29 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(09/06/14 9:15pm)
In the South, football is a religion, and when you go to church to watch the boys play, there's no question about it. You dress up.
While the rest of the country sports jerseys, sweatshirts and jeans to show support for a team, the Southeast kicks its spirit up a classy notch, and Auburn is no different.
On game day, Jordan-Hare Stadium is filled with shades of orange and blue dresses, bowties, skirts and cowgirl boots.
Men and women dress to the nines to shout "War Eagle," but it's the game day dress that has women shopping several weeks before kickoff.
"The game day dress wasn't something I grew up with in Memphis," said Darby Dowdell, senior in apparel merchandising. "When I heard about it, I was so excited. I just thought, 'Oh wow, this is me! I really like this.'"
With dreams of owning a fashion boutique one day, Dowdell puts her heart and soul into her game day dresses.
The fashionista shops for game day attire all summer long and purchases a new dress for each home game.
"I prefer not to wear the same dress twice," Dowdell said. "It's a passion that's important to me. I love how I can combine my love for fashion and football together."
Pamela Ulrich, graduate program officer of the department of consumer and design sciences, said the game day dress is specific to the South for a reason.
"The concept of the game day dress is a relatively new category of attire," Ulrich said. "Numerous football games in the South are played in hot weather, and it's great to see fans in dresses that are fashionable and cool at the same time."
Ulrich said the focus on wearing team colors is also newer in football dressing traditions.
"I think fans became aware of their appearance when they were shown cheering in the stadium on television," Ulrich said. "That's when it seems the wearing of team colors increased. Now, decades old, it's a wonderful statement of color and commitment to one's school spirit."
Dowdell, who went to Ole Miss for her first year of college, said both schools participate in the SEC tradition of dressing up for game day, but Auburn's traditions are different.
"Auburn games are more in-tune with the Auburn spirit," Dowdell said. "It's definitely about wearing orange and blue because that's your team, not because it's Versace. At Auburn, game day is an event for everyone to get involved in."
Therapy, a boutique located next to 17-16 on East Magnolia Avenue, sells a wide range of game day dresses, jewelry and accessories.
McLaurine Klinger, senior in political science, is a sales clerk at Therapy and said game day styles are evolving each season.
"Girls are starting to get out of the dress a bit," Klinger said. "Dresses are still popular, but they've started looking for rompers, shirts and tops to change things up."
Many women worry about shopping at local stores and wearing the same dress as 100 others in the stands, but Klinger said one can get around that by accessorizing an outfit.
"Jewelry is a great way to make a dress your own," Klinger said. "Put your personal style into the outfit."
Dressing up for the game is an expected tradition, but Dowdell said it's more important to look nice for yourself.
"Shop for game day dresses wherever and whenever," Dowdell said. "You don't have to be in Auburn or even a Southern state to find a classy orange and blue dress. That way, you can show your spirit the way you like, and it's uniquely yours."
Dowdell said showing spirit with style isn't about what other people do.
"Everyone's different, and even though we're all told to wear similar things on game day, we should highlight that," Dowdell said. "It all comes down to how you want to present yourself."
(08/27/14 1:30pm)
Hearts were broken across the Southeast when a car crash claimed the life of 23-year-old Philip Lutzenkirchen, a former Auburn football player, on June 29.
Just as the Auburn Family was beginning to heal from its loss, Georgia State Police released the blood alcohol content levels of the driver of the vehicle and Lutzenkirchen, which reopened the wound for those affected by his death.
USA Today said the supplemental accident report published Aug. 6 revealed Joseph Ian Davis, 22, who was driving Lutzenkirchen and two other passengers, had a BAC level of 0.17 - more than twice Georgia's legal limit of 0.08.
After failing to stop at an intersection, the 2006 Chevy Tahoe that held the four passengers hit two ditches and overturned for 129 feet on Lower Big Springs Road in LaGrange, Georgia. The force ejected Davis and Lutzenkirchen from the vehicle, killing both.
Test results also revealed Lutzenkirchen, who was seated behind Davis, had a BAC level of 0.377.
After reporting this information about the fatal accident, news stations across the nation received thousands of comments from upset readers and viewers.
Charlie Reynolds, who read a similar article on espn.go.com, commented, "Lutzenkirchen was a passenger. I don't see why this is even news. The families don't need this right now. Classless move, ESPN."
While many disagree with the recent reports, some have seen a value in releasing the alcohol-related information to the public.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1,825 college students between the ages 18-24 die each year from unintentional alcohol-related injuries.
"The majority of college students will experiment with alcohol," said Randy Cerovsky, associate director of public safety. "The important thing is that they do it responsibly."
Cerovsky said drinking responsibly means using a designated driver.
"When someone is assigned the role of designated driver, it doesn't mean that he or she can have two or three drinks while everyone else has eight, and then get behind the wheel because they're the 'most sober,'" Cerovsky said.
One Auburn police officer gave similar advice.
