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(08/15/14 4:00pm)
Along with living away from parents and starting a new chapter of life, designing a college room that is both functional and fashionable is one of the steps many students feel is necessary.
According to Lindsay Tan, assistant professor of interior design, one of the most prominent challenges students face when it comes to designing their room is the lack of available space.
"Students are having to make decisions about survival instead of having fun decorating," Tan said.
In order to deal with the challenging amount of space, Tan advises students to first make a list of essential needs, avoid buying pieces and decor that can only be used in limited ways and purchase multi-use items.
"Get something that you can adapt and change," Tan said.
Tan said she believes in such a vital time of a student's life, it is essential to have personal space, even if students share a room.
"You need to feel safe in your space and feel like you have control over it," Tan said.
According to Tan, studies show students who design and decorate their rooms to their liking while in college tend to stay in college.
"Students should decorate to remind them of home and who they want to be in college," Tan said.
When she moved away for college, Tan brought with her a spoon jar that sat on her kitchen counter when she was a child.
Jenny Mellown, freshman in pre-engineering, said she will be combining the essential elements of the room of a college student with a few items from her home.
"I think everyone needs a desk for school stuff," Mellown said. "I am bringing my bed from home."
Molly Ridgeway, junior in interior design, shares the same beliefs as Tan when it comes to designing a college room.
"The rooms are small so you want to be comfy when you're in it," Ridgeway said. "You want something cozy because you are in a different environment."
In her own room, Ridgeway has pictures and personal items along with blankets and other elements that make her feel at home when she is at Auburn.
"Decorate your space in your style, not the typical dorm style," Ridgeway said.
(07/23/14 12:00pm)
The Auburn University Waste Reduction and Recycling Department (WRRD), as a part of its work with the East Alabama Recycling Partnership (EARP), successfully recycled more than 44,500 pounds of material at its 11th Electronics Recycling and Confidential Document Destruction Event on March 22.
Auburn's WRRD is a part of the Building Services Department which is housed by the Auburn University Facilities Management.
Auburn University, the city of Auburn, the city of Opelika and the Lee County Recycling Departments make up the EARP and worked together to make the event possible.
Although the City of Auburn recycles independently with its own way of recycling electronics, the EARP unifies the departments with a common goal of keeping materials out of local landfills.
The event began in 2009 and takes place twice a year - once in the spring and fall.
The event has taken place at Saugahatchee Square and lasts approximately four hours.
Individuals bring electronics and confidential papers ready to be recycled and are directed through designated lanes depending on the materials brought.
In March, more than 11 tons of electronics and nine tons of paper were collected and recycled.
Papers are shredded on-site and electronics are gathered and sent to a Responsible Recycling Practices (R2) certified facility where the electronic material is safely recycled following R2 guidelines.
Cardboard boxes and the papers brought in are also collected and recycled at the event, along with ferrous metal and electrical wire.
In addition to the recycling that takes place at the event, participants are also given the option to donate money or food to the East Alabama Food Bank.
According to Joan Hicken, coordinator of Auburn's WWRD, 327 pounds of food and $602 were donated to the food bank during the event in March.
"Our goal is to find an easy and convenient way to recycle for the whole county," Hicken said. "Each event seems to grow with participants and products."
Unlike the county, which charges residents to recycle, this event is completely free of charge.
According to Hicken, the event is set up to recycle electronics and confidential papers in efforts to target specific waste streams and see it does not go to local landfills.
"It is a way to collect materials that we all have instead of putting it in a hole," Hicken said.
Taryn Wilson, senior in accounting who serves as a student employee with Auburn's WRRD, said she loves being outdoors and said she is passionate about recycling.
"It just seems like the right thing to do," Wilson said. "When you go on trails and see trash, it's not natural to the environment."
Wilson worked at the event and said she was impressed by the community participation.
"A lot of people used it who were older," Wilson said. "It was cool to see them bring material over there instead of throwing it in the trash."
As an on-campus resident of the University, Wilson looks at the campus as a home and knows many other students feel the same. Wilson also said she believes students should choose to recycle as a way to keep their home clean.
"It's a really simple change of behavior," Wilson said.
