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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | HB580: More bureaucracy, less accountability

By State Steering Committee of Alabama, United Campus Workers | March 30

Alabama’s public universities are vital drivers of our state’s economic development, workforce readiness and technological innovation. To keep Alabama’s future strong, we must reject the bureaucratic sludge of HB580 and ensure our institutions remain focused on the only metric that truly matters: the success of the next generation of Alabama’s leaders.

COLUMN | Combat sports are an art form

By Chase Morgese | Columnist | March 30

To the clueless observer, combat sports consist of two punch-drunk meatheads trading blows until one is too concussed to go on. The suggestion that such violence is guided by any strategy, let alone centuries of reflection from competing schools of thought, seems ridiculous. Combat melds intelligence, style, humility and will. The result is surprisingly poetic.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | 2026 and 1968: Echoes of a divided nation

By Nathan Moore | Auburn Student | March 30

Many people regard 1968 as one of the most turbulent years in modern history. The war in Vietnam had reached its peak, and social and political division gripped not only America but much of the world. History does not repeat itself exactly, but it often echoes. In moments of uncertainty and division, humanity has shown an ability to look outward, to explore, and to unify something greater than itself. In 1968, that moment came from the Moon. Perhaps, once again, it will.

EDITORIAL | Is this what we want to be known for?

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor and Editorial Board Spring 2026 | March 27

Auburn University was named a potential new partner for military education programs by the U.S. Department of War. This comes after a video in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed that the U.S. military would sever ties from schools that promote "wokeness," "weakness" and "leftist ideology." Did Auburn truly earn the right to such a program, and what type of "American values" does the Trump administration believe Auburn embodies?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | The cost of code-switching

By Ella Schnider | Auburn Student | March 25

At first glance, these comments seem rude but unwavering; however, the reality of code-switching from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to standardized English, and the racially based blockades correlated in these systems, showcases a present issue in corporate culture. The practice of code-switching creates this constant state of awareness of one's articulation, and one’s presence can require a significant amount of personal awareness and energy. Discriminating against AAVE in professional settings is a form of institutional racism that upholds white cultural standards, delegitimizes Black identity and limits economic opportunities for Black workers.

COLUMN | People are not concepts

By Chase Morgese | Columnist | March 19

The great atrocities of human history have been enabled by dehumanization, that is, by veiling individuals behind lifeless concepts. At the heart of every issue, there are people. Before we make any decisions, before we come to any conclusions, we must acknowledge this fact. 

COLUMN | Look beyond the border

By Cullen Emerson | Columnist | March 18

A common course of action when trying to punish a country's government results in the death of innocent civilians. While propaganda is pushed down our throat that these actions are for the good of the people, tell that to the parents who must dig their children’s limbs from the rubble of concrete. It is extremely immoral and unfair to punish citizens of a country through war and destruction because of their country's political actions. It’s incredibly important to understand the difference between a country's government and its citizens. The quarrels of world leaders over ruling power should not represent the people of their population.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Government recognition for the wrong reason?

By Matt Roedl | Auburn Student | March 18

On Feb. 27, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth published a video announcing the severing of ties from the government, particularly the Department of War (neé Defense), from several accredited universities. Because we shut ourselves off to any sort of criticism towards American ideals, the state of our country and administration, or really anything culturally, we are recognized. Frankly, Auburn as a "Potential New Partner Institution" should be a source of shame. We have, essentially, been recognized for our stubbornness. While I will never be ashamed of saying "War Eagle," and will never hide my pride for my school, it certainly hurts to do so when we're so openly anti-intellectual and so closed off to anything that isn't the status quo. Hopefully, it's more easily understood why our place on an unsuccessful and under-skilled former Fox News host's list of "partner institutions" isn't anything to be remotely happy about.

COLUMN | A campaign culture

By Sarah Little | Columnist | March 18

Involvement is popular and cool, even, which is a rarity. So how did it get like this? What makes Auburn different? SGA in Auburn has real power. The people in office do really matter, and can really make a change. This, in turn, encourages voters to feel like their votes and support make a difference too. Students want their voices to matter, and the voices they put in office can make huge differences.

COLUMN | The changing purpose of higher education

By James Dewberry | Columnist | March 18

Last year, Alabama passed the Alabama Act 2024-34 (SB 129), which bans not only DEI initiatives, but also "divisive concepts." The majority of these concepts concern race and sexuality in public education, including universities. Will universities continue to push for diversity of thought and method, or will education become an extension of the political climate of our country?

COLUMN | Let some figs rot

By Ally Northridge | Content Editor | March 16

Lately, my social media algorithm has been circling back to Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” specifically her famous poem “The Fig Tree.” In the poem, Plath expands upon the seemingly endless choices in life — and how, with each decision, your path becomes more focused and equally more limited. These decisions can feel paralyzing, but I encourage you to read the poem and take its message to heart. Your future self will thank you if you let some figs rot.

COLUMN | The absurdity of censorship

By Hayes Blackstone | Columnist | March 4

Governmental censorship is on the rise in the West. Such a phenomenon raises some crucial questions: Is eradicating "hate speech" really possible, and who gets to define it? And is Western society strengthened or weakened by it?

COLUMN | Winter Olympics and selective neutrality

By Emily Boyle | Columnist | March 4

Amid the humorous incidents and competitive fun of this year's Winter Olympics, something more serious was going on in men's skeleton. Vladyslav Heraskevych, a skeleton athlete representing Ukraine, was disqualified after wanting to race in a helmet honoring 24 Ukrainian athletes and citizens who had died from the war with Russia. Even with the attention on Heraskevych this year not coming from a gold medal, his message lives past the competition.

COLUMN | The Creed speaks for itself

By Isabella Hidalgo | Columnist | March 2

The Auburn University Creed was published by the Auburn Plainsman on Jan. 21, 1944, around two months after George Petrie finished writing it. The originally published issue was brief: “We will not elaborate; the creed speaks for itself, powerfully.” The Creed's past and the people who carried it with them remain tremendously important to believing in Auburn and loving it. One such example is football coach Shug Jordan's role in one of the most strategic and costly assaults on the Axis occupation of Western Europe – and how he took Auburn with him.

COLUMN | Myths of Auburn University

By Logan Myers | Columnist | March 2

In its 170 years, Auburn has had a multitude of myths populate across campus, some more infamous than others. Nine of these have been compiled for your consumption, ranging from sports traditions to secret tunnels.

SATIRE | The last humanities professor

By James Dewberry | Columnist | February 25

In 170 years, Auburn University's only remaining English professor will retire.

COLUMN | ICE threatens our human rights

By Sam Gladden | Columnist | February 23

Operating fully funded and government-backed, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is murdering American citizens, as well as detaining children and innocents in broad daylight. This goes beyond simple political affiliations. The divide between right and left is of no concern to ICE. Registered political party did not matter to them when killing Pretti or Good, not to mention their U.S. citizenship. Allegedly, this is of utmost importance to our government's administration.

COLUMN | The many names of Auburn University

By Chase Morgese | Columnist | February 23

Despite the University’s seemingly timeless charm, its many name changes illustrate a complex, frenetic history, which reveals just how young Auburn is in the context of its development. Nonetheless, when posterity looks back on history, it invariably finds that its ancestors tolerated — and often approved of — truly unconscionable behavior. Let us be the ones to set them right.