Auburn Magazine Summer 2013

Bass brothers hook the big one pg. 26 SPORTS

Cybersecurity specialists in training pg. 40 TRENDING

The love and lure of Ariccia pg. 44 STUDENTS SUMMER 2013

Final Roll Call The Auburn Family Answers

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Family reunion Even the 2010 national championship crowds paled beside the outpouring of more than 80,000 Auburn family members who flocked to Toomer’s Corner on April 20 for the last roll of the oaks. A staff member of AU Photographic Services braved a low-flying plane ride to capture this eagle’s-eye view.

S U M M E R

2 0 1 3

From the Editor

One for the history books SUZANNE JOHNSON

Interim Editor, Auburn Magazine You can meet brothers Matt and Jordan Lee, Auburn students who have already made a name for themselves in the world of competitive sportsfishing, and check out the latest campus dining trend, food trucks.

But mostly in this issue, you’ll read about the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner. Here are some of the things to look for: • On Pages 2 and 3, catch the aerial view from above the corner as the crowds descend on downtown for the final roll.

• On Page 15, take a look at the plans for future landscaping of the corner, including new trees that will be ready in time for the 2014 football season.

• On Page 10, meet former Auburn football player-turned-artist Stephen Malkoff, who has immortalized the trees in a new project to benefit student scholarships.

• Beginning on Page 30, join us in a photographic journey through the events of April 20, and share the memories of some fellow alumni as they recall their favorite memory from the corner.

• And say goodbye as, on Page 38, the trees are cut down.

• Finally, for “The Last Word,” we turn the pages over to Jeremy Henderson ’04 as he ponders what the loss of the trees really means to him—and it’s so much more than he thought.

April 20 was a day for the Auburn history books. For those who couldn’t be here, I hope these pages will help you experience a part of it.

AUBURN MAGAZINE (ISSN 1077–8640) is published quarterly; 4X per year; spring, summer, fall, winter, for dues-paying members of the Auburn Alumni Association. Periodicals-class postage paid in Auburn and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices are located in the Auburn Alumni Center, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849-5149. Phone 334-844–1164. Fax 334-844–1477. Email: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2013 by the Auburn Alumni Association, all rights reserved.

LETTERS Auburn Magazine welcomes readers’ comments, but reserves the right to edit letters or to refuse publication of letters judged libelous or distasteful. Space availability may prevent publication of all letters in the magazine, in which case, letters not printed will be available on the alumni association website at the address listed below. No writer is eligible for publication more often than once every two issues. No anonymous letters will be accepted. Auburn Magazine is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities. For information, call 334-844–1164. Auburn Magazine is a benefit of membership in the Auburn Alumni Association and is not available by individual subscription.

To join, call 334-844–2586 or visit the association’s website at www.aualum.org.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to AU Records, 317 Sourth College St., Auburn, AL 36849–5149, or aurecords@auburn.edu.

4

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Shannon Bryant-Hankes ’84

There was a palpable energy in the chilly morning air over downtown Auburn the morning of April 20. More than any home football game in recent memory. Certainly more than any A-Day game.

History was being made, and the tens of thousands of Auburn alumni, students, friends and fans all knew it. The football game played out before a packed JordanHare Stadium, but as anxious as fans were to get a sneak peek at new head coach Gus Malzahn’s team, they weren’t the main attraction that day. They weren’t the reason so many came home to Auburn.

They’d come back to say goodbye to the oaks at Toomer’s Corner, to watch a roll of toilet paper unfurl over the limbs a final time, to remember the good times and to mourn the loss.

The trees were more than branches to catch toilet paper. They stood sentinel to the campus long before rolling began, watching friends unite, couples fall in love, people from town and campus gather to hear announcements or share important moments. They witnessed the last eight or nine decades of life on the Plains.

In this issue of Auburn Magazine, you’ll find a lot of diverse stories. We look at the university’s forward-looking initiatives in training a new workforce to combat the rapidly growing national threat from cyberterrorism. Alumni who’ve participated in the 10-year-old Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program reminisce about what it’s like to live in a 17th-century palace—or be the only guy spending a threemonth semester in Ariccia with 19 female classmates.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Suzanne Johnson at 334-844–1164 or suzannejohnson@auburn.edu.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

INTERIM EDITOR

Suzanne Johnson

suzannejohnson@auburn.edu

WEBMASTER

Dylan Parker UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Etheridge EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Bradley Roberts ’13 DESIGN ASSISTANT

Courtney Collins ’13 Regina Roberson ’13 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Allison Swindle ’13 PRESIDENT, AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Jay Gogue ’69 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Deborah L. Shaw ’84 PRESIDENT, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Bill Stone ’85 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR

Neal Reynolds ’77 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL

Maria Baugh ’87 John Carvalho ’78 Jon Cole ’88 Christian Flathman ’97 Tom Ford ’67 Kay Fuston ’84 Julie Keith ’90 Mary Lou Foy ’66 Eric Ludgood ’78 Cindy McDaniel ’80 Napo Monasterio ’02 Carol Pappas ’77

Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59 Allen Vaughan ’75

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On the cover With tens of thousands converging on Toomer’s Corner for the final rolling of the oaks on April 20, getting a front-row seat meant arriving early.

Summer 2013 F R O N T 4 From the Editor

A day for the history books, and a guide to the issue.

8 The First Word

Auburn equestrians bring home a national title.

Readers sound off about the issues, and provide some clever sleuthing.

26 Tiger Walk

For Auburn students Matt and Jordan Lee, there’s more than sibling rivalry on the line when it comes to fishing.

10 College Street

A new look for Toomer’s Corner, the anatomy of a class ring, ties to Lincoln, and more.

B A C K 49 Alumni Center

Polar bears in Alaska and other exotic destinations are in the works for the War Eagle Travelers.

A bygone student gathering, with 1970s hair.

16 Research

Students study the life and art of Isaac Scott Hathaway; the secret life of mole crickets; evidence of water on the Red Planet.

20 Roundup

What’s happening in your college? Check it out.

22 Concourse

Food trucks take campus dining on the road; logging as art; cowboy church; and AU’s own Gator Boy.

More than 83,000 fans filled Jordan-Hare Stadium to set an attendance record for an A-Day game, and later that evening they partied into the night with one final roll of the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner.

F E A T U R E S

30

Travel with us to Timeless Asian Wonders

The Auburn Family responds en masse to the university’s call for the final rolling of the oaks at Toomer’s Corner. From the dawn of a cold, crowded day on April 20 to the last echo of the chainsaws as the trees came down on April 23, we’ve got you covered. by suzanne johnson photograhy by jeff etheridge

36

Insecurity

Innovations such as wireless Internet, mobile devices and cloud computing allow us to stay tuned in no matter where we go. But with convenience comes a growing threat to personal and national security. Auburn meets cyberterrorism, head-on. by bradley roberts and suzanne johnson photograhy by jeff etheridge

44

Crocodilian expert Chris Morris.

The Final Roll Call

52 Class Notes 56 In Memoriam 64 The Last Word

An Auburn alumnus spends a few hours under the oaks in their final days, pondering what their loss means to him. And it’s more than he thought.

Life, Italian-Style

What’s a little squid ink on your plate if it means racking up the experience of a lifetime?

Join alumni as they recall a decade of the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad program. by bradley roberts

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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L E T T E R S

T O

T H E

E D I T O R

The First Word READERS WRITE: Thoughts on the April 20 “final

roll” of the Toomer’s Oaks? What’s on your mind?

Share your thoughts on the magazine by sending your letters to aubmag@auburn.edu, or by snailmail to: Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849. Letters might be edited for length, clarity or inflammatory content.

From Frederick to Updyke

I graduated from Auburn in 1976. I was there when (Hurricane) Fredrick came up from the Gulf, destroying parts of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach and Pensacola, and came on up the state to Auburn. After the storm blew through I left my apartment, which was a street back of College behind Toomer’s. I and numerous students and townspeople walked toward College and saw the destruction the storm had brought to our home.

So many of the old live oaks were beat down and broken apart all over College Street and the surrounding campus in front of Samford Hall and the library. College Street was not passable, and we should not have been there because of all the electrical wires that were down. But we all came out to see and help; that’s what families do. Gone now were the trees that use to shade us when we would walk from the campus to Baskin-Robbins for a shake or ice cream cone and just hang out.

I cannot tell you how sick and saddened I felt at seeing this loss. It was sad! Forever a part our home, of Auburn’s Southern history, that welcoming street we had all ridden down had been ruined by nature. Those beautiful, glorious trees that met and welcomed incoming visitors or alums were now just a memory that once were part of our home. The loveliest village had been beat down by nature.

Now two of the last of those live oak trees, at the gateway to Auburn, have been poisoned not by nature but by a very upset person. I don’t think I can ever forgive this person. We have no control over mother nature but Man does have control over his actions, good or bad. But to brag about it on radio! Just because Auburn’s football team came back after halftime and won a game against Alabama? There is life outside of football! He should have taken his vengeance against Bama, not our trees.

What I really wish is that Auburn Magazine would publish pictures of those beautiful trees at the entrance of Auburn in all of their beauty, not what they look like in the picture in the last issue on Page 14.

—Lisa Ford Lawing ’76, Birmingham Sweet memories

My dad, George R. Bowling of LaFayette, was

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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

a member of the Class of 1917, which had more reunions than any other class in AU history. Their class donated the gates behind the oaks, and Dad took great pride in that. There is a brass plate on the gates that verifies their gift.

Dad was editor of the Glomerata in 1917, and his favorite professor was Dr. George Petrie, who wrote the Auburn Creed. Dad thought the stadium should have been named for Dr. Petrie. He never got to see an actual rolling of the trees, but our friend Sam Oliver of Cameragraphics sent pictures on every occasion, and Dad would revel with pride at every rolling. He and Mom would ride down from LaFayette on Sundays sometimes to see the aftermath, which they enjoyed very much.

He loved those oaks and died in 1988. I’m almost glad he did not have to suffer through the slow death of our great oaks. It will be interesting to see what they will offer for replacements. War Eagle!

—Bill Bowling ’57, Pine Mountain, Ga. Sleuthing ‘Lost Auburn’

I enjoyed the Spring 2013 issue of Auburn Magazine, especially your retrospective “Lost Auburn.”

Not to nitpick, but I am almost certain that the caption for the Tiger Theatre picture on Page 42 is incorrect. In my first fleeting glance at it, I thought, “That is from the 1940s.” The women’s dress and hairstyles, and the automobile partially pictured at the lower right, hardly seem like 1930, but more like the war years.

The one bit of evidence that seems to make the argument quite incontrovertible is the movie marquee, featuring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Abbott and Costello did not even make movies until 1940, and the one advertised, Pardon My Sarong, did not come out until early 1942. Therefore, I would date the picture from the summer of that year.

Although there is no convenient “time stamp” as on the Tiger Theatre picture, the view of the Auburn Curb Market, dated 1941, at the bottom of Page 39, seems ahead of the picture by about a decade and a half. Specifically, the hats of the women and the children’s clothes and hairstyles— seen at the far right—remind me of pictures of my forebears taken during the 1920s. Therefore, I would date the picture not from 1941, but sometime from Armistice Day, 1918, to the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in late 1932, with the most likely year being about 1925.

But this is a trivial matter, so I would only move your A+ down to an A! —James C. “Jim” Sentell ’61, Opelika Editor’s note: The magazine staff and authors of Lost Auburn thank you for your investigative skills!

More issues, please

Thanks so much for another wonderful edition of Auburn Magazine. I have to disagree with those who want less coverage of faculty research and social issues with Auburn connections—in fact, this is what I find most interesting about the magazine.

It makes me proud of Auburn people and the institution that nurtures and inspires them.

Your coverage helps broaden my own perspective of my university, since my personal experience was largely limited to what was then the School of Arts and Sciences. Through the magazine, I affirm my conviction and can confidently assert to others that Auburn is so much more than “just sports.”

Although your athletics coverage is fantastic, too.

—Lynn Cox ’77, Asheville, N.C. Fewer issues, please

I can pick up my newspaper any morning of the week and read about negative happenings in today’s society. Stories that can and do create fear and, yes, anger. However, when I open my Auburn Magazine, I don’t want or need to be reminded of it again. I want to read about success, happiness and the many great stories of Auburn and its many wonderful graduates.

Please, not so much negative. Let’s emphasize the positive and enjoy a wonderful life.

—Donald C. Wood ’68, Auburn A-Day 2013

I just wanted to write and thank the Auburn Family for an amazing day and thank you for the honor of being part of something far bigger than school colors, fight songs and final scores.

It’s something we all share even though most of us have trouble putting it into words, and maybe that’s why it’s special.

It’s 83,401 fans gathering for a game that was about far more than the game. It’s an orange and blue sea of people celebrating deep into the night not what was lost, but what is shared.

And it’s not just one day, it’s every day. It’s saying “hey” to people on the concourse and “War Eagle” to people in faraway places. It’s welcoming visitors, holding the door far longer than anyone would ever expect, and generally treating people the way your mother taught you.

But it’s more. It’s the freshman on the first day of class. It’s the senior walking across the stage at commencement... the fourth generation, the third sibling, the second try, the first college graduate ever.

It’s knowing you are part of Auburn and Auburn is part of you.

—Ric Smith ’85, Auburn

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II

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a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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C A M P U S

N E W S

COLLEGE STREET STARS FOR SUSTAINABILITY Auburn University has

Auburn’s commitment

received a STARS Silver

to sustainability has

Rating in recognition of

been growing for nearly

sustainability achieve-

10 years,” said Mike

ments from the Associa-

Kensler, director of sus-

tion for the Advancement

tainability office. “The

of Sustainability in

STARS initiative provides

Higher Education.

an important benchmark

STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System,

Art for the oaks Artist Stephen Malkoff became “the tree man” by accident. For his one-year marriage anniversary he wanted to draw something special for his wife, so he picked out a tree under which the couple regularly picnicked. “Drawing that tree out of love turned into a career,” he says.

As a man whose career has leafed out like the trees he draws, Malkoff, who lives in Enterprise, has an affinity for the oaks at Toomer’s Corner. In January 2011, as soon as he heard about the poisoning, he rushed to the corner to take pictures of the oaks while they were still alive and looking healthy.

“It was always a project I knew I was going to do, but it just never had the sense of urgency before,” he says.

Malkoff then worked on a special piece for four months. He was meticulous, making sure to include every possible detail. The result is one of his most moving pieces to date—especially for the Auburn family.

“This is my most emotional piece that I’ve done,” he says, referring to the illustration called The Historic Trees of Toomer’s Corner. “People will literally come by if I’m at an art show, stop and wipe tears from their eyes.”

Malkoff hand-signed and numbered 5,000 prints of The Historic Trees of

10

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Toomer’s Corner and he has teamed up with the Auburn Alumni Association in order to sell the prints. For every print sold, a generous donation will be made to fund student scholarships at Auburn.

Malkoff fell into art by accident. In seventh grade, he procrastinated about registering for his classes. When the woodworking class he wanted to take had already been filled, he took what was left: art class.

He’d struggled with his grades throughout his school years because of dyslexia, but art gave him an outlet. By the end of his first class, Malkoff, as well as his art teacher, knew he had something special.

“She called my mom and said, ‘Your son is the greatest artist I’ve ever met.’ I stayed in art all through high school.”

Although he ultimately chose his art over finishing his college career, Malkoff did enroll for a time in the AU architecture program and played on the 1988 SEC Championship football team as a walk-on linebacker for Coach Pat Dye. Still, he says, he’s an Auburn man to the core, and he’s excited to be able to contribute to students’ educations through his art. For more information on the limited-edition print, visit Tiger30.com.

—Bradley Roberts

of current sustainability performance.”

Achievements noted

is a new program that

in the findings include:

measures sustainability

58 percent of Auburn

performance and encour-

students use some form

ages sustainability in

of sustainable transpor-

all aspects of higher

tation like Tiger Transit,

education.

carpools, biking or

The Auburn University

walking to commute to

Office of Sustainability

campus, with 27 percent

collaborated with Academic

choosing non-motorized

Sustainability Programs to

options as their primary

conduct the comprehensive

mode of commuting;

self-assessment through-

more than 2 million

out 2012 and submitted

square feet of building

findings to STARS in

space has been added to

January. Representatives

Auburn’s campus in the

from a number of areas

last three years, and 36

of campus participated in

percent of that is certi-

gathering and providing

fied to be LEED Silver

data.

or Gold; and 55 percent

“Sustainability

of the academic depart-

improves our ability to

ments on campus offer

make sound decisions

at least one sustainabil-

for good reasons, and

ity course.

S T R E E T

AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

C O L L E G E

Flashback 100 years ago

75 years ago

50 years ago

25 years ago

10 years ago

Summer 1913

Summer 1938

Summer 1963

Summer 1988

Summer 2003

On a Friday evening in May, drama fans in Auburn witnessed a rare performance by the Opelika Lady Minstrels.

The auditorium of a local high school filled to capacity with patrons of the arts. Everybody gathered to watch the team of women minstrels perform their renditions of popular music from the time period.

Jack Swanner, a member of the Auburn University track and field team, broke the school’s record for the 800-meter dash—twice in one year. In a meet against Georgia Tech, Swanner ran what would become the fastest time in the SEC that year. He then competed for the conference championship in the 800-meter dash.

War Eagle III escaped from its posh campus quarters and was found three days later in one of the university’s forestry plots about a quartermile from his cage. University security teamed with the jail-bird’s trainer, Jon Bowden, to help recapture the escapee. The security staff notified farmers in the surrounding community about his escape and enlisted their search in his arrest and capture.

Roy B. Sewell, clothing manufacturing executive and prominent Auburn benefactor, died at the age of 89. Sewell was known to many of the Auburn alumni as the originator of the school’s fight song, “War Eagle,” which he commissioned in 1955.

He was president of the Auburn Alumni Association from 1956-1958, and the former athletic dormitory was named after him in 1965 in recognition of his longstanding support for Auburn.

The Cullars Rotation became the second Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station field on campus to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The four-acre Cullars Rotation experiment is the oldest soil-fertility study in the South and one of the oldest continuous field-crop experiments in the nation. The experiment began in 1911.

Above: Buddy, can you share a ride?

Five fashionable Auburn students show off their hitchhiking skills in this shot from the 1946 Glomerata.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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C O L L E G E

S T R E E T

Behind bars On March 25, Harvey Updyke pled guilty to criminal damage to an agricultural facility, a Class C felony, in relation to the poisoning of the iconic oak trees at the Toomer’s Corner entrance to the Auburn campus. In addition to a $1,000 fine, Updyke, a University of Alabama fan, was sentenced to three years’ jail time, of which six months would be spent in jail and five years on supervised probation. He is also prohibited from going onto any Auburn University property or attending a college sporting event.

