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Local Filmmaker Premiers 'Chernobyl' Film

By Jennifer Beckett / WRITER | April 16

The small bell hanging from the dark blue door if the Gnu's Room jingled quietly as friends, students, parents and other Auburn residents gathered Friday night to watch local filmmaker Alessio Summerfield's short film "Chernobyl."

Squirt Gun Shenanigans

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | April 15

More than 100 Auburn students have spent the last two weeks systematically hunting and shooting friends and classmates.Fortunately for the Auburn Police Department, the weapons of choice were squirt guns and a part of Campus Ministry Shenanigans, hosted by Reform University Fellowship."It's a game we play once a year," said Scott Morrison, junior in biomedical sciences and one of the organizers of Campus Ministry Shenanigans. "It's pretty much like Assassins, but I don't think we're allowed to call it that."

JS Film Festival

By Laura Maxwell / ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | April 15

The Jay Sanders Film Festival will be taking place this evening at 7 p.m. at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center."The Jay Sanders Film Festival is a festival that brings together student films from across the country to compete in the Movie Gallery Student Film Competition," said Deron Overpeck, assistant professor of radio, television and film.There are categories for both high school and college students.

SGA Senate Meeting

By Laura Maxwell / ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | April 15

Perspectives on the Plains will be bringing Mayor Rudy Giuliani to speak at the coliseum May 3. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

IFC Helps Protect Auburn's Hearts

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | April 15

Members of Auburn's Interfraternity Council shocked the Auburn Police Department when they presented the department with eight emergency defibrillators, April 7."Until now, no police cars were equipped with AEDs," said Tyler Sample, senior in building science and president of IFC.

Omega Tau Sigma Revives Dogpatch

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | April 15

Dogpatch may be the only animal-related event the students and alumni of the veterinary school are not entirely educated about."That's just the name we started with," said Sharon Bailey, the Zeta Club manager for Omega Tau Sigma.

Auburn Returns To Launchpad Finals

By Ben Bartley / COPY EDITOR | April 15

Tomorrow, a team of Auburn students will join eight other teams from colleges around Alabama in Huntsville to participate in a competition awarding innovative business plans.The Alabama Launchpad Governor's Business Plan Competition will award $175,000 to the top three teams, $100,000 of which will go to the winning team."(The competition) helps to stimulate new business development and job creation and helps to get our technologies that are developing out of the University and in the private sector up and running," said John Weete, assistant vice president for technology transfer.Auburn's teams, including this year's team, Construction Solutions, have made the finals all four years of the competition's history.Steve Williams, professor in building science, said Construction Solutions is an entrepreneur in conjunction with Auburn University and has proposed a business which will take ideas generated by students, make the product and sell it."(Construction Solutions) submitted to (the competition) and focused on our efforts to create a business plan and to also win and get some seed money and the momentum to form a company to bring some of these products to market," said Brian Wright, associate director for commercialization in the office of technology transfer.The annual Auburn team is organized around an interdisciplinary class started in fall 2006.Wright said the basic plan is to use the class as an R&D engine to create new products to keep Construction Solutions maintained."(The class) is a collaboration between building science students and industrial design students," said Williams, one of the founders of the class.

Search For College of Business Dean Officially Over

By Alison McFerrin / WRITER | April 15

Bill Hardgrave has been named the new dean of the Auburn University College of Business.Hardgrave, who has a doctorate in philosophy, comes to Auburn from the University of Arkansas, where he has been working with the Sam W.

Gamers Find Their Paradise At TigerLAN

By Eric Austin / WRITER | April 15

Scores of gamers huddle around screens trading tips and subtle trash talk. The intense stares on faces is the common theme of the room.

Writing Center To Benefit Undergraduates

By Jillian Clair / STAFF REPORTER | April 15

In the fall, the new writing center in Auburn's library will be open to all undergraduate students who need help with writing in any course offered at Auburn."The goal is eventually to be anybody in the whole Auburn community--staff, faculty, graduate students--but we're going to start in the fall with just undergraduates," said Margaret Marshall, director of the University Writing Program.Marshall said many other universities offer this service to their students."Universities around the country work this way, so this is not creating something all that new; it's just implementing something that hasn't been done here," Marshall said.