"The designated driver shouldn't have anything alcoholic to drink, period," said Capt. William Mathews. "Designated driver means you are designated to have zero drinks for the entire evening so you can get everyone home safely. Even one beer will negatively impact your reaction time on the road."
With outings involving alcohol consumption, Mathews and Cerovsky advise students to drink in moderation to maximize safety.
"There's a difference between drinking to have fun with friends, and drinking to the point of harming yourself," Mathews said. "We have to take anyone with a BAC over 0.3 to the hospital before we deal with him or her legally. Anything 0.4 or higher is near the death area unless you're a chronic alcoholic. Don't do that to yourselves even if you're not getting behind the wheel."
Mathews advises not to get in the car with anyone who has had even one drink. This rule applies to drinking alcohol at any age - not just young people.
"Offer to share a taxicab with your designated driver if they've had a drink," Mathews said. "It's always better to be safe than sorry, and prevent an injury or tragedy that will affect you and your loved ones for the rest of your lives."
College students are often strapped for money, and taxicabs may seem expensive, but Mathews said it's worth the money compared to the alternative.
"A taxi is much less expensive than the fines that would be incurred from a DUI charge, wrecking your vehicle, or hospital and funeral costs you may cause yourself or others," Mathews said.
Tiger Taxi, KGM Auburn Trax and the Tiger Ten buses are options for students downtown.
Of Lutzenkirchen, Cerovsky spoke positively.
"There's been a lot of positive things said about Phil since the accident, and they're all true," Cerovsky said. "I know because I knew him."
Cerovsky said no matter what news comes out of Lutzenkirchen's death, the positive memories of him should remain untarnished.
"Similarly, I wouldn't think any less of a student who was intoxicated even if he or she was clearly underage," Cerovsky said. "I wouldn't think anything less of them, and neither would any police officer or Tiger Transit driver."
Cerovsky advised students to take the safe way home.
"For the sake of your well-being and the sake of the Auburn Family, make smart choices when drinking," Cerovsky said. "Don't drive, take the Tiger Ten, but more than anything, stay safe."
(05/19/14 8:00pm)
You got your acceptance letter. As you opened it, you smiled and knew that deep down you bleed orange and blue. You came here to Auburn to learn, to grow and to create. You came here for many reasons, but there's one that stands out like no other: You came here because you "believe in Auburn, and love it."
Auburn students love their school for the things that make it special. At Auburn, tradition is rooted in each member of the Auburn Family as deeply as the Toomer's Oaks will forever be rooted in our hearts.
When discussing Auburn University traditions, one that is guaranteed to come up started with those beloved oaks: Rolling Toomer's Corner.
"Rolling Toomer's Corner is so great because it's something that literally brings everyone at Auburn together," Evie Smith, sophomore in agronomy and soils, said. "Everyone goes to roll those trees, or now, that corner. It doesn't matter who you are or what you're apart of. That's just the greatest symbol of us as a team, and our unity."
Smith grew up rolling Toomer's Corner Oaks, but remembers the first time she rolled them as an Auburn student.
"It was bittersweet," Smith said. "I rolled the Toomer's Oaks at the A-Day game last year in 2013 - just before they were taken down. It was the first time I rolled them as a student, and it was my last."
While the Auburn tradition has changed since the removal of the trees, Smith said she believes it hasn't affected the tradition as a whole.
"If you do anything Auburn, go roll Toomer's Corner," Smith said. "Even though it will never be exactly the same, the tradition and the spirit will never change."
While rolling Toomer's after a big win, another favorite Auburn pastime is to walk across the street to Toomer's Drugs and purchase a refreshing cup of the store's famous lemonade.
"It's absolutely delicious," incoming transfer student in computer science Clayton Atcherson said. "I've had it before, and I'll have it again. That lemonade is as much as an Auburn tradition as them trees. Toomer's Corner wouldn't be the same without it."
Atcherson said he loves the Auburn tradition all-year round, but the way it's prepared is his favorite.
"It's made right in front of you with fresh lemons, sugar and other ingredients," Atcherson said with a smile. "Kinda like how a little kid would when they have their own lemonade stand. It's just the best - just like a child and his lemonade."
While Toomer's Corner has been an Auburn landmark for more than 150 years, Auburn students agree there's no tradition like the eagle in Jordan Hare on game day.
"When you're standing there with thousands of Auburn fans, and we swing our arms and shout 'Waaaaaaar' as that beautiful bird circles around the stadium, you can't help but be in awe," Kerri Burtnett, a graduate student in apparel and textiles, said. "You can't help but be in awe of him because it really exemplifies us as warriors and our 'War Eagle' battle cry."
Burtnett says the best thing about Auburn's eagle, Nova, is the way it's unique to the university.
"Think about it," Burtnett began, "no other school does anything like this. Granted, other universities use live animals on the field, but they all have a human handler - Georgia's bulldog is monitored by a person as is Florida State's horse. Our eagle knows exactly where to go and when on his own. He distinguishes us from the rest. It's breathtaking."