Donald Addison, manager of the WRRD, said he believes recycling is both environmentally and economically healthy.
Addison's respect for recycling did not develop until his time as a student at the University, and it began with his love for the outdoors.
"When I am outside, I like to be in pristine places," Addison said.
Addison said he believes recycling is a necessary practice for any community and loves to see people develop recycling as a habit.
"It's a very rewarding part of my job," Addison said.
Addison is appreciative of the student involvement and volunteers for the event, but always welcomes more.
"I think our student involvement is great in the spring," Addison said.
According to Addison, the spring events receive more student involvement because the WRRD works alongside the BIG Event, a student-run volunteer day designed to get students involved in the community.
However, student participation with the Electronics Recycling and Confidential Document Destruction Event decreases in the fall.
Addison's said his goal is to make it as easy as possible for Auburn students to recycle, rather than sending large amounts of materials to local landfills.
"We want to promote, educate and collect when it comes to recycling at Auburn," Addison said.
Addison is also working with the WRRD to add more recycling bins around campus. His goal is to eventually have a recycling bin with every trashcan on campus in order to make recycling as easy as possible. He encourages students to become aware of the recycling options on campus and recycling opportunities provided by the WRRD.
The next Electronics Recycling and Confidential Document Destruction Event will be held in September. Visit auburn.edu/recycle for more information on Auburn's recycling program.
(07/15/14 12:00pm)
Auburn University students partnered with Church of the Highlands to reach out and serve the community for an annual Serve Day on July 12.
Church of the Highlands is based out of Birmingham with multiple camp locations across the state, including one in Auburn.
Serve Day was created by Church of the Highlands more than six years ago to meet needs in the communities surrounding campuses all over the state.
As a part of Serve Day, thousands of church members rally together in groups to perform different Serve Day projects that need attention in a variety of communities. Volunteers wear red Serve Day T-shirts to draw attention.
Whether it's cutting grass, washing cars, painting, gathering food or praying, Serve Day allows people of all ages to be involved in their communities to accomplish both small and large projects.
Wren Aaron, assistant campus pastor at the Church of the Highlands in Auburn, is proud of the students who served alongside him, and many others, on this year's Serve Day.
"On Serve Day, they stand out in their abilities, willingness and love for their community," Aaron said.
According to Aaron, more than 13,000 people across the state participated in Serve Day this year, and he believes characteristics such as love for God, love for fellow man and the drive to go above and beyond are shared by both the Auburn family and the large number of Serve Day volunteers.
Adam Brown, graduate student in software engineering, served with a group of college students to throw a block party at the Dean Road Recreation Center.
The project's purpose is to build relationships with the residents in order to impact their lives, according to Brown.
Rather than changing the community through yard work, Brown and his team grill out, play sports and enjoyed Serve Day with the families in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Brown has attended Church of the Highlands for two years and enjoys the relationships he has built through the church. He believes because Jesus served others, Christians get to do the same.
"That's what Serve Day is all about," Brown said. "I think it's great that we have such a vibrant group of people in the Auburn Family that share that same passion."
Hope Kennamer, senior in communication, represented Auburn on Serve Day by serving at the Birmingham Dream Center and co-leading a neighborhood outreach in the Woodlawn areas.
Kennamer and her team started the day by connecting with residents while picking up trash and later hosted a block party in the Woodlawn community. In addition to the party, medical check-ups, legal advice, basic financial planning, hair cutting stations and prayer were provided on site.
Kennamer is proud so many Auburn students took part in Serve Day and is proud of the Auburn community. She believes serving her community, whether she is in Auburn or Birmingham, grows her love for God and for people.
"The Auburn family is all about togetherness," Kennamer said. "Being a part of a day dedicated solely to serving and helping others meet all kinds of needs really encompasses what the Auburn family stands for in many ways."
Kennamer encourages students to get involved in the community any way they can.
The Auburn students involved with Serve Day at Church of the Highlands show their love for God, people and Auburn through service and outreach.
(07/11/14 12:00pm)
Two Auburn students received the opportunity to appear in the movie "Selma" set to release January 2015.
JaMichael White, senior in radio, television and film, and Markell Houser, junior in industrial design, are set to appear in the film depicting the 1965 voting marches from Selma, Georgia to Montgomery that took place at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.