Earthfest Encourages Recycling

By Drew Thompson / WRITER | April 15

The times of Woodstock may have come and gone, but that will not stop college-aged individuals from sitting in a field all day and listening to music.Auburn's Environmental Awareness Organization hosted Earthfest Saturday at the Donald E.

Divas Rock Runway

By Eric Austin / WRITER | April 8

Women in short skirts, high heels and skin-tight leggings paraded down the runway in the Student Center ballroom Saturday night as cheering onlookers showered the models with dollar bills. Soon after, stylish rappers and a long-haired dude in the style of Carlos Santana and Jesus were rocking out. The party went on well into the night and, by the end, the Auburn Gay-Straight Alliance hoped it had made its point.

Dean of Agriculture Uproots From Position

By Jennifer Beckett / WRITER | April 8

Auburn's College of Agriculture will say goodbye to its dedicated dean, Richard Guthrie, in May.Since giving up his semi-retirement and returning to the University to serve as interim dean in 2005, Guthrie has also served as director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station for the last five years."Most of his efforts have been related to the Experiment Station, associated research and coordinating programs within the Extension service," said Dale Coleman, professor and coordinator of undergraduate programs in animal science.

SGA Senate To Safety Walk

By Laura Maxwell / ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | April 8

During the SGA Senate meeting Monday evening, Sen. Vanessa Tarpos announced the Safety Walk will take place April 19.The walk takes place every semester.Tarpos said senators will be divided into six groups.They will work with the police department and go to designated areas on campus to check the blue emergency lights and look for poorly lit areas.Tarpos said the senators will be filling out a report on the information they gather during the walk.Senators will be submitting their reports to Melvin Owens, the director of public safety and security at Auburn University.The Senate also approved three new appointments: Kirby Turgnage, chaplain; Matthew McGough, secretary of the budget and finance committee; and Kelsey Chauvin, senator of veterinary medicine.Senators were reminded that Verizon Wireless Applications are due this Friday.Positions for cabinet will be posted at the end of the week.The SGA is still looking for a speaker for Academic Integrity Week.President Kurt Sasser acknowledged the launching of the safety campaign which began Monday morning.Sasser also reminded those in attendance to vote for "All Auburn, All Orange" T-shirts April 5 - April 9.During the invocation, senators were reminded to act with humility and mercy.

Plenty Praise For Sigma Chi Derby Days

By Laura Maxwell / ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | April 8

Lights flashed and music blared as those who donated to Sigma Chi skated for the Children's Miracle Network.

Alpha Psi Saddles Up For Rodeo

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | April 8

The brothers of Alpha Psi veterinary fraternity will host their annual rodeo this Saturday, April 10."It's such a big event that people definitely do not want to miss," said Daniel Priest, second-year veterinary student and rodeo chair.

Tigers Take To Skies In Professional Aviation Management

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | April 8

Every major at Auburn University can prepare someone for a successful and rewarding career, but only one can teach someone to fly the Goodyear blimp.The professional flight management degree prepares students for careers in every variety of flight."With the professional flight management degree, students can come to Auburn to obtain a 4-year accredited business degree and also learn how to fly," said Joe Hanna, aviation and supply chain management department chairman and professor.

Recession Revitalizes Computer Science and Software Engineering

By Bethany Donaldson / WRITER | April 8

While other programs at colleges across the nation have seen a decline in the past two years, computer science programs have seen a 14 percent increase nation-wide.Richard Chapman, professor in computer science, said enrollment in computer science programs generally follows patterns of the economy, and Auburn is on the high end of the curve."When people see opportunity in a field, they flock to it," Chapman said.Barrett Hoover, junior in mechanical engineering, said he chose engineering because he sees the need for engineers."Engineering applies to every part of our lives now," Hoover said.