---

COLUMN | The effect of AI on STEM students

By James Dewberry | Columnist | November 19

To the Auburn STEM students, 8,132 of which make up the undergraduate Colleges of Engineering and Science and Mathematics alone, artificial intelligence is a terrifying prospect. As AI continues to develop, it will take a new generation of thinkers and scientists to adequately take advantage of these new mechanisms. It is not the end of employment and purpose but a new opportunity to understand the world more deeply.

COLUMN | Our unsettling obsession with protein

By Emily Boyle | Columnist | November 13

Starbucks announced its new protein lattes and cold foam that ranges anywhere from 12 to even 36 grams of protein for a single drink. Without focusing on the undeniable importance of protein, it’s safe to say this unanimous obsession speaks to the environment we have collectively created around our bodies and our never-ending fixation with them.

COLUMN | Environmental impact of generative AI

By Sam Gladden | Columnist | November 10

Many say that AI, especially generative AI, is our future; they argue there is no other option but to indulge this new technology, and we as a society are going to fully integrate it within the coming years. If this is true, we must find an eco-friendly way to go about it. As it is right now, AI is a waste of energy and a regurgitation of pre-existing work. We need to do better. 

COLUMN | An econ-hater's guide to making the best of your worst classes

By Isabella Hidalgo | Columnist | November 3

I was terrified to take economics in college after how much I struggled in high school. But so far my experience in Econ 4300 has been surprisingly painless, and is even pleasant at times. So what changed?

COLUMN | Should aerospace engineers take ethics?

By James Dewberry | Columnist | October 28

While Auburn sets the standard for engineering education, engineers themselves are at the forefront of human innovation. To be at the forefront asks not just “How do we?” but “Should we?” Every question of ethics is an important one, so why then does Auburn University not require aerospace engineers to take an ethics class?

COLUMN | The unwelcome intersection of AI and fashion

By Emily Boyle | Columnist | October 28

AI is not the next best thing in fashion and art; it's an excuse for companies we adore to once again let us down.

COLUMN | There is no excuse to fly the Confederate flag today

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor | October 23

Having grown up in a small town in Alabama, I am incredibly familiar with confederate imagery. Most prominent among these images was the Confederate flag. I've seen entire stores dedicated to this flag. I’ve seen it flapping on the back of lifted trucks and hung in the rooms of friends. As a Black man, it may not come as a surprise that I don’t really get it. When I’ve asked, I’ve always been met with responses that go along the lines of “southern pride” or “heritage over hate.” These reasons have never sat right with me.

COLUMN | Where does our coffee come from?

By James Dewberry | Columnist | October 13

While college students like us cannot completely upend the system of international agricultural trade (yet), we can all play a part in supporting fair trade and caring for the people who grow the products we enjoy daily. So how do students in Auburn, Alabama, participate in supporting “chains of care” in the coffee industry? The answer is simple: buy from the people who care.

COLUMN | The importance of reform over punishment

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor | September 24

In this country, law and order has been an increasing talking point. No, I am not referring to the series cooked up by Dick Wolf. Issues of crime, homelessness and immigration have been a focal point in politics for the last decade. It is my honest belief that a concerted effort to reform ex-convicts and get them the help they need to re-enter society, rather than focusing on our own desires to see those who have wronged us suffer, is one of the first steps that need to be taken to prevent further violence.

COLUMN | Painting over Pride

By Sam Gladden | Columnist | September 23

Painting over a memorial depicting the pain of being someone LGBTQ+ in the United States is a targeted act of hate. Defending the action with the misguided claim that it was done to prevent “political” markings rather than the truth of the matter — that Florida officials destroyed a memorial — is ignorant. Nobody’s existence is political.

COLUMN | America's 'problematic priorities' with gun violence

By Cullen Emerson | Columnist | September 22

It’s a shame that the ideals of gun rights are still held to the heights they are today. The results of gun violence no longer shock American society in ways that they should, leaving us to repeat the same mistakes. Until our nation as a whole realizes the problematic priorities we hold highest, more and more families will suffer, as children and faculty members die every year.

COLUMN | Your health in college matters

By Isabella Hidalgo | Columnist | September 16

Life as a college freshman means learning to balance a hundred things at once. Academics, social life, and extracurriculars are constantly demanding attention. But what about health? 

COLUMN | The greatest environmental crime in America

By Logan Myers | Columnist | September 15

Under the watchful eye of the EPA, a toxic stew of industrial and human waste has been spread into the water and food supply. This practice has been normalized, legalized and mandated. They have the gall to call this “eco-friendly.” 

COLUMN | Letters in a digital world

By Lizzie McGlynn | Lifestyle Writer | September 1

A handwritten letter is something your loved ones can hold, reread and tuck away for safekeeping. There’s something incredibly personal about ink meeting page, something raw and unfiltered, so write the letter; you'll be surprised how much of yourself you find inside it.

COULMN | Tips for Incoming Freshmen

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor | August 7

Many of you may have grown up in Alabama and always wanted to go to Auburn. Many of you did not and just so happened to end up here. No matter how you got here, you’re here now and about to embark on a new journey. As someone who has a whopping one year of college under their belt, I feel that it’s most fitting for me to write advice for the entire freshman class.

COLUMN | Staying mentally and physically in shape freshman year

By Mason Flynn | August 7

Freshman year can be overwhelming. It is helpful to find on-campus ways to maintain one's mental and physical health through this difficult transition. 

Plainsman's Pointers | Panhellenic Playbook

By Ally Northridge | Content Editor | July 24

From Toomer’s Corner to eagle flights to game day chants, Auburn adores its traditions, and as August grows near, the campus waits in anticipation for one of its most beloved: Panhellenic recruitment. Here are five pieces of rush advice from your big sister who has already been through it.

Letter from the Editor | Make the most of your season

By Sami Grace Donnelly | June 30

Whatever season you find yourself in, thank you for being here and spending some time with The Plainsman. People who know me know I have my roots as an advice columnist, so for my final letter, I am going to revisit those foundations. Here are five tips for making the most of your season: