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COLUMN | How to optimize your freshman year

I’ve always found those horror stories and pieces of advice family offers about college to be, usually, far from the advice that I actually wanted. Instead of focusing on these taller tales, I focused more on what would've actually helped me. Now, taking this redirection, here are the ways I would have optimized my freshman year. 

Envelopes flying into a mailbox that reads, "Letters to the Editor."

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Don’t place academic life under political control

I write as a former editor of The Auburn Plainsman, as an Auburn alumnus and as someone who cares deeply about the university that helped shape my life. I’m deeply troubled by recent reports that Auburn’s Board of Trustees has moved to dissolve the Faculty Senate and assert greater control over curriculum. I do not pretend to know the details, and I recognize that universities, especially public universities, must be accountable to students, parents, taxpayers and the people of Alabama. But accountability is not the same as political control.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | On faculty governance: A loss of 'collective voice'

By Dr. Lisa Kensler | June 8

As a faculty member and scholar of educational leadership, I respect the authority of Auburn University’s Board of Trustees and appreciate the immense responsibility entrusted to those who steward our institution. It is in that spirit of respect and commitment to Auburn’s future that I write to express concern regarding the Board’s June 5 decision to dissolve the University Senate and the University Faculty and replace them with a Presidential Academic Advisory Council. At its core, this decision raises a fundamental leadership question: How does Auburn ensure that important ideas, concerns and opportunities can emerge from throughout the institution so that institutional decision-making is informed not only by the wisdom of its leaders, but also by the collective wisdom of its people?

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What is Plainsman's Choice?

By Editorial Board Spring 2026 | June 5

Each year, the Plainsman’s Choice awards highlight the best places, events and activities in Auburn. Candidates are nominated by the editorial board and voted on by the entire staff. The hope is to connect with our audience of readers by sharing some personal opinions while also shining a light of favor on special entities within the Auburn-Opelika community.

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EDITORIAL | On NIL regulations: Are we being selfish?

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor , Editorial Board Spring 2026 and James Dewberry | Assistant Opinion Editor | April 17

Former Auburn football head coach and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) introduced a bill on March 24 that addresses issues “plaguing college sports today,” specifically the transfer portal. Subsequently, on April 3, President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting players to one transfer and five years of eligibility. The question, then, is how much should the good of the sport be valued in these discussions. While we as fans may be nostalgic for the college sports of old, there’s a strong possibility that it won’t come back. Is it selfish to wish for old college sports to return if it may come at the detriment of the athletes who are playing the game?

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COLUMN | Orchestrated political division is ruining our country

By Cullen Emerson | Columnist | April 15

Infighting directly orchestrated by the current administration and political media is destroying this country. Whether propagandizing the war in Iran, accusing the late Alex Pretti and Renée Good of being "domestic terrorists" or blaming the president's opposition solely for political violence, intentional hyperbolic rhetoric has split the nation in a war of political culture.

Envelopes flying into a mailbox that reads, "Letters to the Editor."

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Feeding the need: A call for investment in the AEDC

By Tiffany Brown , Rachel Andrade-Frietchen , April Smith and Kristin Denmark | March 31

Imagine you’re a parent whose child is in dire need of eating disorder services. You’re distraught, drained and utterly confused as to why your child refuses to eat and are becoming increasingly concerned that your child is knocking on death’s door. You don’t know how you and your family got here, but you do know that something needs to be done before it’s too late. Through intentional investment, Auburn University can transform lives and ensure that care is not a privilege, but a right. The path forward is clear: invest in the AEDC, invest in Auburn’s students and invest in a healthier Alabama.

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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.

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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.

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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.

ROTC students and veterans walk the Tiger Walk for Military Appreciation day at Auburn Football vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 2, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

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

By Jordan Bynum Wright | Opinion Editor | 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?

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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