Notes of distinction JAY GOGUE ’69

President, Auburn University

Direct Descendants The oaks at Toomer’s

size, they will provide

Corner live on through

an immediate impact

the saplings nurtured

on a home’s landscape,

over the years at Auburn

Keever said.

and sold to alumni and

toward the Dr. Thomas

them in lawns through-

H. Dodd Jr. Endowed

out the country.

Professorship in

And now there are 46

Horticulture. Dodd,

that remain, grown from

now deceased, was a

acorns gathered from

lifelong nurseryman

the oaks before they

at his family’s nursery

were poisoned.

in Semmes and a

Horticulture professor Gary Keever, who led the two-year effort to try

pioneer in the nursery industry.

The Auburn oaks off-

and save the oaks since

spring are a coastal spe-

news of their poisoning

cies native to a region

reached campus, has

extending from Virginia

nurtured these 46 trees

to the Florida Keys and

for the past five years.

west to Texas, and, as

The horticulture

such, they do best when

department and College

grown in USDA hardi-

of Agriculture develop-

ness zones 8, 9 and 10.

ment team are making

They will grow, however,

the young trees, whose

in zone 7.

heights range from 4

12

Proceeds will go

fans who’ve planted

For more information

to 10 feet, available for

on the oaks, contact

purchase. (See related

Grace Smith Ellis at

ad on Page 1 of this

334-844-3472 or

issue.) Because of their

smitmgr@auburn.edu.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

In March, I was asked to give a “state of the university” address at the General Faculty Meeting. Rather than throwing out a lot of facts, figures and statistics using charts and graphs, I shared a few stories about the impressive work being accomplished by members of the Auburn faculty, and I would like to share some of theses stories with you.

In the past year, a larger number of students than usual either won or were named as finalists for prestigious scholarships and awards. These include the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the GatesCambridge Scholarship, the President William Jefferson Clinton Hunger Leadership Award, the Gilman Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Bobby Bowden Award and the Mitchell Scholarship. While these students are the product of at least one faculty mentor, I think it is important to note that everyday on this campus, countless students are coached, mentored, encouraged and challenged to do things they didn’t know they could do.

And while these students may not get recognized on our website or in their hometown newspapers, what our faculty is doing is making a difference in each one of their lives.

It’s hard to catch up on the news these days without hearing something about cybersecurity. Faculty across our campus are responding to this threat. The new cyber center at the Auburn Airport is one of the most visible parts of the cyber education, training and research that’s taking place, but it’s by no means everything.

Faculty in the colleges of business, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences and mathematics are working together, and it means a lot to the security of our country.

Switching gears, faculty have worked long and hard on the Gulf coast since the

2010 oil spill. Many worked there for years before the spill. Mayors, members of Congress and others have been vocal in praising Auburn faculty for restoring Alabama coastal communities. Local economies have been restored, and the ecosystem continues to improve. As a land-grant university, it’s part of our mission. But the work on the Gulf has shown that it’s also part of the heart of so many faculty in almost every college and school on campus.

Another new and major project on campus is the Auburn Research Initiative in Cancer or AURIC. Cancer research is consolidated into a coordinated, crossdisciplinary approach that allows information to be leveraged across disciplines.

And it also connects Auburn faculty with collaborators around the state and country. The initiative embodies “One Medicine”—the concept that sees human and animal health as a single field where discoveries in one species advance health in both species.

From my perspective, these stories and many others like them benefit students, bring credibility to the institution and tell the true state of Auburn University.

In April, we had a final celebration for the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner, where countless generations of Auburn students, faculty, staff and friends have come over the years to revel in victory and to chant, “It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger.”

It is important to note that while the way we celebrate our victories may change as the years pass, one thing that will never change is the Auburn Spirit—ever to conquer, never to yield.

War Eagle!

jgogue@auburn.edu

C O L L E G E

Helping hands For the third consecutive year, Auburn University was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, a recognition of the nation’s leading colleges and universities for their dedication to civic engagement, service-learning and volunteering. Auburn is one of two universities from Alabama and one of three from the Southeastern Conference to be named to the honor roll with distinction.

Anatomy of a Ring

The official ring of Auburn University turns 10 this year, so it’s time to ask: Do you know what all those symbols represent?

1

1. The interlocking AU on top of the navy-blue stone represents Auburn University.

2

2. Two eagles face in opposite directions at the top, symbolizing the past and future, the graduates who’ve gone before helping to shape the future of the ring’s owner.

3

3. The Auburn seal, representing the missions of research, instruction and extension, plus the founding date of 1856.

S T R E E T

5 5. Four lines wrap around the palm of the ring, symbolizing the AU community of students, alumni, faculty and administration.

4 4. The Auburn Tiger, and the symbol of the Toomer’s Corner tradition.

6

6. Inside the ring is engraved: War Eagle!

TH E

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a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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There’s an app for that Rolling the oaks at Toomer’s Corner lives on in the virtual world. The Auburn Division of Student Affairs and Overtime Software created an application called “Auburn Students” that includes a game called “Roll the Auburn Oaks.” The free app can be downloaded to iPads and iPhones.

Behind the scenes of ‘Lincoln’ In a pivotal scene in last year’s hit movie Lincoln, the president participates in negotiations at the Hampton Roads Peace Conference, whose failure to formally end the Civil War strengthened the president’s arguments for ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment and failed to prevent some of the war’s bloodiest battles that came afterward.

In February, Auburn University Libraries acquired a rare collection of Civil War papers and documents that offer insight into those negotiations, including private papers of attendees from both sides. The negotiations took place aboard a steamer at Hampton Roads, Va., in February 1865.

The papers have been added to the Ralph Brown Draughon Library’s Special Collections and Archives department, adding to the achives’ already-rich collection of Civil War-related material. They are being

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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

digitized and will be available online for researchers, historians and Civil War buffs.

When the Hampton Roads Conference was convened, it was agreed that no formal notes would be kept of the proceedings.

Therefore, the private papers of Hampton Roads Conference attendees such as U.S. Major Thomas Eckert and Confederate Assistant Secretary of War John A. Campbell have become extremely important in understanding why the Hampton Roads negotiations ultimately failed.

The personal diary of Eckert has already been digitized, and the acquisition of these papers, including letters written by Eckert, help to give a more complete picture of the events that took place at the Hampton Roads Conference.

“This acquisition comes at a very interesting time,” said Greg Schmidt, special collections librarian at Auburn Univer-

sity Libraries. “Since the Hampton Roads Peace Conference plays such a major role in the story of Lincoln, the interest in the events surrounding the Civil War and President Lincoln is very high. We expect many people will be eager to see these documents.”

The collection was obtained by the library staff thanks to a grant from the B.H. Breslauer Foundation and matching funds from Carroll Strickland of Huntsville, said Bonnie MacEwan, dean of the Auburn University Libraries. “We are fortunate to have a major donor like Mrs. Strickland who understands the importance of preserving precious documents from our nation’s history,” MacEwan said.

More information on the Auburn University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives can be found at www.lib.auburn. edu/specialcollections.

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Down on the corner Just before the official final rolling of the Auburn oaks began on April 20, university officials unveiled a new design for the Samford Park area at Toomer’s Corner.

An arcing path design, set to be implemented in 2014 with the planting of two oak trees, was selected after a series of public workshops and an online survey in which more than 10,000 alumni, students, fans and friends provided opinions and ideas.

For the fall 2013 football season, a temporary structure of poles and wires will be placed at the intersection for rolling the corner after victories, harkening back to the days when fans rolled the power lines before the lines were moved underground.

“We are unveiling the results of your ideas today,” said Bill Stone, Auburn Alumni Association president, who helped unveil an artist’s rendering at the April 20 event. “I can tell one thing for certain: Live trees will be planted on the corner and the great tradition of rolling the corner will continue.”

Auburn University’s Office of Campus Planning and Space Management and the architectural firm of Nelson Byrd Woltz/jB+a Landscape Architects led the efforts in gathering ideas and choosing the design.

Officials said the new design achieves several goals. It places trees farther back from the intersection, protecting them from traffic and exhaust. It maintains the historic character of the corner. It retains the 1917 gates in their current positions. It adds more seating and shaded areas. And finally, it includes the planting of additional trees along a curved walkway through Samford Park.

For more information on the project, visit www.auburn.edu/oaks.

VISUAL BASICS Back in the old days—

important, will itself be a

ten years ago, let’s say

learning and expressive

—a student graduating

tool for the students to

from Auburn University

maintain and add to even

would pass his or her

after they graduate.

last-semester finals and

In mid-May, Laura

head out into the waiting

Elmer will join the

job market armed with

Auburn staff to head up

a resume.

the ePortfolio project,

Even if it were a really

which Marshall says is

good resume, the best

an outgrowth of the uni-

it could offer was a sort

versity’s current process

of CliffsNotes version

of reaccreditation by the

of what a student had

Southern Association of

learned during years of

Colleges and Schools.

education. It said nothing

Auburn will introduce

about the nuances of

ePortfolios to the campus

learning, the larger les-

over a five-year period,

sons, the a-ha moments

starting with the first

of synchronicity when

participants that include

the disparate parts of an

both academic and co-

education suddenly make

curricular groups. Some

sense in tandem.

areas such as architec-

A new universitywide

ture, Marshall notes, have

initiative is challenging

been requiring students

Auburn faculty and stu-

to complete ePortfolios

dents to embrace the idea

for a number of years,

of the digital portfolio,

and their expertise will

or ePortfolio—personal

help other divisions with-

websites that allow stu-

in the university decide

dents to showcase their

what type of sites their

skills, experiences and

students might build.

learning in an individual

ePortfolios turn students

way. Margaret Marshall,

into learning archae-

director of university

ologists of sorts as they

writing, says ePortfolios

assemble artifacts

will help students think

from throughout their

holistically about their

academic career. Papers,

education both inside and

drawings, video, oral

outside the classroom. It

performances and other

will be good for potential

types of media can be

employers but, more

put together.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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C O L L E G E

All in the (Auburn) kitchen For the past six years, senior executive chef Emil Topel has been serving happy diners at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Now, he’s making his specialties available to home cooks. His licensed Auburn cookbook, All In the Kitchen: Cooking for the Auburn Family, was published in early May.

S T R E E T

Meet the Prof Adam Jortner Assistant professor of history BACKSTORY Teaching was not his first career choice.

“It was a kind of a big accident,” Jortner says. “I was an actor—not a successful actor—and history was something I was always interested in, but I never thought of it as a profession.” He came across a contest that his sister had entered to write a history book for children on an obscure historical figure. His race to finish the book on deadline is what sparked his initial interest in becoming a teacher. “It was due in three days, and I ran into the library and started doing research. What I started to discover was that I really was having a marvelous time.”

THE BOOK A professor of U.S. and world history, ROLLING ON They couldn’t get back to campus for the final rolling of the oaks, but Auburn fans among the Alabama National Guard’s 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command started their own tradition by rolling the T-55 tank at a main intersection on Camp Arifijan, Kuwait. The T-55 is a relic of the Saddam Hussein regime. The roll was the brainchild of alums Lt. Col. Steven Shepherd and Maj. Erick Murphy, who came up with the idea of rolling the tank. Asked where they got so much toilet paper in the desert, Shepherd said, “I would like to apologize to anyone who attempted to use the port-o-johns in the vicinity…War Eagle!”

HOME BREW graduate certification in

jobs in the U.S., and the

students will not be

THE UNTOLD STORY The history

dent coming home for the

brewing science, which

industry is growing by

brewing beer on campus.

holidays and announc-

will become official fol-

double-digits each year.

“We’re appealing to the

of the events leading up to the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812 are not extensively covered in history courses. “We assumed that white movement into the Midwest was unstoppable,” he says. “We don’t think about how close that war was. It’s a good story, and anyone who is interested in America or in westward expansion should read this book.”

ing plans to change

lowing approval by the

Students have already

professional brewing

majors—to beer.

Alabama Commission

lined up for the 10 spots

community,” he told

on Higher Education this

in the inaugural 18-hour,

the Raycom Network.

summer.

distance-learning pro-

“People who are work-

gram, which could start

ing in the industry who

as soon as 2014.

would like to move up

crazy as you think.

Auburn University

The program isn’t

has created a new

aimed at regular Auburn undergraduates, but toward profession-

Auburn would be one

the career ladder. We’re

of only two American

dealing with nontradition-

universities to offer

al students—people who

in de-

such a program, joining

are working 9-to-5

veloping

an already established

in a variety of fields.”

expertise

program at the University

for the

of California-Davis.

als interested

craft beer market.

Martin O’Neill, head

The university already has a memo of understanding with the

of Auburn’s Nutrition,

London-based Institute

Dietetics and Hospitality

of Brewing and Distill-

Management program

ing for graduates of the

er’s Association,

who spearheaded the

Auburn program to sit

craft brewers provide

brewing program, is

for its highly respected

more than 100,000

quick to point out that

certification exams.

According to the Brew-

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

AU PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

Imagine your college stu-

It might not be as

16 16

Jortner developed a specific interest in the War of 1812.

In his book, The Gods of Prophetstown: The Battle of Tippecanoe and The Holy War for the American Frontier, he presents the war in a way that is rarely discussed—and in a way that could have reshaped our relationship with Native Americans. “The way most historians tell the story during this period, dispossession of native lands was inevitable,” he says. “I think another world was possible, and I think if we think about that, then we could think about America differently. That’s why we don’t talk about the War of 1812.”

C O L L E G E

S T R E E T

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a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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Research

History for art’s sake UNDER GROUND

18

Creatures could be

insights about mole

creating a warren of

crickets’ extensive tun-

tunnels beneath your

nel systems.

lawn, and we’re not just

talking about ground

giant forelegs that they

squirrels.

use to move through the

soil, sort of like they’re

Research that ento-

“Mole crickets have

mologist David Held is

swimming or doing the

conducting at Auburn

breaststroke, and that

is shedding light on

kind of sweep means

the secret lives of mole

the tunnels they dig

crickets, and his find-

are two to three times

ings could lead to im-

bigger than the insects

proved ways to control

themselves,” Held said.

the costly pests.

“They’re also displac-

ing significant amounts

Other than surfac-

ing during the mating

of soil, from 1.7 to 7

season and at night,

ounces per insect in

mole crickets spend

about a week of tunnel-

their lives underground,

ing, and that is creating

keeping them off most

large spaces all through

people’s radar. But in

the soil.”

southwest Alabama,

along the entire Gulf

crickets and their tun-

Coast and now the

neling behavior is part

coastal Carolinas, the

of a larger National

tunnel-digging mole

Science Foundation-

cricket is the No. 1

funded project in which

insect pest of turfgrass.

he, former Auburn

soil physicist Navin

Held and graduate

Held’s work on mole

student David Bailey

Twarakavi and Auburn

studied the insects’ tun-

environmental engineer

neling behavior using

Prabhakar Clement are

3-D models developed

investigating how mole

with soil and 14-inch

crickets and their tunnel

PVC pipes. Their experi-

systems impact soil-

ments uncovered new

water interactions.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Asked when the first African-American faculty member taught at the Plains, most would say the early 1970s, when doctoral candidate Josetta Brittain Matthews ’66 served as a history instructor in the College of Liberal Arts while in graduate school.

Although not an “official” faculty member, however, a Tuskegee artist and scholar broke a significant racial barrier by teaching art at Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1947.

Over the past year, the life and work of Isaac Scott Hathaway consumed the lives of eight Auburn University students, resulting in a renewed interest in the work of an artistic visionary and scholar.

Eight Auburn University students led by Mark Wilson, director of Civic Learning Initiatives in the College of Liberal Arts, began an educational project last fall to unveil the life and work of Hathaway.

Most widely known for his ceramic sculptures of prominent African-Americans such as George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, Hathaway made important contributions to educational art through his teaching career. Hathaway also was the first African-American to design U.S. coins, designing the Booker T. Washington memorial half-dollar produced from 1946 to 1951 and the George Washington Carver-Booker T. Washington memorial half-dollar produced from 1951 to 1954.

The class project was part of the college’s participation in the Appalachian Teaching Project of the Appalachian Regional Commission, which includes a conference each December in Washington, D.C., for consortium members. The project brings students, faculty and community members together for collaboration on issues affecting the Appalachian region. Auburn was one of only 15 institutions invited to the conference and is the only consortium member representing the state of Alabama.

Auburn students Chardae Caine, Michael Gutierrez, Austin Haisten, Kaleb Kirkpatrick, Sierra Lehnhoff, Maggie Moore, Laney Payne and Audrey Ross worked with Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center director Deborah Gray and citizens in Macon County to develop ways to make Hathaway’s legacy known.

After more than 30 years of teaching art and working as a sculptor, Hathaway brought his talents to Alabama in 1937 when he and his wife moved to Tuskegee to establish the ceramics department at Tuskegee University. In 1947, Hathaway introduced ceramics at the all-white Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

The students involved in the project were primarily responsible for developing hands-on educational activities for vari-

Taking heart Elizabeth Lipke, an assistant professor in chemical engineering, received a grant through the National Science Foundation for her research designing engineered cardiac tissue and developing cardiac regeneration techniques.

Through regenerative engineering, Lipke says we can improve the ability to repair damaged or diseased hearts and provide patients both a longer and potentially better quality of life.

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

LAKE MARTIAN?

ous age groups ranging from kindergarteners to senior citizens. Led by Auburn students, the schoolchildren made masks and painted sculptures to experience the types of work Hathaway did as an artist. The painted sculptures were given as prizes to residents at the Tuskegee Senior Center, who participated in an Isaac Hathaway bingo game developed by one of the Auburn students.

“Kaleb Kirkpatrick created a bingo game, but instead of bingo, it’s Isaac. Each number represents something significant about Hathaway’s life,” Wilson says. “The public responded quite well. Kaleb gave a presentation on Hathaway; a couple of people in the room remembered the Hathaways—Mrs. Hathaway has not been deceased very long. When people won a game and yelled Isaac, they were awarded a sculpture that had been painted by tiny hands from Macon County.”

In order to share information about the project, students worked with the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center to develop a website dedicated to Hathaway. It showcases biographical information, a student-produced video, a compilation of photos, a digital pamphlet and a podcast recreating a 1939 Federal Writers’ Project interview with Hathaway.

“I loved working on the Isaac Scott Hathaway project because it was really inspiring to see how one man could bring so much pride to a community such as Tuskegee,” says Sierra Lehnhoff, a freshman majoring in communications.

Accompanied by Wilson, the students traveled to Washington, D.C., to present their work at the Appalachian Regional Commission conference.

“The project allowed students to learn the value of local history to communities and to create products to keep Hathaway’s legacy alive,” Wilson explains. “We look forward to working with schools and organizations in Macon County to share his unique and important story.”

Since launching the website in early December, scholars and media outlets have expressed interest in promoting and contributing to the students’ project. The Voyager Media Group in Lexington, Ky., plans to tweak a working script for a national documentary on Hathaway to include his professorship at Alabama Polytechnic Institute. In addition, educators from outside the state of Alabama have contacted Wilson for information on ways to use the student-created kits in their own classrooms.

To see the students’ work online, visit isaacscotthathaway.wordpress.com.