The movie was filmed in Atlanta and Selma and is produced by Oprah Winfrey, who will also have a leading role in the movie.
According to White, he discovered the opportunity online and attended an open casting call in Selma. He received information on what possible roles he could play in the movie after submitting a headshot and application.
White was selected to be one of nine individuals to act as a student militant group.
"It really just fell into my lap," White said. "It is a blessing how it all played out."
With plans to pursue a career in acting, White said he feels the long days and number of hours he spent on set well prepared him for the future.
While he did not have a main role, he gained acting experience on set.
The characters White and his companions portrayed in the film sing and stand with Martin Luther King Jr. as advocates for a change.
"It was convicting to be a part of something that was so huge in the '60s," White said.
After filming for a week with long hours, White said he appreciates his first on-screen role and the opportunity to build his portfolio.
Ric Smith, media studies professor, said he is proud a student from his department is already achieving such success.
"It is a great compliment to him," Smith said. "JaMichael is taking what he has learned in class and applying it to the real world."
According to Smith, students in media studies do not take acting classes, but learn the discipline that goes into filmmaking.
Houser, like White, said he feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to appear in the film.
After hearing about the opportunity on WSFA News, Houser, who has grown up hearing about the Civil Rights Movement, applied to be an extra.
"I thought it would be only fitting since so much of the film is my history," Houser said.
Born in Selma and growing up in Montgomery, Houser felt a personal tie to the film.
Houser served as an extra during the marching scenes, where he stood toward the back, and marched with other cast members in Montgomery toward the capitol building.
Although his role did not require a costume, and he did not plan on being featured in the film, Houser said he believes the film will serve as a learning opportunity for those who do not know about the Civil Rights Movement.
Houser said he looks forward to the day where he will be able to pause the film and point out his role in the scene.
(07/09/14 8:28pm)
Jarrod Allen, graduated from Auburn's industrial design program in 2000, owns and operates his own leather business called Hide and True.
Based out of Birmingham, Allen started his business two years ago after teaching himself the craft of leather-working.
"Growing up, me and my dad would always make things together," Allen said.
Allen said he became inspired to learn how to make his own crafts after admiring the work of an open-source leather worker who posted tutorials online and buying a leather product from a friend.
After mastering the craft, Allen began selling his leather products to friends.
He attributes his success to the skills he learned while at Auburn.
"You leave [the program] feeling empowered and [able] to create," Allen said. "You learn the power of craftsmanship."
As a small business owner, Allen said he does not wish to grow exponentially, but wishes to maintain a small business.
According to Allen, if his business were a tree, he would not want it to be like a pine that is thin, grows quickly and is easily cut down. He wants his business to take on the characteristics of a maple or oak tree that has slow growth, but is strong and solid.
"You turn orders into growth, not trips to the bank," Allen said.
Randall Bartlett, professor of industrial design and interim program chair of industrial design, taught Allen during his time at Auburn and said he believes Allen's work is fresh and rewarding.
"It's a clean and straightforward design," Bartlett said. "It's well-crafted."
Bartlett takes pride in the industrial design program and said he believes the success of Allen and other industrial design graduates inspires his current students by giving them hope and confidence.
"(Industrial design graduates) are the total package," Bartlett said. "We are creative problem-solvers with an understanding of marketing."
According to Bartlett, it is not the norm for industrial design graduates to start their own business, but more of a dream shared by students and professionals alike.
Joey and Megan Adams have been customers of Hide and True for a year and a half and have been pleased with Allen's products and work ethic.
"He provides practical products for every day life and relates to his costumers as if they were old friends," Joey said.
The couple praises Allen's use of genuine material and old-school customer service.
"It is the kind [of customer service] you wish every business would practice," Megan said.
According to Joey, the couple is unable to choose a favorite piece from Hide and True, but, with each order, Allen has continually exceeded their expectations with his talent, classic style and value that is put into each project.
A complete list of Allen's products can be viewed online or ordered at hideandtrue.com.
(07/03/14 6:00pm)
Auburn University is achieving high status in areas other than football.
