07.12.12 edition of the Auburn Plainsman

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Vol. 119, Issue 9, 8 Pages

University mourns student killed in accident Anna Claire Conrad COPY EDITOR

“Dalta had the heart of a lion, and her fiery spirit ignited mine whenever I was in her midst,” said Daniel Barnes, cadet in the United States Air Force ROTC at Auburn University in a letter to the Garrett family.

Twenty-year-old junior in industrial engineering and native of Pelham, Ala. Dalta Garrett was killed in a four-vehicle collision on Interstate 85 in Macon County near Tuskegee on Tuesday, July 3 at 3:30 p.m., according to a press release from the Alabama State Troopers.

According to the state troopers, Garrett’s 2009 Toyota Corolla crossed over the median and collided with two other vehicles. Garrett’s mother and sister, Vivian and Joan Garrett, claim she swerved while trying to avoid a bicycle that fell off of the car in front of her.

“Dalta was a safe driver. She didn’t have any she was feeling down, she used her faith and tickets,” Joan said. “This was a freak accident.” strength and joy for life to bring herself back Not only was Dalta a full-time up.” student, but she was also a AFGarrett was the president of ROTC cadet and active volunteer Alabama’s 4-H Council in 2008, with the Alabama 4-H & Youth and her entire family are all longDevelopment Council. time 4-H volunteers, according to “She excelled as a leader, and McCoy she was a joy to know,” said Janet According to Vivian, her McCoy, development program daughter could have been a beauand state activities and events ty queen, but she chose to serve coordinator for Alabama 4-H & her country instead.

Youth Development. “I was go“She loved the Air Force, and ing back and looking at some picshe loved Auburn,” Vivian said. tures I have taken of her as a 4-H “She was one of the strongest er over the years, and there was women I’ve ever known.”

GARRETT not one that didn’t have her bright Garrett was also a scholarship AFsmile. I think that was who she was. She was ROTC cadet at the University. She completed always positive and encouraging, and when her field training two weeks prior to the acci-

dent, and she aspired to become an officer in the Air Force.

“I wrote her every day,” Vivian said. “She received 105 letters with kind words of encouragement and Bible verses while at field training. She was so proud of that.”

Joan said Dalta believed women could do just as much as men in any arena, and, according to Vivian, Dalta was strong-willed, both in body and soul; and she never let the stereotypes against her gender hinder her in any way.

“Dalta was the top female cadet with pushups and sit-ups,” Vivian said. “She kept up with the men, and sometimes outshone them. She encouraged other women to do their best. She was an inspiration, not only in the Air Force, but in everything.”

» See DALTA 2

Parrish follows up on fall break John Burns WRITER

ZEKE TURRENTINE / COMMUNITY BEAT REPORTER

Desmonte Leonard is escorted into the Lee County Justice Center Wednesday afternoon for his preliminary hearing regarding the June 9 shooting.

Capital murder case moved to grand jury Zeke Turrentine COMMUNITY BEAT REPORTER

Lee County District Judge Russell K. Bush decided after a preliminary hearing on Wednesday that enough probable cause exists to send the case of accused Auburn triple-murderer Desmonte Leonard before a grand jury. The hearing was the first courtroom appearance for the 22-year-old Montgomery man who allegedly shot six people at University Heights on June 9, killing three of them.

The prosecutor, Lee County District Attorney Robbie Treese, brought Auburn Police Division Detective Jude C. Hackett to the stand to testify on the detectives’ findings both at the scene and through questioning of witnesses. A defensecalled witness, Tchonda Stephens, also answered questions from both sets of lawyers.

Hackett reconstructed the evening, answering questions from Treese and the defense attorney Jeff Duffey.

Hackett said the night began on the police end at 10:03 p.m. when the first of several 911 calls were received. Officers were dispatched at 10:04 and arrived on the scene at 10:06, around the same time Hackett said he arrived.

Upon arrival, he said he saw emergency services already there, as well as the multiple gunshot victims.

From witness statements, Hackett concluded that

a first fight broke out between Auburn football player Deangelo Benton and the suspect in the apartment of Stephens’ sister, who was hosting the party. Stephens said it was because Leonard was approached by Benton who said Leonard was “looking at him crazy.”

Stephens said of Leonard’s reaction, “He said nothing. It made (Benton) more angry because he killed him with silence.”

According to the tape from the apartment security camera, a group of Benton’s teammates then took him outside to calm down.

Leonard and Stephens then came outside and when Benton saw them, Stephens said he was “so drunk” that he got even angrier and yelled a death threat at him, swearing on a family member that Leonard would die that night.

A fight then broke out between friends of Leonard and Benton and at around 10:07, the camera shows Eric Mack and John Robertson being shot.

Bush decided that the evidence lends probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the act of the shooting, and the case will go to a grand jury.

Defense attorney Susan James and Duffey pointed out that the defense has only identified Leonard through one person (Vines) picking his mug out of a line of pictures.

Student Government Association President Owen Parrish stated his attempt to add a fall break at Auburn, and true to his promise, he is attempting to add the break.

Recently, Auburn students received a survey which asked several questions about the possibility of a fall break. The survey said the break would be two days long, and would occur either on the end of the first half of the semester or the beginning of the second half of the semester.

“I think it would be pretty cool to have a few days off in the fall,” said Elliot Skinner, sophomore in software engineering.

“I mean, I don’t know how I feel about making the days up, but it’s an interesting idea.”

The class days would have to be made up at either the beginning of the semester

or at the end, so there is no possibility of the school days disappearing.

SGA said it believes that students need the days off so they can recharge for the second half of the semester, much like spring break.

“There are 12 weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving break, which means students are hardly able to catch up on sleep, schoolwork, or other activities they are involved in,” said Collier Tynes, Parrish’s campaign manager and member of the University’s fall break task force. “Having a break in the middle of the semester, just as we do for spring, will allow students to come back more rested and motivated to continue their schoolwork.”

Not all students are convinced that it is beneficial.

“I’d be all for the break if we didn’t have to make the days up,” said Addison Baitcher, sophomore in mechanical engineer-

ing. “We have a full week off for Thanksgiving, so that kind of serves as a fall break too.”

The difference between Thanksgiving break and the proposed fall break is the former is at the end of the semester before finals while the latter would be in the middle of the semester.

“Fall break would offer invaluable time for students to catch up,” Tynes said.

“The expansive amount of time between breaks in the fall semester, as well as the incredibly busy campus atmosphere, makes it very difficult to stay on top of workloads and has a detrimental effect on learning.

“A fall break would give students time to catch up academically and be well rested to continue the remainder of the semester. Students will be able to do what they wish with their two days off, whereas the rest of the semester our schedules are restricted to what our class syllabi tell us.”

COURTESY OF SKYBAR

SkyBar’s renovations should be complete in time for football season with a new rooftop bar that will serve a larger selection of beer and food.

The Sky is the limit

Construction on SkyBar Café continues as the fall semester looms near TJ Harlin CAMPUS EDITOR

SkyBar Café in downtown Auburn has become a staple of Auburn nightlife. The bar’s weekly drink specials and massive space for bands and dancing have made it one of the most popular bars in the city.

However, Skybar owners and brothers Pat and Dan Grider are not content with their success thus far.

SkyBar is undergoing renovations that will add a rooftop bar to the building. The rooftop bar will extend from the front of Magnolia Avenue to the side of Wright Street, allowing for picturesque views of Toomer’s Corner and downtown Auburn.

The rooftop will increase capacity from 1,500 people to 2,100 people, and renovations should be completed between August and September of this year.

“The only thing I’ve seen like

this was in Vegas at Caesar’s Palace,” Pat said.

A rooftop bar has been part of the Grider brothers’ plan since they bought the bar seven years ago.

“This was initially an idea we wanted to do,” Pat said.

“We had to start from the bottom and build SkyBar.” They began by getting the bottom floor completely up to code. Last year, a V.I.P. section was built around the dance floor, and plans were drawn up for a rooftop bar.

The rooftop will have seating for 600 patrons, and it will have a different atmosphere than the rest of SkyBar. The rooftop will serve food, daiquiris and different types of draft beer, all items that SkyBar does not presently serve.

“It will be for people that don’t want to be crowded and want room to breathe,” Dan said. “It’s got a lot of positives being up higher, and of course,

INSIDE Campus » 1 | Opinions » 4 | Community » 5 | Sports » 7 | Classifieds » 8 |

the view’s great.”

When complete, the rooftop will give SkyBar a crowd during happy hour.

“We can open at 5 in the afternoon, and professors and students can come after work and have a beer and a piece of pizza,” Pat said.

SkyBar currently has a front area for bands and a back area for dancing. With this addition, the Griders hope to add a whole new crowd to SkyBar. “Everybody’s different. Everybody has different things they like. Some people want to dance. Some people want to be in front of a band. Some people just want to sit and relax and socialize,” Dan said. “(The rooftop) is more of a laid back area.”

The new bar has many students excited.

“I think a rooftop bar at Sky is going to attract a lot of people and add a different atmosphere to downtown Auburn,”

said Erick Cooper, senior in accounting.

Cooper is also excited about SkyBar serving food.

“I tend to get hungry late at night, and this will be convenient,” Cooper said.

The Grider’s are also hoping to draw a large crowd on gamedays. The rooftop will open early on football Satudays and serve food and drinks during the game. There will also be a large television outside.

“This to me is more like ‘the SkyBar.’” Pat said. “This, when people see, it will be the SkyBar.” Pat said.

Pat also stressed that they are not expanding just to be bigger.

“We’re just trying to add another thing to SkyBar that can draw more people out and have more people have a better time in Auburn,” Pat said.

“It’s not about getting bigger.

We just like to add more fun stuff to do.”

Campus 2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, July 12, 2012

ROTC members climb Creekside to show July 4th pride Rebecca Moseley CAMPUS BEAT REPORTER

This year’s Fourth of July was one to remember for residents and visitors at the pool at Creekside of Auburn.

Peter Glaeser, Patrick Barefield, Ryan Barefield and Clay Ligon are Auburn ROTC students who gathered at Creekside on July 4 among hundreds of others.

The students celebrated Independence Day by performing a show-stopping act of patriotism that involved carefully climbing to the roof of Creekside’s fire pit to attach a large, billowing American flag to its chimney.

“Clay and I came up with the idea,” Glaeser said. “We had been laughing at the drunk fraternity guys trying to find a place to mount the flag they had brought. At the same time, they were tripping all over the place and dragging the flag across the ground. They even dropped it in the pool at one point. It was completely unintentional, but us military guys take a lot of pride in that flag; and it was kind of aggravating watching these guys use it as a crowd

pleaser rather than treat it properly.”

Ligon and Glaeser are both experienced climbers, so after retrieving their climbing equipment and a quick rehearsal, Ligon was dubbed “belay man,” meaning that he was in charge of ensuring an adequate amount of slack line during ascent and descent for Glaeser, who used a rock climbing ascender to climb to the roof of the building.

The Barefields were there to aid Ligon, as well as protect Ligon, Glaeser and the equipment from the large crowd that immediately gravitated toward the lower portion of the pool area where the pit is located.

“I think that everyone wants to do something patriotic for the Fourth of July. It just turned out that the way we decided to express love for our country was able to be shared with an entire group of young scholars and patriots,” Ligon said.

Originally, the group had planned to execute the climb from the backside of the building. However, because of technical difficulties, the

stunt was forced to be performed more visibly and dangerously because of a decrease in their ability to communicate with each other.

“When the flag went up, everyone was cheering and the Star Spangled Banner was blaring,” Glaeser said. “It gave me an overwhelming feeling of pride not only to be an American, but to be an American soldier … for me and my buddies alike.”

After Glaeser safely descended, the heartwarming view of the dancing red, white, and blue prompted many onlookers to congratulate and thank the team.

“Posting the American flag to the roof of the Creekside pool house was one of the many highlights of my July Fourth,” Ryan said. “Once my buddy Glaeser posted Old Glory to the roof, the national anthem started to blast through the P.A. system with more than 200 onlookers cheering and screaming to the sight of the flag waving in the wind. It truly set the tone for the day and made me reflect on why I love this country so deeply.”

COURTESY OF JAYNE DEES

ROTC member Peter Glaeser climbs the Creekside club house to display an American flag on July 4.

Dawson praised for outstanding effort Zeke Turrentine COMMUNITY BEAT REPORTER

COURTESY OF DALTA’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Dalta Garrett, right, with her sisters Sabrina and Ruth, left.

DALTA » From 1

Col. Joseph Fetsch, commander of the AFROTC Detachment 005, said Dalta was an inspiration to him and his cadets.

“You just couldn’t be in a bad mood around her,” Fetsch said. “She had such a positive outlook on life, and that motivated others to have that same outlook.”

Fetsch said Dalta had a way to motivate people around her and act as a leader without overshadowing the person in charge.

“She encouraged everyone to succeed, and the last thing you’d want to do is let her down,” Fetsch said.

According to Vivian, Dalta counseled several of her peers each week, and Fetsch said that is one of the qualities that stood out most about Dalta.

“A lot of people we don’t even know have sent us letters saying how Dalta went out of her way to befriend their children,” Vivian said. “Dalta was compelled to reach out because of her faith, and she helped bring people back to Christianity. She was always first to befriend somebody.”

Lauren Countess, Dalta’s roommate and hometown friend, said she was a huge encouragement, especially during their freshman year.

“She really became just like on of my sisters,” Countess said. “We helped each other through the tough times and the good times, and it was so great to just watch her grow as a person.”

Coutness said one of Dalta’s favorite things to do was to eat dinner at Panera Bread on Friday nights after an exhausting week.”

“We did all of the usual roommate stuff. I remember just laying on our beds and having sweet talks about our weeks,” Countess said.

Dalta’s visitation was on Sunday at the Southern Heritage Funeral Home, and the funeral service was held on Monday at the First Baptist Church, both in Pelham.

Vivian said approximately 500 people attended the visitation, and close to 800 attended the funeral, including 11 cadets who were still in field training, according to Fetsch.

“The Air Force let them out on Monday to attend the funeral,” Fetsch said. “This was special permission that had never been done before.”

Vivian said the Air Force honored Dalta well.

“Cadets left field training to come, and there were people from flight school that came,”

Vivian said. “Everyone left coins and medals in her casket. And just before she was lowered into the ground, the cadet’s screamed out the Airman’s Creed. That really meant a lot to us.”

McCoy said the funeral was truly a celebration of Dalta’s life.

“It was probably the most heartbreaking thing I have ever attended, but it was also the most inspiring,” McCoy said. “I left there thinking that Dalta would have been so proud that people thought so much of her. They’re such a sweet and loving family, and you left there feeling blessed to have known their daughter.”

Dalta was the fourth of five daughters. She is survived by her parents, Vivian and Bill Garrett, and her four sisters— Joan, Ruth, Deborah and Sabrina.

The Auburn City Council meeting Tuesday night took some time to commendations and recognitions of the many employees of the city whose talents were in various spotlights over the last month, and also featured a focus on the June 9 shooting.

Mayor Bill Ham started the meeting by honoring Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson as the employee of the month for June 2012. He presented Dawson with a pin and plaque to honor his 25 years of service to the city.

Ham said he heard from many residents about their pride in the way the tragedy was handled by police and specifically mentioned a letter by public safety director Bill James nominating Dawson for the award. In the letter, James mentioned the police department’s response to the shooting at University Heights as part of his recommendation for the honor.

Dawson was touched by the award.

“It’s hard not to get emotional when I see all of these police officers here,” Dawson said, acknowledging the dozens of officers in attendance for the presentation.

He said their hard work is why the department is as respected as it is. “You don’t know what it means to me

DAWSON for you to be here tonight.”

Dawson was joined by city employees Robert Franklin, Bradley Taylor, Christopher Graff, Sharon Tolbert, Clay Carson and Joseph Lovvorn, who were also recognized for their many years of service to Auburn. The city also honored George Holmes and Eddie Ogletree, who are retiring city employees, and commended Leslie Woodham for earning a master’s degree in accounting from the University.

On the topic of the University Heights murders, Councilman Arthur Dowdell said he thinks a gun problem exists in the community.

“We have mothers losing sons to both the grave and prison,” Dowdell said.

Dowdell also said he hopes further details about the University Heights gathering that ended with the triple homicide are found and released by Auburn police.

Dawson, in the immediate aftermath of the killings, said that the victims were doing nothing wrong.

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID EDITORIAL Robert E. Lee Editor-in-chief Managing editor Melody Kitchens Copy editor Anna Claire Conrad Photo editor Danielle Lowe Campus editor TJ Harlin Rebecca Moseley Campus reporter Community editor Andrew Yawn Zeke Turrentine Community reporter Sports editor John Holtrop Design editor rachel suhs Online Editor Nathan Simone Benjamin Croomes

Opinions editor

ADVERTISING Lorenzo Lane, Payton Haisten, Michael Isaacs and Account Executives Tiffany Middleton, Whitney Potts and Allison Braund Advertising design PAYTON HAISTEN AND KATIE WITTNEBEL AND JUSTIN MCCROSKEY

Distribution

Student Union Suite 1111 Auburn, Al 36849 Editor: 334.844.9021 News: 334.844.9109 General Manager: 334.844.9101 Advertising: 334.844.4130 AUSTIN PHILLIPS Editorial Adviser adviser@theplainsman.com JUDY RIEDL General Manager gm@theplainsman.com KIM RAPE Office Manager MAILING ADDRESS 255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1111 Auburn, Al 36849

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Campus 3

The Auburn Plainsman

r

y d a e

Auburn University Club breaks even with upgrades Anna Claire Conrad COPY EDITOR

New ownership has brought about a new look for the Auburn University Club located on Yarbrough Farms Boulevard just past the intersection at Shug Jordan Parkway and North Donahue Drive.

“We want this club to be a part of the Auburn experience for the University and community alike.”

That’s what one of the club’s new owners, Mike Thompson, local developer and Auburn University undergraduate, hopes to accomplish with the recent renovations to the facilities, grounds and Clubhouse restaurant of the Auburn University Club and with his outreach programs, and it’s why he purchased the property with the hopes of making it more appealing to the Auburn family.

“We got in here and realized we really needed to upgrade the whole facility. So we repaired, repainted and refinished the entire outside,” Thompson said.

Me m b e r s a n d v i s i tors are greeted inside the 1,200-square-foot, $1.1 million clubhouse with a quote from the Auburn Creed painted boldly across the primary entryway, which reads, “… I believe in Auburn, and love it.”

As for the inside, Thompson reached out to Auburn students freshen up the club’s appearance.

“I worked with Auburn’s department of interior design,” Thompson said. “The restaurant has been remodeled, and

it’s open for lunch and dinner daily.”

The Clubhouse’s esteemed chef, David Bancroft, also said the entire mind-set of the restaurant has changed and is now locally-sourced, freshlymade-in-house.

“The restaurant used to serve a lot of simple food,” Bancroft said. “Now, we feature a lot of locally-grown foods, including fresh grits ground in Wetumpka, fresh tomatoes and blueberries from Beauregard and goat’s cheese from Huntsville.”

Aside from its homegrown approach to fine dining, the restaurant will be available to the public, although only its members may make reservations.

Bancroft also founded a Slow Food Chapter for the University at the Auburn University Club that will kick-off with a fundraiser on Sept. 29.

“Our purpose is to raise money for the campus gardens through the Auburn Real Food Challenge, which is a group on campus comprised of students of all different majors who are passionate about clean, regenerative food systems,” Bancroft said. “We hope to raise over $20,000 to fund the first community garden on campus led by students.”

Thompson also said he has long-term plans to utilize the University.

According to Lindsay Tan, assistant professor of interior design within the department of consumer and design sci-

ences, five interior design students volunteered at the club this summer.

“The course offered in the fall will allow the students to work much more formally with their professor and Mike Thompson.” Tan said.

“One of their projects is going to be to come up with plans to re-do the three main lobbies,” Thompson said. “They’re going to pick three students’ projects, and I’ll choose the winner.”

The golf course, which is home to Auburn’s men and women’s golf teams, is also changing for the better.

“There are going to be a lot of changes,” Thompson said.

“We’re taking out a few bunkers and improving the condition and playability. We’re also clearing out 10 yards of the tree line so that players can find their errant golf balls and adding more tee boxes.”

Thompson said this facility will remain affordable to Auburn residents.

“We’ve nearly doubled our local members,” Thompson said. “Our initiation fees and monthly dues are significantly less than other clubs, and I have made a commitment to hold everything steady for at least a year. ” Thompson said the club also honors several discounts for students, alumni and other affiliates of the University.

For more information on the Auburn University Club, visit its website at www.augolfclub. com.

e p l u ng

?

DANIELLE LOWE / PHOTO EDITOR

The Auburn University Club’s new look is under new ownership.

to take the

It’s not about the rings, dress or honeymoon. It’s about the marriage after that special day!

Start planning your life together with a FREE 2-day workshop for couples in all stages of their pre-marital relationships!

July 13, 6-9pm July 14, 9am-12:30pm Workshop will be held at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce

Free food and childcare will be provided

Register online at www.auburn.edu/cconline

For more information, visit www.alabamamarriage.org Auburn University • College of Human Sciences The purpose of this information is the dissemination of technical information. Funding is provided through a grant from: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grant #90FM0006-01. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s)/presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Opinions

4 www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Campus

Our View QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“

It gave me an overwhelming feeling of pride not only to be an American, but to be an American soldier ... for me and my buddies.”

— Peter Glaeser Auburn ROTC

THE PLAINSMAN POLL Vote at theplainsman.com

SGA: unnecessary change for the better Right now, the Student Government Association is researching whether or not a fall break is a good idea.

Have that many people asked for fall break? If so, we'll eat our words, but we don't see that happening.

What we see is another attempt by SGA to make an unnecessary change.

Granted, the parking system was broken long before Parrish was elected, but the new system, which was instituted without any kind of stu-

would probably be happy to oblige. They might even help figure out if a fall break is warranted.