Forget little red men or

robotic aliens. If you’re

leagues searched more

looking to answer the

than a hundred of Mars’

question of whether or

deepest craters for

not there has ever been

evidence of groundwater

life on Mars, think water.

and found five strong

contenders.

Shawn Wright,

Wright and his col-

postdoctoral fellow in

geology and geography,

might once have been an

suggests we can only

ancient lake up to 500

learn about life on Mars

meters deep based on

by looking in the right

channels in the sides

places. As a member of

of the crater and the

an international team

presence of calcite on

of scientists, Wright

the crater floor. “Calcite

recently discovered

is significant because

evidence of an ancient

it is a marine and/or

lake in one of the Red

aqueous deposit, which

Planet’s deepest craters,

is rare to find on cold,

leading scientists to

dry Mars,” Wright says.

conclude the location

Wright and his col-

may have been habitable

leagues believe the

for microorganisms liv-

deposits could preserve

ing deep underground.

evidence of a deep Mar-

tian biosphere.

An area of particular

McLaughlin Crater

interest has been Valles

Marineris, a deep set

40 years, we can retrieve

“Hopefully, in 30 or

of canyons on Mars.

some of these materials

“Sulfates were found

to see if our hypothesis

at the bottom of Valles

is correct, if bio-signa-

Marineris. The presence

tures are preserved in

of sulfates indicates

this aqueous deposit,”

there was once water

Wright says. “We are

present—most likely

just now really scratch-

groundwater came out of

ing the surface of Mars,

the side of the canyon,

and if we find evidence

dripped down into the

of past life on Mars, it

canyon, evaporated and

could mean that other

left sulfur,” Wright says.

life is out there too.”

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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Roundup COLLEGE OF

Agriculture Joseph Eakes ’81, the Jimmy and Chris Pursell Professor of Horticulture at Auburn, has been named the 2013 Professional Landcare Network, or PLANET, Academic Excellence Foundation Outstanding Educator of the Year. The award, which goes to a professor who dedicates his or her life to preparing students to enter the green industry with both academic knowledge and professional skills,

was presented in March.

Eakes was nominated and supported with numerous letters of recommendation provided by students, colleagues and industry along with a video highlighting recent years of Eakes’ interaction with students. Eakes has served as faculty adviser to the Auburn student chapter of PLANET and the chapter’s Student Career Days team since 1991.

He designed and teaches horticulture’s landscape construction course, which gives students hands-on experience to

20

better prepare them for the green industry, and has been the key faculty member in the development of a new master’s program in public horticulture within the department.

Graphic Design, the Design Workshop is offered to rising 9th through 12th graders interested in a professional career in design.

Interested students should contact Dr. Carla Bell at 334-844-4549.

COLLEGE OF

Architecture, COLLEGE OF Business Design and the odds.

Construction Consider One-quarter of all High school students considering careers in architecture, design, or construction can take part in the CADC’s weeklong summer camps to get hands-on experience in each of the college’s disciplines.

Students work in actual studio spaces under the direction of Auburn faculty and experience campus life, staying in residence halls, eating at campus dining facilities, and enjoying campus social and recreational activities. Camp participants have 24/7 counselor supervision.

Taught by faculty in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Architecture Camp is open to rising 11th and 12th grade students interested in the field of architectural design. Faculty, staff and students from the McWhorter School of Building Science hold Building Construction Camp for rising 9th through 12th graders interested in building-science careers.

Hosted by the Department of Industrial +

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

papers submitted to the prestigious Academy of Management are accepted, according to Auburn University Associate Professor of Management Brian Connelly. Of that, only 10 percent of those receive “Best Paper” status. Catherine Helmuth beat the odds.

Helmuth, a first-year doctoral student with a focus on management in the College of Business, had her manuscript “Power and Effect Size in Supply Chain Research” awarded “Best Paper” status by the Academy of Management. She is co-author of the paper, along with Connelly, doctoral student Donovan Collier, and Joe Hanna, associate dean for research and outreach in the college.

Connelly, who calls it “exceedingly uncommon” for a first-year doctoral student to achieve this honor, credited Helmuth for the lion’s share of the work, including research of 2,500 statistical tests that appeared in top supply-chain journals

over the past 10 years.

She also wrote the paper’s draft.

What did Helmuth find? Supply chain researchers enjoy more success when they look at domestic data as opposed to international data.

and Malawi in the last decade, said she hopes to develop instruments and practices that can help educators better connect with children in complex second-language settings and considers it a privilege to participate in teacher training on a national level in Senegal.

COLLEGE OF

president for academic affairs. “His work is exceptional and we are pleased to recognize his accomplishments.”

Lall specializes in electronic packaging and his research interests include thermo-mechanics of electronics in harsh environments, constitutive behavior or electronic materials and multi-scale modeling of nanostructures. He is a recipient of the College of Engineering’s Senior Faculty Research Award and is the founding faculty adviser for Auburn’s student chapter of the Surface Mount Technology Association.

Education

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF

SCHOOL OF

Kimberly Smith, a doctoral student in the curriculum and teaching department, is conducting literacy research in Senegal as a Fulbright-Hays Fellow.

Smith earned more than $27,000 in funding and is working with Senegalese educators to evaluate students’ oral vocabulary development in French and Wolof, a local language spoken by nearly 40 percent of the country’s population, and to promote French literacy skills necessary for academic and career success. A native of Brewton, she has been working in the West African republic since the start of the current academic year.

Smith, who also conducted teacher training in South Africa, Kenya

Engineering

Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Auburn University and the Southeastern Conference recently honored Pradeep Lall with the SEC’s Auburn University Faculty Achievement Award for 2012-2013.

Lall, the T. Walter Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Electronics at Auburn, will receive a $5,000 honorarium, and he became Auburn’s nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year, selected from 14 nominees representing SEC universities.

“Dr. Lall is an outstanding faculty member who is truly dedicated to his students, colleagues and his profession,” said Timothy Boosinger, Auburn provost and vice

Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences hosted a Spring Fling and Outdoor Expo in early April at Coach Pat Dye’s Crooked Oaks Farm and Quail Hollow Gardens in Notasulga. The event included a fundraising gala and outdoor expo to fund scholarships and educational initiatives within the school.

Events included an outdoor expo preview; live and silent auctions; demonstrations from Auburn University’s EcoDogs, the Forestry Ecology Preserve and the Southeastern Raptor Center; and dinner and

West, Texas: Not likely to repeat Charles Mitchell, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agronomy and soils specialist and an AU professor of agronomy, says the type of explosion that occurred in mid-April at a fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas, is unlikely to happen in Alabama. The two products linked to the blast are either not used in the state or are extremely rare. “We use neither anhydrous ammonia nor ammonium nitrate to any significant degree anymore,” he says.

dancing with live music provided by Kidd Blue.

COLLEGE OF

Human Sciences An Auburn University student-led initiative combined forces with the international hunger relief agency, Stop Hunger Now, to pack 10,000 meals at the Ralph B. Draughon Library on April 13.

Senior Devin Yeomans got the idea to host a meal-packing event and help fight hunger abroad from her work as the College of Human Sciences’ representative on the Committee of 19.

Yeomans is also one of four students who last year founded the Why Care campaign, which urges people to consider and share why they care about ending the epidemic of hunger at home and abroad.

Early this year, she was awarded an honorable mention for The President William Jefferson Clinton Hunger Leadership Award, which is awarded for the fight against hunger and a commitment to a life of service in hunger and poverty reduction.

COLLEGE OF

Liberal Arts Students majoring in communication and journalism have discovered the benefits of researching and engaging with their local cul-

tural heritage through participating in the Chattahoochee Heritage Project. Developed and launched in 2010, the project is a web-based news and information service focusing on the Chattahoochee River Valley, with special emphasis on Chambers, Lee, Russell and Barbour counties in Alabama and Coweta, Troup, Harris and Muscogee counties in Georgia. Students produce content for the site highlighting significant people and places of cultural and

the end of the semester, the students involved in the project present their stories to community members.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Libraries The Auburn University Libraries has produced a digital collection of school catalogs dating from 1860-1904 that provide a time capsule of life at the East Alabama Male College, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama and the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

professors of Greek and Latin and professors of moral science and natural science. By 1904 the Alabama Polytechnic Institute had grown to 425 students and 34 faculty members, including five engineering teachers, three agriculture teachers and two veterinary science teachers.

The catalogs offer a glimpse into student life and list a variety of rules that students at Auburn had to follow, including attending religious services every morning in the college chapel, refraining from card games, avoiding “boisterous or riotous conduct” and not attending “places of public amusement.”

The Auburn University Historic Catalogs Collection is a project of Special Collections and Archives in cooperation with the Systems Department. The collection can be found in the Auburn University Digital Library at diglib. auburn.edu/collections/ historiccatalogs/.

SCHOOL OF

Nursing historical interest to the Chattahoochee Valley area. The project gives students an opportunity to apply their broadcasting and writing skills that they have learned in their coursework.

The project utilizes a multiplatform journalism approach, which combines print, video, photography and audio.

Each semester, the project addresses a different county or area. At

In addition to course information, the catalogs list names of faculty members and students, admissions criteria, expected costs, graduates, board members, rules of conduct and images of life on campus.

For example, the 1860 East Alabama Male College catalog shows that Auburn had 101 students and only six faculty members, including two mathematics professors,

Throughout February, students from the Harrison School of Pharmacy and the School of Nursing teamed up to participate in the Script Your Future Medication Adherence Challenge, raising awareness about this critical health issue.

Medication adherence simply means taking medication as directed by a health care professional. The challenge

C O L L E G E

is aptly called Script Your Future because medication adherence is an important action patients can do themselves in taking control of their future health.

Auburn student pharmacists participated in the initial Script Your Future public awareness campaign in 2011, but this marks the first year nursing students joined the effort. The team approach was a natural step for both schools since they started interprofessional education collaborations in the fall.

HARRISON SCHOOL OF

Pharmacy

S T R E E T

COLLEGE OF

Sciences and Mathematics Patrick Donnan, an Auburn University Honors College student double-majoring in physics and music, was chosen as a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, an honor bestowed only to approximately 300 students nationwide each year. The scholarship is widely considered the most prestigious award in the United States for undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

COLLEGE OF

A number of faculty members in the Harrison School of Pharmacy have been recognized recently. Gordon Sacks, department head in pharmacy practice, received an award for Excellence in Nutrition Support Education from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition...Richard Hansen, head of the pharmacy care systems department, was named an American Pharmacists Association fellow and was honored at the orgnization’s annual meeting scheduled to be held this spring.

Hansen also was one of six authors to have a study published in the December 2012 issue of the academic journal Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy.

Veterinary Medicine Auburn University veterinary professor, department head and alumnus Calvin Johnson ’83 became dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine on March 1.

Johnson, previously head of the pathobiology department, joined the Auburn faculty as a professor in 2003 and was named department head in 2005. Johnson becomes Auburn’s seventh veterinary dean since the college was established in 1907. He succeeds Timothy Boosinger, who served as dean for 16 years until 2011, when he was named Auburn’s provost. Johnson also is chair of Auburn’s Health Sciences Task Force.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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S T U D E N T

L I F E

CONCOURSE

Truck stop Interview Chris Murray Doctoral student, biological sciences THE 4-1-1 The Roxbury, Conn., native grew up

with an affinity for nature and wildlife. He became interested in crocodiles as a teenager. “When I was a sophomore in high school my best friend and I used to watch Steve Irwin’s ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ religiously. Ever since, this has sort of been my life course.” He earned his undergrad degree in biology from Juniata College in Pennsylvania, a place with no crocodiles whatsoever. He then decided to go to Southeastern Louisiana University for his master’s.

Now, he’s working on his Ph.D. in biological sciences with a focus on herpetological ecology, reproductive ecology and functional morphology.

GATOR BOY Murray’s expertise in crocodilians

FUTURE PLANS “One of my major goals is to

continue conservation education and open up an educational facility in the southeast,” he says. “I want to be able to provide an educational research facility that allows other graduate students to use mesocosmlike setups where they otherwise wouldn’t be able.”

22

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

limited food choices. This led to long lines, and these long lines led to fewer students being served.

“We ran reports and saw that a number of students weren’t getting served based on the inventory that we had,” said Jon Waggoner, special counsel to the president and former interim dining services director. “We saw that this was a problem in our system, so we decided that we had to immediately serve more people, more quickly, with food that they like to eat.”

Glenn Loughridge, director of dining services, said he and Waggoner went to a food truck park in Atlanta in hopes of locating prospective food trucks to bring back to Auburn. Loughridge said they wanted to find a variety of healthy food choices.

“I think our No. 1 priority was to find healthy options, and then one of the things that we really wanted to stress was to have a variety of food,” he says. “No matter how good the food is, you will get tired of it if you have to eat it everyday.”

The two men found that variety in Tex’s Tacos, the brainchild of owner and UGA grad Mac Helms. Helms’ red and yellow food truck hit I-85 and headed south to the Plains in December of 2011, only a few JEFF ETHERIDGE

presented him with the opportunity to work with the popular Animal Planet TV show “Gator Boys,” which features a nuisance-gator rescue operation run by Paul Bedard and Jimmy Riffle in South Florida’s Everglades environs. “My best bud works at Everglades Holiday Park, where the show was started,” Murray says. “I’ve known the vast majority of them for a long time, and I’ve grown up, in terms of alligator work, with them. They trained me to do what I know how to do now. If they ever need help for episodes I go down there for them. I owe it to them.” He’s done multiple episodes with the Gator Boys, so he’s become more relaxed around the camera, but initially it was pretty nerve-racking.

“They pull you aside, put you in front of a green screen and make you say the same thing 10 times,” he says. “It took hours the first time, but once you know what to expect, it becomes easier.”

It’s that time of day again: lunchtime. For students all over campus that means navigating through throngs of people mobbing the concourse in front of the Haley Center.

Class has just ended, and their stomachs rumble as that bowl of frosted, sugary cereal they had for breakfast—assuming they didn’t sleep through breakfast—becomes a distant memory. Students stand in lines that stretch past Thach and Tichenor halls in opposite directions, waiting patiently to partake of the latest culinary craze to hit the Auburn campus.

Food trucks have come to the Plains.

Food-truck dining dates back to the days of Westward expansion after the Civil War, when chuckwagons accompanied cattle drives and groups of settlers across vast miles of unsettled land. By the late 1800s, food wagons had developed into a New York City industry, catering to nightshift workers. In the last decade trucks catering to a gourmet-savvy crowd began gaining steam in larger cities.

At Auburn, the student center had become a hub for students of all colleges and majors to gather and eat meals together, but the massive influx around lunchtime created a problem because of the center’s

C O N C O U R S E Loving our trees Auburn University has earned the Tree Campus USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for a fourth consecutive year. The designation recognizes Auburn for promoting healthy trees and engaging staff and students in conservation efforts. Auburn has supported the Arbor Day Foundation’s core values by establishing a tree advisory committee, creating a tree-care plan, dedicating an annual budget for tree care, establishing an Arbor Day observance and sponsoring student service-learning projects.

short months after it opened for business on the streets of Atlanta.

“I was born in Austin, Texas, and I grew up in Houston,” Helms says. “We started this without any prior restaurant experience, but tacos were my passion.” This passion had carried him with a friend on a vacation through Texas in the summer of 2010, on a sort of reconnaissance expedition. “We went from town to town eating tacos all the way,” he says.

The partnership with Tiger Dining has been a smooth transition for the Tex’s team. The customers’ responses, both on campus and through social media, have helped them yield the best possible product. “The customers have helped the food become a lot better,” Helms says. “I think in the age of social media, restaurants can’t afford not to reach out to customers and be responsive to complaints.”

The success of Tex’s Tacos and other food trucks caught the eye of Mark Cooley, general manager of Momma Goldberg’s on Magnolia Avenue. Cooley saw the potential a Momma G’s food truck had to help recapture lunch revenue that was lost when Auburn University starting requiring students to pay for a meal plan.

“The food truck gives us a chance for a little more exposure to incoming students who might not know our brand,” he says.

“It exposes us to a lot of students who won’t venture out to come this way.”

The food trucks act as an excellent marketing tool because of their ability to be moved to different locations on campus.

This has given the trucks the potential to reach as many customers as possible while making lunchtime more convenient for students.

This success has given Helms the opportunity to expand his business to Terrell Hall, a campus dining hall, but while he is grateful for the larger kitchen, he still prefers the atmosphere of the truck.

—Bradley Roberts

Logging in For the fifth time since

Auburn team from the

tion and classification

Log-a-Load, a statewide

the competition was

School of Forestry and

of woody plants; and

fundraising campaign

founded in 1958, Auburn

Wildlife Sciences? Teams

senior Daniel Heath won

on behalf of Children’s

University hosted the

from Clemson, Tennes-

the competition in pole

Hospital of Alabama,

Southern Forestry Con-

see and other schools

classification. Other

sponsored by the Ala-

clave this spring, where

bested them in the more

technical-event partici-

bama Loggers Council

250 students from 15

glamorous competitions,

pants included students

and the Alabama For-

universities around the

but the Auburn team took

Garrett Shimunek

estry Association.

country gathered to

first place in the techni-

(compass and pacing);

show off such skills as

cal events and came in

Wil Leonard (timber

dean of the School of

pole climbing, ax chop-

seventh overall.

estimation); Russell

Forestry and Wildlife

ping, bow-saw wielding

Agnes (wood identifi-

Sciences, was pleased

and log birling.

Whatley finished second

cation); Tyler Claxton

with the Auburn team’s

(For the uninitiated,

in DBH estimation, a

(photogrammetry); and

achievements. “Employ-

birling involves two

method of estimating

Zalin Smith and Lyndsay

ers won’t be asking

lumberjacks—or, in this

the diameter of the

Phillips (wildlife).

about pole climbing or

case, forestry students—

trunk of a standing tree;

ax-chopping abilities

rolling a log in tandem

senior James Robert

ing students to compare

when they interview,”

while each tries to stay

Dearman took second

skills with those of

he notes. “They will

upright the longest.)

in dendrology, which

other schools, the March

be very interested in

involves identifica-

event raised $1,800 for

technical competence.”

The bad news for the

AU senior Travis

In addition to allow-

James Shepherd,

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

23

C O N C O U R S E

Joining the ranks U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools 2014” report is high on Auburn. Graduate program rankings include those in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at 67th, those in the College of Education at 78th, and the on-campus MBA program in the College of Business at 75th, up from 88th last year.

JEF F ET H ERIDG E

Syllabus COURSE NAME RELG 4970 “Women and Gender

in Religion” INSTRUCTOR Amy Langenberg, professor of

religious studies and women’s studies, College of Liberal Arts THE SCOOP Langenberg’s course offers an analysis

on how the development of gender is integral to religion, and how religion has helped shape social constructions of gender and sexuality. The course explores the ways religion has both given power to and taken power away from women, drawing examples from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. “My hope is that this class will give students a chance to think critically about religion in general, and its specific relationship to gender,” Langenberg said. “Many Auburn students are raised in religiously observant families, and many are quite reflective about their faith.”