Earning top rankings among others in the nation, the Auburn University fashion program stands above the rest.
Auburn's fashion merchandising program is ranked sixth in the nation - ranked above all other fashion schools in the southeast.
The fashion design program is ranked 12th in the nation and second in the southeast behind a school that specializes in fashion design.
Auburn's production management program is ranked fifth in the nation.
According to Carol Warfield, head of the department of consumer and design sciences, this is the second year the fashion ranking system has put out an official ranking.
Created to satisfy the requests of students and individuals nationwide, the ranking ranks schools by academic reputation, geographic location, faculty, quality and school surveys which were an added category for the 2014 rankings.
"Our students will have a broader and more integrated background," Warfield said.
She contributes the program's success to a number of aspects including its accessibility and experienced professors that have a desire to see students succeed in the professional world of fashion.
"We have a great group of faculty from very diverse backgrounds," Warfield said. "We help ensure that students' education is in tune with reality."
Ashley Young, sophomore in apparel merchandising, said she is proud to be a part of the fashion program at the University.
"I know I can go to any of my professors about anything," Young said. "They want me to do the best that I can; and not just pass anything, but get a really good education in the fashion industry."
According to Young, Auburn's high rankings and geographical location was what inspired her to pursue her education on the Plains.
Young said she is confident her education at Auburn and relationships with professors will successfully prepare and benefit her in her future fashion career.
According to Warfield, the professors involved with Auburn's fashion program pride themselves in educating well-rounded students.
Professionals with a fashion degree from Auburn are required to take a variety of fashion courses and are expected to understand the industry from all perspectives.
"In the industry, you have to work as a member of a team," Warfield said.
Jenny Rice, senior in apparel merchandising, shares similar views to Young.
"It gives me confidence when I talk about my college," Rice said. "I am confident in my abilities to succeed when I graduate because of Auburn and the knowledge I have gained."
Rice made her decision to be a part of Auburn's fashion program after speaking with multiple faculty members and students.
According to Rice, every professor offered her encouragement and inspiration.
"I am so thankful for Auburn and what it has taught me in the classroom and outside of the classroom," Rice said.
Rice said she values visual learning and contributes her success to the hands-on experience and variety she experienced in the fashion labs and curriculum.
Warfield said she hopes to see an increase in the number of fashion students at Auburn because of the program's high rankings, which she feels reflect the high quality of the program and passion shared by professors and students alike.
A complete list of the 2014 rankings can be viewed at fashion-schools.org
(06/23/14 5:24pm)
Whether Auburn University students are taking summer classes, working or interning; short vacations provide opportunities to make memories that will last forever.
Loren Tidmore, senior in apparel merchandising, took the fashionable route on a short weekend trip to Warehouse Row in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Warehouse Row is a shopping center converted from a Civil War Fort, which features unique architecture and is filled with a variety of artisan shops and boutiques.
"My experience at Warehouse Row was grander than expected," Tidmore said. "I expected chain boutiques, but was greeted with one-of-a-kind homes, fashion and art galleries."
Tidmore took the trip with her grandmother and said she enjoyed the design aspects of Warehouse Row.
"Table centerpieces were made of firehouse rope and screws and large stems of wheat," Tidmore said. "In one space, a large wooden table was set out with a life sized horse sitting on top of it."
Following the more traditional idea of a road trip, Emily McGee, senior in software engineering, traveled through 10 states in 33 hours over six days.
Traveling to a friend's wedding in Vernon, Texas, McGee left from Atlanta and made few stops en route to her destination.
However, on her return, McGee took a different route and made several stops.
"My favorite part was seeing all of our friends at the wedding," McGee said.
McGee traveled as far north as Illinois and as far south as Louisiana.
When planning a road trip, McGee encourages students to think ahead and look for fun opportunities.
Heather Lumley, senior in physics, took a different approach to the typical beach trip by going deep-sea fishing.
Lumley's friends, Melissa Cook and Kelley Moody, both juniors in organismal biology, also went along the trip with her.
"My favorite part was being out on the ocean and getting to experience fishing for the first time," Lumley said. "It's so exciting when something bites your line!"
Lumley said she loves being in the water and appreciated the adventure.