We may sound like we are overreacting to the possibility of a fall break, and we probably are. SGA bungled the parking situation, and now many commuting students will have to pay an exorbitant amount of money just for the possibility of parking anywhere near campus.

Unfortunately, we don't expect them to handle a fall

dent poll or research, is only going to make it worse. Using a lottery to determine who gets which parking spot is ridiculous. We think the spots should at least sell on a firstcome-first-serve basis.

Of course, the University could easily oversell those spots just like they oversell football tickets.

We have an amazing mathematics department.

If the University asked for their help in selling the right amount of spaces, they

break very well either.

Asking for a few more days off in the sounds just like the kind of leisurely nonsense that Parrish used in his campaign platform. He promised Caribou Coffee in Lowder, frozen yogurt in The Village and better parking with drop off zones around campus.

We've all seen how he handled the parking situation, and next time you drop someone off on campus, feel free to ignore the ticket.

The SGA should represent

the voice of the student body.

Most of us couldn't care less about coffee in Lowder or frozen yogurt in The Village.

The campaign promises should attempt to make a more meaningful impact.

When the SGA wants to create a revised registration system or work on cheaper tuition or make it possible to dine on campus without giving up our first born, then we will start believing in their abilities to make real change happen.

Letters to the Editor

Open letter to the SGA about proposed fall break This is merely a comment about how the proposed two-day fall break might add two days at the start of the fall semester, cause a shortened Thanksgiving Break or add two days at the end of the fall semester.

Starting classes on a Wednesday is very beneficial to students. It gives students the weekend to find and buy books. Although most professors expect students to have the book by the following week, they do not mind students not having the book for 1-2

classes. If there was a whole week at the start of term, then professors might not want to teach a whole week without the book. This puts more pressure on the students, professors and the book stores.

Starting classes on a Wednesday also allows students to ease them back into the swing of things instead of diving into a full week of classes. This is especially beneficial to the freshmen who are just starting college life.

Adding two days to our Thanksgiving Break actually takes four days from the break, which includes that first weekend. This causes the break to decrease from nine days to five days.

For the Iron Bowl-bound student, their break goes from seven days to three days. A shortened Thanksgiving Break would put a strain on traveling plans and might even prevent out-ofstate students from traveling home at all. Especially with the Iron Bowl be-

ing the weekend after Thanksgiving, students might not get the break they need.

Lastly, if there were an additional two days at the end of the semester, this would add almost an entire week to the end of the semester, assuming you still have two study days after the last day of class. The last class day would be on a Tuesday, and the following Wednesday thru Thursday would be study days, and Friday thru Thursday would be exam days, if you

don't have exams being administered on the weekend. This adds six days to the end of the semester, not just two.

While adding two days to the start of the fall term would be just that, taking two days from Thanksgiving Break or adding two days to the end of the fall semester is not that simple.

Is this really necessary?

Heather Oakes senior chemical engineering

Tiger Transit employees deserve better working environment I am a 1986 graduate of Auburn University. My love for the place is everlasting.

After years of having his own business, my husband became employed with the Auburn Tiger Transit about a year ago. I remember him coming home after the first day and saying how much he loved the work place. It wasn't long un-

til everything began to change.

During a Friday morning meeting, they were told they would no longer be paid overtime starting that very day.

During the normal school year, my husband works 5060 hours a week. He has never driven a van to the Atlanta airport. The drivers have been told that an interstate law al-

lows the company to not pay (their drivers) overtime. My husband has worked without lunch or breaks. The drivers are now being clocked out at Haley Center, even though they are then loaded on a bus and taken back to the office.

The meetings on Fridays are not a time where the employees can express concerns. They

are not heard.

The school I know and love would not allow people to be threatened with being released from their jobs, bullied or treated as if they are beneath the company management, if the University was aware of the problem.

It is now aware.

By the way, some may be

asking why people stay with Tiger Transit.

Many are in the same position we are. After having a family business for 50 years that was in the home construction field, the economic downturn not only put my husband out of work, but also my two children. My husband is 62 years old, and this is his first

job working for someone else.

He has to work, but he would want everyone to know that he never treated anyone like this that was employed by his company .

All these drivers want is to be treated fairly.

Angie Chappell wife of Tiger Transit driver

Political parties are necessary for democratic process Political parties are made up of people, and people are flawed; and so our political parties are flawed. Like any other major institution, the leaders of our political parties sometimes make decisions based not on what is best for the people they represent and whose interests they protect, but what is best for that institution’s image.

The Catholic Church and Pennsylvania State University are guilty of covering up heinous abuses. Political institutions and businesses are guilty of covering up or spinThe Editorial Board Robert E. Lee

ning scandals. It is the nature of large institutions that are made up of imperfect people.

In the polarized political climate we currently live in, both major political parties are demonized equally, and not just by the other, but by individuals outside the parties, who are sick of the bickering and back and forth; by those who wish we all just got along. It might almost seem that the Democratic and Republican Parties are outdated relics of an age forgone and are only detrimental to our government and national psyche.

John Holtrop

EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

Melody Kitchens

Rachel Suhs

MANAGING EDITOR

DESIGN EDITOR

Andrew Yawn

Danielle Lowe

NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

TJ Harlin

Anna Claire Conrad

CAMPUS EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

Nathan Simone ONLINE EDITOR

Ben Croomes OPINION EDITOR

I belong to the Democratic Party, and I am proud of that fact. I disagree wholeheartedly with the major tenets of the Republican Party and the majority of their policy initiatives.

However, I can, like most Democrats, look at members of the opposing party and tell you they are decent people. George H. W. Bush might have been the second most qualified man to ever run for president, after the father of the Constitution James Madison, of course.

With the obvious exception of race, for centuries, Americans came together on a sim-

ple agreement that we needed to move forward and that where we were wasn’t good enough. Whether that meant growing the economy through incentives to business or protecting the labor class, our policy disagreements were just that, and we were willing to compromise. Somewhere, we lost that flexibility.

America has political parties for a reason. It is for the same reason we have lobbying groups and parent-teacher organizations. When a group of people have a common objective, they band together

to influence the government and the system we use to determine who will represent us there. Political parties are not bad for America, and not all politicians are liars and thieves.

Political parties allow us to participate in politics in an organized and effective fashion so that we might maximize our individual influence on the government. What is bad for America is a belief that our political party holds a monopoly on smart policy. Holding steadfast to your morals is one thing, but refusing to compro-

mise on policy is another thing entirely.

Even on the most divisive of issues, we can find common ground if we try.

We can compromise on those policy issues, and we should. When used properly, political parties maximize our voice in the political process.

We should recognize we are all Americans here and meet in the middle.

Alexander B. Roberson Auburn University College Democrats President Emeritus

Mailing Address

Submissions

Policy

Auburn Student Center Suite 1111H Auburn, AL 36849

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students as well as from faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length.

The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. These unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the 9-member editorial board and are the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

Contact Phone 334–844–4130 Email opinion@theplainsman.com

Community

5

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Community

Nights, Camera, Action all summer Outdoor Summer Movie Series is all the rage this summer John Burns WRITER

MELODY KITCHENS / MANAGING EDITOR

The Overall Company in downtown Opelika will be opening in mid-August featuring Southern food and music.

New restaurant promises an “overall” Southern experience Melody Kitchens MANAGING EDITOR

It used to be a pre-Civil War overall factory established in the 1800s. Gone are its days filled with sewing machines and heavy machinery, but its Southern roots still remain.