24

HOME ON THE RANGE Hay sprinkles the

way to the circle of hay

every Sunday morning.

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE Langenberg said this

dirt-covered floor of

bales that act as their

They take pride in

course reflects a long-time interest of hers. “I first co-taught this class at Brandeis University,” she said. “This is the second time I have taught this course at Auburn. It is safe to say that this topic is near and dear to my heart. In fact, much of my own research centers on the intersection of gender and religion.” She believes the course is important for Auburn students. “It offers a different sort of perspective as it examines religion as a human institution, one with political, social, cultural and even economic dimensions. It provides students a chance to think through these complex dynamics.”

The Cowboy Church

church pews.

their ability to offer

to find anywhere else.

of Lee County. People

a welcoming worship

“People noticed that I

file in for the start of

brings to mind ornate

environment. This

was new, and they were

the Sunday-morning

buildings with steeples,

sort of “come as you

welcoming,” she says.

service in an arena off

stained glass windows

are” mantra is what

Highway 280, just five

and intricate brick

kept Kaylee Perry, a

up with any particular

miles north of down-

overlays. A church isn’t

graduate student in

interest in this cowboy

town Auburn. Members

a church unless it has

the Auburn University

culture, but she found

laugh and share stories

a beautiful sanctuary

College of Veterinary

comfort in the church’s

while they eat breakfast

lined with pews, a pul-

Medicine, coming back

laid-back, welcoming

and drink coffee.

pit and at the very least

to the church.

environment.

a floor, right?

ties—only boots, blue

different, and I ended

of Lee County has

SUGGESTED READING Students read Sexual Eth-

jeans and the occasional

The cowboy church

up loving it,” she says.

shown that it’s not a

ics and Islam by Kecia Ali (2006); Buddhism, Sexuality, and Gender by José Ignacio Cabezon (1992); and God’s Daughters: Evangelical Women and the Power of Submission by Marie Griffiths (1997); and online readings.

ten-gallon hat. Some-

is where Western

The Atlanta native had

building that makes the

times, a horse or two.

Christianity meets

searched tirelessly for

church, but the people

the Wild West, and a

the right church when

that occupy that build-

the service to start,

number of Auburn

moving to Auburn. The

ing, Perry says.

worshippers make their

students mosey over

cowboy church just gave

—Bradley Roberts

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

There are no suits or

As it nears time for

“Church” typically

Forget about it.

“It sounded really

her that homey feeling she hadn’t been able

Perry didn’t grow

The Cowboy Church

C O L L E G E

A good investment Given $50,000 to invest in the stock market, where would you put it? Go for the the tried-and-true? Or take a gamble?

And what if you had a deadline and bragging rights at stake?

The Auburn University Investment Club is competing in the Student Investment Fund Competition sponsored by Sterne Agee, a Birmingham-based investment bank that distributed $50,000 to each of the four schools in the Southeast participating in the equity portfolio management challenge. The schools also include the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia and the University of Mississippi.

The winner will collect the full monetary value of its return while the other schools will receive half of their return. All prize money won by Auburn will go to the College of Business.

Auburn’s Investment Club is led by president and CEO Juan Castano, a senior finance student, and is composed of 25 students from across campus. “The investment club is one of the College of Business’ bestkept secrets, in my own opinion,” he says.

Most club members are students from the College of Business and are working toward degrees in finance. However, the club is open to all students and has recently included engineering and math majors.

“Having served as president for the last four years, I am both proud and mesmerized by the natural expansion of our members and growth of sophistication behind of

our investment strategies,” Castano says.

The investment competition got under way in October and was scheduled to end in April. At the midpoint, Auburn had generated a 7 percent return, which was close to its goal of 8 percent. The club finished second last year and hopes to climb to the top spot this year, Castano says.

Each year the competition develops in a different way, and the club invests in a variety of companies. A winning investment in the past has been Apple, but the electronics giant’s stock has been providing low returns, Castano says. Designer Michael Kors, CBS and Yahoo were showing the strongest returns at the first of the year and have been large contributors to the club’s success.

“There truly is not a ‘secret strategy’ behind the financial success of any portfolio,” Castano says. “You need to know yourself, your needs, your true risk limitations, and not just the ones that you think you should have. You have to know when to take risks, walk away and, finally, never forget that liquid cash truly is king.”

The competition is governed by a set of rules put in place by Sterne Agee upon releasing the funds to each school. The money can only be invested in stocks. Only 10 percent of the $50,000 can be invested in a single company, which encourages each school to diversify its stock portfolio.

The Auburn University Investment Club has been a part of campus activities for more than a decade.

S T R E E T

Auburn Oaks The Auburn Alumni Association is proud to partner with The Highland Mint to provide limitededition Auburn Oaks memorabilia.

Together, we are preserving the memory of our historic oaks.

In addition, a portion of all sales will be donated to support your Auburn Alumni Association so that we may continue to fund student scholarships and provide quality programs and services for alumni.

Order yours today... aualum.org/hm

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

25

S P O R T S

TIGER WALK JEF F ET H ERIDG E

Sibling rivalry

(and a really good hook) As Matt Lee, senior in industrial engineering, celebrated his national championship victory at the College Bass Classic last summer, he was torn. He was going to get a chance to compete for the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., and he was going to get a shot at the $500,000 cash prize, but it came at the cost of handing a loss to his younger brother and best friend Jor-

26

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

dan, an Auburn senior in marketing.

The Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate in professional bass-fishing tournaments, was started in 1971 by Bass Anglers Sportsman Society founder Ray Scott ’59.

The Lee brothers had been on the same team as members of Auburn University’s Bass Fishing Club for years, and had fished together ever since they were chil-

dren. But in Little Rock, Ark., last summer, they competed against each other for the individual national title.

It was the first big win for Matt (above, left) in any fishing tournament, and his brother fell to second place overall for the second time in consecutive years.

Jordan (above, right) was overwhelmed with emotion, but he was proud of his

Jumping long Auburn junior V’Alonee Robinson tied for second in the women’s college long jump at the 119th Penn Relays at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field on April 25. She finished just behind a competitor from Kent State University and tied with a team member from Norfolk State. For the latest in Auburn track and field, follow @AUTrack on Twitter.

brother. “It was hard for me,” he says.

“A lot of people thought I was bummed because my brother beat me, but I was upset because I couldn’t make the Bassmaster Classic. Chances like that don’t come along often. But if I was going to lose to anybody, then I’d want it to be him for sure.”

Matt got his opportunity to fish at the pinnacle of the bass fishing tournaments.

It started on Feb. 22 on a stark, cold early morning and, of course, his biggest supporter was in his corner cheering him on.

“Jordan’s just as good an angler, if not better than me,” Matt says. “He’s been there supporting me the whole way.”

The brothers didn’t come from a long line of accomplished fishermen growing up in Cullman, but it became a way of life for them early on.

Competitive fishing was something they had been training for indirectly.

“My whole life I’ve been doing this,” Jordan says. “I’ve been accumulating skills over a long period of time.”

Since before they could walk, they were casting lines into Lake Guntersville. Their parents were both avid boaters, and their grandfather owned a small pond where the two boys would spend hours fishing whenever they could find the time.

The rush that came from hauling in fish

after fish was something Jordan found incomparable to any other feeling.

He recalls exactly when he fell in love with the sport, there at his grandfather’s pond, his home away from home. “I caught 11 or 12 fish and the feeling I got was just awesome,” he says.

Now, fishing is all about preparation for tournaments. “I started fishing in tournaments when I was about 15 years old. Now, I try to fish every weekend when I’m not in school.” He says he’s won anywhere from 20 to 30 small fishing tournaments.

Matt got started a little later in the fishing game. He was a baseball player all through high school, going the more traditional sports route. “Everybody in high school played a sport. They didn’t really fish; that was kind of unheard of,” Matt says. “Jordan went the fishing route, and I wish I had, too.”

Matt made the jump after high school, and he’s been building on his knowledge of the sport ever since. “You build on your knowledge all the time,” Matt says.

“My brother and I push each other to get better, and I owe a lot of my knowledge to him.”

Matt and Jordan used to look up to the fishermen who fished the Bassmaster Classic and made a living doing this sport that they both loved so much.

Together, they dreamed of this grandiose idea to one day be able to fish on the biggest-possible stage, but neither of them imagined one of them would get there this soon.

They both work toward the same goal, so rivalry is inevitable—but they’re able to bring the intensity to a halt as soon as the competition ends.

“When you’re competing against each other you both want to win and the rivalry can get pretty heated at times, but then we get over it and, you know, we’re best friends,” Matt says.

Currently, the two brothers sit alone at the top of the college bass fishing world, but who is really the best? It’s hard to get a clear answer.

“I’ve spanked him a bunch of times over the years,” Jordan says.

“But he wins when it counts. So, overall I’d say we are pretty even.”

T I G E R

W A L K

AUBURN CLUBS

Scholarship Fundraising Events co-hosted by Auburn Alumni Association

Keynote speaker — Gus Malzahn Special Appearance by Aubie

Thursday, May 30 North Alabama Regional, at McGukin Civic Center.

Tuesday, June 4 Wiregrass Regional (Barbour County; Dale County; Wiregrass), at The Lodge at Lakepoint State Park.

Thursday, June 6 Shoals Area, at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center.

Wednesday, July 17 Greater Birmingham, at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center.

Tuesday, July 30 River Region (Montgomery County, Autauga County and Elmore County), at the Montgomery Biscuits Stadium.

Tell me more...

334-844-1145 auclubs@auburn.edu

aualum.org/clubs

—Bradley Roberts

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

27

T I G E R

W A L K

He’s the greatest ESPN figured out what Auburn’s known all along: Bo Jackson ’86 is the greatest athlete of all time. Using the network’s “Sport Science” formula with the final vote decided by fans, Jackson edged out former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown for the win. Along the way, he also beat out tennis star Roger Federer, boxer Muhammad Ali and basketball great Michael Jordan.

SPORTS ROUNDUP A NON-PHOTO FINISH

TEE TIME

MAKING A SPLASH

NCAA champion when

The Auburn men’s

The No. 19-ranked

Auburn got a silver-med-

Olivia Scott won the

basketball team

Auburn men’s golf team

al-winning performance

100-yard butterfly.

finished a difficult

finished third in the

from junior Marcelo

season with a 71-62

2013 SEC Champion-

Chierighini and a bronze-

Lawrence, and the four

first-round defeat at the

ship in mid-April at the

medal relay swim as the

members of the 400

hands of Texas A&M in

Sea Island Golf Club’s

men’s swimming and div-

freestyle relay team

the SEC Tournament.

Seaside Course in St.

ing team finished eighth

earned top-16 finishes.

The Tigers were only

Simon’s Island, Ga.

at the 2013 NCAA Men’s

down by four with 33

The field featured

Georgia won the

Swimming and Diving

national championship with 477 points, their

seconds left in the

eight teams ranked in

Championships in March.

game, but ultimately

the Golfweek/Sagarin

It marked the Tigers’

ended their season with

rankings, including No.

21st consecutive top-10

tying Auburn for third-

a 9-23 record.

2 Alabama, which won

finish, dating back to

most. Two-time defend-

the SEC title; No. 12

1993, and their 31st

ing champion California

we had opportunities to

Florida, No. 13 Georgia,

top-10 finish in 39

finished second, and the

win our fair share of

Nov. 14 Arkansas, No.

all-time NCAA

SEC claimed the next

games this year, but we

15 LSU, No. 21 Texas

appearances. Michigan

two spots, with Tennes-

couldn’t get over the

A&M and No. 24

claimed its first national

see in third and Texas

hump,” said head coach

Tennessee. South

championship since

A&M fourth.

Tony Barbee.

Carolina finished

1995 with 480 points,

second, followed by

followed by California.

“It’s disappointing that

Frankie Sullivan

Chierighini won his

fifth in program history,

RIDING HIGH

finished the last game

Auburn, Texas A&M

of his Auburn career

fourth, and Mississippi

second straight silver

team began competition

with a team-high 19

State to round out the

medal in the 100-yard

at the 2013 NCEA

points, finishing eighth

top five.

freestyle, posting the

The Auburn equestrian

National Championships

second-fastest time in

at the Extraco Events

in the Tigers’ all-time

Senior Michael Hebert

scoring list with 1,556

notched his third top-five

Auburn history but

Center in Waco, Texas,

points.

finish of the season,

finishing second to USC’s

and went on to win the

tying for fifth at 211.

Vlad Morozov. Chierighi-

national championship

basketball team

Junior Niclas Carlsson

ni’s swim ranked as the

after a tense ride-off

advanced to the NIT

tied for 15th after

seventh-fastest of all time

against Georgia.

2013 FOOTBALL

“Sweet Sixteen” before

shooting a 216. Senior

in short-course yards.

falling in a 56-43 loss to

Dominic Bozzelli

S C H E D U L E

Drexel. With a 13-17 record last season, the

Aug. 31 vs. Washington State Sept. 7 vs. Arkansas State Sept. 14 vs. Mississippi State Sept. 21 at LSU Oct. 5 vs. Ole Miss Oct. 12 vs. Western Carolina (homecoming) Oct. 19 at Texas A&M Oct. 26 vs. Florida Atlantic Nov. 2 at Arkansas Nov. 9 at Tennessee Nov. 16 vs. Georgia Nov. 30 vs. Alabama

The women’s

*All kickoff times will be announced once TV schedules are firmed up, usually from one to two weeks prior to game day.

28

Katie Gardocki, Micah

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

The Tigers also took

The Tigers capped off

the national title in the

recorded his team-high

the championships with

hunt-seat competition,

sixth top-20 finish of the

a bronze medal for the

with Elizabeth Benson

2013 Tigers improved

season, tying for 20th at

400 freestyle relay,

competing for Auburn.

to 19-15 overall and

218. Redshirt freshman

featuring the team of

Cheyenne Cracraft rode

won three WNIT games

Jake Mondy tied for 36th

Chierighini, James

in Western competition.

in coach Terri Williams-

at 222, and sophomore

Disney-May, Arthur

Flournoy’s first season.

Michael Johnson tied for

Mendes and Kyle

who scored points in the

43rd at 223.

Owens.

championship competi-

Senior forward Blanche Alverson

For the women’s golf

The Auburn Women’s

Other Auburn riders

tion included Hasbrouck

finished her Auburn

team, Sophomore

Swimming and Diving

Donovan, Lindsay Por-

career with 15 points

Victoria Trapani carded a

team earned 19

tela, Quincy Hayes and

and five rebounds in

4-over-76 in the final

All-America honors on

Jennifer Waxman.

that final game. She

round of the SEC

the season. The team

ranks in the Top 30 in

Championship tourna-

finished the national

Greg Williams, made it

the school record book

ment, finishing in a tie

championships in 13th

back from Waco in time

in scoring, rebounds

for sixth. As a team,

place overall and

for their own celebra-

and assists.

Auburn finished in 10th

claimed their 33rd

tory roll of the oaks on

place with a 933.

all-time individual

Sunday, April 21.

The Tigers, coached by

NOW’S THE TIME TO

SPRING Official Partner of Auburn Athletics

30

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

April 20, 2013, will forever be remembered as the day when the Auburn Family showed up in force to bid farewell to two of its own. b y

suzanne

johnson

Saying Goodbye saturday morning dawned clear and unseasonably cold, and the city of Auburn was packed. Every hotel in the Auburn-Opelika area had reached capacity.

Residents housed out-of-town guests in their homes.

Restaurants hustled with overflow business. This was no ordinary A-Day. For more than a month, the university had been inviting people back for the final rolling of the twin oaks at the campus entrance next to Toomer’s Corner, three days before the dying trees were scheduled be cut down.

There would be a ceremony. An unveiling of plans for the future landscaping of the corner. An intervarsity football game to introduce new head coach Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers. A block party cosponsored by the City of Auburn, the university and the Auburn Alumni Association.

Maybe as many as 50,000 people would show up, officials thought. Extra food was ordered by vendors for Jordan-Hare Stadium, where filling the lower level of seats for an A-Day game was always considered a rousing success.

But the Auburn Family had been watching for two long years as their beloved oaks slowly died, poisoned by University of Alabama fan Harvey Updyke after Auburn’s 2010 Iron Bowl win. They’d watched

PHOTOGRA PH Y B Y J E F F E T H E RI DGE

the herculean efforts of horticulture professor Gary Keever and his colleagues as they tried every means possible to save the trees. On visits back to campus, they’d witnessed the trunks gradually turning from gray to black, most of the leaves gone, the stark branches reaching to the sky like skeletal fingers.

They’d experienced disappointment at Updyke’s March 25 sentencing of three years, including only six months of jail time.

After all that, it was time for a family reunion.

Young and old and in between, they came back to Auburn. The stadium roared to life for a 1 p.m. ADay kickoff in front of a record 83,401 fans.

More than that jammed the corner afterward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder for blocks in all directions. They threw toilet paper until it looked like a heavy snowfall; then they threw some more. They did what families do at reunions—enjoy the camaraderie, remembering bad times with bittersweet sadness, laughing as they reminisced about the good times, and loving Auburn.

Three days later, the chainsaws revved up and the trees were gone, leaving a corner startlingly bare. In the pages that follow, share a few memories and follow the progress of those days with photographer Jeff Etheridge as he chronicled our goodbyes.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

31

S A Y I N G

G O O D B Y E

SPUR OF THE MOMENT After our wedding ceremony at Auburn United Methodist Church on June 11, 1994, we had not planned to roll the trees. Our car had been decorated with toilet paper and there was a roll left that my friend Heather Thompson ’94 tossed our way and said “use it wisely.” So as we cruised around campus, waving from our convertible on the way to the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center for our reception, we stopped at Toomer’s Corner and used our one roll on the trees...

Today we live in Virginia so we don’t get to Auburn very often. The last time we were there we made sure to take photos of our boys at the corner. We are so sad to see the trees as they are now.

Hopefully, something equally as wonderful will take their place in the years to come!

War Eagle!

—Kristi Orellana Barker ’94 and Buford Dennis Barker ’92, Virginia Beach, Va. SMILING FACES My favorite memory of the Toomer’s Oaks is that I could drive by them on any given day and see people from all walks of life, smiling and taking pictures or enjoying the beautiful scenery.

The joy I saw on their faces every time I drove by is somthing that will stick with me for a long time.

—Maegan Harrison ’12, Birmingham

d WRECK TECH! One of my favorite memories (a long, long time ago) was the annual “wreck tech pajama parade” that ended at the corner. I still can’t get the images out of my mind!

—Garry Lindsey ’69, Booneville, Miss.

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BO KNOWS ROLLING My favorite Toomer’s Corner memory is going to roll the trees after the announcement that Bo Jackson had won the Heisman Trophy. War Eagle!

