes or anything else on a college campus.
"[Yik Yak] has been mostly about fraternities and sororities and about individuals every now and then," said Rachel Tourne, a sophomore in pre-early childhood education. "I don't see anything positive coming from it, but I can also see why people would be so intrigued by it."
In its first three months, Yik Yak gained 100,000 users across five campuses, including the University of Georgia, Ole Miss, Clemson, the University of Virginia and Wake Forest, averaging nearly 15,000 messages each day.
The creators of Yik Yak meant the app to be used by college students only but have done little to prevent the spread into high schools and middle schools, causing a number of problems to arise.
The obvious problem with Yik Yak is that it provides an open forum for cyber bullying, which has been cited as the cause of many teen suicides in the U.S. and has little or no way of preventing such bullying.
The only bullying prevention tool the app contains is a two dislike and then disappear system, which still allows for people to view the post prior to it going away.
If a user posts something to Yik Yak and the post gains two dislikes then it automatically disappears but not before some users were able to see it.
The alternative way for a user to get a post removed would be by taking a snapshot of the Yik Yak the user wishes to be removed and emailing it to the Yik Yak team, which would then remove the post from the page.
With many reviews bashing Yik Yak and the immature forum it offers students, the Yik Yak founders ask that people give it time to develop, believing the longer a community is around the app, the more mature and constructive it becomes.
However, Dylan Powers, junior in industrial design, said he believes the app will disappear before the posts get better.
"When it comes down to it, I think the app will disappear in a month or so with the exception of the individuals who try to keep it going," Powers said. "Until then, I'd recommend deleting the app because from what I have seen, it cannot do anything positive for someone's life."
On Feb. 21, two minors in Mobile, a 14 and a 16 year old, were arrested for posting potential school shootings on the application and now face charges of terroristic threats, rendering the anonymous tag on the app a void one.
Yik Yak developers helped officials track down the school shooting users by releasing the cell phone information and tracking it to an address.
Anyone who considers using the Yik Yak app to make threats should realize authorities have the ability to pinpoint their location.
The app, which was originally created for use by college students, requires users verify they are over the age of 17 prior to downloading the app.
Although the app is community driven, Yik Yak could stand to make some changes to ensure the safety of high school student as well as college students is at the highest possible level. Until then, the Yik Yak guidelines will read:
"We rely on our communities to do the right thing. You have the power."
(02/21/14 10:54pm)
Auburn President Jay Gogue spoke in front of a crowd of 115 at Langdon Hall on Thursday, Feb. 20.
(02/11/14 3:51am)
The Student Government Associations' Major Candidate Debate took place in front of a packed Student Center Ballroom, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. With the opportunity to prove why they should fill the SGA seat they are seeking, candidates gave it their all in pointing out what they could do for the University and it's students.
Each Miss Auburn candidate as well as the unopposed treasurer, Richmond Gunter, began the debate by giving a description of their platform. Following this introduction, the vice president candidates readied themselves for a debate, mediated by current SGA President Harrison Mills and gave their opening statements.
"I kind of started at the bottom as a freshmen senator, so to speak," said Olabode Anise, vice presidential candidate. "I'm still having fun three years later. I'm still excited."
David Wisdom, the opposing vice presidential candidate, took the opening moment to tell people leadership is not always found through a resume.
"Your ability to lead others is not in your resume," Wisdom said. "Rather, it's in your heart." Wisdom and Anise were asked a series of different questions, mostly aimed toward their platform.
However, Wisdom and Anise were given the opportunity to differentiate themselves when Mills pitched them the same question pertaining to which code of laws affects students the most, and what could be changed.
Anise and Wisdom made similar points, both citing that elections affect students the most.
"Elections is where students have the opportunity to elect your student leaders," Anise said. "I want people to utilize the funds they have so they can actively represent you because it's actually about the platforms, not the gimmicks, or signs or anything else."
Wisdom echoed Anise in that elections could stand to be revamped.
"In the past year or so, we have put some Band-Aids on it," Wisdom said. "We need to form a committee this summer and talk about the ways different SEC schools do elections and see what they are successful at and what they are not successful at and take the best and hold onto the good and kind of revamp it."