In the heart of downtown Opelika on the corner of Avenue B and 10th Street, The Overall Company is creating a haven of Southern food, music and culture.

Jay and Laura Pritchard, owners of The Overall Co., dreamed of creating a place where people could come, hang a while, drink a wellmade cup of coffee and eat a couple of homemade biscuits.

“It’s celebrating Southern culture, food, music and people,” Laura said. “Not only connecting with people, but offering that experience you can’t get anywhere else around here.”

In mid-August, their dream of sharing that experience with the citizens of Auburn and Opelika will be complete, according to the Pritchards.

The Overall Co. is still in its revamping stage, and the

Pritchards, with the help of building owners John and Ashely Marsh, head foreman David Keller, Ty Maloney and graphic designer Phil Moody, aim to keep the building’s design close to its original format with custom-made pieces.

The Overall Co. is a large, free-f lowing space with old hardwood floors, vintage, purchasable furniture, a stately pour-over counter crafted from an old door, and pinewood stairs leading up to a terrace that will be filled with a local art gallery and live music.

Handcrafted coffee, fit with gooseneck kettles and customized espresso machines, find their place behind the counter close to the drivethrough window. Craft beer, wine and loose-leaf tea will also be offered alongside the cups of joe.

Expect to taste boiled peanut hummus, pimento cheese and bacon sandwiches, homemade biscuits and beer and cheese pairings.

To give a fresh new take on the old Southern feel of The Overall Co., Ali Maloney

makes fresh fruit and dessert pops, similar to Mexican paletas, in-house every day.

Flavors range from watermelon mint and peaches and cream to chocolate hazelnut and banana pudding.

Gratitude also runs deep at The Overall Co., as many people have volunteered with finishing the restaurant.

“We couldn’t have done it without these great people helping us,” Jay said. “It’s really humbling.”

To those involved in The Overall Co., it’s all about honoring their Southern roots and celebrating people. “(The Pritchards) are a total blessing, and we’re happy to help their dream to succeed,” Ashely Marsh said. “It just feels right. It’s Southern.

It’s comfortable.”

Referencing restaurants like The Tipping Point in Montgomery and Empire State South in Atlanta, music like the Alabama Shakes and aesthetic appeal like Billy Reid of Florence, it’s easy to see the Pritchards’ love of Southern culture.

To get a taste of what’s to come at The Overall Co., fruit

“

It’s celebrating Southern culture, food, music and people. Not only connecting with people, but offering that experience you can’t get anywhere else around here.”

—Laura Pritchard OWNER OF THE OVERALL COMPANY

and dessert pops are sold at the Opelika’s Farmers Market every Tuesday from 3–6 p.m.

Although the specific opening date has yet to be revealed, The Overall Co. is planning to open one night in mid-August.

For more information on the opening date and restaurant updates, visit facebook. com/overallcompany.

Auburn Parks and Recreation Department’s first Outdoor Summer Movie Series began June 22 with “Hugo” and will continue to show films all summer long.

The movies will be shown at baseball field 1 at Duck Samford Park with the exception of two Float-N-Movies which will be shown at the park’s pool.

All of the movies will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays, and they’re available for free to the public.

“They set everything up very well. The picture was great, and the volume was perfect,” said Emily Ansick, local mother.

So far the event has attracted a lot of visitors, some more welcome than others.

“Everything went well besides the bugs,” Ansick said with a laugh, “Make sure to bring bug spray.”

The Summer Movie Series were supposed to begin on June 15, but because of a scheduling conflict with the Annual Summer Night event in downtown Auburn, it was pushed back a week. Most of the movies will be two weeks apart.

The series recently showed “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” on June 29 to celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary.

Local resident and parent Kevin Kelly said that the nostalgia of classic movies shown in old-fashioned, somewhat drive-in style is as much fun for parents as it is for their children.

“I took my three kids to see E.T. on Friday,” Kelly said. “We don’t have drive-in theaters here, so it’s nice to still be able to see movies outside.

The Outdoor Summer Movie Series was created to replicate a family-oriented community gathering such as a drive-in theater, according to Alison Hall, employee of and organizer for the Parks and Recreation Department.

“We’ve wanted to try doing this for several years now,” Hall said. “We’re really happy about getting it started.”

Auburn Parks and Recreation plans on making this an annual summer event, but emphasizes that the movies are not just for parents and young children.

“We really wanted to choose movies that would be attractive to everyone,” Hall said.

“We want to encourage everyone to come out and watch the films.”

“Apollo 13” will be shown on Friday July 13, and “Shark Tale” will be at Samford Pool the following July 20. The series will continue on July 27 with “Back to the Future” at Duck Samford Park.

After “Back to the Future,” the series takes a three week break until the second day of classes for the fall semester at on August 18.

The movie list is distributed evenly for all ages, according to Hall.

“Whether you’re a parent and want to bring your kids, or a college guy and want to bring a girl to a free movie, come on out,” Hall said. “Be sure to take a picnic blanket or your favorite tailgate chair though.”

There is one exception, however.

On Saturday, August 18, the series will show the 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster film “Jaws” as one of the Float–N– Movies at the Samford Pool at 8:30 p.m. for anyone who is age 19 and older.

The age limit has been imposed due to the graphic nature of this classic film.

While movie admission for the special summer event will remain free, residents looking to enhance their viewing experience are encouraged to pay the $2 entry fee to Samford Pool and watch “Jaws” while taking a night swim.

The series will conclude after Spielberg’s thriller, but there are still four movies remaining until then.

For some residents such as Kelly, every remaining viewing is a must-see event if only for the atmosphere.

“It’s a great experience,” Kelly said. “We plan on going to all the rest of the movies.”

Studies show previously unseen effects of 2010 oil spill Nathan Kelly WRITER

The BP oil spill hurt more creatures than we can see.

Recent discoveries in samples taken from the Gulf Coast’s white sands have shown that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affected more than just the animals visible to humans.

Auburn University’s Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change has performed studies that show microscopic organisms in the Gulf ’s sand underwent dramatic shifts in their environment after the oil spill.

The communities of organisms affected are not only responsible for providing nutrients to sediment and the foundation of the sand, but also are a vital part of the of the food chain in their environment.

Ken Halanych, professor of biological sciences, co-wrote the study and has been studying the effects from the oil spill since it began in 2010.

“We’ve been looking at the smaller organisms that live between sand grains,” Halanych said. “The larger organisms can leave contaminated areas, but the smaller organisms can’t get up and swim away so we’ve been trying to see how the oil has impacted them.”

According to the Molette Biology

Lab’s study, the diversity of organisms in the affected microscopic communities is vast. Bacteria, nematodes, copepods, protists and fungi were all found in the samples taken.

The Department of Geology and Geography are also involved in research concerning the oil spill. Dr. Ming-Kuo Lee, professor of hydrogeology and a team of graduate students found that oil contamination is not limited to surface water.

Instead, elevated organic carbon contents settle into the sediment long after the oil-contaminated surface water had evaporated.

Beach towns and resorts on the Gulf Coast are highly dependent on the seafood industry and have been identified as the best places to find fresh fish and shrimp in the South.

Since the oil spill, some locals have abandoned the thought of eating food from the Gulf and are encouraging others to do the same.

Carmen Potts, an organic produce farmer, once owned a family-run organic seafood restaurant in a popular beach town on the Gulf Coast.

After the oil spill, Potts had no choice but to close the restaurant when the number of tourists plummeted in 2010.

