Letter from the Editor | Decide who you are
Auburn is a special place to me. Coming in, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life or even who I wanted to be. Really, I’m still not sure but I do know Auburn has helped shape me.
Auburn is a special place to me. Coming in, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life or even who I wanted to be. Really, I’m still not sure but I do know Auburn has helped shape me.
In 2025, the Plainsman staff voted for three winners in the campus section in the annual Plainsman's Choice awards. Categories include: Best tradition, best on-campus dining and best student event.
Auburn sports reach a long way. Plainsman's choice 2025 best of sports highlights everything dealing with Auburn Athletics, from best home game to best female athlete.
Auburn is filled with many different restaurants, ranging from local gems to chain restaurants that are universally loved. The following restaurants are the top picks for The Auburn Plainsman’s food categories.
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:
Plainsman's Choice 2025 highlights the best shopping in Auburn. From best new store to best downtown shopping, here is a list of The Plainsman's favorite spots for students to shop.
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.
General Jim Livingston is a Medal of Honor recipient, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General, but before all the medals and military accolades, he was just a young student on Auburn University’s campus, building a foundation that would shape his life and the lives of so many others.
Rejection comes into our lives in all shapes and sizes — in friendships, relationships or academic experiences — and it is unavoidable that we will all end up experiencing this kind of feeling sooner or later. There are many methods one can use to cope with rejection, like focusing on new skills and enjoying different experiences.
As I reflect on my time as assistant culture editor, I want to say thank you to The Auburn Plainsman for showing me that I’m in the "write" field. I have grown out of my shell and truly established myself as a writer and a journalist because of this organization. Thank you.
Whether it’s the chaos of Bama Rush or dominating showcases in just about every sport, the SEC draws a lot of eyes. While the spectacle that is the SEC is often glamorized, it is important to take a more holistic view of it. Though tailgates and Greek life may be fun, we should not gloss over the ways that the SEC, southern culture and our own campus culture often falls short.
Mary Oliver, poet, essayist, Pulitzer winner and famously degree-less college student, writes: “The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.” This quote won’t resonate with everyone, but it does with me. I bet it does with my fellow creatives, too — those who answered the call and spent their most formative years giving it power and time.
The Trump administration has threatened to withdraw hundreds of millions in federal funding to elite universities, and it shows little sign of letting up. With the crackdown on academia becoming more widespread, should Auburn students be worried?
Regardless of one’s political affiliations, leading the world in research is good for everyone. My request to Auburn students is to learn about the research going on at Auburn and other universities, what indirect costs are used for and then to educate their families and friends so that we can turn our leaders away from the dangerous direction we are heading with our precious world-leading research.
This Auburn basketball team earned its place in Auburn history — through how they played, how they carried themselves and how they represented the Auburn family. I’m glad I had the chance to cover it before I graduate. And like any great run, it ended too soon.
While walking our dogs in downtown Auburn, my partner and I were struck by something. In a very literal sense, we were doused by a cup of water that had been thrown out of a speeding pickup truck. In the more abstract sense, we were stunned by the realization that our downtown — from street to sidewalk — belongs to automobiles, not to people.
Elm Court has been my home for the past school year. I’m not writing this to complain about having to change apartments and move my unusually heavy couch. I’m writing this to talk about the slow death of the Loveliest Village and the birth of an over-commercialized, unfeeling city.
As a staff, we want to bring a variety of stories, perspectives and identities into the spotlight as we acknowledge that the community of Auburn is not one-sided. It is multifaceted, deep and dynamic. Whether a socioeconomic category or a collegiate pursuit, these differences are important to see.
There’s not much The Plainsman hasn't done. However, when I sit here and wonder what I can do to contribute to this organization, I realize there is something we need more of: we need more people’s perspectives. Whether breaking news or treasured memories, we need to bring these genuine, human stories to the forefront of the media.
Auburn University has reported a record number of students admitted and enrolled in the university for three consecutive years, but it comes at a cost. Ironically, the growth that Auburn is experiencing, not only as a university but also as a city, isn’t sustainable for the people who live here right now.