At the end of the debate, each candidate was given the opportunity to make closing remarks.
"It's not about telling you what I know," Wisdom said. "It's about coming together and unifying all that is Auburn. There's nothing more meaningful than a united Auburn family."
Anise used his closing time to share his feelings that Auburn students know what is best for them, while also trying to point out that he is the best vice president for Auburn students.
"I didn't run because I've had experience in the past," Anise said. "The reason I ran is because I know that you know best."
Following the conclusion of the vice presidential debate, the presidential candidates took the stage with what could have been one of the last chances to gain new votes. In the opening remarks, both candidates utilized their time to identify why they chose to run for SGA president.
"Auburn's student experience is second to none," said Hayden Harrelson, presidential candidate. "Our SGA's responsibility is to build and foster key relationships between students and administrators in an effort to make the student experience better. However, I feel like SGA has lost its voice. It's time for a new, fresh prospective on SGA."
Powell followed Harrelson's lead, telling the audience why he ran for SGA president.
"Our platform and our ideas do reflect a true desire to serve," said Logan Powell, presidential candidate. "I ran for SGA president because I believe that everyone in this room should be empowered to create the best experience here possible."
Powell and Harrelson were asked a series of different questions pertaining to their platform, including ones submitted to the SGA twitter.
In the same manner as the vice presidential debate, presidential candidates were asked to answer the same question after a series of different questions. Mills asked both candidates how they planned to ensure the voice of the student body is heard and acted upon by Auburn administrators.
"I think it comes down to the shoulders of the SGA president, honestly," Powell said. "I do believe that every Auburn student is empowered here individually. I want to come to you as your SGA president with a notebook in hand and I want to write down your ideas and thoughts."
Harrelson's remark were similar in that he says it is the president's job to make sure students voices are heard.
"In my opinion, I believe either the president or someone from SGA should attend organizational meetings," Harrelson said. "We should ask them questions and get their feedback. As SGA president, we have to take that to the administrators and voice our opinions."
The debate was concluded with a video presented by SGA encouraging students to vote.
(02/10/14 8:12pm)
Who's next? With formal campaigning underway, candidates contend for top SGA positions as election day nears. DEBATE: Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Tweet @AuburnSGA any questions you feel should be asked during the debate. VOTE: Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Log on to AUAccess, click the campus life tab and follow the link to cast your vote. Two polling stations will be open on the Haley and Thatch Concourses as well.CALLOUTS: Elections results will be announced Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 10 p.m. on the back steps of Cater Lawn
* Presidential Candidates *
LOGAN POWELL "Powell to the people"
EXPERIENCE: Powell served on the facilities and campus safety committee of the senate this past year.PLATFORM: One of the ideas Powell said he hopes to implement is a mobile application that shows exactly where security shuttles are. "We want to make it so students don't have to stand outside in the cold or rain while they wait for a security shuttle," Powell said. "We want students to be able to sit in the library and look at their phone and recognize a shuttle is about to be there and then be able to get picked up rather than having to wait." According to Powell, another part of his platform is bettering on-campus dining by ridding the campus of the worst or less popular dining venues. "We want to take out the worst dining venues and give students options," Powell said. "There would be a poll of three or four restaurants and whichever ones won the polling would be brought on campus to ensure students have the dining options they want." Powell said he hopes to emphasize the importance of students completing their Auburn teaching evaluations, as he wants to make those public for students to see. This would allow students to see what teachers are like and see students' reactions to a teacher, making registering for classes easier. Although Powell's platform is full of ideas aimed at bettering student life, one of his ideas will be more popular than the rest. "Once a year, I want to be able to charter buses to a game in close proximity to Auburn," Powell said. "Whether it's Athens, Nashville or Oxford, I want to be able to load up charter buses and get Auburn students who did not have the opportunity to make it to an away game, the chance to make it to one." HAYDEN HARRELSON "A New Day for SGA" EXPERIENCE: Harrleson served as an assistant director for a Freshman Leadership Program and also in the executive office of students enabling students. PLATFORM: Harrelson hopes to restructure the way students register for classes so students are able to take the classes they need when they need to take them. "I tried for nearly three years to get into one class," Harrelson said. "The system needs to be revamped so students are able to sign up for classes they need, when they need them, in order to keep them on track for