According to Potts, she can’t blame people for not wanting to visit and

DANIELLE LOWE / PHOTO EDITOR

Biological sciences professor Ken Halanych has been studying the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill since it occurred in 2010.

eat the seafood caught from the Gulf of Mexico.

“I haven’t eaten a single fish or shrimp from the Gulf since the oil spill,” Potts said. “People from here should know that we have no idea how contaminated the food could be.”

“I don’t want to find out 30 years down the road that the seafood everyone keeps eating has gotten them sick, but I’m not taking the risk,” Potts said. “My family and I refuse to eat it anymore until we find out more.”

Unfortunately, there’s no clear evi-

dence that the seafood from the Gulf is toxic or safe to eat.

Halanych and Lee’s studies did not focus on contamination of shrimp and fish, so if there is some hidden toxin in the seafood, it still remains unknown.

Community 6

The Auburn Plainsman

Citizens must build patience with city’s IT’S HUGE! IT’S HUGE! construction ANGEL’S ANTIQUES and Flea Mall.com YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT CAME IN THIS WEEKEND!

OVER 70,000 SQ FT & 400+ DEALEtRS 334.745.3221

900 Columbus Parkway, Opelika, Alabama 36801

1 block off I-85, exit 62 in Opelika

Youthfuloffender.com Justbecause because you you made made aa mistake Just mistake doesn’t doesn’t mean to carry carry aa record record with with you you mean you you have have to for your life. life. for the the rest rest of of your Don Eddins, Attorney. *Auburn * (334)821-9981 No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other attorneys.

Andrew YAwn NEWS@ THEPLAINSMAN. COM

Since the first time I pulled off of Interstate 85 and decided to make Auburn my home, construction has been an omnipresent feature of the Plains.

Whether on campus with the building of new parking decks, the Auburn Arena and the Shelby Center or off campus with road work and production facility construction, it doesn’t seem to stop.

Right now, the hard hatted crews are focusing on repairing Glenn and Samford Avenues and constructing new residence halls and a General Electric Co. Aviation plant in the West Technology Park, however this will not be the end of it.

The new recreation center will continue to undergo construction into 2013, Sky Bar has begun adding on to its bacchanalian facilities and the slew of parking complaints will most likely lead to a haphazardly built, inconveniently placed parking deck somewhere around the edge of campus.

While all of this commotion is frustrating now, the truth of the matter is that this does nothing but help the city of Auburn.

The obvious positive result of this rebuilding effort is new facilities.

For a city that has consistently ranked in the top percentile for quality of life, these new buildings and roads should only add to the public’s satisfaction percentage

of 89 percent in 2012.

In addition, this year’s satisfaction survey showed that only 58 percent of residents are happy with east-west travel in Auburn – such as Magnolia Street and Glenn Avenue – and 52 percent are satisfied with north-west travel such as College Street.

By continuing to expand and repave roads, Auburn’s City Council is showing the public that their approval matters to them and, while it may hurt traffic flow now, the reconstruction will be a blessing to a college town plagued by game day and weekend traffic.

Lastly, the construction provides jobs.

Auburn posted the third lowest unemployment rate in the state this year at 5.6 percent.

The rebuilding efforts not only add consistent construction jobs, but the erection of facilities such as the GE Aviation plant and the Seung Chang Airtek facility last year are guaranteed to bring more jobs to the area.

Yes, the construction is frustrating right now.

I still forget sometimes that certain roads are closed, forcing me into time-draining detours, but the fact of the matter is that by the time its done Auburn will be better than before.

For an old town like Auburn, an infusion of the “new” is the key to the continuing expansion of this city and the satisfaction of its residents.

Changes of this magnitude take time, but the benefits will last even longer and pave the way for a better city in the future.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Un-happy 4th of July Alabama State Troopers recently released the statistics of what became a busy weekend for state law enforcement. In the 120 hours from Wednesday, July 4 – Sunday, July 8, these were the results.

• 386 traffic crashes • 161 injuries • nine deaths • 3,708 citations for speeding • 1,517 citations for seat belt/ child restraint violations • 97 DUI arrests • 357 motorist assists Contributed by Alabama State Troopers

Auburn art museum named best in Alabama Zeke Turrentine COMMUNITY BEAT REPORTER

Auburn University’s own Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art was deemed Alabama’s best art museum in a poll from the July/August edition of Alabama Magazine.

“What an honor to be chosen by popular vote as the best art museum in Alabama,” Director Marilyn Laufer said Friday in a statement released

by Auburn University. “We believe that art changes lives, and we work hard in every way to make that happen for our diverse audiences.”

The institution won the art museum category in the “Best of Bama” online poll administered by the bimonthly magazine of state culture and living.

The results were published in the latest edition of the magazine.

Founded in 2003, the Jule

Collins Smith Museum will celebrate its tenth year of being our state’s only university art museum and providing the Auburn community with magical exhibitions, enhancing programming and growing permanent collections.

The poll’s categories represented many aspects of daily life in Alabama including food and beverage, sports and recreation, arts and entertainment, shopping and various professional services.

The poll included more than 100 subcategories ranging from different types of restaurants to favorite outdoor destinations and the best university and best college football team sections.

The Museum sits behind a picturesque pond at 901 S. College St. For more information about the Museum, visit jcsm.auburn.edu or call (334) 844-1484.

Sports Thursday, July 12, 2012

A7 www.theplainsman.com

Sports

And the committee chooses...

John Holtrop SPORTS@THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COURTESY OF VERNONICA JACKSON

Auburn Parks and Recreation coachTony Jackson won three medals at the Alabama State Games

Local coach takes gold at State Games TJ Harlin CAMPUS EDITOR

Auburn Parks and Recreation track Coach Tony Jackson, along with eight children from the parks and rec track team, recently competed in the Alabama State Games in Birmingham June 22-24.

The 44-year-old Jackson put on quite the show.

Jackson won gold medals in the 200 meter dash, the 400 meter dash and earned a silver medal in the shot-put.

But if things had gone the way Jackson planned, the results may have been very different.

“I told my wife that I only wanted to do one event, the 400, that’s all I wanted to run,” Tony said. “Wednesday night my daughter Victoria registered us. I woke up that morning and asked ‘Did you register me for the 400?’ They said, ‘yeah we got you registered.’”

However the 400m was not all they registered him for.

“That was all my mom’s idea,” said Tony Jackson’s daughter, Katie Jackson, who also competed in the State Games. “She said that if she was going to pay $25, he was going to more than one event.”

Jackson had already arrived at the State Games before he realized he would be participating in two more events.

“We got up there and they said ‘you have to do this, this, and this’ and I asked ‘why?’” Tony said. “But it worked out pretty good.”

Three medals later, Tony’s wife’s decision paid off.

“I’m glad he still had it in him,” Katie said.

This was Jackson’s first track meet since high school, and he felt nervous throughout the meet.

“I was running and I was scared,” Tony said.

But motivation was easy to find for Jackson.

Participants in the State games ranged in age from teenagers to adults in their sixties.

“There were some old guys out there and you see them going, and you think if they can do it, I can do it,” Tony said.

Jackson was also motivated by the teenagers he coaches from Auburn Parks and Rec. Though they were supportive of their coach’s efforts, they did not hesitate to criticize his running style.

“The kids got on to him,” said Tony’s wife Veronica Jackson, who also coaches for Auburn Parks and Rec. “He ran his 400 and they were telling him to correct his form and he didn’t do it. So when he started his 200 they told him ‘remember to pump your arms and keep your form’ and he ran the 200 much, much better, and the kids were real excited about that.”

