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A spirit that is not afraid

Intrigue

The State Press

Pound promotes past-prime pooches

This month, Lee County Humane Society will host its annual Adopt-a-Dog program in which potential pooch parents can adopt a canine friend at a discounted price.Most people jump at the chance to bring home a puppy for their children, but a big hope of the Humane Society is that people will also take this opportunity to adopt older dogs that are just as much in need of loving families.Stasia Dunlop, director of community outreach for LCHS, said she thinks it would be a good idea for college students to adopt an older dog versus a puppy for various reasons."They are instant companions, ready for hiking, riding in the car, walking on leash, fetching, etc," Dunlop said."Older dog" doesn't necessarily mean the animal already has one paw in "pet cemetery," it just simply means the dog is not a puppy anymore, Dunlop said."They are easy to assess for behavior and temperament, and you also don't have to guess how big they'll grow," Dunlop said.When considering adopting a shelter dog, students need to keep in mind a few things: first, a student must remember the rules about pets wherever he or she may live.For example, no dogs are allowed in University dorms with the exception of service animals.


The State Press

Text Messaging Can Help You Butt Out Smoking

Text messaging may be the key to kicking a bad habit in the butt.According to Hothardware.com, cigarette smokers can now text the word "crave" to a program and receive advice, encouragement and support on what to do about the bad habit.Four trials of a total 2,600 smokers, was conducted in New Zealand, Norway and Great Britain.


The Auburn Plainsman

Why Eating at Home Can be Cheaper and Healthier

Cooking in college can be a challenge. Limited or no kitchen space and often just preparing food for one, makes cooking in college to be more trouble than it's worth."It is just so cheap and convenient to pick up Sonic or Taco Bell, I couldn't make something that tastes that good for $2," said Mike Ellingson, a sophomore in finance.However, most food made at home will have a higher nutritional value and will actually cost less in the long run.According to USA TODAY, people consume 50 percent more calories, fat and sodium eating out than when they cook at home.

The Auburn Plainsman

Employers Take a Look at E-Image

Networking. It's the No. 1 way to get a job, but with all of the social networking sites out there, students may begin to tread in dangerous waters if they aren't careful.A study by ExecuNet, an executive search firm, found 77 percent of recruiters run online searches to screen candidates before the interviewing process.

The Auburn Plainsman

Tango Lessons Twirl into Town

Rick and Lynda Wilson have communicated through their dancing shoes for 17 years."The Argentineans call tango dancing a conversation without words," said Rick Wilson, an Argentinean tango instructor.Tango first caught the Wilsons' attention when they saw a National Geographic special on Argentinean tango stars Miguel Zotto and Milena Plebs in 1992."We saw this couple tango dancing, and we were so struck by the quietness in the communication and the movement in their feet," Rick said.

The Auburn Plainsman

Yoga Club Nurtures Body and Mind

Auburn University's Art of Living Yoga Club is more than the average fitness class struggling with the downward facing dog pose and sweating due to the chattaronga.Vivek Patil, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, said it has changed his life.Auburn's Yoga Club teaches the principles of the Art of Living Yoga course where the class emphasizes not just physical exercise, but healthy living in general."The word yoga means 'union' in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated," said P.K.

The Auburn Plainsman

A Professor Revisits Woodstock

On Friday AM August 15 of 1969, 3 friends and I left in 2 cars to a small farm in Bethel, NY. to attend a concert billed as 3 weekend days of "Peace and Music". I was a 19 years-old from a small town just North of Philadelphia.

Blakeley Sisk / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

October Calls for Car Care

Looking for tips on how to take care of a car? Talk to automobile technicians, they have no problem giving students advice.This October marks the emergence of an annual event called Fall Car Care Month.The technicians at Express Oil Change, on South College Street, participated in this event by providing tips on how to keep a car running smoothly.Head technician Ben Burchfield said the number of students that visits the shop fluctuates."It can vary," Burchfield said.

The Auburn Plainsman

Students Relax, De-Stress After Midterm Week

Midterms can have a harmful effect on the body, both mentally and physically.It is important to take time out of a day to de-stress and relax."Common techniques we might specifically recommend for managing stress or anxiety include breathing, relaxation, imagery and mindfulness techniques," said Ann Marie DelSignore, senior staff clinician for Auburn University Student Counseling Services.She said it is important to use these techniques in a more proactive than reactive manner to encourage students to prevent stress.It is vital to manage things before they become stressful, rather than relying solely on response to stress."There is quite a bit of variation in techniques and activities that people find helpful for managing stress," DelSignore said.

The Auburn Plainsman

New sweetener hits market, gives alternative to sugar

Sugar is sweet, but agave is sweeter.Agave nectar is an alternative sweetener for people with high blood sugar.Agave is a blue to teal plant found in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It is related to the lily and the yucca, but resembles a cactus.Agave nectar is extracted from the core of the plant, which can be used as a sweetener."There are three types of sugars that occur naturally: fructose, glucose, and sucrose," said Adam Diaz, a senior in nutrition and dietetics.