graduation." Harrelson's plan for Auburn also sets its eyes on student transportation. If elected, Harrelson would change the time parking lots open for students from 5 pm to 4:30 pm. Harrelson has drawn up a bike rental plan to make getting around campus easier for students. "We came up with the idea of having University bikes," Harrelson said. "The bikes would be locked in the racks outside of the library, Haley, Student Center, etc., and students could swipe their Tiger Card, rent the bike, ride it to their destination and return the bike there. Then, if need be, students could rent another bike to get back across campus." Although Harrelson has little experience within SGA, he says he has seen the improvements Auburn needs and is willing to work with students to ensure a better Auburn University. "Although I've never served on SGA before, I do not think it truly matters," Harrelson said. "I think having been a normal student here for the past years is enough qualification in itself. I've heard what students think and I believe I can help better the University for the students." * Vice Presidential Candidates *OLABODE ANISE "O Knows"EXPERIENCE: Anise served as an SGA senator for the past three years. PLATFORM: Anise's platforms consists of four points. First, he said he wants to make sure the senators are active and fulfilling their obligations, one of which is fulfilling the one-hour-a-week mandatory work. Second, Anise said he hopes to revamp the days leading up to exam week. "I really want to revamp those days prior to exam week," Anise said. "I know the administration has thought about it, but I want to make sure that all students have adequate enough time to prepare for their exams." Third, Anise said he plans on improving advising, whether it be academic advising or making registering for classes easier. Lastly, Anise said he plans to improve Wifi in nonacademic areas of Auburn, such as dormitories and the Student Center. If interested in assisting Anise with his campaign, contact campaign manager Rob Garcia via email at rzg0020@auburn.edu. DAVID WISDOM "Walk with Wisdom"EXPERIENCE: Wisdom served as president of the business school. PLATFORM: The first part of Wisdom's platform deals with emphasizing communication and interaction between students. For example, Wisdom said he hopes to revamp senate office hours."Lately, office hours have not been that effective," Wisdom said. "I want to make it so there is a biweekly student interaction report where senators discuss issues with students within their college and then create a report. That way, we can see what is concerning to students, as well as showing them we care about them and what they have to say." Also, Wisdom said he hopes to publish a summary of each SGA senate meeting following each meeting so students are able to follow what is going on within the senate. Wisdom said he hopes to revamp communication by making a Twitter just for SGA senate. "I want to make a Twitter [feed] available for students to read what's going on," Wisdom said. "I also want to broadcast the senate meetings on Eagle Eye TV, so if someone who wanted to come to the meeting could not make it, they could watch it through Eagle Eye and not miss a thing." Wisdom's platform extends past getting students interacting with senate into enhancing the academic experience and bringing new academic resources to Auburn. For example, Lowder has Scantron machines capable of printing student's information onto the Scantron. Wisdom said he hopes to expand those machines to every academic building on campus. Another improvement Wisdom said he hopes to make comes in the form of advising. "If we could have a freshman advising center, it would help guide them into the path they should be in," he said. "It would allow the freshmen resources to pick which major to declare, as well as a resource for skills and personality assessments." If you want to share your thoughts or concerns with Wisdom, look for the red couch with blue cushions on the concourse because according to Wisdom: "Before walking towards a brighter future, we must sit down and decide which way we want it to go." * Treasurer Candidate *RICHMOND GUNTER "Rich Makes Cents"EXPERIENCE: Gunter served as the assistant vice president of finance last year, and also served on the budget and finance committee of SGA senate PLATFORM: Gunter said he uses the last word in his slogan, "cents," to try and get his platform out to students. The first letter, C, represents his character. The second letter, E, represents his experience. The third letter of the word, N, represents Gunter's neighborly attitude. "I want to introduce myself to students and be approachable," Gunter said. "Students deserve to have their voices heard, and I'm willing to hear their stories and prospective in hopes of bettering the University." The fourth letter, T, represents the word thrifty and plays a major role in Gunter's platform. Every year, a portion of student activity fees are used to pay the salaries of involvement advisors. Gunter said he hopes to create an Involvement Advisors Review Board to solicit feedback from students. "The review board would be made up of a mixture of students and faculty," Gunter said. "It would be used to solicit feedback or complaints in which the board could decide what sort of action to take. However, the board would not have the authority to hire or fire." The final letter, S, represents service. Gunter said he hopes to double Miss Auburn's budget from $1,000 to $2,000. This budget increase would allow Miss Auburn to make a larger impact on the University and the community.