Burtnett encourages all incoming students to see Nova fly around the stadium before kickoff this fall, even if football isn't their thing.
"You have to see it at least once," Burtnett said. "It doesn't matter if you like football or not - if you're an Auburn student, you're a member of the Auburn Family, and there's nothing like standing in Jordan Hare together and feeling the magic of 'War Eagle.'"
From Toomer's Corner to Jordan Hare, Auburn's traditions stand as strong as the Auburn spirit.
Now that you're apart of the Auburn Family, you, too, get to fall in love with the university's many traditions, and experience the greatest spirit in the nation.
War Eagle. Welcome to the Family. Welcome to a spirit and traditions you'll cherish for a lifetime.
(05/01/14 3:00pm)
What the unpaid internship doesn't pay in cash, it's supposed to pay in work experience.
For the past year, the benefits that unpaid internships offer have been under great speculation.
Often, graduating college seniors with at least one unpaid internship under their belts are told they have the "upper hand" over their peers. The National Association of Colleges and Employers, however, have another opinion.
Last June, the NACE revealed internship research it'd been conducting for three years, and the verdict is in: unpaid internships don't lead to more job offers. In 2013, only 37 percent of the college seniors who had completed an unpaid internship received a job offer by the time of graduation. Thirty-five percent of students without an internship got a job offer just the same.
Is a whopping two percent difference worth the unpaid time and effort? Regardless of these statistics, the Auburn University Career Center thinks so.
"It all depends on the actual internship," said Nancy Bernard, director of the AU Career Center. "The unpaid internship is a really fuzzy area. It all depends on the student, the employer and academia. If the student is an intern, but doesn't do anything where they get anything career-related, it's not going to be as strong an internship as others that do offer that experience. It all varies."
The NACE's statistics may be something to consider, but Bernard advises students to hold on before jumping on the anti-internship wagon.
"Organizations conduct research all the time, but you never know the specifics," Bernard said. "For example, when collecting this data, what majors did they [the NACE] focus on? How many places did these candidates apply for jobs? Did these students have internships that provided adequate experience, or were they just making coffee runs? Every student and internship and opportunity is unique. You can't just group them all together like that."
Jay Skipworth, the assistant director of employer relations at the career center, said he agrees.
"I participated in several [unpaid internships] when I was an undergraduate," Skipworth said. "It helped me build my skill set, and was a chance for me to learn on the job. I don't know what job I'd have without them. They definitely helped me get where I am today."
Real-world Auburn graduates have similar internship success stories every day.
"Recently, we interviewed several applicants for our open positions who were still in college," said Auburn alumni Brent Pittman, a member of the Inbound Marketing Team with OPUBCO Communications Group. "Those who had internships within related fields rose to the top for our consideration."
Regardless of any negative internship claims, Pittman believes internships are a college student's best bet.
"Without relevant work experience, you are really at a disadvantage with the surplus of college graduates on the market," Pittman advised. "An internship in your chosen field can provide basic skills and begin to grow your network of contacts. It's like asking someone on a date - you've got nothing to lose."
With the NACE's statistics aside, whether an internship will help a college graduate get a job depends on the field, market and the opportunity itself.
"An internship is what you make of it ," Bernard said. "Go into one with goals and ideas how you can increase your background to make you attractive to your future employer. Be an active intern. Today, the opportunities for experience-hungry students are endless, but that doesn't make every opportunity a good one."
Fortunately for Auburn students, the career center offers individual advice about whether an internship is beneficial or not.
"Unpaid internships can definitely help, but one thing we emphasize is the criteria it needs to meet," Skipworth said. "If you're unsure about what makes an unpaid internship a beneficial experience, ask yourself these questions: 'Will I receive actual training similar to an newly hired employee?' 'Am I working under close supervision of staff?' and, 'Does the employer that is providing this training not profit from my work as an intern? If you answered 'yes' to each of these criteria, the opportunity sounds like a good one to me."
Students who are still unsure about a prospective internship are encouraged to make an appointment at the Auburn University Career Center in Mary Martin Hall.
"If you ever have questions about your internship opportunity, bring it here to us at the career center," Skipworth said. "That's what we do. We look at every kind and every major. Set up an appointment to talk to one of our career counselors. We'll always be glad to look at your situation and tell you whether it's the kind of opportunity you should be looking for, and yes, internships are those kinds of opportunities. We want to help Auburn students succeed. That's why we're here."
To make an appointment at the career center, visit the main office at 303 Mary Martin Hall from 12 to 4 pm on weekdays, or call (334) 844-4744.
