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TV class debates family value trends

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | February 18

The Department of Radio, Television and Film offers a class that combines two popular college student activities into one experience: class discussion and television viewing.The class is TV and the Family, taught by Ric Smith, professor of radio, television and film.Smith said the class has a lot of interesting learning opportunities."We look at how families are portrayed on television and how families use television and the impact that usage has on families both good and bad," Smith said.Over the course of the semester, the class watches clips of popular family based television shows such as "The Simpsons" or "Everybody Loves Raymond" and classic shows such as "Leave It To Beaver" or "Good Times".Smith said these viewings are used to discuss how families are portrayed on television and how those messages about families have changed over time.Keista Hough, senior in radio, television and film, said the discussion portion of the class is vital to its success."The thing about Ric is he does a lot of discussion," Hough said.

Aerospace researches air flow, here and there

By Drew Thompson / ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR | February 18

From supersonic wind tunnels to laser scanning technology, aerospace engineering is not lacking research to be performed.Kyle Lynch, first year master's student in aerospace engineering, is taking advantage of both the wind tunnel and laser scanning technology.Lynch has been using the Pulse Burst Laser System in cooperation with the supersonic wind tunnel and in development of a high-speed, 3-D flow visualization technique.

SAA Supports Haiti by Collecting Shirts

By Drew Thompson / ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR | February 18

Members of the Student Alumni Association will leave for Oxford, Miss., for the Affiliated Student Advancement Programs District 3 conference today at 1 p.m.The conference is centered on spreading ideas among different universities.Starting last Wednesday, Matthew Cox, junior in accounting and SAA president, started collecting shirts on the Concourse with the help of his fellow SAA members in preparation for their appearance at the ASAP conference at Ole Miss.Cox said the T-shirt drive is for the benefit of those affected by the earthquake in Haiti."Any kind of shirt will work at this point," said Wendy Norred, senior in health administration and SAA vice president of campus relations.Norred said it did not even matter if the shirts were clean before they were donated."We are taking (the shirts) to a conference who will clean them all," Norred said.All kinds of shirts were collected at the tent SAA set up on the Concourse."Long sleeved, short sleeved and even sleeveless," Norred said.The SAA members had a plastic bin filled with various donated shirts.SAA contacted news groups who spread the word of the shirt drive as far as Columbus, Ga., Cox said.SAA has received help from the Auburn community, Cox said.As of last Wednesday, the Auburn University Marching Band had collected around 300 shirts, Cox said.All the shirts that were collected will be taken to the conference today.The conference will include the University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, University of South Carolina and University of Mississippi.ASAP evokes slight competition but the bottom line of the conference is to support Haiti and increase relations amongstDistrict 3 schools.

Guitarists keep JCSM classy

By Patrick Dever / ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR | February 18

The sounds of classical guitar floated throughout the auditorium at the Jule Collins Smith Museum last Thursday evening.

Katrina Survivor Speaks About Artistic Inspirations

By Derek Lacey / WRITER | February 15

Jeff Schmuki, an artist who uses growing plants as his medium of choice, presented his lecture, Armegarrden, Thursday in Biggin Hall.Wearing a bright red jumpsuit, he explained that hurricane Katrina had destroyed his house in Mississippi, changed his life and has become a major inspiration for his work."Your life can change in one day," Scmucki said, "some of my neighbors stayed and didn't make it. I helped recover them."

Weather Causes Campus to Close, Toomers Ten to Postpone Services

By Staff reports | February 11

The campus is closed, and classes are canceled Friday, Feb. 11.Auburn University Public Safety plans on operating the night Security Shuttle pending the safety of the roads Friday.Toomers Ten will not run regardless of weather conditions Friday evening.Public Safety anticipates operating at a minimum as long as campus dining areas are open.Updates will be posted when necessary.

BIG EVENT

By Drew Thompson / ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR | February 11

A mass of volunteers gathered in the cold rain near the green space outside the Student Center for the kick-off of the Big Event Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9 a.m.The Big Event has been directed by Auburn University's SGA for six years.

Supersonic wind tunnel blows fast

By Drew Thompson / ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR | February 11

Auburn University's College of Aerospace Engineering has been testing the aerodynamics of a missile at Mach 2 speeds in an on-campus Blowdown Wind Tunnel in the Advanced Laser Diagnostics Laboratory.Kyle Long, first year master's student in aerospace engineering, uses speeds equivalent to traveling the distance of six football fields in one second to test his handmade missile.The engineers are using a generic missile model that is equipped with an air jet on the side, Long said.The model weighs about five or six ounces and is made up of aluminum.

Poker players go all in for Alzheimer's Disease

By Crystal Cole / STAFF REPORTER | February 11

Multiple power outages during the final table of the 6th Annual Sigma Hold 'Em Tournament almost put a halt on the competition, but several iPhones and a small flashlight kept the cards going.One participant, Coley Pugh, was almost disqualified from the final table after allegations he was receiving helpful text messages from a bystander.Pugh maintained his innocence and said he was simply letting a friend know how he was doing in the tournament.