"We got to stay out fishing for a few hours and went to several different places and after we got back to shore they let us hang up our biggest fishes to take pictures with and then they helped us gut and clean the fish so we could take it home to cook," Lumley said.
Karen Dillon, junior in exercise science, could nearly call herself an adrenaline junkie.
As a birthday present from her parents, Dillon jumped out of a plane from 14,000 feet.
"I was terrified, but it has always been on my bucket list," Dillon said.
After ascending for 15 minutes, Dillon, strapped to a professional skydiver, jumped out of the plane over Huntsville.
"We were only in the air for about one minute," Dillon said. "It is not as bad as it seems."
According to Dillon, she was ready to skydive again as soon as she landed safely on the ground.
No matter the stress students may face over the span of the summer semester, students agree a short vacation filled with adrenaline, new experiences or relaxation can serve as the necessary stress-relief from the responsibilities of student life.
(06/17/14 5:10pm)
What started as a promising royal plan has ended as a royal pain. Auburn University graduate, Kelley Andrews competed for love against eleven other women in the FOX television show called "I Wanna Marry 'Harry.'"
As a part of the show, 12 American women are taken out of their comfort zones and placed in a completely new- and royal world.
The women go on a series of dates, as well as compete for the affection of a man, whom they believe to be Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales.
With impersonation lessons and his similar looks with the Prince, Matt Hicks, 25, takes on the challenge of convincing the women that he truly is fourth in line for the British throne, although he works as an environmental consultant in Exeter, England.
Andrews, who graduated from Auburn University in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications, was approached at her hostessing job in Los Angeles about the show.
At the time, she was single and had met no one whom she wanted to bring home to her family, so she was up for the adventure.
"There are no southern gentlemen in L.A.," Andrews said.
According to Andrews, during her time on the reality show, she made friends, gained a strong backbone and learned how to handle herself in a professional manner.
"It was one of best life experiences I have ever had, and as a person I felt like I grew tremendously," Andrews said.
However, the show had a record low amount of viewers and has been taken off its primetime showing.
Alex Denny, senior in psychology, believes that the show is based on flawed morals.
"I find the show to be entertaining, one of those you can't stop watching," Denny said. "In general, I don't believe that a relationship should be built on dishonesty, and this show is based solely upon the dishonesty of the lead man."
Sharing the same view, Jessi Chambliss, senior in graphic design, believes the show's values are flawed, but not surprised it was created and aired.
"It really poses the question of 'what are people really watching and why are they ok with watching it,'" Chambliss said.
Denny feels Andrews represented the Auburn family well.
"She is sweet, loveable, and classy," Denny said. "Definitely in the parts of the show that I have seen she comes across as a just being a woman of character, which I feel like shows what it's like to be a girl raised in the Auburn family."
After graduating, Andrews started a company called Button Up Sunshine, which sells headbands and wraps and donates them to children battling cancer.
As a survivor of cancer herself, Andrews hopes to get access into hospitals across the country to encourage children, but all of the funds raised by Button Up Sunshine are currently going to her family's organization called "A is for Africa", which works to increase access to education, heathcare and safe spaces.
Andrews tried to bring southern class to the show and represented the Auburn family.
Although now off the air, the show's eight episodes can be viewed on fox.com/i-wanna-marry-harry/ for a limited time.
(06/03/14 10:00pm)
Auburn University is continuing to make a difference across the globe. The Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative and Forest Health Cooperative are two research cooperatives in the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences that have received a $218,000 grant from the United States Forest Service.
The grant will be used to fund supplies for a three-year project to improve screening methods, rapidly detect and successfully prevent the spread of a fungus called Fusarium circinatum that causes Pitch Canker disease, which kills full grown conifer trees and seedlings, around the world.
According to authorities, the fungus is currently present in the southern part of the United States and California. The fungus has not reached the northern states, but research shows that trees in the North are susceptible to the fungus.
Dr. Scott Enebak is a professor, director of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences and serves as the co-principal investigator over the new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing method funded by the grant.
"We are trying to prevent the movement of the pathogen to other places," Enebak said.
