AUBURN VS. WASHINGTON STATE See special section inside
The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, August 29, 2013
Vol. 120, Issue 14, 16 Pages
Talk of card changes ignites controversy
ONLINE
Ben Hohenstatt CAMPUS REPORTER
Football vs. Washington State Stay posted for updates from the season opener Saturday, Aug. 31
CAMPUS
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID ThePlainsman.com
A4
Despite whispers throughout campus, there have been no major changes to football game admissions for the fastapproaching season. The only officially announced change allows students to electronically transfer their game tickets to another student’s Auburn Ignited Card from midnight Sundays until noon Fridays. “Now, you can have a ticket on a card that doesn’t already have a ticket to the game,” said an Auburn Athletic Ticket Office representative. Before this year, students
exchanged money for an Ignited Card with tickets to particular games. The policy change came as part of an effort to limit the number of invalid Ignited Cards sold, while also trying to decrease the number of cards stolen as a result of the exchanges. However, many people in the market for Auburn football tickets are not University students. Harris Green, sophomore in microbiology, had full-season tickets his first two years at Auburn, but last year he purchased an extra ticket to the
» See IGNITED A2
RACHEL SUHS / DESIGN EDITOR
Who let the dogs out? The FBI did On-campus glass shop For more than 45 years, Auburn has been creating glasswares
SPORTS
B1
Updates from Malzahn Malzahn feels comfortable going into first game.
READERS RESPOND
Want your opinion heard? To be featured in our issue, chime in on Facebook, Twitter or ThePlainsman.com
INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue
A2 A6 A7 B1 B5
Second-largest dog fighting ring in U.S. history exposed in Lee County, leads to multiple arrests FILE
Derek Herscovici
moment for us and we’re glad to be a part of it, and we CAMPUS WRITER thank you for all the assistance and we’re thankful to The second-largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history be a part of the assistance.” occurred Friday, Aug. 23, with 11 of 13 search warrants If convicted, the defendants face a maximum senexecuted by agents in the state of Alabama. tence of five years for conspiracy to fight dogs, a five In all, 367 pit bull terriers and more than $500,000 year maximum sentence on each of the 15 dog-fightwere seized from 10 individuals who are being charged ing counts, a five year maximum for conducting a with conspiring to promote and sponsor dog fighting, gambling business and a five year maximum sentence and running an illegal gambling operation, three of for using the phone to promote gambling. whom are from “This case is much more than just about the inLee County. humane treatment of these dogs,” said Doug Astrol“ I b eli e v e oger with the FBI. “This is, again, a barter society, if Dante were and the fact of the impact that these types of illegal a liv e t o d ay, drug activities have within our commuand were renity, the level of violence that we have writing ‘The Inseen in the course of this investigation ferno’ that the speaks volumes as to these individulowest places als and what they are engaged in doin Hell would ing, and the depraved heart in their b e re ser v ed activities.” for those who The dogs, which are still considcommit cruelered evidence in the ongoing inty to our anivestigation, are being cared for by mals and to our the emergency Humane Society children,” said of the United States and AmerGeorge Beck, ican Society for the PrevenU.S. Attorney tion of Cruelty to Animals refor the Middle District of Alasponders at an undisclosed bama. location for their safety. “The efforts today in the arTim Rickey, vice president rest of 10 or 12 people, evenof the investigative departtually maybe 13 or 14, will, I ment for the ASPCA, said hope, send a message to those he wants to take samples who engage in this type of unof DNA from the dogs resderground activity that law cued Friday for a canine enforcement, state, federal database which could lead and local, will coordinate to to future investigations RACHEL SUHS / DESIGN EDITOR try to drive out this scourge across the country. from this state and surround “We know that this is a highly organized enterprise. ing states.” These fighters are breeding animals, specific bloodThe raid took place after more than 3 years of inves- lines, specific traits and we want to begin matching tigation across the South, and connected individuals those animals from one yard to the other,” Rickey said. from as far apart as Georgia and Texas, and involved “For example, in this case we may find a match bejoint efforts by the Auburn and Opelika police depart- tween a dog that was seized in one of the Auburn area ments, the FBI, the Lee County Sheriff ’s Office, the U.S. sites and a dog that was seized in Mississippi or GeorAttorney’s office and many others. gia, and that evidence really helps further the U.S. AtTogether, they indicted and arrested multiple in- torney’s case in proving the conspiracy, showing the dividuals in connection with each other to promote, connection between the different yards,” Rickey said. transport, train and fight dogs, as well as illegal guns, The investigation is ongoing, but the following peonarcotics and drugs used to train and treat dogs. ple were arrested: Donnie Anderson, 48, of Auburn; “This is an example of the reminder that criminals Demontt Allen, 37, of Houston; William Antone Eddo not know city limits, or county or state lines,” said wards, 42, of Brantley; William Oneil Edwards, 39, of Auburn Police Chief Paul Register. “Cooperation like this, and working together on such an effort is a proud » See DOGS A2
Money matters : Auburn students wrestle with paying for college Kailey Miller INTRIGUE REPORTER
Classes have started, which means early mornings and late nights in the library with frequent trips to Starbucks just to make it through it all. It’s easy to complain about the workload and take classes for granted, but for many students, the reason they are in these classes is because they are paying for them themselves. Students at Auburn paying for tuition can seek support and help through student financial aid. Michael Reynolds, executive director of Student Financial Services, said because a lot of the payments are made with credit cards, it is difficult to say exactly how many students pay for their tuition themselves. Rebecca Smith, a senior in physics, is one such student who pays for her own tuition. After two years at a junior college, Smith transferred to Auburn. She received financial aid from the government, but because she was living at home, she invested it until she transferred to Auburn. Smith took out two subsidized loans in the past two years. “If your parents are paying for it, you know, if you have to drop a class or fail one, you know who cares... I’ve got to take 18 hours this fall and then 15 to graduate,” Smith said. “It’s pretty high stakes because... if I have to drop one or fail one, then the chances of me finishing this year are slim and then I have to go another year and have the money for that.” Smith said her parents support her decision to go to college, and she is the youngest
» See MONEY A2