The Auburn Plainsman

Nongraded Quizzes Draw Students

Monday night, Niffer's Place holds trivia night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.Niffer's offers two hosts, and their trivia consists of six rounds with five questions in each."It's a lot of fun," said General Manager Patrick Payne. "Our hosts, Vic and Kelley, have a good time doing it, and our participants have a great time playing."Each round of trivia is themed, and students have seen topics ranging from state capitals to movies. There's also a music and movie bonus through the audio and TV system.Seating for trivia is first come, first serve and seats fill up fast.A unique part of trivia night at Niffer's is its guest round. Niffer's allows one guest per week to sign up to bring in a round of his or her own themed questions to ask the audience.Niffer's gives out koozies and T-shirts throughout the night, but at the end of the night the overall prizes are $40 for first place, $25 for second place and $15 for third place.Tuesday night, Locos offers trivia at 8:30 p.m. Locos has one host, and they average about four rounds with four to five questions per round.They have different categories each week for every round of questions asked. They have a music bonus question as well. At Locos, everyone writes their answers down on an answer sheet and the MC assigns the points.Most of the crowd for Trivia night at Locos is students, with up to 100 attendees in the fall and almost the entire restaurant in the spring.Locos offers prizes in the form of a gift certificate to the restaurant, first place receiving $50, second place $30 and third place $10."Locos has good specials throughout the night," said LJ Vatella, a junior in radio, television and film. "I like their large group seating because we could have a group of people up to 15 without having to make a reservation."The Independent also holds their trivia night every Tuesday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.They have shout outs during the rounds for free drinks at the bar.First through third place winners receives $20, $15 and $10 cash respectively good toward the team's bar tab for the night.Olde Auburn Ale House is changing its trivia nights to Wednesday at 8 p.m.It has five rounds of questions with gift certificates as prizes.Thursday night, The Oyster Bar offers trivia from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.It has themed trivia nights, with topics like sports, actors and politics. A favorite was the recently themed Patrick Swayze night.The Oyster Bar's trivia consists of four to five rounds with six questions in each. It allows "trivia by table" for the participants, and students enjoy the group effort."Are you smarter than The Oyster Bar?" said Missy Thomas, a server for The Oyster Bar. "Come test your knowledge of the past, present and the future with us."The Oyster Bar always has a full house on Trivia nights, the majority of those students, and they enforce a no cell phone or other resources rule in order to keep the game fun and fair.Throughout the game, the MC will give out prizes like T-shirts and koozies.The overall winners receive gift certificates to the restaurant at $50 for first place, $30 for second place and a mystery prize for third.Touchdowns also holds trivia every Thursday at 8 p.m.With its recently changed style, each team answers five 10-point questions per round. There are six total rounds.First place winner receives a $30 gift card, second place receives a $20 gift card and third place receives a $10 gift card all for any food or alcohol at Touchdowns."Trivia night is a great way to do something different with your friends on a free week night," Vatella said. "Each restaurant does a good job of making it a fun time."

The Auburn Plainsman

JCSM Celebrates 6th Birthday

Elvis Presley would approve of the festivities planned for the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art's sixth birthday party Sunday.This year's event will feature exhibitions by legendary photographer Alfred Wertheimer and Georgia artist Joni Mabe, the Elvis Babe, as well as a performance by the Elvis tribute band, Young Elvis and the Blue Suedes."If you dig the '50s, everything about it is coming up in this," said Andrew Henley, education curator of the museum.Cake will be served, and children will have the opportunity to participate in craft projects relating to Elvis, his music and his life story as seen through the artistic eyes of Wertheimer and Mabe.The event will begin at 1 p.m.

Morgan Thacker / ASSOCIATE  PHOTO EDITOR

The Dead Come to Life on Pine Hill Cemetery Tour

The people of Auburn will have the chance to see the dead come back to life when the Auburn Heritage Association hosts its biennial Auburn Cemetery Lantern Tour of Pine Hill Cemetery Oct. 8 and 9. Tourists will stop by the gravesites of notable Auburn historical figures where volunteers will portray these characters and give a brief biography.

Blakeley Sisk / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Multitasking Affects Tasks Done in the Long Run

Students who think they can multitask should think again.In August, a group of Stanford psychologists conducted a study on multitasking and its effect on one's performance.Researchers discovered that multitasking is damaging to the human mind because people who multitask perform worse than those who do not."The majority of people can't process two tasks at once," said Dan Scyantek, department chair of psychology at Auburn.He said listening to music or watching TV while working or talking while driving is too distracting; they cannot coincide with each other.Forty-one students were used in the study: 19 who multitasked frequently and 22 who multitasked less frequently.The first test was based on memory skills.

Morgan Thacker / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

On the Sidelines: Toomer's Makes Big Squeeze

Toomer's Drugstore, on the historic corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue, radiates with the smell of fresh lemons.On the day of an Auburn football game, Toomer's squeezes out more than 4,800 fresh lemons to create its famous Toomer's lemonade.The fresh-squeezed lemonade was made known worldwide in 2001, when Toomer's lemonade achieved a No.