The Alabama State Games began in 1982 as a way to teach people about Olympic sports. The first games were held in 1983 in Auburn and featured Bo Jackson in some of the track and field events.

More than 6,000 athletes participated in this year’s event, and the opening ceremonies were broadcast live across the state.

Jackson plans on running additional events in the future. He wants to compete in the 1,500 next year and also wants to bring along some more parents to next year’s State Games.

“It’s contagious,” Tony said. “State Games are fun.”

77 athletes make SEC Honor Roll Robert E. Lee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Monday that 77 Auburn student-athletes were named to the Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll.

Equestrian has the most athletes of any sport with 20, including juniors Casey Fowler and Anna Becker and sophomore Jennifer Waxman.

Men’s golf has 10 on the list, including junior Blayne Barber senior Dominic Bozelli.

The Men’s track and field team is honored with 13 students selectiond, including Sophomore Jason Miller and senior Marcus Rowland.

The honor roll is based on grades from the 2011 summer and fall semesters as well as the 2012 spring semester.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academic Servic-

es Gary Waters said the success of this years Spring class is one of the largest he can remember.

“When student athletes are successful academically, the first group that is responsible for that is the group of student athletes themselves,” Waters said. The second group that I think is a very important is their various support groups, including their coaches, family and the people that work in student athlete support services.”

Baseball and softball have a combined 16 honorees while women’s track and field has six and men’s tennis has five.

Women’s tennis is represented with 4 honorees.

Student athlete academic services use tutors along with academic mentors to help student athletes cope with the common hardships affiliated

with student athletes.

“One of the things that we try to do is that we have tutors available in almost every class and if a student athlete thinks he or she may need a tutor we can usually provide it,” Waters said. “We usually have in the range of 130 tutors hired and available to our student athletes.”

Waters said he was the academic counselor for the men’s golf team last season, but is available to meet with any student athlete on any team.

“Probably the toughest things is learning to manage their time. They have so many responsibilities related to practice, competitions and academic requirements. They have to very quickly develope the ability to manage their time and manage it very well.”

For a complete list of athletes, visit auburntigers.com.

The Football Bowl Subdivision will have a college playoff in 2014. Believe it or not, it’s official.

On Tuesday, June 26, conference commissioners met with an oversight committee of university presidents and chancellors to end the debate that has dominated college football talk for the past 14 years.

However, the debate has not ended; it has just begun.

A committee of “experts” that have yet to be chosen will select the participants of the fourteam playoff, set to start at the end of the 2014 season.

Who qualifies as an expert that can be trusted to put aside personal agendas? Surely conference commissioners will not be part of the chosen few for obvious reasons. Athletic directors should fall into that same category. But will that be taken into consideration?

The tools to decide the teams should be obvious. BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said there will be some sort of computer metric similar to the Rating Percentage Index to judge strength of schedule. It can be assumed that head-to-head matchups, conference champions and records will also be included in the discussion.

With all of these tools in play, the committee must each select the four best-qualified teams to compete for the national championship.

This step in the process throws up a slew of red flags that will have mid-majors and conference runner-ups complaining well into the offseason.

Take 2010 for example. Auburn was the obvious favorite for the national championship and Oregon was a shoe-in at No. 2. There would have been two more teams to make the playoff. Here is a list of potential candidates in order of their BCS rankings from Nos. 3-13.

No. 3 TCU, MWC champion (12-0); No. 4 Stanford (11-1); No. 5 Wisconsin, Big Ten cochampion (11-1); No. 6 Ohio State, (11-1); No. 7 Oklahoma, Big 12 champion (11-2); No. 8 Arkansas (10-2); No. 9 Michigan State, Big Ten co-champion (11-1); No. 10 Boise State, WAC co-champion (11-1); No. 11 LSU, (10-2); No. 12 Missouri (10-2); No. 13 Virginia Tech, ACC champion (11-2).

The problem is if they go with the confer-

ence champions of the top four conferences, assuming they all stay together, there will be some major players left out. In that scenario the remaining two teams in the playoff would have been Wisconsin/Michigan State and Oklahoma or Virginia Tech. Now undefeated TCU has a gripe.

This is where the human element comes into play to make an educated decision based on each team’s specific case, also where consistency will become the recurring argument.

Do you take the conference champions or the top four teams based on their resumés to make a case?

In 2011, the arguably best two teams were Alabama and LSU with a third SEC team in Arkansas not far behind with two losses. The committee would then be faced with the issue of picking the top teams or conference champions. In that scenario Oklahoma State would definitely be chosen, but the last spot would be left to Stanford, Oregon, Arkansas, Boise State, No. 10 Big Ten champion Wisconsin or No. 15 ACC champion Clemson.

It’s a lot to swallow, but it’s the unavoidable truth. ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd said it best when he compared the playoff system to a debate between what is fair and what is even.

Having four teams compete for the national championship is even, not fair. The Big Ten and the Big 12 are not facing SEC level competition. Mid-majors may play one or two “national championship conversation worthy” opponents per year. In week 13 of last year, the SEC held all three of the top spots in the BCS rankings. It would be a big surprise to see more than two, if even two in this playoff system.

Let’s not forget about Notre Dame. Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick has been in almost every meeting to decide this playoff. The Irish may have been quiet the past few decades, but it would be foolish to think they will not be part of the conversation. Expect an 11-1 Irish team that has no conference and dictates their own schedule to make the playoff over a second SEC team.

A playoff in college football is not a bad thing. If anything it gives fans and the media that much more to get excited about. The water cooler conversations during the December and January months will hold much more weight than those of the past that covered the winner of the Capital One and Gator Bowls.

Anything is better than the flawed BCS, including a four-team playoff. But we will have to wait 12 years for this system to play itself out before it moves to an improved six- or eight-team playoff.

Former and current Tigers qualify for 2012 Olympics Summer Austin WRITER

“War Eagle” will be a familiar cry heard at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Up to this point, 24 competitors and five coaches with Auburn ties will be participating in the games.

For track and field, former students Kerron Stewart (2007) and Maurice Smith (2004) will represent Jamaica. Marc Burns (2006) and Josanne Lucas (2006) will represent Trinidad & Tobago.

Donald Thomas (2007), Sheniqua Ferguson (2011), Leevan Sands (2004) and Shamar Sands (2007) will represent Bahamas.

Two current students will also compete. Junior Kai Selvon will represent Trinidad and Tobago. Senior Stephen Saenz will represent Mexico.

Mark Carroll and Henry Rolle will coach for Trinidad & Tobago and Bahamas respectively.

Kai Selvon will be competing in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and 4x100 meter relay at the Olympics. Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said Selvon is very competitive, very mature and he doesn’t think nerves will affect her performance.

Spry said current student senior Marcus Rowland is going to the U.S. Relay Camp on July 15, to compete for a spot on the United States 4x100 relay.

Spry said Stephen Saenz also has a great shot at a medal competing for Mexico.

“Stephen normally competes at a high level, as a

freshman he placed second at the NCAA Indoor Championships after being the only freshman in the country to exceed the qualifying mark to go to the championships,” Spry said.

Spry said Kerron Stewart also has a good shot at gold.

Stewart competed in the 2008 Olympics, earning a silver medal in the 100 and bronze in the 200.

“There are probably four or five girls right now that are capable of winning a gold medal and Kerron is one of those girls,” Spry said. “There’s such a small measuring stick separating first, second and third.”