(02/05/14 10:57pm)
The Student Government Associations Feb. 3 senate meeting only had one new order of business on the agenda.
Eagle Eye television was granted a program expansion fund which will allow the student media organization the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas for a student media conference.
The bill, proposed by Richmond Gunter, the Assistant Vice President of Finances, allocates $7,608.93 to the student media travel line item.
The motion carried with little opposition.
In other Student Government Association news, the senate was visited by guest speaker Mayor Gordon Stone: an Auburn alum, mayor of the town of Pike Road and executive director of the Higher Education Partnership.
The Higher Education Partnership is an advocacy organization working to strengthen the standing of Alabama's four-year, public universities and communicate the critical role higher education plays in the economic well-being of the state.
Mayor Stone used the majority of his time to stress the importance of higher education to the state's financial well-being.
"Were 43rd in the nation in per capita income," Stone said. "Were 8 percent under the national average of adults with a four-year degree, so it is obvious to me that our lack of education has led us to earn less income as a whole."
Stone stressed the importance of getting involved in higher education in order to better higher education.
"The only way that you change trends is by getting involved in the process," Stone said.
Stone encourages students and people of all ages to attend Higher Ed Day on Feb. 27 at the capital in Montgomery.
"We need to let them know that what we stand for is people who make a difference," Stone said.
(02/04/14 3:01am)
The Student Government Associations Feb. 3 senate meeting only had one new order of business on the agenda.
Eagle Eye television was granted a program expansion fund which will allow the student media organization the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas for a student media conference.
The bill, proposed by Richmond Gunter, the Assistant Vice President of Finances, allocates $7,608.93 to the student media travel line item.
The motion carried with little opposition.
In other SGA news, the senate was visited by guest speaker Mayor Gordon Stone: an Auburn alum, mayor of the town of Pike Road and executive director of the Higher Education Partnership.
The Higher Education Partnership is an advocacy organization working to strengthen the standing of Alabama's four-year, public universities and communicate the critical role higher education plays in the economic well-being of the state.
Mayor Stone used the majority of his time to stress the importance of higher education to the state's financial well-being.
"Were 43rd in the nation in per capita income," Stone said. "Were 8 percent under the national average of adults with a four-year degree, so it is obvious to me that our lack of education has led us to earn less income as a whole."
Stone stressed the importance of getting involved in higher education in order to better it.
"The only way that you change trends is by getting involved in the process," Stone said.
Stone encourages students and people of all ages to attend Higher Ed Day on Feb. 27 at the capital in Montgomery.
"We need to let them know that what we stand for is people who make a difference," Stone said.
(01/31/14 5:36pm)
With the winter season reaching its peak in the prior weeks, many Auburn students have failed to recognize one of the biggest seasons is nearly just a week away from reaching Auburns campus, election season.
Viewed by many as a time to avoid the concourse and the bombardment of overjoyed campaigners that lurk on the concourse, others who have put much of their time and effort into their dream of becoming a member of the Student Government Association, this time represents opportunity.
For these Auburn students, the journey to fill a seat in SGA began back on Nov. 12 of last year with the first Major Candidate Info Session and will end with the election callouts on Tuesday, Feb. 11. However, the amount of work and preparation that goes on during this period is often overlooked.
"There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on prior to the election," said Wilson Yielding, senior in human exercise science and behavior and candidate for treasurer in last year's SGA elections. "Watching everyone come together and support the candidates is a lot of fun and really shows Auburn's true colors and what the University is about."