—Sandy Willyerd ’87, Atlanta

d A GOOD DECISION In the spring of 1954, I had been discharged from the Army at Fort Benning and I made a decision that I must have a college degree in a subject that would lead to meaningful employment. When I was in high school, I appeared to have a propensity for math and sciences, so I decided that if I were accepted to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, I would major in chemical engineering. Little did I know what a difficult choice I had made.

I was living in Columbus, Ga., in 1954 so with a great deal of trepidation, I drove from Columbus to Auburn and parked on Main Street. The walk up the street to Toomer’s Drugstore, crossing the street to the entrance to API and walking up to Samford Hall changed my life. Every person I met on that walk gave me a cheery smile and spoke to me with enthusiasm. By the time I reached the admissions office, I knew that Auburn was the place for me.

On Aug. 29 of last year, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Chris Roberts, the dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. I told him about my first day’s experience at Auburn. He assured me that the friendly campus still exists today. War Eagle!

—Bill Barlow ’56, Houston, Texas

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WAR EAGLE ANYWAY Before I even graduated from high school, I knew more about Toomer’s Corner than Auburn itself! Toomer’s was where you went to see parades, where you painted store-shop windows before games, where you bought the out-of-this-world lemonade, where the windows were open in those beautiful old buildings downtown and the sweet smell of spring radiated through campus. And on Saturdays, in those Shug Jordan days, it was the most fun place to go and show your pride by doing something I had mastered in high school—roll the Toomer’s Oaks!

As I got older, it was fun to run to Toomer’s after a game, but for more reasons.

Often, I’d run into college and sorority friends I hadn’t seen in years. It wasn’t unusual, because everybody ran to Toomer’s!

My ticket order got bigger with the addition of my Vandy husband and two Aubie fans. My girls went to Auburn camps and at college decision time, you can just guess where they enrolled! Yes, Auburn. Other SEC schools didn’t stand a chance. I still went with them to roll Toomer’s Oaks—just a little slower!

In the end, Auburn, Toomer’s Corner, the oaks...Auburn is in our blood, our hearts, our souls. I’m sad my girls can’t take their children to roll the oaks one day, but I know in my heart that the memory, the spirit, the legacy will live on in a new way.

War Eagle anyway!

—Amelie Cooper Yonge ’75 (and damn proud of it!), Pensacola, Fla.

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CHERISHED MEMORIES

COMING HOME

To me, the oaks at Toomer’s Corner have always represented a “Celebration of the Ordinary.” I think back to my memories as a student: walking to get a haircut from James at Campus Barber Shop, crossing over to purchase a prescription from Mark Morgan at Toomer’s Drugs, walking down to buy an orange-and-blue-striped tie from Olin Hill (“The Man with the Tape”), walking to First Baptist Church on Sunday morning.

The 2010-2011 football season will be forever remembered for the victory that brought home the national title. However, there is another victory that season that I will never forget because of the moment that we rolled Toomer’s Corner. My husband and I are from Atlanta, but did not get tickets to the SEC Championship Game.

All of these ordinary tasks, accomplished via everyday pathways under the boughs of those trees. I recall strolling to get ice cream before proposing to my girlfriend (now, my wife) on the steps of Samford Hall and—in more recent years—taking our daughters for walks on campus after the annual Christmas parade.

We decided the next-best place to watch the game, if not in the Georgia Dome, would be Auburn. We found ourselves watching the game at a restaurant on College Street. I can still remember the last few seconds of the game, when we knew that victory would be ours. We all ran out of the restaurant and down to the corner to begin the celebration. There was an unforgettable energy in the air, as we knew that we were bound for the BCS National Championship game. Then a few hours later, as if the night could not be any more memorable, we saw the buses containing some of our beloved Tigers coming back from Atlanta, driving past the corner to see it in all of its glory. Though change is upon us, that is how I will forever remember Toomer’s Corner. War Eagle!

I suppose my sadness at the loss of the trees grows from the gnawing realization that we are losing two iconic reminders of the times and people that were—and are—important to us as alums, family and community. Ultimately, however, I am comforted by the lesson that it’s not really about the actual trees. Our cherished memories and histories will be shared and recalled, as long as we remain mindful of the people and ideals in which we are all rooted—those experiences that made the trees important to us in the first place.

—Chad Parish ’95, Auburn

—Heather Karschner ’06 and Robert Karschner ’05, Atlanta

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The biggest threat to national security might not come from a military attack, but from space—as in cyberspace. Auburn is training a new breed of cyber professionals, armed with keyboards and mad computer skills.

BY BRADLEY ROBERTS AND SUZANNE JOHNSON

Insecurity in the 1983 movie Wargames, the Pentagon has a problem. A teenage computer genius accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer whose purpose is to predict the outcomes of thermonuclear war under different conditions. Thinking it a sophisticated computer game, the teen unknowingly escalates real national threat levels until he’s on the verge of setting off World War III. Fast-forward 20 years and Wargames, a cuttingedge film in its day, now seems charmingly naive.

War no longer has to involve weapons of mass destruction or even cross physical borders. These days, all it takes is a string of computer code and a desire to do harm.

Coordinated computer assaults on U.S. government entities, financial institutions, and businesses arrive daily from inside and outside of our borders, and the attacks are growing at a faster rate than the number of people trained to fend them off.

We need a new kind of cyber professional, officials say, one that’s trained in protecting us against cyberterrorism in all its forms. That’s where Lt. Gen.

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(Ret.) Ron Burgess ’74 and the Auburn University Cyber Initiative get involved.

Cyber attacks started small, as movements do, with gamers and individual hackers joining forces to steal identities, draw money from private accounts, and break into “secure” websites as pranks to show off their hacking skills.

Then it skyrocketed, and the prankish hacks increasingly gave way to widespread security threats.

Ron Burgess knows all about it. Before retiring from the U.S. Army in September 2012, he’d spent much of his 38-year Army career working in the upper levels of military intelligence and in national security.

Three months after retirement, he returned to the Plains. It was a homecoming for him. Although born and raised in Jacksonville, N.C., Burgess graduated from Opelika High School, and when it came time to attend Auburn University, he had been offered ROTC scholarships from both the Air Force and the Army. It was an easy choice for him.

“The Air Force wanted to put me in the back of the

PHOTOGRA PH Y B Y J E F F E T H E RI DGE

Right: Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, a 38-year Army veteran recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Auburn Alumni Association in March, retired last fall as director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. Now, he’s brought his expertise to the Auburn University Cyber Initiative, an interdisciplinary program aimed at training a new generation in cyber security.

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plane because of my eyesight,” he says with a smile, peering over the top of his thick glass lenses. “So I decided to take the Army scholarship.”

These days, as part of the Office of the Vice President for Research, he directs the Auburn University Cyber Initiative, which brings together faculty and students from a number of disciplines across campus.

He joined the university staff in December as senior counsel for national security programs, cyber programs and military affairs.

The Auburn University Cyber Initiative is broad in scope and encompasses a variety of programs from different schools and colleges. It is one of a group of strategic interdisciplinary research initiatives in which the Office of the Vice President for Research has made substantial investments.

But it’s not entirely new, tracing its beginnings almost a decade ago to the establishment of the Auburn Cyber Research Center (ACRC). Under the leadership of Drew Hamilton, professor of computer science and engineering, the ACRC became Alabama’s only cyber research center designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence by the National Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security.

The ACRC, a component of the broader Auburn University Cyber Initiative, works on both public and privately funded sponsored research, studying and conducting research in such areas as identifying software vulnerability, developing ways to authenticate users without relying on username/password combinations, and investigating new malware.

The group also is working on modeling and simulation projects—developing computer simulations, for example, that could

One of the earliest media uses of the term “computer hacker” is believed to be a 1981 Newsweek magazine cover story titled “Beware: Hackers at Play.”

The story ran after an organized group of hackers broke into dozens of large American corporate and hospital computer systems.

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help field-combat medics respond to injuries from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, such as the ones used in the recent Boston Marathon bombings and which have proven so destructive to troops serving in the Middle East. IEDs are estimated to have caused more than 60 percent of the casualties suffered by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan alone.

Another element of the Auburn University Cyber Initiative is the Cyber Analyst Program (CAP). For eight weeks, CAP students undergo extensive training that prepares them to enter the cyber workforce.

“Auburn asked if I’d be willing to come back and be part of what they are trying to do in terms of moving us ahead in cyber and national security programs, and to look at how Auburn, as a land grant university, is engaged with the military,” Burgess says. “It interested me, and here I am.”

Burgess’ job is to foster university interaction with state and private entities involving cyber issues, and to looking for new opportunities for collaborating with national security programs.

“At Auburn, we have a lot of different things we can do to help this nation,” he says.

Take data mining, for example. Students use computers to discover patterns in large open-source data sets, material that’s available to the public online. It’s not too different from the work done by a journalist—researching and checking the validity of information, and looking for patterns from which to draw conclusions.

“A lot of this is looking at what blogs are saying and what newspapers are saying and what publicly available information is out there,” says Robert Norton, faculty liaison for the cyber initiative. “You bring all that together and you check the validity of the information.”

This type of research provides students with valuable training for future work in the intelligence field. “Open source is increasingly setting the foundation for other types of intelligence work,” Norton says. “There’s a lot of work in assessing foreign environments and the threats that are evolving constantly.”

The students work on real issues that impact the U.S. “We look at national security-related issues,” he says. “We feel the best way to train these students is to give them real problems, so we work in coordination with the intelligence community and the military to define areas of interest to national security.”

One of the lessons students throughout the cyber initiative learn is that their research is only one piece of a big picture.

“Intelligence work is much like a puzzle,” Burgess says. “Very seldom does one person have all the pieces to the puzzle. It’s a matter of different contributors putting those pieces together.”

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he way most of us will encounter cyber-security issues is in terms of the safety of our online data. We use computers to pay bills, make creditcard purchases, do online banking and participate in social networks, all at sites that collect bits of information about us.

And we want our information not only immediately, but accessible wherever we go, which means more wireless systems and greater use of “cloud” computing.

By storing information on our virtual “cloud,” usually

through a storage service from companies like Apple or Amazon or Google, we can balance our bank statements or pay bills or shift information back and forth between our office computers, our tablets and our cell phones.

While it may save time and add to convenience, Burgess says, we have to be careful.

“You should be concerned about how secure your information is when it’s in the cloud,” he says.

Students are researching new ways to protect that information stored in the virtual cloud. “They’re doing work both on software and hardware. It can’t be just one or the other; you try to take a holistic approach.”

As Americans, we’re also impacted personally by attacks on our country. Sept. 11, 2001, awakened all of us to the reality of terrorism both foreign and domestic. Burgess began working in the intelligence field in the nation’s capital months after the 9/11 attack, but he said it wasn’t until five years later that the government began paying attention to the possibility of cyber terrorism.

“I’ve been one of the folks that’s been saying since 2007 that the cyber arena is an area we need to continue to focus on,” he says. “It affects so many parts of our lives.

“It’s not just a matter of protecting your personal information, but so much of what we do in this world is done and executed by computers.”

Since we have such a strong reliance on computers, it leaves us vulnerable everywhere from the stock market to our electrical power grid, from transportation to banking.

“People could do harm to this nation by attacking these systems,” Burgess says.

“Cyber is an area that we need to pay attention to, not only for our national security, but for our personal protection and to protect our civil liberties.”

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urrently, coursework focusing on different cyber technology fields is being taught in the colleges of engineering, sciences and mathematics, business and liberal arts.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the cyberrelated studies are drawing particular interest from returning veterans.

“Right now we have about 40 students in place and are expecting another surge,” Norton says. “We have another group of veterans that are coming back into the academic community. As they make their way back into the United States, a lot of returning veterans will be coming into this program.”

Burgess says the FBI estimates that more than $12 billion was lost to cybercrime in 2011, and that that number is likely growing. So one of the goals of the Auburn University Cyber Initiative is to train the cyber professionals who will alert people when hacking is going on, and prevent it from happening again.

“This is going to continue to be a problem,” Burgess says.

“Cyber crime has the potential to impact and affect every one of us as American citizens. All we can do is keep talking about it and do our best to prepare people for it.”

“Forewarned is forearmed.”

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The hills around Ariccia, Italy, are alive with the sounds of art, language, culture—and the occasional ‘War Eagle.’ b y b r a d l e y r o b e r t s

From Ariccia, with Love

linda ruth was sharing a taxi ride with a colleague, cruising past the Roman Colosseum, when she had an epiphany. She’d glanced nonchalantly out the window at the historic structure and realized how simultaneously normal and abnormal it had become.

“The history that’s here sometimes takes my breath away,” she says. She grabbed her arm and pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, and vowed never to take it for granted.

As she passed through the congested intersection, she looked out the taxi window at the resident Italians who passed by without a glance toward the thousand-year-old landmark, which had witnessed the brutal contests of gladiators, the dramatization of classical myths, executions—even animal hunts.

Interspersed among them are the stereotypical tourists, smiling as they stash bulky maps in their backpacks for safekeeping, their expensive cameras dangling from straps around their necks.

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It’s the yin and yang of life abroad, and Ruth reminded herself how lucky she’s been to work for a university she loves and live in a country she’s come to love as well.

Not exactly Ruth and her cat make their Right: Samford Lawn. Auburn home in a compact apart- students spend three ment off the main piazza in months living at the Palazzo Chigi in the town of Ariccia, about Ariccia, Italy, whose 20 miles and a lifetime away grounds include the from a 17thfrom the noise and bustle of arches century aviary. The Rome. There, she oversees Chigi were one of the the Auburn students taking great papal families Italy. Their palace, part in the Joseph S. Bruno of now owned by the Auburn Abroad Program, town of Ariccia, was helping to teach them at least begun in the 16th century and houses a a little about the Italian art, collection of paintfood, language and culture, ings, sculpture and plus and helping them learn a lot furnishings, some Auburn underabout life. graduates.

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group of wide-eyed Auburn University students arrive in Italy each semester, loaded with a wealth of expectations that usually involve a lot of sightseeing in exotic destinations and lessons in history and language, art and culture. They’ll certainly experience that over their threemonth stay through a mix of field trips and classes that will send them home with 16 credits and an international minor in human sciences. They’ll each arrive back in Auburn with a portfolio full of photographs, written experiences, class assignments, and ideas.

But Ruth, who moved from Auburn to Ariccia in 2011 to direct the program, knows the students leave with much more than they could expect. The ultimate goal of the 10-year-old Ariccia program is to drive them out of their comfort zones and force them to learn about a different culture from the people who live it. In the process, Ruth says, they learn a lot about themselves as individuals and as team members. They learn about patience and respect for other people and cultures very different from their own. And they come away with the knowledge that, however important Auburn is, it’s a very small part of a very big world.

The program was named in honor of Joseph S. Bruno, a familiar name in the Southeastern U.S. from his chain of Bruno’s and Food World grocery stores.

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Augusto Chigi in 1740.

The ducal palace has remained virtually unchanged as an example of classic baroque residential architecture, with many of its original furnishings intact. In 1988, the palace, furnishings and all, was presented as a gift to the city of Ariccia by the current Prince Chigi with a condition: that it be used for educational purposes.

Now, living among ornate rooms with names such as Room of the Dogs and Room of the Chinese Papers are a steady influx of Auburn University students. They live on the palace’s bottom level, which contains one classroom used for lectures and quizzes, a small kitchen and a series of partitioned sleeping areas comfortably housing up to 20.

While the upper floors contain museum rooms that visitors can enter to catch a glimpse of life as it once existed among the Italian aristocracy, the bottom level also contains a classroom where the Auburn students meet for lectures and quizzes, a small kitchen for eating and preparing meals, and housing cubicles that comfortably hold up to 20 students.

Well, usually the students live in the palace. For Steven Wright ’12, his Ariccia life-immersion experience went a bit differently.

He’d heard about the Ariccia program, but it was his girlfriend who finally convinced him to apply. Whatever else he expected, it wasn’t being the only male student accompanying 18 or 19 women.

he firstborn son of Sicilian immigrants, Bruno opened his first store during the Great Depression. The original store was an 800-squarefoot corner market in Birmingham, which he started in 1932 at the age of 19, using his family savings of $600. His cash-only policy let him keep his prices low, and he soon attracted customers from throughout

the Birmingham area.

Although a successful businessman, Bruno was known in his community for his generosity toward giving to others. The Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation was established to help carry on this legacy of giving. The Ariccia program was established with an initial gift from the foundation in 2002 and named in Bruno’s honor following a $2.5 million gift to the College of Human Sciences in 2007.

The relationship between Auburn, Left: Immersion into Ala., and Ariccia, Italy, was pure hapthe Italian life and penstance, born of the vision of human culture means not only classroom assignsciences dean June Henton, her dogged ments, but visits to belief in the value of study-abroad promarkets and shops grams in the overall education of stuthat offer more colorful ways to practice dents, and the discovery of a historic Italian and learn the palace in need of an educational proart of haggling. Right: gram with which to be affiliated.

Linda Ruth has the best of both worlds: The result was Auburn’s only interworking for Auburn national campus, housed in the historic University, and living in Italy.

Palazzo Savelli Chigi, built by Prince

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“I want the students to know that people may have a different culture and approach things differently, but they have the same hopes and the same dreams.”

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“Whenever I tell guys about that they say, ‘You were so lucky,’ but they really don’t get it,” he laughs. His new living arrangements took some getting used to. “It was very challenging, but I look back on that trip now and I think of all of them like sisters.”

Wright lived away from the female students in a small traditional Italian villa owned by a couple who taught in the Ariccia program. The home had one big room that he shared, two beds, a small kitchen and a place to wash and hang his clothes to dry. The view of Ariccia, and the close bond he formed with the villa owners he came to look upon as adopted grandparents, helped compensate for the lack of air conditioning, a concept most Auburn students have trouble imagining.

Like most students who’ve participated in the Ariccia program, Wright—now a graduate student in clinical and mental health counseling at Auburn—left Italy with a different set of lessons than those he expected. He soaked up the language and culture, but it was the time spent outside the classroom that made the biggest impact.

“I probably learned more outside of the classroom than I did inside,” he says. “I expected a lot of good opportunities, but I didn’t expect to get as much outside of the classroom as I did.”

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From day one the students are given a crash course in Italian—a language few of them know. “We take an Italian class while we are there, but it was like ‘survival Italian,’” says Bekah Stinehour ’12. “It was just enough to get by.” Stinehour said they learned just a few basic commands like how to say thank you, get around on transportation systems and how to order food.

After that, they’re on their own. “It was frustrating at times, not because people couldn’t understand you but it was because you wanted to talk to them so badly,” Wright says.

The language barrier presents no problem when it comes to ordering the food for which Ariccia is renowned. In every mom-and-pop cafe, the students can find porchetta—a deboned pig stuffed with herbs and spices. It’s served on sandwiches. It’s served alone. It’s everywhere.

Ruth, a Tennessee native, gives her Italian delicacy a Southern spin by smothering it in an American delicacy. “I put Calhoun’s barbecue sauce on my porchetta,” she says.