(04/24/14 10:00pm)
When you hear someone mention the year 1856, most people think of the United States pre-Civil War. But Auburn students know that's the year their beloved University was established. One hundred and fifty-eight years of tradition and prestige later, Auburn is a school to be proud of. The University offers more than 60 innovative programs, but it didn't start out that way. Jack Simms, former journalist for the Associated Press and retired head of Auburn's journalism department, remembers the school before a former journalism program even existed. A 1949 graduate, Simms looks fondly at the progress the University has made, and the opportunities his Auburn degree has given him. You went to Auburn back when it was known as the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. What was it like back then in comparison with what it was like today? I graduated with an English-journalism degree in 1949. Back then, journalism was part of the English department. They didn't have enough faculty or courses to have a full journalism major. There were a total of maybe 20 in my major, and only three or four people graduated with me. We only had one full-time journalism teacher. The program's come a long way. Did you always know you wanted to be a journalist? What made you want to go into that field? Well, I was in pre-veterinary medicine, and my sister had been the editor of The Plainsman, and she had already graduated and gone on. The current editor [when I was there] knew my sister real well and knew who I was. He kept hounding me to come down and work for The Plainsman, so I finally did. I kept on getting more involved, and then finally, I ran for editor myself. I was elected editor by the student body in 1948, and stayed on until 1949. Did you enjoy your time of the Plainsman? Well, in the spring of 1949, I got fired. I'm the only editor in Plainsman history to get fired. I was 'let go' because of the April Fools' edition we did in those days. The board said I was supposed to make the first four pages of the April Fools' edition regular [real] news, and the last four pages fake. Well, I didn't hear those orders, and made the first four pages fake instead, and I was fired. Back then we were feisty. That whole year, we printed a lot of editorials that were anti-administration, and we were very opinionated. They [the board] claimed they fired me because of the April Fools' edition, but I wonder if they just used as an excuse to get rid of me. So I was fired, and that was it. You worked for the Associated Press for 23 years. What was that like? Was it a journalist's dream come true? Oh, absolutely. The Associated Press supplies the media with the bulk of their news. They cover every major city. It's a worldwide agency, and I worked for them for 23 years in six different bureaus from Atlanta to Louisville to Boston and more. I was the deputy general sports editor in New York City for the Associated Press. That's a worldwide sports operation, and I was second in command. We had sports writers in every major city and there I was, responsible for giving the news to newspapers themselves. I loved being the deputy general sports editor - it was the world's longest title and the world's smallest salary. So out of all the cities and places you've lived and worked, which has been your favorite? Auburn, Alabama, hands down. That makes sense - you left the Associated Press move back to Auburn in 1974, right? Tell me about that. My family moved here to Auburn when I was 11 years old. I went to middle and high school here, and I went to the University. I met my wife at Auburn, and we got married after she graduated. We both have a strong Auburn background. You wouldn't know this, but twenty years from now you'll know it: Auburn is such a great place compared to everywhere else. Whenever I talk to people from that time in my life, they say, 'You lucky scoundrel! You're back in Auburn, you sly dog!' This job [to work at Auburn] just fell in my lap, and I'd done my bit with the AP. I was ready to go home. How has the journalism program improved since the 70s? We took what we had already and just filled it out. We got more faculty and sections of feature writing, and, soon, we had more students than we could teach. We didn't have any equipment at all, and now they have computers for design and editing, studios for photography, television and multimedia - they've got everything. Now, the journalism program accommodates everything beyond just writing a story for the newspaper. Auburn has made a great effort to meet those modern requirements, and current students have what they need to get hired. What has been your favorite thing about the career path you chose? It was the camaraderie of the prize and the performance of writing, and I was good at what I did. I took a lot of pride in what I did. I had a lot of satisfaction, and I still do. I've enjoyed every job I ever had. You forget the bad things, or they become less important, but I can't remember thinking 'Gosh, I don't want to go into work today.' I was always ready to go to work because I loved it. It was a great thing. Did you enjoy teaching for Auburn as much as reporting? Oh, yeah! If you're any good at what you do, you're either a teacher or learner the whole time. One day, somebody was teaching me, and the next I'm teaching them. Nothing's better than advice from someone with more experience. That's how it goes your whole life. Speaking of advice, what advice would you give aspiring journalists at Auburn? When you graduate, don't worry about what it pays. Journalism doesn't pay very much, and most of you aren't going to get very much to start with. Get that first job, stick with it a year, and if you aren't liking it then go somewhere else or get out of the business. There's nothing worse than going through life being miserable. Don't just go through the motions. If you really want to get ahead, have a good attitude and a willingness to work. If I had flunked out of school and went to work as a ditch digger and gave it 110 percent, it wouldn't be too long before I was moved to supervisor or something else because I'm too valuable to be left digging ditches. If you have the right attitude you'll move up to just about anything if you work hard enough. The way you approach your job has a great deal to do with how successful you're going to be. You just published the third edition of your book "Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village." What motivated you to put that together? The book has been out for about two weeks now. It's a history of Auburn starting from the early 1830s through 2013. It's 450 pages with more than 800 pictures in it. It's nine chapters of narrative and captions to tell you something interesting about each place in Auburn that's pictured. Most of the pictures came from the archives in the University library. Our goal was for every picture and caption to tell a story by itself - a series of stories to tell the story of Auburn University. The archivist at the library, Allen Jones said, 'Anyone that loves Auburn ought to have a copy of this book.' Do you agree that anyone who loves Auburn ought to get a copy of your book? Yes ma'am, I do. I don't think anybody could go through this book and not come away with a warm, fuzzy feeling about Auburn. There are so many wonderful, humorous and heartfelt things happening around this place. I can't wait for people to read it. Any final word to the students? Auburn's a great place. Take advantage of all the wonderful things we have in this wonderful city. We've always been a family that's 'All In.' War Eagle, and best wishes.
(04/17/14 12:45pm)
For most, the color blue in April means springtime and Easter, but for 275 children in Lee and Macon Counties, it's the color of hope.
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and in participating organizations like the Child Advocacy Center of East Alabama, a solid blue ribbon promotes the cause it fights every day.
"The mission of the CAC is to advocate for children when there are allegations of physical and sexual abuse against them," said Abe White, the advocacy center's program coordinator. "Our main job is to provide forensic interviews, counseling services and court preparation, if necessary. That's the nuts and bolts of what we do."
While the rest of the county awaits A-Day and Easter baskets, White stays busy trying to protect the children that walk through the center's doors.
"We handle kids all over Lee and Macon Counties," White said. "We see kids from Smiths Station, Phenix City and Auburn, too. The students at Auburn University would never guess what's going on in their backyard."
Auburn students may be in their own protected campus bubble, but fortunately, Auburn Mayor Bill Ham recognizes what the advocacy center does for his city.
"I think very few people in the community and maybe even the state realize the issues we have going on right here in Lee County," Ham said. "We have local children's advocates for a reason. The center does a great job of supporting and protecting our children. They do wonderful work, and they deserved to be recognized for it."
Each year in April, the CAC holds a ceremony to recognize the organizations and people in Lee and Macon Counties that make a difference in children's lives.
"This was my 16th year attending the advocacy's center's event," Ham said. "The ceremony reminds me of the wonderful people we have in our community. Gene Chizik's wife, Jonna Chizik, is heavily involved in a tremendous number of children's organizations. When you look around and see the number of people who come out to support or make a difference, it makes me feel good about Lee County. Thanks to the CAC, we actually make an effort to help."
The center held its annual event Thursday, April 10, with a special addition to its services. This year, the CAC had the ribbon cutting of its brand new "SANE room" or "Sexual Assault Nurse Examination room," where victims of sexual or physical abuse can be examined in a safe and comforting environment.
"We want to make things easier for the child," White said. "If a child is a victim of abuse and needs a medical examination, this room allows them to get everything done in one place. This way, they won't have to travel all the way to Birmingham or wherever to get a rape kit done. They can talk about it here, and then get examined here. It makes things ultimately less traumatic."
White did the honors and cut the ribbon on Thursday.
"With the addition of the SANE room, we're showing how the CAC is here, and that we're going to continue to provide services to kids that are going through a horrible ordeal," White continued. "We're going to improve and expand our services until the day that child abuse doesn't exist. Until then, we're here."
Unfortunately, the cases seen at the Child Advocacy Center of East Alabama are only getting worse.
"I had a kid under the age of 10 sit in front of me and tell me about her favorite Junie B. Jones book, and then talk about how afterward she'd 'suck Dad's cock' in the same breath," said Tina Evans, CAC forensic interviewer. "I've done work with abused and neglected children for quite some time, and you think you've seen everything, but then something worse comes along and you ask yourself 'Are you kidding me?'"
Evans said the majority of people have no idea what she works with.
"It's not always a 48-year-old man with a 3-year-old," Evans said. "You'll see sibling on sibling, cousins, things that happen on sleepovers with friends - you name it. Stuff happens at school, daycare and everywhere. No place is safe anymore."
What frustrates Evans most, however, are the false assumptions people make about child abuse in general.
"There is a misconception that abuse happens to only 'lower class people' or people who are poor, but we have kids in here whose parents are wealthy," Evans said. "You can't just look for the kid with the dirty rags on. We have a good number of kids from Auburn and Opelika. Abuse is everywhere - even where you don't expect it."
April is the month for child abuse awareness, and to raise it, Evans stressed the importance of reporting a case as soon as you have suspicions.
"Don't turn a blind eye, and don't look the other way," Evans advised. "When you see something, report it. You don't need solid evidence, and you don't need to give your name. Maybe it's nothing... but what if it isn't?"
Sometimes, children are old enough to understand when abuse occurs, but often abuse is all they know.
"When you have a little kid under the age of 5 tell you 'my Daddy's pee-pee was crying because I made it so happy,' you realize how many of them don't understand what's happened to them," Evans said. "They need you to pay attention, and they need you to listen. Be a voice for the voiceless - not just during the month of April, but all year round."