During this period, candidates can use all of the help they can get to get their name and platform out to Auburn students.
"For the people who want to get involved in elections, they can contact the candidates directly," said Jessica Bishop, SGA executive director of elections. "The biggest way people can help is by voting and encouraging people to vote and look at candidates platforms."
In between deciding to run for a seat on SGA and the ending callouts, comes a large amount of work.
A student running for a major candidate position must choose his or her platform, or what the main focus of the campaign will be, as well as build a campaign staff, design posters and billboards, and come up with awith a gimmick better than the opposition, all of which can be tedious work.
The campaign staff for campaign organization is limited to 6 people, the top 5 plus the campaign manager, whose jobs range from organizing committee heads to thinking about strategies and slogans.
The work, difficult enough in itself, is made more difficult by the election laws in the Student Government Association's Code of Laws that govern the campaigning and elections of candidates.
For example, Election Law 708.7.3.3 states the following: "Black and white may not be used for primary or secondary colors, but may occupy up to 10 percent of the overall piece of Campaign Material for the purpose of augmenting a Candidate's design."
Or this election law, Law 708.7.9.4 which states, "that all billboards must be at least ten (10) feet from the nearest road to the billboards closest point to that road."
While these laws serve a purpose, they take away from the matters SGA candidates should truly be focusing on, such as bettering the school for its students and faculty.
"Some of the laws may hinder some points of campaigning such as who candidates can contact," Bishop said. "However, these laws are in place to protect candidates and Auburn students. They uphold the integrity of the elections and also serve a purpose in protecting students from being bombarded by campaigners."
Over the next week, students on campus will be barraged with free hand outs ranging from buttons to koozies, food to craft supplies and many more items as a way for candidates to earn votes from passing students.
In the past, students have not typically reacted majorly to a candidate's platform, but rather voted for the person with the most gimmicks or coolest t-shirts, ultimately becoming what seems to be a popularity contest.
"I hope that people will look at the candidates platforms," Bishop said. "I know that some people will vote for someone because one of their friends did or because they know the person but I really hope that people will pick a platform to support and get involved in that candidates campaign."
However, in attempt to prevent the election from becoming a popularity contest, candidates will have the opportunity to promote their platform and beliefs in a debate on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.
This venue will provide candidates an opportunity to show debate goers that the election should not be based on gimmicks or handouts, but rather should be based on the beliefs and change each candidate has to offer the University.
All of the work prior to and during the campaign week comes down to voting day and, ultimately, the release of all of the election results at callouts.
Formal Campaigning will begin Feb. 5 and will come to a close on Feb. 11 when students will vote prior to the results being released at callouts Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. on the Cater Hall Lawn.
The following is a list of candidates and position sought:
(01/29/14 8:40pm)
The opening of the Auburn Recreation and Wellness Center last fall brought about a renewed sense of health and well-being to Auburn students.
From the new basketball courts, to the suspended indoor running track and brand new workout equipment, and even the opportunity to play virtual golf, the facility seemed as if it had everything it could possibly have to offer.
False.
As part of the Recreation and Wellness Center, Auburn Outdoors is a new program associated with a rock climbing wall, bouldering cave and the new Auburn Outdoor Rental Shop.
Tucked away in the bottom floor of the recreation center, students strap themselves in and begin the ascent up the rock wall.
The rock wall, which also opened last fall, offers students a different way to go about working out.
The wall, full of foot and hand holds, tests one's strengths, awareness and agility, and also requires strategic thinking.
Ranging from a level of 5.6-5.13, climbers of all levels are welcome to climb the rock wall.
Students can climb the rock wall three times under staff supervision prior to having to register for a Rock Climbing Fundamentals class, which Auburn Outdoors offers every Tuesday and Wednesday.
"It's a two hour class from 5-7 p.m.," said Rusty Cooper, coordinator for Auburn Outdoors. "We review all of the necessary material that anyone needs to know to be able to climb safely at our wall, including knot tying, belaying, how to use the equipment properly, etc."