Theta flowers hope for children

By Ashley Marks / WRITER | February 11

Valentine's Day is approaching, and nothing says "I love you" better than flowers.This week, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority is making it easer to get flowers, but Theta's doing it with a catch.The Gamma Omega chapter of Theta sold pink, red and white carnations for $3 this week.All proceeds will benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates, a private nonprofit organization.The organization seeks to stop child abuse.Lauren Smith, affiliate in the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter in Auburn, said she is a strong believer in CASA's cause."These are men and women who volunteer their time to work in the court system for children who have been abused, neglected or are in dangerous living situations," Smith said.

Engineers utilize skills in Bolivia

By Jillian Clair / STAFF REPORTER | February 11

Several Auburn engineering students will travel to Quesimpuco, Bolivia, this August to assess the technological needs of the community.The trip will begin a five-year partnership between the newly formed Auburn chapter of Engineers Without Borders and Servants in Faith and Technology which will serve the community of Quesimpuco exclusively.A meeting was held Feb.

Literature course keeps civil rights fight alive

By Maxwell Newfield / ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR | February 11

Some students worry upper level courses may focus on incredibly specific subjects, but one 4000-level course in the English department allows students to work on their critical thinking and writing skills, all the while making sure everything relates back to a critical time in American History.The class is Special Topics in African-American Literature: The Fight for Civil Rights in African American Literature and Culture, and it is taught by Susana Morris."Students are going to read a diverse set of readings from authors from the'50s, '60s and '70s," Morris said.

Plane wing creates horizontal tornado

By Drew Thompson / ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR | February 11

Aerospace takes the fierce air speeds of a tornado, or vortex, and tames the tornadic winds by creating the cyclic phenomena in water.Manjul Gupta, graduate student in aerospace engineering, is able to use the dense quality of water to create a vortex in water at a speed of only .2 meters per second.The vortex is created by the turbulence off the tip of a small-scale airplane wing pitched at four degrees from the natural flow plane.A pitch of four degrees would allow a normal airplane to slowly climb higher, called its angle of attack.There has to be an angle of attack to form a vortex, Gupta said.Gupta uses a wing that is four inches wide.The width of the wing is the chord length of the wing."I am trying to simulate a real aircraft," Gupta said.

Homes left abandoned, leaving modern ruins

By Nicole Emmett / WRITER | February 11

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art presented an exhibition by Brooklyn based photographer Chris Mottalini on Saturday, which details the existence of modern ruins throughout the country."After You Left, They Took It Apart" is comprised of 21 photographs detailing the downfall of three modern houses in Rhode Island, Florida and Connecticut.The demolished homes were built by Paul Rudolph, Auburn alumnus and skilled architect known for his linear, perpendicular designs."We are showing a small selection of works of a larger group of photographs that he has done," said Dennis Harper, curator of collections and exhibitions at JCSM.Harper said the gallery, available until April 17, shows contradictory connotations, as older architecture is expected to collapse.Seven photographs of each house show different views of the damage, starting with a wide view of a mansion in seemingly great condition."The last photographs show the extent of the interior damage to the home, which is surprising," said Andrew Henley, education curator at JCSM.Mottalini came across the subject matter by chance when he was asked to photograph an abandoned 4,200 square-foot house in Westport, Conn., on the eve of its destruction in 2006."That photo compelled him to follow this line of investigation," Harper said.The Micheels House was the first of more than 100 Rudolph houses photographed by Mottalini and is one of three on display in Auburn.Henley said it is important to observe the kinds of mansions that are being left to fall apart."The architectural style of the houses fell out of favor as people opted for more marketable, bigger mansions," Henley said.Another house, The Cerrito House, was destroyed during a planned relocation from Watch Hill, R.I., to New York in 2007."The restoration costs would have been in the millions," Henley said.

Art students personalize Valentine's Day cards

By Jillian Clair / STAFF REPORTER | February 11

Promoting art in Auburn is as easy as buying a Valentine's Day card, and it doesn't require as much effort as driving to Hallmark.The art department's student organization, Association of Visual Artists, is hosting the third annual "Art for the Heart" Valentine's Day card sale tomorrow from 11 a.m.

Loaded Words Pack Punch

By Brian Desarro / ASSISTANT INTRIGUE EDITOR | February 11

There once was a time when a fag was a fag, a bitch was a bitch and the word cunt was simply an anatomical expression.In recent years, however, loaded words like these have picked up new meanings, transforming them into hurtful insults."Words have a great deal of power; they can bring joy, cause damage and inflict pain," said Barbara Baker, director of the Women's Leadership Institute.

Documentary draws large crowd at student center

By Jennifer Beckett / WRITER | February 5

Students celebrated the beginning of Black History Month with food, friends and a film in the student center Thursday night.Narrated and produced by Reggie Bullock, the 25-minute documentary "A War for Your Soul" showed the obstacles that black and white people have overcome since the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

Pianist charms judges in pageant

By Chelsea Harvey / WRITER | February 4

The Miss Auburn University Scholarship Pageant began with a curtain rising over the Student Activities Center stage to reveal Miss Auburn University 2009 accompanied by 13 contestants vying for the 2010 title.