Lauren Jennings ’11 went to Ariccia with a love for travel, and she came away with a different perspective on that love.

She would never again be able to travel Left: Students paras just a tourist. “I learned how big the ticipating in the Ariccia program assemble world really is,” she says. “I want to individual portfolios travel more, but not for just a week. I of memories that help want to be able to go and assimilate into them complete an international minor the culture.” in human sciences.

The culture they experience extends Above: Porchetta, a beyond the town of Ariccia, or even stuffed pork roast, is the specialty dish of Italy. During their “Grand Tour” expeAriccia, and can be rience, reminiscent of the tours of the found in almost every cafe and shop. continent that became popular among

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students of the British upper classes in the 18th and 19th centuries (and later mimicked by American students), the Auburn undergraduates visit other European nations to broaden their horizons even more.

At times, it was broader than they might have wished. On a trip to Spain, for example, Wright found his newfound skills in Italian didn’t help him when it came to properly translating a Spanish menu.

“When we were in Barcelona, we ate one night together as a group and I ordered calamari,” he says. He’d envisioned calamari as one might eat it in an American restaurant—fried strips of battered squid, served with a hot, sweet sauce on the side for dipping. “They came out with three whole squids. The plate had squid ink all around it.”

Not to be deterred, Wright decided to make the most of the experience and found it, well, not as bad as he’d feared. “The ink actually did a lot for the flavoring.”

Other students are able to blend the personal with the learning experience. Studying abroad was something Jennings always wanted to do. Her sophomore year, she started looking at the study abroad opportunities Auburn offered, and was immediately drawn to Ariccia—so much so that she waited to graduate a semester later than planned so she’d be able to spend her last semester of college in Italy.

It was family ties to the country that attracted her. “I have a big Italian family on my dad’s side,” she says. “It’s the quintessential Italian family, with lots of food and lots of love. For me, it was nice to see where my family comes from and why we have the traditions we have.”

The students come away from the program with a new family. There’s nothing like being thrown into a new culture and a new language to bond people together, and the students recognize the link they’ll always share.

“It’s really amazing to have this experience with people you might not have otherwise met,” Jennings says. “It doesn’t matter how long you go without talking to each other. You still share this amazing bonding experience.”

The memories Stinehour shared with her Ariccia classmates will always be with them. “The friendships that I built with all the people within the program are something I know I’ll carry with me for a really long time.”

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riccia—both the program and the town—haven’t changed a lot in the last decade. For Ruth, it’s a matter of “why mess with a good thing?”

“They really got this program right from the start,” she says. “The concept of being immersed in a culture and studying a culture has pretty much remained the same.”

And the other lessons the students bring home? They’re just as valuable.

“It’s a big world,” Ruth says. “I want the students to know that people may have a different culture and approach things differently, but they have the same hopes and the same dreams. My hope is that they go back to Auburn having grown not only as students, but also as people.”

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AUBURN CLUBS

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Meetings Near You Join your local Auburn family this summer at an Auburn Club meeting near your hometown. Event proceeds help fund Auburn Club scholarships for deserving students enrolled in Auburn University from the respective club areas.

To find an Auburn Club meeting near you visit ... a ubur n clu b s. or g/ even t s

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ALUMNI CENTER

Calendar

A season of change

LOOKING FOR WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS TOURS?

BILL STONE ’85

May 23

President, Auburn Alumni Association A “WAR EAGLE moment” can take place anywhere, and at any time. I took my son, Trey, on his first trip to Augusta for a Masters’ practice round this year.

The dogwoods, azaleas, camellias and the beauty of Augusta National is spectacular. God did special work on the banks of Rae’s Creek. One of the fun things that happened was a young man asked me to take his picture in front of the Masters scoreboard just off the first fairway. He wanted a special pose, and not to think he was nuts. Well, he “Dufnered”!

We exchanged a hearty “War Eagle!” and had a great laugh.

I always enjoy visiting Augusta; however, there is no place like Auburn this time of year! The azaleas are just as beautiful, plus our staff does a great job of insuring that our campus looks her best. I encourage you to visit campus. Reconnect. Energize. Fall in love with Auburn all over again.

Sunshine days in Auburn are special.

What’s your favorite memory? My favorites from this time of year are waves of towels and beautiful Auburn coeds covering the green areas surrounding “The Hill”; life at the Sig Ep house; coaching the ADPi intramural softball team; and now, bathed in the passage of time, engineering labs!

Tell me your favorite memories.

Also, “It’s a New Day” at Auburn.

Coach Malzahn has completed a great first spring practice. I had the privilege to attend an 8 a.m. practice in early April. It was not only a treat, but an eye-opening experience.

The entire coaching staff was teaching and “coaching up” our players. The pace was amazing. Even our kicking game practice was in HUNH mode. (Hurry Up, No Huddle. Get used to that phrase!) I can hardly wait for Aug. 31!

It’s been a busy time as your association president. February began with the largest-ever Club Leadership Conference.

I had a great time visiting with, and learning from, our amazing club leaders. If

See the listings on Page 52.

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST AUBURN CLUB

you aren’t involved in your local Auburn Club, please reach out and get engaged.

March brought us together to honor our 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award winners: Dean Dan Bennett, Gen. Ronald Burgess, Sally Jones Hill and the late Cliff Hare.

I encourage you to attend the 2014 banquet. I guarantee you will leave even more proud of your Auburn diploma.

In April, the board of trustees meeting, A-Day and Golden Eagles weekend kept me busy. May is graduation time. Speaking at our four commencement services gives me the opportunity to welcome nearly 4,000 new alumni into our family. We are growing, and we are improving. Thank you all for what you do for Auburn.

April 20, 2013, was a day that Auburn people will always remember. We gathered as family for one last rolling of our Toomer’s Corner oaks. Only we, as the Auburn family, can turn the meanness of one lost soul into an event of joy and love! The Auburn Spirit is alive and well. We will continue our rolling tradition at the corner of College and Magnolia. Today’s Auburn students, and tomorrow’s Auburn alumni, will create new traditions and outward demonstrations of our love for Auburn. As my friend David Housel said, “The Auburn of today, and of yesterday, belongs to each of us alumni who made Auburn what she is. The Auburn of tomorrow belongs to today’s students, and those yet to come, the alumni of tomorrow that will make Auburn an even greater place for each of us.”

It is my honor to serve as steward of your Auburn Alumni Association. Like my career at Mayer Electric Supply, serving as your president is too much fun to be considered work! Martina McBride has a hit song, “Blessed.” Well, in my best Martina soprano,“I have been blessed” to represent each of you. God bless you, and War Eagle!

Biloxi, Miss., Yacht Club, with special guest David Housel. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

May 28 NORTHWEST GEORGIA AUBURN CLUB

Rome Area Historical Museum, Rome, Ga. Special guest David Housel. For details, visit auburnclubs. org/events.

May 30 TIGER TREK WITH COACH GUS MALZAHN

North Alabama Regional (Cullman County), McGukin Civic Center. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

By May 31 RECOGNIZE THE BEST

Nominations open for Lifetime Achievement Awards, Young Alumni Achievement Awards and faculty awards. Deadline for nominations is May 31. For more information, call Kate Larkin at 334-844-1149, or visit aualum.org/awards.

June 4 TIGER TREK WITH COACH GUS MALZAHN

Wiregrass Regional (Barbour, Dale, Geneva, Houston and Henry counties), The Lodge at Lakepoint State Park. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

June 6 TIGER TREK WITH COACH GUS MALZAHN

Shoals Area, Marriott Shoals Conference Center.

For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

June 7 GEORGIA MOUNTAINS AUBURN CLUB

Big Canoe, Ga., at The Lodge. Special guest coach Scott Fountain. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

June 13 ESCAMBIA COUNTY AUBURN CLUB

Brewton. Special guest coach Joe Whitt. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

June 20 RANDOLPH COUNTY AUBURN CLUB

BillStone@auburnalum.org

Wedowee, at Rice Pavillion on Lake Wedowee.

Special guest former coach Sonny Smith. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

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Calendar June 25 CARPET CAPITAL AUBURN CLUB

Dalton. Special guest Lewis Colbert.

For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

July 17 TIGER TREK WITH COACH GUS MALZAHN

DEBBIE SHAW ’84

Greater Birmingham, at Cahaba Grand Conference Center. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association

July 18

83,401. That’s the number of people who attended the annual ADay football scrimmage game on April 20, making history as the largest number ever to watch this game.

83,401. It is also likely around the same number of rolls of toilet paper thrown onto our oaks at Toomer’s Corner after the game on this same day. In the minds of Auburn people, April 20, 2013, will be remembered for many, many years to come. Auburn alumnus Bill Godwin ’83 from Brentwood, Tenn., who was not only celebrating the final rolling of the oaks but also his 30th anniversary of graduating from AU, summed it up this way: “This weekend is proof positive of the resiliency of the Auburn spirit.”

As I was but one of the thousands of people who marched to Toomer’s Corner from the stadium, I felt like I was an important part of the team, just like every other single person there. We gathered for a similar purpose. We gathered to remember. We gathered in a non-belligerent manner of agreement that one mean person would not ruin our tradition.

And he did not. In fact, truth be told, he made it stronger. Auburn people chose to make lemonade out of lemons (pun intended) and work hard—and together—to decide after the poisoning what would become of the trees, if they did die.

First, the results of an online survey conducted with thousands of respondents— mostly alumni—told us that only large, live trees would be suitable for a replacement.

Secondly, another online survey, with more than 10,000 responding, presented us with ideas about landscaping decisions to be made when the trees would be planted. The result was unveiled April 20 of a

LEE COUNTY AUBURN CLUB

Auburn. Special guest, coach Rhett Lashlee.

For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

July 25 CRENSHAW COUNTY AUBURN CLUB

Luverne. Special guest Mark Murphy.

For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

July 29 ST. LOUIS AUBURN CLUB

St. Louis. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

July 30 TIGER TREK WITH COACH GUS MALZAHN

River Region (Montgomery, Autauga and Elmore counties), at Montgomery Biscuits Stadium. For details, visit auburnclubs.org/events.

k WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: UPCOMING TOURS

Travel with your fellow Auburn alumni on the following tours. For more details, visit aualum.org/travel or call 334-844-1443.

July 22-Aug. 4, 2013 EURO SPREE

Join us for the best of Europe, from the snowcapped Alps and medieval castles to the glittering capitals of Rome, Paris and London. The two-week trip begins in London before moving on to explore Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside. Next, it’s off to Germany, with visits to Cologne and Munich. From there, travelers will explore the Lake District of Austria, the classic sights of Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy, the alpine vistas of Lucerne, Switzerland, and finally, the City of Lights, Paris. Info: 334.844.1443 or aualum.org/travel.

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Auburn people: many faces, one spirit

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

beautiful area surrounding the trees which will allow more people to sit and gather in this space, plus provide a more beautiful entrance to the campus. (See Page 15 of this issue for the artist rendering.)

Of particular importance is that the main gates of Auburn will not be touched, but will remain a key component of this corner of campus. Auburn alumni—your input is valued and was heard as important decisions were being made regarding Auburn’s future. Thank you for letting us know how you felt.

People ask me all the time what my first memory is of rolling Toomer’s Corner. For those of us here in the early ’80s, we did not roll the trees; we rolled the wires and cables of the traffic lights smack in the middle of the corner. Stories differ on when the rolling began to move to the trees, but as I recall, it began when new traffic lights were installed and the cables disappeared. We had to find somewhere else for the paper to go. It just seemed natural to gravitate a few feet to the trees.

So for those who are naysayers regarding the temporary solution of rolling wires or cables in the middle of the corner until the trees are planted, I say sit back and enjoy a ride down memory lane. Trust me, it will work. Plus, I argue that it isn’t really about the toilet paper but more about the gathering of Auburn people—in one place, with a similar purpose—to revel in a unique and strong tradition of sharing the Auburn spirit with one another and anyone else who chooses to be a part.

Auburn is forever in my heart, and I know you all feel the same. Nothing can taint or poison that. War Eagle!

debbieshaw@auburn.edu

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Calendar GOT NEWS? Auburn Magazine 317 S. College Street Auburn University, AL 36849-5149, or aubmag@auburn.edu Life Member Annual Member

’70-’79 Hugh McCampbell ’72 , a veterinarian,

recruited the most new members for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2012 Top Hand Club for the fourth year in a row. He recruited 48 new members and took home the $1,000 prize. McCampbell and his wife, Martha S. McCampbell ’70 , live in Sweetwater, Tenn.

Dewey E. Ray ’73

recently published a book, The IT Professional’s Merger and Acquisition Handbook. Cofounder and partner of McGrath Partners, he lives in the Atlanta area.

David P. Talley ’76 was

named the auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese of Atlanta.

He was ordained as a bishop on April 2.

David Christenberry ’77 was named

regional marketing vice president of Alfa Insurance for south Alabama. A native of Fayette, he joined Alfa as an agent after graduation, became a district manager in 1978 and was recog-

nized in the company’s President’s Club 17 times. In 1996, he was inducted into the Alfa Hall of Fame. He lives in Montgomery.

William Frink Jr. ’77,

a major general in the U.S Army Reserve, is planning to retire to his farm in Tennessee and enter the retired Reserve. He helped to create the 79th Sustainment Support Command, one of the two largest commands in the Reserve.

Royce Lehman ’79

has been named the 2013 Small Business Person of the Year by the Greater Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center in Lexington, S.C. He is president of North Lake Construction Co., which he founded in 1987. The company specializes in building casual-dining restaurants, banks and retail structures, and has built about 600 structures, including several buildings for Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia, S.C.

’80-’89 Larry Hill ’80 has been

appointed manager of the Science and Space Technology Projects Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He is responsible for all management aspects of the office, including overseeing the planning, scheduling, resources, support requirements, manage-

ment systems and personnel for projects including the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Hinode project and the James Webb Space Telescope. He and his wife, Judy B. Hill ’78 , live in Huntsville.

Jan Ziglar Eunice ’86 , a retired public

educator, is on sabbatical from private flute and piano music instruction. She lives in Eufaula, where she performs as a flute soloist.

Nov. 12-17, 2013 THE POLAR BEARS OF CHURCHILL

See article on Page 54 of this issue.

Dec. 2-10, 2013

Donna Jackson ’80

Al York ’88 of McKin-

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS MARKETS

recently published a book, Temple Sweepers: Motivation for a Healthy Body and Soul. “We often fail to realize our physical bodies entwine our spiritual selves so tightly it becomes tricky to determine the beginning of one and the end of the other,” she says. After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she set out to find ways to improve her overall health and in the process says she molded a healthier spirit. She and her family live in Guntersville.

ney York Architects in Austin, Texas, received the honor of best of American architecture in the Annual Design Review of AIA’s Architect Magazine, in honor of his work in rehabilitating the McGarrah Jessee Building. Once on Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered list, the iconic mid-century office building is now a part of a revitalized downtown area.

Sip mulled wine and collect unique handicrafts, hand-made ornaments and toys at some of the largest and most famous Christmas markets in Europe. Spend three nights in the traditional Alpine Village of Oberammergau and two nights in the heart of the Black Forest. Bask in holiday cheer as you stroll along the cobblestone streets of Innsbruck, capital of Tyrolean Austria.

Visit historic, medieval Nuremberg, Wurzburg and Rothenberg, some of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. View the fairy tale Neuschwanstein Castle nestled in the heart of mountainous Bavaria. Explore Strasbourg’s Petit France and its quaint market stalls huddled around the imposing cathedral. Don’t miss the great pricing and good availability; book your seats now. From $2,899 (includes air).

Susan Cantwell O’ Farrell ’84 received

the 2012 Woman of Excellence Award from Business to Business magazine. She is the chief procurement officer and vice president of asset management at the Home Depot, and also serves as president of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter and is on the community advisory board for CHRIS Kids and the Junior League of Atlanta. She and her husband, Hugh, and three children live in Marietta, Ga.

MARRIED Edward Gregg Scott Jr. ’81 to Mechelle

Scott on Nov. 2, 2012. They live in Pensacola, Fla., where he works as a mechanical engineer for Ascend Performance Materials.

Feb. 4-22, 2014 ASIAN WONDERS

Jenny Brown ’83 to Mike Short ’84 on Dec.

27, 2012, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. They live in Jasper.

’90-’99 Ronald Hughes Jr.

Encounter timeless Asian wonders as you cruise to the exotic ports of East Asia on board the deluxe Oceania Cruises Nautica. Discover ancient sites, stunning landscapes and unique cities with stops in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China on this unforgettable voyage. Don’t miss the great pricing and good availability, book your seats now. From $6,299 (includes air).

’91 , a private wealth

adviser in the private banking and investments group at Merrill Lynch in Atlanta, was recognized by Barron’s on “America’s Top 1,000 Advisers: State-

March 16-29, 2014 SAMBA RHYTHMS

Savor the sights and sounds of South America on the luxurious Oceania Cruises Regatta. Buenos Aires offers the perfect point of departure for a journey filled with historical and cultural marvels in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. From $3,999 (includes air).

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Class Notes

Board Slate Presented The Auburn Alumni Association board of directors’ nominating committee, having solicited nominations from the membership as required in the association bylaws, has submitted its list of candidates for four new directors to the full board. The recommended candidates have been approved by the board and are presented below for the membership’s consideration. According to the association’s bylaws, members may propose other candidates via the process outlined in Article XI, Section 4 (see below). The deadline for contesting any candidate recommended by the board is 5 p.m. CDT, June 14. If no further nominations are received, the unopposed candidates will be deemed automatically elected and will begin their terms at the association’s annual meeting on Oct. 12. All annual and life members are invited to attend.

CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR RIPON “RIP” BRITTON JR. ’82

RESIDENCE: Birmingham MAJOR: Industrial management (J.D. law degree) EMPLOYMENT: Attorney/Partner, Hand Arendall AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Former member, Athletic Advisory Council; Alumni fraternity long-range planning committee; Greater Birmingham Auburn Club, former president, 2005; Samford Society.

DEBORAH HOPKINS CARTER ’72

RESIDENCE: St. Simons Island, Ga. MAJOR: Rehabilitation service EMPLOYMENT: Vice president/director, Toledo Manufacturing Co. AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Golden Isles Auburn Club, former president, 2006-07; George Petrie Society; Samford Society; Circle of Excellence; Deborah Hopkins Carter Endowed Scholarship ARMSTEAD LESTER “LES” HAYES ’80

RESIDENCE: Montgomery MAJOR: Marketing EMPLOYMENT: Municipal Judge, City of Montgomery AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Montgomery County Auburn Club, former president REGENIA R. SANDERS ’95

RESIDENCE: Atlanta MAJOR: Mechanical engineering EMPLOYMENT: Senior director, Six Sigma Academy & Co. AUBURN ACTIVITIES: Atlanta Auburn Club; Engineering Alumni Advisory Council; AU Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Leadership Council; Circle of Excellence Article XI, Section 4: Nominations from Members at Large. Members may propose other candidates for any position provided that (1) the name and a biography of their proposed candidate is submitted in writing to the secretary of the association by the time specified in the notice, which can be no sooner than 30 days from the day of the announcement; (2) the submission specifies which candidate submitted by the directors the new candidate opposes; (3) the submission bears the new candidate’s signed consent; and (4) the submission of the new candidate contains the signed endorsement of at least 75 members. Mail, facsimile or email transmissions of this information will be accepted.

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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

by-State” list. He and his five-member team advise about 25 family groups throughout the U.S., Europe, Israel and Asia.

Ed Packard ’91 ,

who has worked in the Alabama Secretary of State’s office for 16 years, was recently promoted to director of elections.

Jason C. Gerding ’93 was named group

president of Wheel Ends Group, a Marmon Highway Technologies/Berkshire Hathaway company.

He and his wife, Kristi Grissom Gerding ’93 , live in Cullman with their two sons.

Scott Peters ’96 , a project manager for Hargrove Engineers + Constructors, was elected director of the Mobile branch, Emerald Coast Chapter, of the Project Management Institute. His two-year term began in January. PMI is one of the world’s largest membership associations, advancing the project-management profession.

on developing and managing residential apartments and senior living communities.

Dougherty, McKinnon and Luby in Columbus, Ga.

BORN

Gosnell ’03 , a member

A son, Brody Paul, to Kent Buckman ’95 and his wife. He joins a big brother, Andrew Michael. The family lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

of Draffin &Tucker in Atlanta, was promoted to supervisor.

William “Pete”

Twins, Walker Lewis and Presley Kate, to Clay Thomas Jones ’96 and Ely Marie Jones ’04 of Auburn on Jan. 14.

A girl, Margaret Alice, to Mark Alan Pitts ’93 and Laura Lutenbacher Pitts ’97 of Birmingham on Dec. 17, 2012.

A girl, Suzanna Belle, to Joey Downs ’98 and Felicia Fulmer Downs ’99 of Madison on June 21, 2012.

She joins a brother, Andrew, and two sisters, Elizabeth and Catherine.

A girl, Elizabeth “Ellie” Dean, to Kelley Moorhead Gambrell ’99 and Jamie Gambrell ’00 of Atlanta on

Dec. 9, 2012.

Dave Rodgers ’98

was named a principal at Dominion Partners, a Birmingham-based real estate development company. He joined Dominion in 2007 as director of development and was later named vice president of development.

The company focuses

A boy, Caden Turner, to Daniel Gess ’99 and Devon Bonds Gess ’00 of Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 27, 2012.

’00-’09 Erin “Luby” McLeod ’02 was recently ad-

mitted as a partner at

Brent Barringer ’06

was named partner

by Frost Cummings Tidwell Group in Birmingham. His expertise is in real estate and construction, an area of expansion for the company’s accounting services.

Niki Doyle ’07 has been named director of digital operations for the Alabama Media Group in Birmingham. She formerly worked as the assistant managing editor of digital content at the Huntsville Times.

She oversees the daily operation of AL.com and GulfLive.com and the company’s branded social media accounts, email newsletters, mobile apps and text alerts.

Jerad McIntyre ’08 , a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, helped complete the construction of the new medical facility in the Shindand district, Herat province, Afghanistan. The facility will provide basic and emergency care for up to 150,000 residents in a country where only four of every 10 people has access to basic healthcare.

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MARRIED

Terry Clay ’09 to

Shawn O’Brien ’12 was

Stephen Farr ’03

Maria Gagliano ’11 on

to Kirby Johnston on May 18 at Fairfax First Baptist Church in Valley. They live in Opelika, where Stephen works at Castone Corp.

April 21, 2012. They live in Birmingham.

deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom two weeks after he graduated. He is currently serving overseas.

Blakeslee Devery Wright ’09 to Albert

Fletcher “Tripp” Giles on March 2. They live in Birmingham.

MARRIED Chloe Nolen Hobdy ’10 to Matthew Fried-

Christian Wade Johnston ’04 to Logan

Maylee “Greer”

richs Livaudais ’10 on

Rice Adams ’07 on

Montgomery ’09 to

Nov. 17, 2012, in LaGrange, Ga. They live in Phoenix, Ariz.

Kyle Weeks ’09 on

May 26, 2012. They live in Auburn.

March 16. They live in Vestavia.

Bryant Preston Haley

children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their spouses who attended Auburn.

Pascal Ashe Tutwiler III ’36 of

Greensboro died on June 25, 2012. He was a prominent dairy farmer for more than 40 years and enjoyed working with 4-H Club members in helping them show dairy cows at county fairs.

’11 to Loren Jessica Lindsay Fowler ’05

to Scott Roach on Jan. 26, at the historic Roswell Mill in Roswell Ga. Lindsay is a paralegal and EEO/AA specialist in the labor and employment section of the law firm of Martenson, Hasbrouck & Simon in Atlanta.

The couple lives in Woodstock, Ga. Margaret Goff ’06

to William Bolin ’06 on Sept. 29, 2012. They live in Hoover.

Ashley Hefler ’06 to Scott Martinez on Jan. 12. They live in New Orleans.

Elizabeth Thompson

BORN A girl, Cecilia Ann, to Gabriel P. Harris ’00 and his wife, Julie, of Birmingham on Feb. 7.

A girl, Madeleine Grace, to Jordan Phillips ’03 and Britney Roberts Phillips ’08 of Fyffe on Feb. 8. Jordan was recently promoted to principal of Ruhama Junior High School in Fort Payne.

A boy, Crawford Douglass, to Mike Parsons ’06 and Laura Parsons ’07 of Atlanta on Feb. 13.

A boy, Luke Nichols, to Amy Robertson ’07 and Adam Robertson ’08

Samuel Godwin on Feb. 23. They live in Birmingham.

of Hattiesburg, Miss., on Dec. 8, 2012.

O’Neal ’08 to Johna-

thon Robert Stevens on Nov. 17, 2012. They live in Birmingham, where she works at Bluff Park Elementary School.

’10-’13

Evelyn DuBose Sargent ’39 of Norfolk, Va.,

died on March 16.

Sam Hill ’11 to Kerale Parker ’11 on

March 16. They live in Houston, Texas.

Frederick P. Adams ’42 of Auburn died on

Aaron Kendal Scholl on Sept. 29, 2012.

They live in Dallas.

Mar. 31, 2012. An Army veteran, serving as a major in World War II and the Korean War, he held a variety of positions in industry before joining the faculty of the Auburn University College of Business. He retired as associate professor emeritus in 1987 after teaching for 22 years.

BORN

Mary Virginia Wren

A boy, Cameron Martin, to Summer Watford ’10 and Matt Watford ’11 of Birmingham on Dec. 26, 2012.

Avery ’43 of Talladega

Patrick Austin Smyth ’11 to Leigh Anna Solomon ’13 on Dec.

29, 2012. They live in Atlanta.

Sara Catherine Killebrew ’12 to

McCrary ’08 to Ben

Amelia Ashton

Thye on Oct. 27, 2012.

They live in Atlanta.

In Memoriam

died on Feb. 25. She was a veteran traveler and a member of the Highland City Club and other local organizations.

Norman Joseph

Kala Bolton ’11 was

Fred N. Stephens Jr.

Cohen ’43 of Birming-

hired as a production assistant for ESPN. She is working at the company’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., as part of ESPN’s Content Associate Program.

’34 of Decatur died on

ham died on Feb. 28.

A lifelong resident of Birmingham, he was a sales representative and sales manager for ZEP Manufacturing for more than 45 years.

Jan. 19. A veteran of World War II, he was retired as examiner of public accounts for the state of Alabama after 31 years. At the time of his death, he had 22

C E N T E R

On the ice The War Eagle Travelers will be offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience this year with its Polar Bears of Churchill expedition, scheduled for Nov. 12-17.

Organized by the destination specialists at Orbridge, this six-day expedition will provide the unforgettable opportunity to respectfully observe polar bears as they descend upon the small seaport of Churchill, Manitoba, from the safety and comfort of a custom designed Tundra Buggy.

When polar bears awaken from summer hibernation, they descend upon the tiny seaport town of Churchill, forming a “celebration” as they wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze so they can begin their annual hunt for ringed seal.

You’ll begin your journey in Winnipeg with a presentation on Hudson Bay history and a welcome dinner at the Manitoba Museum. Over the course of the expedition, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about Churchill’s unique ecosystem and current environmental research at the Northern Churchill Studies Centre.

You’ll also hear tales of actic racing from an expert and experience dog sledding for yourself on boreal forest trails.

Fully guided by an Orbridge expedition leader, this program also includes fascinating field presentations, exploration into the local history and culture of the region and a dog sledding experience.

Starting at $4,995. To get in on the great pricing and availability, book your seats now at 334-844-1443 or aualum. org/travel.

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In Memoriam Malcolm Cade Cook

SNAPSHOT

Getting in gear The days get longer, the temperature rises and, before you know it, summer is here.

Maybe it’s even time to take that Gulf Coast vacation you’ve spent months daydreaming about.

If only you could lounge on the beach without dragging your beach chair across the dunes or take a scenic bike ride without trying to strap pounds of equipment to your car’s luggage rack.

Phillip Poundstone and Jacob Watkins have the solution. The two 2010 alumni opened Rent Gear Here last summer, supplying easy beach-rental needs to vacationers visiting the Florida Panhandle areas of South Walton, Destin, Okaloosa Island and Panama City Beach.

Need a golf cart or an inflatable mattress? Or maybe a kayak or an Ironman jogging stroller? Poundstone and Watkins will bring it to you.

Poundstone said he knew before he graduated that he would start some sort of business. “After I graduated I went to China with Campus Crusade for Christ,” he says.

“When I came back I knew I wanted to open my own business. I looked at doing a restaurant for a while and a few other ideas, but that didn’t work.”

The idea for this particular business came in February 2012 after being in Florida vacation towns and looking around at different vacation rental companies. While there may have been other companies that offered similar services before, none of them offered the same quality as Rent Gear Here, or were all-encompassing.

“We deliver anything you could want for your vacation to your front door for free,” he says. From bikes and kayaks to beach chairs and BabyBjorns, he wanted to offer it all.

Last summer, Poundstone delivered everything by himself before recruiting his friend and fellow fraternity member, Jacob Watkins, to join him as his business partner.

“After I graduated I was working as a financial consultant,” Watkins says. “As Phillip was kind of starting the business last spring, he would come to me for financial advice, and I was helping him work through that. It was really no question when we read through the numbers, and he asked me to be his partner, where we could go with this.”

Together, the two have watched their business explode by both capitalizing on the busy summer vacation season as well as catering to the “snowbirds” who fly to spend the winter in a warmer climate.

After conquering the western Panhandle, the business partners are setting their sights farther afield, first to Alabama and deeper into the Panhandle, later...who knows? “We see the vision of Rent Gear Here as a vacation go-to no matter where you’re vacationing and no matter what type of vacationing you do,” Poundstone says. “We are going to be able to make that vacation easy and stress-free.”

For more information, check out Rent Gear Here at www.rentgearhere.com.

—Bradley Roberts

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Richard M. Chris-

’43 of Birmingham

topher ’48 of Auburn

died on Feb. 25. An Army veteran of World War II, he served as chief anesthesiologist for Caraway Hospital in Bessemer, and achieved the rank of colonel in the Army National Guard.

died on Feb. 28. A veteran of World War II, he worked as a dentist in Jacksonville and Calhoun County for more than 43 years before returning to Auburn in 2010.

Mercer David Cot-

Will M. Gregory ’43

of Mountain Brook died on Dec. 8. An Army veteran of World War II, where he achieved the rank of captain, he was a retired heavy-construction contractor.

ton ’48 of Maryville,

Tenn., died on Feb. 25. An Army veteran of World War II, he worked for 38 years for Aluminum Co. of America (ALCOA).

Gloria Mason Greeley ’48 of Fairfax, Va.,

George D. “Doc” Whitney ’43 of Brattle-

boro, Vermont, died on Feb. 21. He was a longtime New England veterinarian and herpetologist who took up running at age 80 and became well-known as a senior 5K runner.

Aylene Hurst ’46 of

Summit, Miss., died on March 5. She spent her career as an interior designer for Kenington’s in Jackson, Miss., and then for Navarro McLean Interiors.

William Franklin “Frank” Britnell ’48 of

Cookeville, Tenn., died on Jan. 26. He was a successful engineer with a 37-year career for various federal agencies in hydroelectrics, including serving as chief of the hydro power branch for all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ multipurpose hydroelectric power projects in the U.S.

died on Feb. 7. She was an elementary school teacher in the Washington D.C., public school system.

Bernard T. Jenny ’48

of Lancaster, Pa., died on Feb. 23. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he retired from New Holland Machine Co/ Sperry Rand after 30 years.

James Lemuel Thompson ’48 of Knoxville,

Tenn., died on Sept.

24, 2012. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was retired after 40 years with the Tennessee Valley Authority, where he served as assistant division director of power system operation.

Daniel “Dink” Trotter ’48 of Columbus, Ga.,

died on Feb. 25. An Army veteran of World War II, he taught and coached at Columbus

Junior High School/ Jordan Vocational High School, and later was principal of Daniel High School.

William N. Morris Jr.

’49 of Rome, Ga., died

Winter Haven for 30 years.

on Nov. 5.

Calvin Dawes Keeton

Andalusia died on Sept. 18, 2012. He was president of Jay Peanut Co., and vice president of Anderson Peanut Co. An Army veteran of the Korean War, he was active with the Alabama Crop Improvement Association.

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her retirement in 1971, and enjoyed gardening, knitting, golfing and anything Auburn.

Montgomery died on March 9.

Betty Ann Callaway ’53

of Birmingham died died on Feb. 26. An William Holtam “Bill” on March 5. Among Elon F. Bailey ’49The of Executive Beach, Fla.,Programs died Army veteran of World Moore ’51 of Waycross, her many activities MBA at Auburn University Sylacauga died on on Jan. 19,without 2010. A grounding War II, he worked for Ga., died on March was as volunteer of the can fuel your career your schedule.

March 8. A U.S. Army former AU football the Tennessee Valley 15. An Army veteran, Brookwood Medical veteran of World War player who went on Authority as an he worked for the U.S. Auxiliary and member Ranked among the world’s best by the Financial Times II, he spent 30 years as to play in the NFL, he engineer.

Forest Service in Tenof the Vestavia Hills of London, the programs feature a uniquely flexible a teacher in Alabama was the Alabama state nessee, North Carolina Garden Club. blend of advanced curriculum delivery and short schools. and county license Lamar Houston Moree and Florida. campus visits.

inspector under Gov. Sr. ’50 of Albany, Ga., Marjorie Groth Lloyd Augustus Culp William O. George Wallace’s died on Feb. 26.

He Beckwith ’51 of Charles Garland Ben’53 of Cedartown, Ga., Take your career to new heights.

Holcombe Jr ’49 administration before practiced veterinary Auburn died on June 8, nett ’53 of Troy died on died on Feb. 27. A U.S. of Vestavia died Contact us his for retirement.

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Ticket Office in 1953 member of the National E x e c u t i v e M B A P r othe g r aPolk m s School DisSteel in 1972 and Glover ’50 of Winter and soon became the Guard, he worked with trict following 30 years from Southern Co. Haven, Fla., died on Ellis Andrew Wayand administrative Chevron Chemical Co. of service. business.auburn.edu Services, a division Dec. 29. An Air Force ’50 of Harselle died on assistant for athletic for 28 years. of The Southern Co., pilot during the May 9, 2012. director Jeff Beard. She Charles R. Snow ’54 Auburn University is worked an equal opportunity educational institution/employer. in 1986.

Korean War, he in the athletic Mariannie Beckof Cumming, Ga., died practiced dentistry in director’s office until ham Smith ’53 of on Jan. 17. An Army Thomas “Bull” Cochran ’50 of Fort Walton

’50 of East Ridge, Tenn.,

Robert Glenn Anderson ’51 of

C E N T E R

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II

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In Memoriam veteran who served in Stuttgart, Germany, he was a retired professor of business after 25 years, teaching more than 10,000 students before his retirement.

He also served as an adjunct professor at Troy University.

Joseph Shattah ’54 of

Tucker, Ga., died on March 14. He worked as a pharmacist in Buckhead, Ga. Gerald Lee Daniel ’55

of Navarre, Fla., died on March 11. A running back for the Auburn Tigers in 1951, he was the owner of Daniel’s Clothing before retiring in 1995.

Noah Jerome Hurst ’55 of Huntsville died

on Aug. 19, 2012.

An Army veteran of the Korean War, he worked more than 50 years as a mechanical engineer, developing missiles for Brown Engineering, Army Laboratories, SAFEGUARD, Strategic Missile Defense, Nichols Research Corp., ELMCO Inc. and Westar Defense Group.

James R. “Bob”

in 2000. His main research efforts were in the areas of cancer, antiradiation drugs and antimalarial research. He was the co-inventor of amifostine (ethyol), which was an FDAapproved drug used in cancer treatments to protect normal cells from damage during radiation treatments.

of World War II, he worked more than 30 years as a product engineer for Stockham Valves & Fittings.

Robert M. Brom ’56

M. Dave Alley Jr. ’58

of Lake Wylie, S.C., died on Feb. 20. He was founder of PHP Locker Co., and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

of Vestavia Hills died on Feb. 27. An Army veteran of the Korean War, he was the longtime owner of Alley’s Drug Store.

Martin Kenneth

ery died on March 17.

A member of the golf team while at Auburn, he was a lifelong Montgomery resident and active at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Raymond A. Forsyth

ville died on Dec. 27.

He was a retired dentist and a member of Lacey’s Spring United Methodist Church.

Calif., died on March 13. He was the former chief of the geotechnical branch of the California Department of Transportation’s transportation lab and consulted in highway design worldwide.

Auburn died on Jan. 9. A civil engineer, he worked in the tunnelmining industry managing major tunnel projects throughout the U.S. and Canada before retiring and moving back to Auburn in 1999.

Piper ’55 , a longtime

Auburn University staff member in organic chemistry, died on April 10. He was a principal investigator on many projects during his career, which began with Southern Research in 1959 and lasted until his retirement

Pat Thomas Williams ’57 of Montgom-

’58 of Sacramento,

Eldred “Booney”

James G. Varner ’56

of Birmingham died on Feb. 23. He was a 35-year employee of Acipco, working in sales estimating.

Charles Rogers Crowder ’59 of Bir-

Cochran ’56 of Hunts-

Mixon Jr. ’56 of

owner and operator of North Florida Concrete.

Donald B. Popejoy ’58 of Scottsboro

died on Jan. 30. An Air Force veteran, he spent 26 years in veterinary practice in Huntsville and was the first president of the Madison County Veterinary Medical Association and was president of the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association.

mingham died on Jan. 15. He was a retired Jefferson County circuit judge after a legal career spanning 48 years. He also coached football and baseball for many years with the Hoover Athletics Youth Program.

Sandra Peek Harper ’59 of Shawmut died

on June 15, 2012. She retired as an English teacher in Prescott, Ariz., after 38 years of teaching in Alabama, Florida and Arizona.

James O. Moore ’59

of Dadeville died on March 15.

Richard Terrell Moreman ’60 of Opelika

died Feb. 24. He was the founder/owner of Golden Crown Interiors, Flowers and Gifts. He was active and held office in many civic organizations throughout Lee County, and was a leader in First United Methodist Church of Opelika.

Jerry Edwards Peace ’60 of Fairhope died

March 3. She enjoyed a 24-year career in education as a reading specialist.

Edwin Allen Rose ’58 Clarence Hudson Nunnally ’57 of Birming-

ham died on Feb. 27.

A U.S. Navy veteran

of Lake City, Fla., died on March 12. An Army veteran of the Korean War, he was

Rudy Paul Yates ’60 of Wedowee died

on March 2. A Navy veteran of the Korean

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In Memoriam War, he worked as a county extension coordinator in agriculture for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Garnett G. Davidson Jr. ’61 of Fairfax, Va.,

died on May 31.

William Burke Parks

SNAPSHOT

In command Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III ’86 has been selected to lead the U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. His appointment was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 5.

Austin, who earned a master’s degree in counselor education from Auburn, has served as vice chief of staff for the Army since last January. He was the last U.S. commander in Iraq.

Austin will direct the draw-down of troops in Afghanistan as the U.S. prepares to cease combat operations there by the end of 2014. A Washington Post article described the 59-year-old Austin as a “no-nonsense, hardworking commander.”

In 2012, Austin received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Auburn Alumni Association. He and his wife, Charlene, a 1985 counselor education graduate, also served as co-presenters for the College of Education’s 10th annual Keystone Leader lecture in October 2012.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta praised Austin’s efforts in a statement released in mid-December.

“During his final deployment to Iraq, Gen. Austin led our military efforts at a particularly important time, overseeing the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment while simultaneously helping to ensure that hard-fought security gains were preserved and that Iraqis could secure and govern themselves,” Panetta said.

Austin replaces Marine Gen. James N. Mattis at the Tampa, Fla.-based command.

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Cobb High School, Wills High School and Campbell High School before his retirement in 1991.

In January, he was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame in honor of his baseball career.

Everette Earl Gantt

Sr. ’61 of Salisbury

’63 of Rainbow City

died March 14. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked on the Saturn V project at Boeing and, upon his retirement, was facilities construction manager for Westinghouse/ Bechtel Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory.

died on Dec. 31. He had long worked with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and was a past-president of the Etowah County Auburn Club.

James Earnest Anderegg ’62 of Seattle,

Wash., died on March 11. A lead singer for The Playboys while attending Auburn, he continued his love of music while enjoying a successful career in the brick- and concrete-masonry industry. His career included serving as president of Mutual Materials.

William Troy McClendon ’63 of

Millbrook died on March 13. He was a local business owner, a member of the Army National Guard, taught real estate classes, and was a private pilot with instrument privilege in both single- and multi-engine planes.

George Boyd Traylor III ’64 of Birmingham

died on March 14.

Gerald “Jerry” Vick

Roland Jones Ratliff

’64 of Rome, Ga., died

’62 of Mount Sterling,

on March 10.

Ky., died on Jan. 3.

An Army veteran of the Korean War, he owned and operated the Interstate Veterinary Clinic for 45 years.

John Franklin Worth Jr. ’62 of Austell,

Ga., died on March 1. He was a longtime baseball coach and administrator at South

10 grandchildren are currently enrolled at Auburn.

Willard Brent Camp ’66 of Somers, Mon-

tana, died on March 17. He was known in Somers for the large Auburn flag he flew atop the mountain where he lived overlooking Montana’s Flathead Valley.

Joyce Bozeman Dawson ’67 of Auburn

died on March 1. She taught at the Opelika Vocational School and was later employed with the Farmers’ Home Administration.

Grace Goff Kunz ’67

of Midland City died on Feb. 22. An artist, her work has been displayed in galleries throughout the Southeast.

James Ian Walter ’67 of Auburn died

on March 6. A Navy veteran, he served for 30 years as director of East Alabama Mental Health in Opelika. He also served until 2007 as curate of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery.

Mark Carroll Espy Sr. ’65 of Headland

died on Oct. 16. He became president and CEO of Headland National Bank in 1986 and recently retired from that position, remaining as chairman of the board. He had six children, three of whom are AU graduates, and three of his

William H. Boulineau Jr. ’68 of Waco,

Texas, died on Feb. 18. An Air Force veteran, he worked in the international freight-forwarding industry for almost 30 years and for the last few years had worked in the export compliance field.

This is a job

that I love. thanks to Auburn “My Auburn education and mentors formed the foundation and connections for so many of the amazing experiences I’ve had in my work and philanthropy.

From being one of the vets involved in developing the prosthetic solution for Winter, the young dolphin in the feature film Dolphin Tale, to providing counseling for people whose animals have been diagnosed with canine cancer through my Stryder Cancer Foundation, I rely on the values and support system of the Auburn Family.”

k Did Auburn help you land a job you love? Tell us how Auburn and your degree have contributed to your success. We’ll share success stories with prospective students in recruiting materials to show how an Auburn education prepares grads for life.

Submit your photo and story:

Juli Goldstein ’99, DVM ’03 Pacer Stryder Cancer Foundation’s spokesdog

Thisis@auburn.edu Instagram #thisisauburn Twitter #thisisauburn

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In Memoriam John W. Zitrick Jr. ’71

of Alsace Township, Pa., died on Feb. 25.

An Air Force veteran of Vietnam, he was in management for General Public Utilities for 26 years, retiring in 1998. For the past 15 years he worked as a student-accounts manager at Albright College.

Preparing for college can be a stressful-enough experience in and of itself—there’s so much involved before students even set foot in the classroom. For women who wish to join a sorority? Take that pressure up a notch (or two, or three).

From résumés to reference letters, the mound of preparation paperwork can be physically and mentally exhausting, and for many young women fresh out of high school, it’s something they are not yet equipped to handle.

That’s why Pat Grant ’77 of Birmingham teamed up with her friend Marlea Foster in 2009 to start a new business called Rushbiddies. Their plan was to help “eliminate the unknown as much as possible” for women who were preparing to rush for their respective sororities.

The idea behind Rushbiddies came after Grant learned about the misfortune of some of her daughter’s friends who’d ended up with poor Panhellenic experiences at a variety of different schools. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it because her own experience at Auburn was overwhelmingly positive.

“I wanted to know why the women had such bad experiences at other places,” Grant said. “They were outstanding women with wonderful grades and personalities, and I couldn’t believe they didn’t have a good experience going through the Greek process.”

After talking to the students’ mothers, she realized the problem: the young women simply weren’t prepared.

Rushbiddies holds four major workshops a year that mothers and daughters can take together, focusing on a variety of subjects. Whether it’s preparing the right paperwork, learning what to expect (and what’s expected of them) at rush parties, to wardrobe advice, Grant and Foster cover it.

Preparing for rush can be more complicated than it sounds. A resume isn’t just a resume. These days, sororities are looking for new members who have communityservice experience, who’ve shown leadership skills in high school, and who come complete with reference letters. And each college or university has its own quirks.

The goal of all of the workshops is the same: to ease the minds of these future sorority members by helping them “put the best step forward” in preparing for their recruitment, wherever they’re planning to rush.

“I just want them to understand the process and understand everything that they will need before they step foot on campus,” Grant says. “We don’t guarantee the girls (will be picked), but we do guarantee insight and knowledge.”

Grant says her background and interests in English, research, tutoring and grant writing drove her to pursue a business like Rushbiddies. She and Foster work with women planning to go to colleges all over the U.S., so she has had to research many different universities and note all of the differences involved in their recruitments.

—Bradley Roberts

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Arthur Jemmott ’76

of Plano, Texas, died on Jan. 17. A veteran of World War II, he served in the Army until 1970. He later served as dean of education at Draughon’s Junior College.

Judy Todd Oldham ’77

SNAPSHOT

In a Rush

Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Ga.

Obel H. “Obie” Wells ’72 of Rotonda West,

Fla., died on March 3.

An Army veteran of Korea and Vietnam, where he achieved the rank of colonel, he was a recognized expert on Middle Eastern affairs and served as a soldier model for the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Anita Bailey Lanier ’73

of Lanett died on Feb. 28. She was a retired elementary school teacher, who’d taught for 34 years.

of Fayetteville, Ga., died March 1. She was retired from the Fayette County Board of Education.

Deborah McLaney Alexander ’78 of

Huntsville died on April 21. She held a variety of jobs in California, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas, and most recently worked in a staff position in Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Patricia Ogburn Brown ’78 of Auburn died on

Robert Hunter Hood ’75 of Oneonta died on

Feb. 26. He practiced law in Birmingham, and also served the State of Alabama in various capacities, including director of the Private Industry Council.

Steven P. Disch

Feb. 28. An Air Force veteran, she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Michael Dwayne Little ’78 of Marietta,

Ga., died on March 5.

He worked for AT&T for 27 years, and enjoyed music, boating and fishing.

’76 of Alpharetta,

Ga., died on March 16. A neurosurgeon, he spent most of his career in private practice with Spectrum Neurosurgical Specialists, and was affiliated with North

John Gregg Milwee ’79 of Mobile died

on Feb. 28. He was a pharmacist for RiteAid for 30 years and was the recipient of numerous pharmacist awards. Milwee also

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was an avid hunter and fisherman.

Rex Hugh Chandler ’82

of Wetumpka died on March 13.

Michele Keller Chesnut ’82 of Cumming, Ga.,

died on March 15.

She worked as a pharmacist for Walmart for more than 23 years and was an active cyclist.

Mark G. Siegenthaler ’83 of Parkland, Fla.,

died on Nov. 14.

Terri Wright Derrough

Kurt Bannon Crain ’90

of Spanish Fort died on April 10. An AllAmerican linebacker at Auburn, he played two years in the NFL before beginning his coaching career, the past few years at the University of South Alabama.

Paula Elaine Joyner ’91

SNAPSHOT

of East Brewton died on March 5. For more than 20 years, she taught special homebound children for the Escambia County Board of Education.

An enduring legacy

’85 of Madison died

on Dec. 15. She was a teacher in the Madison County school system for the past 22 years.

Elizabeth Harris Ammons ’86 of Mont-

gomery died on Feb. 23. She was involved in programs dealing with addiction recovery and held counseling positions with Montgomery Mental Health and Bradford’s Addiction program.

Jamie Shane Hall ’93 of Oak Grove,

Fla., died on March 10. He worked for Resource Management Services and was a registered Black Angus cattle farmer.

Stefanie Kristen Deru ’05 of Gadsden died

on March 13. She taught business education at Southside High School and drove a school bus.

Karen Lee Cheshire ’87

Christopher N.

of Birmingham died on Feb. 4. She was a regional development officer for Red Cross of Alabama.

Thompson ’05 of

Willis Armstrong ’88

of Atlanta died on March 3. He spent his career in construction, primarily with Choate Construction Co. in Atlanta, from which he retired as vice president last fall.

C E N T E R

Dothan died on March 5. He taught at Fain Elementary School in Dothan and was a member of Heritage Baptist Church.

Friends Ruth Wilson Blankenship of Deatsville

died on Feb. 28. She enjoyed a long career with the Army National Guard.

Emily Reaves Leischuck ’64, a woman known for her nearly 40 years of love for and dedication to Auburn University, died on April 19 in Auburn.

Leischuck earned a master’s degree from Auburn University’s College of Education and served for nine years in student affairs programs, where she was Panhellenic adviser and assistant to Dean of Women Katherine Cater. For the 13 years that followed, she served as assistant to university presidents Wilford Bailey, James Martin and William Muse and the Auburn University Board of Trustees, retiring in 1995 with emeritus status.

Long supportive of student organizations and a frequent leader in community service activities, she was a 1996 recipient of the university’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for humanitarian leadership.

In recognition of her efforts on behalf of Auburn students and the entire Auburn family, the university named a residence hall, Emily Reaves Leischuck Hall, in her honor in 1998.

She and her husband, Gerald, both former educators, met while they were students at Auburn and earned graduate degrees in education from the university in 1964. Gerald began his 35-year Auburn career in the Office of Institutional Research and also worked with the Office of Planning and Analysis. He served as executive assistant to the president and secretary to the board of trustees.

In 2005, the couple endowed the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching to recognize and reward the university’s best teachers. The annual awards recognize faculty members who have demonstrated effective and innovative teaching methods and a continuing commitment to student success through advising and mentoring inside and outside the classroom.

The two endowed the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professorship for Educational Leadership in 2009, which enables the College of Education to recruit and retain educational leadership faculty, especially those who are focused on the preparation of school principals and superintendents.

In addition, the Leischucks endowed the Leischuck-Reaves Endowment for Scholarships at Auburn in honor of their parents, Claude and Emily Tyson Reaves and Steve and Nellie Leischuck. The couple has established or provided for scholarship programs at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Northern Colorado.

“Ms. Emily was the epitome of a Southern lady, gracious and kind, as well as a real steel magnolia—tough and strong, yet sweet and feminine,” said Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association. “She was as smart as she was witty. She loved Auburn University, and Auburn loved her back.”

Emily Leischuck was born in Birmingham and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama. She served as a teacher and counselor in the Autauga County and Auburn City school systems before beginning her Auburn University career in 1974.

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The Last Word

The trees, and the Corner

BY JEREMY HENDERSON ’04 I’ve written about the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner a lot over the past two years, which means I’ve talked a lot to horticulture professor Gary Keever, point person for all things oaks-related.

The last time was at Toomer’s Corner. It was early April. The trees had three weeks left.

It was the second time in a week he’d met me there. We sat on the brick wall and he pointed to the new green growth and told me about how the trees were still alive, about how they’d technically still be alive even after being cut down on April 23, at least those parts that would be left—the roots, the rhyzomic shoots, other big horticultural words—before they’re dug up.

Editor’s Note: Though the tree on Magnolia had a final leaf cycle, Keever and university horticulturists determined the trees were incapable of being saved and could become potentially hazardous as their structures continued to weaken.

A WTVM news crew set up across the street to shoot b-roll for a story about the commemorative toilet paper. You couldn’t see us when it aired but you could see the volleyball recruits that had just rolled up beside us on golf carts as part of a campus tour.

One of the drivers saw us, smiled, and shouted, “Gary Keever, you just hang out here, don’t you?”

The guide, a student, hopped out, walked to the biggest oak, took a deep breath of whatever oxygen the trees were still producing, and proceeded to tell another group of prospective Auburn students and their parents everything she knew about the oaks, most of which wasn’t true.

That story about it starting in the 1890s by draping the trees with ticker tape printed with football scores? Didn’t happen.

The trees weren’t planted until the 1930s. They’re younger than my grandparents.

For folks who grew up in Auburn, rolling the trees was generally considered something close to tacky, at least until the late ’70s. That was when the utility lines that received the brunt of the toilet paper were buried beneath College Street, which in the minds of students actually threatened to end their new tradition before it really began. “What will we roll?”

Tacky once upon a time or not, the trees were the instant answer. They’ve stayed the answer so long that no one with memories of rolling them even remembers there being a question.

I never rolled the Toomer’s Oaks, I rolled Toomer’s Corner.

My grandfather didn’t rush me out of the house with a pack of Charmin before the 1989 Iron Bowl was technically even over to beat the crowd to the Toomer’s Oaks; we beat them to Toomer’s Corner.

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Because you rolled Toomer’s Corner. Because there were trees at Toomer’s Corner. Because rolling the corner meant rolling the trees.

For all the petty semantics and diligent “well, actually” research I’ve used to build my Toomer’s Corner stories since 2011, it’s those two live oaks, which Dr. Keever says are out of their natural element in Auburn, that have allowed Auburn fans’ most loved tradition to grow into what it has become.

It won’t be the same without them, not for a while.

After April 20, you won’t be able to roll Toomer’s on an aroundthe-block whim after kissing the bride at the Methodist church, or a presidential election, or probably even after a basketball game.

The temporary wires are in the middle of the street.

Street. Until whatever new trees are planted, rolling Toomer’s will for a while be an activity instead of what it was always meant to be: a reflex.

What we did to the trees gave them their meaning. What that man did to them actually made them mean even more. Their replacements will be rolled even more, even harder, in remembrance, in defiance, with purpose.

And as I’m sitting there trying to tell the rock star of the Auburn horticulture department as much about the Toomer’s Oaks as he’s ever told me, I realize that I’ve been so caught up in proving how much I know about them that I’ve never really had a chance to figure out how I feel about them.

I’m really going to miss them.

We walked over to the oak closest to Magnolia. Dr. Keever bent down and handed me a rhyzomic shoot.

Jeremy Henderson is the founder, editor and mastermind behind The War Eagle Reader, www.thewareaglereader.com.

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

Auburn Magazine is looking for essays for the “Last Word” department of the magazine, as well as contributors for our magazine blog (which can be found at auburnmagazine.auburn.edu). Have a point of view on a topic of current interest or of concern to the Auburn family? Share it with us! We’d also love to see photos and hear accounts of War Eagle encounters around town or around the globe.

New veterinary teaching hospital builds on lifelong relationship

W

hen John and Rosemary Brown befriended Veterinary Medicine faculty member Wilford Bailey and his wife, Kate, as students in

the 1950s, little did they know the relationship would become a lifelong friendship. Even after the Browns graduated in 1957, and Dr. Bailey went on to lead Auburn as president in the mid-1980s, they remained friends until Dr. Bailey’s passing in 2000, and Mrs. Bailey’s passing in 2010.

The Baileys proved to be important mentors to the Browns during their five-decades-long friendship. To pay tribute to that friendship and to the Baileys’ Auburn service, John and Rosemary made a charitable gift The Browns with Mrs. Bailey (center)

to Auburn, making possible the Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital.

Thanks to their generous donation through the Auburn University Foundation, the Browns not only have memorialized the lives of people important to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Auburn, but have created opportunities for Auburn’s next generation of veterinary graduates.

When it opens in 2014, the new 200,000-square-foot hospital will further enhance the college’s instructional, research, and outreach through services such as community practice, critical care, oncology, neurology, imaging, and orthopedics.

“The Browns wish to remember their friendship with the Baileys, and the college is the very fortunate recipient. [Their] generous gift in remembrance of the Baileys will enable us to continue as leaders in veterinary education for many years to come.”

Auburn Provost and former College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Timothy Boosinger

Philanthropic gifts in support of Auburn University and Auburn University Montgomery are received by the Auburn University Foundation. To make a charitable, tax-deductible gift in support of academics, research, or outreach, give online at auburn.edu/giving or learn more at develop.auburn.edu/how.

Auburn Alumni Center 317 South College Street Auburn, AL 36849-5149 w w w.aualum.org

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