After completing the class, participants take a test and are then able to climb alone or with a friend without having to have a staff member to belay the climber.
"We really encourage people to take those classes," Cooper said. "They're free, and it's helping really to develop those skills so that you could go somewhere else and climb, rather than just have someone belaying you and not learning anything."
Harnesses and shoes can be rented at the station located next to the wall; however, students are permitted to bring their own gear.
Last semester, the rock climbing wall was host to more than 5,000 students.
While the rock climbing wall is a large part of Auburn Outdoors, the remaining part is what sets it apart from anything Auburn University has offered in the past.
Down a long hallway and behind closed doors lies what appears to be an outdoorsman's store, or dream come true, rather.
Lining the walls and covering the ground are approximately 1,500 items for rent for Auburn's 24,000 students and faculty.
From tents to canoes to kayaks to mountain bikes, Auburn Outdoors has almost anything outdoorsmen could think of.
"We have close to 1,500 items for students to rent," said Jennifer Hazelrigs, assistant director of Outdoor and Campus Recreation. "That includes sleeping bags, tents, mountain bikes, backpacks, stoves and everything you would need for the outdoors. The rental prices are very affordable."
Hazelrigs said Auburn Outdoors provides affordable rental prices to students.
"A lot of folks might have canoed their whole life, but they live in the dormitory and they're not going to let you store a canoe in there," Hazelrigs said. "So, you can check one out for the weekend for $27. That comes with life jackets and paddles and straps and everything."
While all of Auburn Outdoors rental items are affordable, some major items to note include (for a 1-2 day rental), a five person Front Country tent for $10, a WW Kayak set for $14 and a mountain bike with a helmet and lock for $18.
While Auburn outdoors offers 1,500 items to rent, as well as the rock wall, the program also offers classes and trips in order to bring students together and teach them how to utilize the items available for rent.
"For folks that want to meet other people who have the same interest as them, or who want to try a new mode of travel, they can sign up for one of our trips online or come in here to Auburn outdoors," Hazelrigs said. "We provide all of the transportation. If it's a back country experience away from parking lots, we provide all of the backcountry meals, instruction, and equipment to get folks exposed to some different ways of travel."
Major upcoming trips offered by Auburn Outdoors include:
Feb. 14: Mountain biking trip ($10)
March 1: Climbing trip ($30)
March 22: Whitewater kayaking trip ($15)
April 12-13: Backpacking trip ($45)
For more information on Auburn Outdoors and what it has to offer, visit CWS.Auburn.edu/CampusRec/cm/AuburnOutdoors/Home.
(01/28/14 2:22am)
The Alabama Commission on Higher Learning granted Auburn's wish for an online masters of turfgrass management program for Auburn University's College of Agriculture.
The program will be a non-thesis graduate degree program and will focus on key areas of turfgrass management such as installation methods, breeding and development, insect and disease control and construction of specialty areas, such as athletic fields and putting greens.
"The program is designed for working professionals who may want to take classes while employed and offers its entire curriculum online," said Josh Woods, director of communication and marketing for the College of Agriculture. "The program began this spring and requires 32 credit hours for graduation, which are offered through our department of crop, soils, and environmental sciences."
Since it is a non-thesis program, students will not be required to do a major research or thesis project as students do in the traditional turfgrass management program.
According to approvedcolleges.com, the published in-state tuition for the program is $7,900, while the out of state tuition is published at $21,916.
Students enrolled in the online program will be advised by turfgrass faculty with experience in weed control, turf pathology, turf entomology, and turfgrass management.
Headed by Elizabeth Guertal, lead faculty member for the online masters of turfgrass management, Auburn is the second of two universities in the country to offer the masters completely online.
"The program is the first of its kind in this area, positioning us to be a leader among surrounding schools," Guertal said.
The traditional turfgrass management offered at the University has a current enrollment of more than 50 students, one of the largest in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences.
Woods said turfgrass management comes with a wide range of career options although most of the graduates pursue a career in golf course management.
Woods also said the way turfgrass is managed affects lakes and streams, animals and non-target species, as well as the athletes and people who use the turf along with numerous other environmental effects.