The Auburn Plainsman 01.30.2020

The Auburn Plainsman online at THEPLAINSMAN.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893

CAMPUS

VOL. 127 • ISSUE 18 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢

CAMPUS

Title IX: How it functions

By NATALIE BECKERINK Lifestyle Editor

A breakdown of Auburn SGA

Student Voter Turnout

By JACK WEST Managing Editor managing@theplainsman.com

34%

36%

27%

40%

2016 2017 2018 2019

With SGA elections approaching, students across the University will soon be inundated with newly screen-printed t-shirts, catchy slogans and concourse cheerleaders.

This annual routine of campaigning, elections

and runoffs can often blur into a minutia of platforms and promises, but there’s more to the process than that.

When student voters cast their ballots for president, vice president, treasurer, Miss Auburn and senators, they are choosing who will represent them to the rest of the University, to the » See SGA, 2

lifestyle@theplainsman.com

In 1972, the Title IX clause of the Federal Education Amendments was passed in order to help protect against exclusion and discrimination based on sex under any educational program that received federal funding.

According to the National Sexual Assault Resource Center, one in five women and one in sixteen men will be sexually assaulted, yet 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report a sexual assault.

With this in mind, Kelley Taylor, director of the Affirmative Action/ Equal Employment Opportunity office, discussed more of the details of Title IX and its relation to the University.

“I think it was really mainly about getting in and getting accepted,” Taylor said. “Over time, there were interpretations of Title IX. It stayed the same on the books, but it’s managed by the department of education’s office for civil rights.”

Since its inception, Title IX has expanded to include a broad field of topics under its jurisdiction. Along with sexual harassment, sexual assault and stalking in a school setting, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 reversed the decision made in Grove City College v. Bell, restoring Title IX to institution-wide coverage, including athletics.

Taylor said that athletics became a big part of the clause, but she emphasized that it goes beyond athlete-related incidents. Actions such as picking on someone’s gender, name-calling and repeatedly requesting dates can all be considered actions of sexual harassment.

“It got a lot into athletics, and a lot of people think of it in terms of athletics, and it certainly is still relevant,” she said. “But beyond that, it grew to include ... sexual harassment.”

Auburn University has a Title IX office located on the third floor of Foy in room 317. Taylor said they’ve been working toward making sure students have every opportunity to seek help.

“We got an important letter from the department of education’s office of civil rights in April of 2011 that said, ‘We’re concerned that there is not enough response from universities and K-12 schools with respect to sexual assault on campuses,’” she said. “So that’s how we got into the things that some people think are police things. Well, it’s a school thing too. We have an obligation to keep a safe campus.”

An important aspect of filing a Title IX report regards students’ options of who they want to talk to, Taylor said. They can report to their university, the police, both or neither.

Within the University, there are two types of reporters: confidential and nonconfidential. Confidential reporters, such as student counseling services or Safe Harbor, are not required to report information to the police. Nonconfidential » See TITLE IX, 2

COMMUNITY

FILE PHOTO

A bill proposed by Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, could revoke bail for suspects accused of seven different types of violent crimes.

Bill aims to change who can get bail

By EVAN MEALINS Assistant Community Editor community@theplainsman.com

Alabama Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said he has proposed legislation that would deny bail to those accused of seven “very top crimes.”

Ward plans to file the bill when the state legislature convenes for its regular session starting next month. The bill would restrict pretrial release on bail in the following cases: murder, rape in the first degree, first-degree sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual torture, human trafficking and kidnapping.

Ward said he was inspired to file the bill following the kidnapping and killing of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, who was a student at Southern Union State Community College.

“You look at the Aniah Blanchard case, and that guy should have never been out on bail,” Ward said. “He just shouldn’t have been.”

At the time of Blanchard’s abduction, Ibraheem Yazeed, the alleged kidnapper and killer of Blanchard, was out on $295,000 bond on charges for several crimes, including kidnapping — a crime for which bail would be denied under Ward’s bill.

Ward said he was similarly motivated to propose this bill following the kidnapping and killing

of 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney, from Birmingham.

“Same deal, [the suspect] had been arrested on felony kidnapping, was let go immediately, and, what’d [the suspect] do? [Suspect] goes and takes this little girl and kills her,” Ward said. “Those two, I think … really opened a lot of folks’ eyes.”

