Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
A spirit that is not afraid

Intrigue


The State Press

Community rebuilds together

Leaky roofs, chipped paint and messy yards are things young people can easily fix, but not the elderly.Students have the opportunity to help those who aren't able to help themselves as a part of Rebuilding Together May 2. "(One year) one of our tasks was to paint the exterior of the house, and we started at about 7 a.m.


College students are becoming more willing to leave their cars at home if the university offers them free bikes as a means of transportation.

Students willing to leave cars for bikes

College students across the country can now get a free bike with just one catch -- leave their car at home.Schools like Ripon College, located in Wisconsin, and the University of New England both offer freshmen free bikes in exchange for not bringing a car to college.According to officials from the University of New England, during the first year of the free bike program only 25 percent of freshmen brought cars to college, a dramatic decrease from the 75 percent of freshmen that brought cars the previous year.Other colleges offer free bike sharing or rental programs, or work with bike shops to give students a discount on purchasing bikes."We're seeing an explosion in bike activity," said Julian Dautremont-Smith, associate director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

JD Schein / PHOTO EDITOR



April has been declared Sexual Assault Awareness Month. One in four college-age women will be a victim of sexual assault while in college. Auburn University's Safe Harbor and the Women's Resource center have hosted several events to raise awareness.

Breaking the silence about sexual assault

The Alabama Department of Public Health Office will observe April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.Auburn University's Safe Harbor and the Women's Resource Center have co-hosted several events on campus to raise awareness for dating violence and all forms of sexual abuse.Safe Harbor is a part of Student Counseling Service.The organization is committed to reducing men's violence against women by increasing awareness about dating/domestic violence, stranger rape, acquaintance rape, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence.Raising awareness on college campuses is essential because one in four college-age women will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their college careers.

The Auburn Plainsman

Students volunteer after graduation

Regardless of their college degree, some graduates are skipping the get-rich quick trend and experiencing a call for something different, work and to serve others.Organizations such as Teach For America and the Peace Corps allow graduates to be placed in an unfamiliar culture, one that is most often struggling to emerge out of its slumping conditions, to help better the culture's resources.Auburn graduate Amy Klinner is now in her first year of service with Teach For America.

The Auburn Plainsman

College seniors finally see the light

It's the time of the year when many seniors are starting to see a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.Four years have come and gone, and seniors are asking themselves "now what?"For some, the next step after graduation may be furthering their education, traveling or, for the lucky ones, landing a dream job."After graduation I plan on moving back home and living with my parents and attending graduate school for my master's degree in elementary education," said Laura Elliott, majoring in human development and family studies with a concentration in infant to pre-school ages.Many hope living with their parents will be a successful way to help them save some money.Elliott said she is excited about graduation but sad about leaving Auburn and her friends."Auburn has been my home for the last four years, so it's going to be weird not living here anymore," Elliott said.

The Auburn Plainsman

The great debate: Should students get A's for effort or because they know all the material

With finals right around the corner, even students hitting the books might be surprised by the grade they get.According to an article in the New York Times, more and more students feel they deserve an a for effort, not necessarily an a for excellence.Krisen Miller, who works at the English Center, said she has seen the same attitude in some of the students that come to them for help."Particularly during the first semester, a lot of students come in who made A's all through high school are coming in and they got a C on their first paper," Miller, an English graduate student, said.

Dishonesty against policy

Writing answers on a small folded piece of paper, texting them across the room, stealing other students' work and forging excuse notes will all land students a trip to the Office of the Provost Academic Honesty Committee.A recent study by collegehumor.com revealed 60 percent of college students admit to have cheated at least once in their college career.J.

The Auburn Plainsman

iTunes increases prices

iTunes no longer offers a flat rate for music for their customers, nor do they have a limited selection of labels.Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI joined iTunes.With the addition of the music labels in January, Apple now charges different prices for songs: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29.This is compared to the old rate of 99 cents across the board.The pricing is based on how much each label charges Apple.Many Auburn students are not in favor of the price change."In my opinion, the initial price was high enough to keep me from buying more than a few songs on iTunes," said Amy Kroeger, a senior in aerospace engineering.

JOE RANDOM

ABOUT JOE:Age: 18Hometown: AtlantaAvailability: In a RelationshipSign: TaurusGreatest fear: DeathRandom fact: He's allergic to dairy.BRIAN CORBETTfreshman, political scienceWhat's your favorite song of all time?"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.What are most looking forward to doing this summer?I'm going to work on a farm in Vermont.

The Auburn Plainsman

Student dig on Earth Day events

OK Kermit, maybe it's not easy being green, but some Auburn students are willing to try. Earth Day is next Wednesday, April 22.According to EarthDayNetwork, it is a day of action and participation to help make society more knowledgeable and sustainable.William Warren, a junior in chemical engineering and president of Environmental Awareness Organization, said the group is committed to raising sustainability awareness and bringing knowledge to students and faculty."We have events going on about once a month in addition to our meetings," Warren said.

Sports drink consumption leads to tooth erosion

Sports drinks may re-hydrate you after a workout, but they may also wreak havoc on your teeth.Recent studies have shown that extended consumption of these types of beverages could lead to tooth erosion and other damages.The studies found sports drinks can damage tooth enamel.Sometimes the damage is even more than soft drinks, due to the combination of acidic components, sugars and other additives.Dr. Brad Litkenhous, a dentist with Auburn Dental Associates in Auburn, said sports drinks and soft drinks contain many of the same ingredients, but people naturally gravitate toward sports drinks."Most people drink sports drinks in larger quantities," Litkenhous said.