To report a case of child abuse or neglect, contact the Lee County Department of Human Resources and ask for Family and Child Services, or call (334) 737-1100.
(04/09/14 7:00pm)
You may not know him by name, but chances are, you've seen him on the big screen more times than you can count. From appearances in shows such as "The West Wing," "NCIS," "Grey's Anatomy," "NUMB3RS" and "Sons of Anarchy," Michael O'Neill is a 1974 Auburn graduate with a list of impressive credits to his name. He is best known for his roles in films such as "Transformers," "Seabiscuit," "Secondhand Lions" and most recently, "Dallas Buyers Club." Though O'Neill is a renowned Hollywood actor, he bleeds orange and blue as much now as he did during his time as an Auburn student. You're from Montgomery, but how did you end up attending Auburn University? Were you an Auburn fan growing up?I was. I was born into it. My dad took me to a [football] game. The first game I ever saw was against Florida in 1958. It was love at first sight.Did you have other family members or relatives that attended Auburn, too?You know what? I was the first person in my family to go to college. It was a dream of my parents to attend the University, and they sacrificed a lot to make that happen over the years. I'm so grateful for that.I know you're really busy, but do you still follow Auburn football?My wife and I try to get back for at least one or two games in the course of the year. We try to bring our daughters when we can. I follow football, I follow the swimming program and I'm very excited about what's happening with basketball and baseball. There are a lot of wonderful things happening at the University beyond athletics, too. The campus to me is like a moving painting. Whenever I'm there, it's just so beautiful. There are such bright faces and bright lives there, and I'm just in awe.You went to Auburn in the 70s - that was a pretty interesting time period for our nation. There was a lot going on. What was that like?It was an optimum time to be there. My freshman class was the first to use the Haley Center. That fall, there was a list of the former students who had been killed in action in Vietnam on the lawn. As I was leaving [my senior year], people went streaking across campus. It was a remarkable time. I'm so grateful because we had the opportunity to listen to some very interesting points of view that we wouldn't have been privy too otherwise. Gloria Steinem, Muhammad Ali and Dan Rather came and spoke. It was a tremendous experience. It was a very, very diverse influence. It sure gave me a good education to go out in the world with, I'll tell you that.If you could do it over, would you go to Auburn again?Yes, yes. I would, and I'd hope for the same kind of influences and opportunities. I've always thought that college was the time to expand your vision and your horizon, and that was my experience. It created an appetite for me to go out into the world to see something and do something and make a contribution somewhere. I was fortunate that that was put in me.You were an economics major. Economics to professional acting is quite the stretch! How did that happen?Well, the way it happened is sort of unusual. I was a Lambda Chi at Auburn, and I had written an address for my national fraternity, which I had delivered at an international convention in Indiana. The attendees there recorded the address. They were from California and were doing interviews with distinguished alumni from the entertainment industry. One of them was the actor that played the grandfather on "The Waltons," a popular show in the 70s, and he was sort of iconic. He was a member of Lambda Chi at the University of Chicago 50 years earlier, and someone played that address for him, and he called me. I was at Auburn, and he literally called me and said, "Son, I think you should try acting before the corporate structure snaps you up," and I said, "Honestly... I don't know anything about it," and he said, "Well come to California, and I'll work with you." I really expected him to tell me "Son, go get a job," but he said, "You probably won't make it. But you have to go. You have to try. You don't want to look back on your life and wonder what it might have been like." It was a great ambition. About 10 days later, I loaded my car and drove to California.Was moving from the South to California a difficult adjustment for you?Yes and no. It was difficult in that I didn't know anyone. I was a young man just going out into the world without knowing what the world was - or at least that part of the world. On the other hand, the Montgomery March during the Civil Rights Movement happened when I was a child of about 10 or 11 years old. At the end of the march, a lot of people from California came and spoke. In my childhood mind, California had the answer to the racist issue. I was very excited about going out there because I always thought they had the answer in California. I found out that they had the answer to some things, but there were others they didn't have the answer to at all.You were a member of the Lambda Chi fraternity and the SGA while here at Auburn. Did you do anything with theater?When I first started there [at Auburn], the theater was still in that little chapel off of College Street. I took every opportunity I could to go and see things, but I never auditioned for a play. I never could have imagined what it would have been like to have gone out there and done that. I've been back a couple times [to Auburn's theater] and I've done little classes or a couple question and answer things, but I'd like to do more than that. You get to a certain age where you want to give something back, but even so, I didn't have that theater experience while I was at Auburn. I love the campus of Auburn, and I do because I had to work with a lot of different people... not just one kind.What was it like to work on such an influential movie such as "Dallas Buyers Club"?I could never have seen it coming. I was on a plane trying to get back to Birmingham to see my family, and I got a call from my agents who wanted to re-route me to New Orleans to shoot this movie. I said, "Wait a minute, I haven't seen my kids in three months. I've gotta get home," and they said, "Just read the script." As soon as I read that script, I knew I had to be apart of it. It's a very, very powerful story. It's been a great ride. I've made sure to enjoy it while I can. Before I knew it, I was ready to shoot my first scene, and Matthew [McConaughey] was standing probably 12 feet from me and I didn't even recognize him. I was still waiting for him to come in. Once I knew it was him, I realized the commitment he had made [his dramatic weight loss] was pretty extraordinary, and I needed to make sure I brought the very best of what I could do to match up to this special project. It was incredibly gratifying to work on. It was alive, dangerous and compelling.So far, what has been your favorite character that you've portrayed?I'm really loving "Extant," this new television series I'm involved in. I pinch myself every day when I get to go to work. It's about a former astronaut who returns home from a year-long mission in space, and tries to reconnect with everyday life. It's wonderful, complicated, demanding and fun. What things are you working on now that we should keep an eye out for? There are two things I've been working on. The first is called "Rectify," which is a series I did at Sundance last year, and am filming 10 episodes of this year. It will premiere on SundanceTV in June. The second that I already mentioned, "Extant," is pretty special, especially getting to work with lead Halle Berry and this cast. It's a really good family, and the writing is so smart and clever. I'm excited about it. That premieres on CBS in July.At this stage in your acting career, what are your goals for your self and the roles you're playing?That's a good question. Being a character actor, you tend to just take what's moving in your direction. You try to find something in terms of film or television that stretches you - that breaks the glass a little bit and gives you the opportunity to discover something that you're either drawn to or afraid of. When I was on "Grey's Anatomy" and portrayed that shooter, I didn't want to do that role to begin with. I didn't want to touch it, and yet, it's probably one of the most compelling jobs I've ever done. It put me in touch with more humanity than I would ever have imagined a character could explore or inhabit. That's what I hope for - something to continue to teach me, to stretch me and to make me lean forward and get on the balls of my feet. Usually what that means is something that's going to frighten me. Fear is an incredible motivator. When I can't sleep after I've finished a role, I know I've done okay.What advice would you give to Auburn student body about following your dreams, your passion and becoming successful?The first thing that comes to mind is to be kind. There's something in the currency in the Auburn family that makes us different. A lot of people talk about it, and I don't know what the defining element is, but we're all connected. As I'm out in the world more, I've just learned to value simple kindness more - the kindness where you befriend a stranger. As much as anything for me, it's also been perseverance. I guess that's the thing that I'd recommend. I had more gumption than I had talent. I feel like those who are willing to persevere in whatever that pursuit is, even in the face of doubt, will succeed. Doubt isn't necessarily a bad thing - there isn't much courage without fear, and there's probably not much faith without doubt, but follow your desires as best you can. Persevere. Be kind.Do you have any parting words to us current students?Enjoy every minute of this experience at Auburn. It goes by so quickly. Once we're done at AU we're always welcomed back, but it starts with that undergraduate experience. Look after one another, and enjoy it.
(04/04/14 6:30pm)
Instead of drawing self-portraits, today's teens pull out their cell phone, pout their lips and flaunt their most obnoxious peace sign before snapping a picture.
They laugh and shout selfie at the top of their lungs before snapping dozens more.
A selfie is Millennials' way of taking a picture of themselves and posting it online for the entire world to see.
However, Michael Fuhlhage, associate professor in Auburn's department of communication and journalism, said the phenomenon isn't limited to young people.
"Millennials are not the only ones who get in trouble with selfies," Fuhlhage said. "New York Congressman Chris Lee had to resign after his shirtless selfie surfaced. He'd sent it to a woman he ran across on Craigslist... He's married."
Often featuring pastimes such as bar hopping or revealing skin, selfies can cause trouble for those who take them.
"Our digital identities on the Web are starting to overshadow our physical identities," said Lori Andrews, author of "I Know Who You Are and Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy."
"We are creating digital profiles of ourselves that redefine us and could come back to haunt us," Andrews said.
While selfies have shown middle-aged adults such as Lee even personal pictures can easily become public, most problems come from teens and young adults about to enter the "real world."
"Once anybody, regardless of age, releases an image into the wild, it's almost impossible to control who uses it," Fuhlhage said.
Fuhlhage said the question of whether the behavior in the photo is appropriate should always be considered first.
A general rule of thumb is if you have to ask yourself "Is this appropriate?" before posting it, it probably isn't.
To drive this point home to millions of selfie-obsessed Millenials, Andrews put her advice in a relatable way for adolescents.
"Unlike Vegas, what happens on Facebook doesn't always stay on Facebook," Andrews warned.
Cell phones don't come with a warning label, and even with sound advice like this, many young people have made selfie mistakes without realizing it.
Kelsey Tucker, freshman in public relations, is already a successful fashion blogger. Though she's only been active for a year or two, her blog and Instagram, monogrammedprep, have more than 11,000 followers that enjoy her frequent fashion tutorials and, of course, selfies.
"I just did it [this blog] for fun," Tucker said. "I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, maybe I'll get a bunch of followers.' I was just bored. Followers just kept coming in."