According to Enebak, the fungus is physically unrecognizable and is easily spread internationally. With the new testing method that will use plant DNA, the fungus will be detected quickly and easily.
The current testing method takes three or more weeks and is unreliable, but with the polymerase chain reaction testing method, the fungus will be detected after only half a day, according to Lori Eckhardt, assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences and serves alongside Enebak as the director of the Forest Health Cooperative.
Scientists at the University of Florida initially sequenced the genome of the fungus that causes Pitch Canker and are working with the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn to develop the new screening method.
"They did phase one, and now we are doing phase two," Eckhardt said.
The grant is also being used to fund the studies of Ryan Nadel, a Postdoctoral Fellow who is working to develop the new testing method. Nadel is from South Africa and has lived in the United States for three months while he works with the cooperatives.
Enebak and Nadel both agree that the rapid speed of the new testing method is a necessity.
"The quicker to identify, the quicker to prevent the entry [of the fungus] into a country," Nadel said.
According to Enebak and Eckhardt, the goals of the new testing protocol are to make Auburn a central testing location where samples of pine are sent in to be tested for the fungus and for clean seed certification to be achieved faster.
"We want a more rapid test and a more accurate test," Enebak said.
To ensure the tests are more accurate the International Seed Testing Association must approve the new method.
Although the improved method of testing will be unable to treat the infected plant life, the early detection of the fungus will be able to prevent the spread of Pitch Canker and allow for recommendations on how to treat the infected conifers, according to Enebak.
(05/30/14 6:00pm)
The School of Kinesiology is offering a course called cardiorespiratory fitness: physical activity through puppy play (PHED 1200) that will provide students with the opportunity to get exercise and to play with puppies for class credit.
In this course, students will gain firsthand experience training black lab puppies that will one day be highly trained bomb dogs that could prevent disasters.
According to Jeanne Brock, chief instructor of the breeding puppy development class, the purpose of the course is to acclimate the puppies to different environments, provide physical activity for students and develop detection skills in each puppy before they are sent to a specialized training school.
Pam Haney is a veterinary research assistant and serves as the coordinator of the class.
"These dogs live to work," Haney said.
The ages of the puppies range from six weeks to six months, and students are able to work with over 20 puppies at a time.
This course requires no prerequisites and is being offered for the first time this summer.
According to Taylor Holt, GTA for the course, students are usually reserved at the beginning of the class, but have no problem opening up, and even rolling around on the ground, once the puppies are introduced.
After meeting once in a classroom setting to complete a brief online training session, students meet at a location on Webster Road to begin training and playing with the puppies.
"Anyone can volunteer to work with the dogs too, not just students who are in the class," Holt said.
Tristan Madden, senior in exercise science, said he thoroughly enjoys the class and is one of the students working directly with the puppies.
"I got to roll around and play with puppies for an hour," Madden said. "It was the best hour of my life."
The instructors of the course said they enjoy it as much as the students.
"My favorite part is watching how the students develop their puppy voices," Brock said.
According to Torre Vann, puppy developer who works with the class, the course is designed to prepare the puppies for their future.
The course is also to teach current and future dog owners how to better care for their canines.
The class allows the students and puppies to form a relationship.
Students, as well as volunteers, are encouraged to offer their time at foster homes to help the puppies and the two mother labs that are involved with the program.
The course will also be offered in the second mini-mester and again the in the fall 2014 semester.
According to Haney, future plans are being made for the course with hopes that a large number of students will enroll in the coming semesters.
Because the class offers credit for spending hours playing with puppies that will one day save lives, Haney is hopeful that the course will succeed.
(05/23/14 5:00pm)
When thinking of summer, one may imagine the sun, water, late nights or spontaneous vacations \0xAD--not school.
The months of May, June and July are typically seen as an opportunity to kick back and relax.
Unfortunately, students who attend school during the summer may have a hard time doing this.
Auburn University has made it possible for summer students to enjoy the warm summer months, as well as be productive by providing exclusive courses during the summer semester.
Some of these unique courses are Sports Economics (ECON 3300), Disneyfication (ENGL 4550) and Survey of Popular Music (MUSI 2740).
Sports Economics is an elective course that teaches students how to apply previously learned economic skills to real life and introduces the students to interesting topics in that field.