Auburn swimmers round out the rest of the list. Former students Eric Shanteau (2006), Micah Lawrence (2012) and Tyler McGill (2010) will swim for the United States. George Bovell (2006) will swim for Trinidad & Tobago. Adam Brown (2011) will swim for Great Britain. Cesar Cielo (2009) will swim for Brazil. Kristy Coventry (2005) will swim for Zimbabwe. Stephanie Horner (2012) will swim for Canada. Matt Target (2009) will swim for Australia and Gideon Louw (2010) will swim for South Africa.

Four current students will represent Auburn. Sophomore Marcelo Chierighini is swimming for Brazil. Sophomore James Disney-May is swimming for Great Britain.

Sophomore Megan Fonteno is swimming for the United States and senior Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace is swim-

RACHEL SUHS / DESIGN EDITOR

ming for Bahamas.

David Marsh and Brett Hawke will be coaching for the United States and Bahamas respectively. Dave Denniston will coach the United States in the Paralympic games.

“Auburn is going to have an outstanding number of current and former Tigers representing us at the Olympics,” said Brett Hawke, Auburn and Bahamas head coach. “It speaks very highly of the tradition and competitiveness of the Auburn program that so many athletes at the Olympic Games have worn the ‘AU’ during their careers. We are very proud of the 14 swimmers going to London”

Sports A8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, July 12, 2012

A week of Auburn sports All- 77 Auburn student-athletes have been named to the 2012 Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll announced Monday by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. Equestrian led all sports will 20 players selected. Men’s track and field followed with 13.

Men’s Golf- Former golfer Will McCurdy won

Swimming & Diving- Transfer swimmer

Baseball- Former player Vincent “Bo” Jackson was the American League manager in the Taco Bell AllStar Legends & Celebrity Softball game played Sunday in at Kauffman stadium in Kansas City. The event kicked off Major League Baseball’s All-Star break. Jackson played for the Kansas City Royals from 1986-1990.

Former player Tyler Bootcheck was the third former Auburn baseball player selected to take part in a minor league All-Star game this year as he was voted to the International League roster for the Triple-A All-Star game.

Auburn graduate and Braves Assistant Athletic Trainer Jim Lovell was named to the National League staff for the MLB All-Star game.

Equestrian- Junior Stephanie Rucci and senior Indy Roper competed and finished third and eighth respectively at the 2012 NRHA Collegiate Reining Challenge in Oklahoma City on July 1.

Olympic Swimming & Diving- Auburn has 16 current and former coaches and players participating in the 2012 Olympic Games representing 10 countries. Dave Denniston, a 2002 graduate will also be coaching the Unites States in the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Football- Senior Onterio McCalebb has been

Gymnastics- Assistant coach Jenny Rowland completed her second term as a judge at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials. Though Rowland never competed in the Olympics, she was on the 1989 USA World Championship team.

named one of 65 candidates on the 76th annual Maxwell Award watch list presented by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia. The award is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player since 1937.

Senior Philip Lutzenkirchen is among the 33 players listed on the 2012 John Mackey Award preseason watch list. The award is sponsored by The Nassau County Sports Commission and given to the most outstanding collegiate tight end. This is Lutzenkirchen’s second consecutive season named to the list.

The University of Idaho announced the Vandals will play Auburn on Sept. 15, 2015. The price tag for the game is $1 million to be paid by Auburn to Idaho.

Four-star athlete Jason Smith verbally committed to Auburn. Smith played quarterback at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile. This brings Auburn’s 2013 verbal commitment total to 15.

the Spirit of America Golf Classic at Burningtree Country Club in Decatur. McCurdy beat University of Alabama golfer Trey Mullinax by 5strokes in the final round on Sunday.

Women’s Golf- Former player and current as-

sistant coach Margaret Shirley and rising junior Diana Fernandez both earned berths to the 2012 United States Women’s Amateur at The Country Club in Cleveland from August 6-12.

Senior Marta Sanz tied for third at the World University Golf Championships at Ypsilon Golf Resort in Liberec, Czech Republic last week, helping the Spanish National Team to the tournament title. Sanz is from Madrid.

Tryshia Centeno from Indian River State College has been named the Betty Jo Graber Award winner as the top female student-athlete in the NJCAA. Centeno will join the Tigers in the fall.

Olympic Track & Field- Auburn has 12

current and former coaches and players participating in the 2012 London Olympic games representing six countries.

Track & Field- Five current and former members of the Auburn track and field program competed over the weekend at the 2012 North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Under 23 Track and Field Championships at Paralymic Track Stadium in Guanajuato, Mexico. Sophomore Keenan Brock and junior Marcus Rowland helped the United States win gold in the 4x100 meter relay. Brock also won silver in the 100 for the United States. V’alonee Robinson and Krystal Bodie helped the Bahamas win silver in the 4x100 relay. Sophomore Stephan Saenz won silver in shot-put for Mexico.

ROBERT E. LEE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Philip Lutzenkirchen fights his way to a touchdown against South Carolina on Oct. 1, 2011. Lutzenkirchen has been named to the 2012 John Mackey Award watch list.

To Place an Ad, Call - 334-844-7928 or Email classifieds@theplainsman.com

Print Deadline Noon three business days prior to publication

FOR RENT

EMPLOYMENT

Nice 1BR Apartment Attached to a House.

Unfurnished garage apartment in a quiet, wooded single-family neighborhood.

High celings, walk-in closet.

Everything included. Looking for quiet, responsible student. Aug. 1st. 1-yr lease.

Email mehtash@auburn.edu

AmeriCorps Opportunity Full-time and Part-time positions available from September 1, 2012-August 31, 2013 in Alabama (Auburn, Opelika, Phenix City, and Sylacauga). Receive a living stipend and education award for college. Engage in the community by serving non-profits, schools, American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, SAFE in Sylacauga, Cora Reid Greene Home for Children, and/or Employers' Child Care Alliance. Inter-

Male Roommate Wanted Looking for roommate in lg 4 bedoom condo. Each bedroom has a bathroom.

Address: The Edge (1114 S. College). Includes: pool, living/dining room, kitchen, porch/balcony, washer/dryer, exercise room.Next to: J&M Bookstore, Locos Grill, Toomers Coffee Company, Tiger Transit. Cost: $350/ month.Lease: 12 months (8/1/12 - 7/31/13). Questions: chriskarabinos@comcast.net; 770-490-4940 Roommates wanted 2 males needed to share 3br furnished apt near AU. Own room + shared bath :$250mo + utl. Own room +own bath: $300/mo + utl. Contact Andrew: 310-702-6152; winslow.a@gmail.com Email winslettes@aol.com

Please Recycle your Plainsman

2

3 9

5

ested applicants should attend an information session on July 27th 9-10 a.m. OR 2-3 p.m. at 510 S. 7th Street Opelika. e-mail: americorps@ ccrc-alabama.org

15 words. . . . . . . . . . . . $6 Extra Words . . . . . . . 40¢ Bold/outline . .$1 per ad

Sudoku 4

3

Difficulty: Hard

7 4

6

3

9

8

5

6

1

4

4 3

3

9 4

1 6

1

6 4

5

Display Classifieds

Local............$11 per col inch National......$16 per col inch 1 col x 4″ min to 1 col x 8″ max

The Auburn Plainsman is not responsible for the content of the ads. Ads that seem too good to be true usually are.

Crossword

All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law.

All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

8

8

Line Classifieds