As a thriving web presence, Tucker's pictures have already landed her a job as a fashion associate at Society South magazine.
"It's kind of cool, but it's frustrating sometimes because people will look at me and think, 'You're really stuck up. All you care about is fashion,' but that's just what I do," Tucker said. "I'm really down-to-earth, I love people and am a strong Christian, but people have this one-track mind about the person I am just based off my pictures."
Tucker learned this the painful way.
Though her fashion pictures have changed her professional life for the better, Tucker opened up regarding some revealing selfies that circulated around her high school and compromised her reputation.
"I was vulnerable," Tucker recalled. "My family had just moved to Huntsville, and my dad started having an affair. After he left, I sought out attention I wasn't getting from him."
Tucker is in college now, but the pictures have followed her and continued to haunt her for three years.
"I went through [sorority] rush, and I was dropped because the mistakes I made got out," Tucker said. "Even though I was a new person when I went through rush, people were still looking back on the mistakes I made three years ago."
"I've heard girls tell people not to be friends with me, and that's really difficult," Tucker said. "It's definitely been tough going around campus and having these girls know who I am--well, who I was--and give me looks like I'm still that person. But then I found my faith [in Jesus], and I completely changed."
While the beloved selfie has caused Tucker a lot of pain and hardship, she doesn't feel it should be avoided completely.
"I don't think the selfie is a negative thing itself," Tucker said. "Mine are for a professional reason, but someone who posts a good clean selfie every now and then is fine. After all, that's our generation, and is what it is. It just depends on what's in the picture because that's what sends the message."
(02/12/14 2:15pm)
Auburn's MBA program knows how to get down to business.
In its most recent rankings, the graduate program at the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business placed second in the nation for "Best Financial Value" by U.S. News and World Report.
The esteemed survey revealed Auburn MBA graduates had the second highest salary-to-debt ratio in the nation, with a score of 6.72.
In other words, an MBA graduate from Auburn makes a starting salary 6.72 times greater than their average debt.
"Our mission statement says that we are dedicated to producing highly desired graduates," said Bill Hardgrave, dean of the College of Business. "We're purposely doing things to make the students more attractive for the industry, which pushes up the salaries of our graduates."
Even in hard economic times, Auburn's business school has been successful in keeping its cost in check, and, most importantly, maintaining its value.
"Our students are deciding to spend a year and a half where they're not working, so that's a huge investment of time and money on their part," said Stan Harris, associate dean for graduate and international programs. "We want them to feel like the time they've taken to do this program is ultimately worth it. The investment is more than just money."
According to data collected by U.S. News, the average Auburn MBA graduate earns an average starting salary of $57,169 while having an average debt of $8,500.
The average graduate school debt totals more than $30,000, which is thousands above Auburn graduate's debt.
To keep that number low and the salary-to-debt ratio high, the Harbert College of Business offers a generous number of graduate research assistantships.
In the fall of 2013, 26 of 28 entering MBA students had an assistantship, or were paid a salary to attend Auburn while they worked for faculty.
"The student gets money, the faculty gets help, and the student gets hands-on learning and work experience," Harris said. "It's a win-win for the faculty and the student."
While assistantships provide opportunities, the last thing they provide is free money.
On an assistantship, students work an average of 14 hours per week to give back to the College of Business on top of their regular coursework.
Even so, finances aren't the only things that make a program valuable.
"Great programs start with great students and great faculty," Hardgrave said. "I'm not trying to over simplify it, but it really is that simple. If you have great students and great faculty you will have a great program. I would put our students and our faculty up against any in the country."
Accomplished MBA student Lauren Little, graduate student in business administration, feels the U.S. News ranking is justified, but not just for the low price she's paying.
"I'm learning a lot and I feel like what I'm learning is really helpful and applicable to the career I want," Little said. "Auburn professors seem to be very experienced and have a lot of knowledge of the business world."
Little said she agrees it is rare to find administrators who care as much as hers do.
"I know it's very cliche, but in this program you definitely feel the sense of the 'Auburn Family,'" Little said. "From the administrative staff to the professors and students in the program, you have a feeling that everyone is really supporting you and doing everything they can to help you succeed."
In the fall, Auburn's MBA program helped Little be nominated for the prestigious Mitchell Scholarship.
"We use assistantships as recruiting tools to recruit the best and brightest students," said Jim Parrish, director of MBA Admissions and Operations. "If a student has a strong background and test scores and they fit the 'Auburn brand,' then we want them in our cohort."
Parrish said Auburn's MBA program has great students, faculty and financial cost, but what makes it truly valuable is up to personal opinion.
"I think a huge asset of our program is that any student would benefit from the people that are working in it," Parrish said. "From the folks who do the academic advising to our professors and faculty, they all have a unified front to help Auburn students succeed. Taking care of people on an individual basis is the Auburn way. The personalized approach to our MBA program is the thing that really sets Auburn apart."