Taught by Macy Finck, economics professor, the course has been offered for six summer semesters, including this year's.
"The course illustrates how sport functions in our economy, both as a business and a public choice issue," Finck said.
Students choose to enroll will study profit-maximization choices regarding team owners, the economic role of television broadcasting contracts, government choices on sports economics and the economic effects of hosting events like the World Cup or the Olympics.
Principles of microeconomics, a prerequisite for the course, will be offered during the second summer mini-mester.
Another summer course the University is offering students is a class called Disneyfication.
In this course, students will study the ways the "Disney touch" transforms cultural narratives, objects and spaces in accordance to Disney's core values.
The Disneyfication course will be taught by Alicia Carroll, associate English professor.
The course has been offered once before, back in the summer semester of 2011.
"Most of us are used to consuming Disney products, but we don't often stop and think about the way our consumption shapes our identities," Carroll said.
Students will watch films -- including the most recent Disney blockbuster hit "Frozen"-- think critically and analyze popular culture.
"Students gave the course high marks back in 2011 and reported back that they are still thinking about some of the ideas we explored three years ago," Carroll said,
Carroll said she enjoys teaching the course as much as students have enjoyed taking it.
The department of music is offering a first mini-mester summer course called Survey of Popular Music.
Students will analyze music from the early 20th century to the present, from stylistic and social to political perspectives
Howard Goldstein, who has done research with special interests in film and popular music styles, will teach the course.
Because this will be the first summer the course is offered, Goldstein said the music department is working to make the class available to all students by creating a online-learning version of the course.
"The purpose of the course is to provide a survey of important popular music styles within a chronological overview of their history," said Sara Lynn Baird, music professor.
Students in this course will be required to view live or virtual performances and write about the particular performance.
(05/26/14 12:00pm)
Bluegrass is a blend of country, gospel and blues music that is appropriate for all ages.
Taking place at University Station Motorcoach and RV Resort on May 28 through June 1, the 2014 Bluegrass on the Plains Festival will provide food, workshops and established bluegrass music with Ralph Stanley as the main entertainment.
Stanley has been playing bluegrass music for over 68 years.
Owners of the resort, Mathan and Jill Holt created the festival, which will be three years old this year.
"It was Mathan's bucket-list dream," Jill said when asked what inspired them to start the festival.
The couple wanted to share their love for the sounds that make up bluegrass.
This year's festival will offer a number of entertaining activities and attractions including workshops taught by musicians, arts and crafts, horse and carriage rides.
Food vendors at the event include Johnny Brusco's, The Flaming Squirrel, Smoothie King and Coffee To Go Go.
Even before the festival begins, entertainment, such as the Bluegrass Idol Competition will be provided for guests who arrive early at the resort.
According to Holt, up-and-coming bluegrass bands will perform in front of three judges, and the winners of the Bluegrass Idol Competition will open for Ralph Stanley.
Sweet Bonz Alabama BBQ is one of the many food vendors that will be present at the event, offering a number of Southern cuisine options, including breakfasts.
"We will be serving our famous smoked chicken halves, as well as baked beans and coleslaw," said Zane Allsup, owner of Sweet Bonz.
Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, The Issacs, Volume Five, the Bailey Mountain Cloggers will be performing.
People from all over will come to Bluegrass on the Plains.
"This year we will even have guests from Canada," Holt said.
Sharing the love for the bluegrass sound, W. A. Pate is a member of the bluegrass community who has been attending bluegrass festivals for 45 years.
Pate will also be attending Bluegrass on the Plains this year.
"It is so organized that I thought it had been going on for years," Pate said. "It's the best venue I have ever attended, top to bottom."
University Station Motorcoach and RV Resort is located approximately three miles from Jordan-Hare stadium and offers over 500 full-hookup lots, which have been filling up for the festival since Jan. 15, according to Holt.
Due to the family-oriented environment, variety of food and talented musicians, Bluegrass on the Plains received the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) 2013 Momentum Award.
The event is expected to draw an even bigger crowd this year than the previous 5,000 who attended the festival in the past.
Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling (334) 821-8968.
For more information visit BluegrassOnThePlains.com.