Patrick Stallworth and Derick Brown are both charged with capital murder and the kidnapping of McKinney but have not yet had a jury trial.

At the time of McKinney’s disappearance, Brown was out on bond for three felony kidnapping charges related to an incident in 2018.

Ward said the goal of this bill is to promote public safety by restricting release before trial for those accused of a wider range of crimes.

“You’re trying to protect society,” Ward said.

“That’s your ultimate goal.”

Ward said other senators had even suggested denying bail to those accused of all violent crimes.

“Some folks would say all violent crimes, but violent crimes under our code can mean anywhere up to 35 different crimes,” Ward said. He considers his list of the top seven crimes narrow.

Other Alabama senators see other potential benefits to the proposed legislation.

“It’s also gonna make it easier for people who

are possibly testifying to go on and testify without fear of any retribution,” said Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, who plans to co-sponsor the legislation when it’s filed. “I appreciate Sen. Ward for taking up this opportunity.”

Some advocacy groups, however, find widespread denial of bail has troubling implications.

“What’s at stake here is someone’s pretrial liberty,” said Micah West, senior staff attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Individuals who have been arrested, they haven’t been convicted of a crime. They are presumed innocent. They may be found innocent later.”

West said it’s important a person’s liberty isn’t taken.

“We want to ensure we aren’t taking away that person’s liberty if they haven’t been convicted and they haven’t had their day in court yet,” West said.

Under current Alabama statutes, those charged with non-capital offenses have a right to bail unless a judge determines the defendant poses a flight risk or danger to others or society at large, according to Alabama’s Rules of Criminal Procedure.

The Supreme Court has recognized the government’s ability to deny bail in these cases as » See BAIL, 7

CAMPUS

Changes coming in transportation, parking

By TIM NAIL Assistant Campus Editor campusw@theplainsman.com

Significant updates and new programs are underway for Auburn University’s Transportation Services, and The Plainsman recently spoke with its director, Don Andrae, about the details of each new development.

Here are the major takeaways re-

garding transportation on the Plains in 2020.

National Bus Network Connection German bus company Flixbus is bringing a network of affordable, national bus routes to the City. Students and residents can book oneway and round-trip rides to cities in neighboring states in buses that feature onboard entertainment, re-

SPORTS Basketball College GameDay coming to the Plains for first time The Plainsman previews Auburn-Kentucky with a GameDay guide, opponent Q&A and more. Page 8

www.theplainsman.com

go online

strooms and free Wi-Fi. “It’s nicer [than a Greyhound bus],” Andrae said.

The bus travels to several major cities neighboring Auburn, and the routes extend as far as California and New York.

Andrae said he feels “the best part” about the bus system is its inexpensive pricing, which is a benefit to students who don’t want to empty their wallet for transport. The price of a

ride in the Flixbus starts at $7.99.

In the past, the only comparable service available was Groome Transportation, billed only as an airport shuttle costing around $43 for a single trip to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

“If you were going to see Auburn playing in the Superdome, you could take a [Flixbus] from here to New » See SERVICES, 2

News 24/7 on our website Go online to theplainsman.com SCAN ME!

@TheAUPlainsman

@TheAuburnPlainsman

@TheAuburnPlainsman

news

2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

Branches of SGA

SGA

» From 1 administration and to other schools across the country.

In all, SGA is the biggest organization on campus; it is responsible for the expenditure of a large amount of student fees; and its members are often the face of the University.

With that being said, there are plenty of students who do not know how Auburn’s SGA functions or what it does.

The following is a simplified explanation of how SGA functions.

Legislative The Legislative branch of SGA consists of the Student Senate, its committees and its subcommittees.

Right now, there are 34 senate seats in SGA, 29 of which are apportioned to colleges annually by the Senate.

The distribution of these seats is based on the academic demographics of the University. These senators are only elected by students in the college they are representing. The other five senate seats are elected by the student body at large.

All candidates for Senate must have at least a 2.5 GPA and have been enrolled at Auburn for at least one semester. Once elected, senators serve a one-year term.

The SGA Vice President serves as the President of the Student Senate and presides over their weekly meetings.

The Student Senate is responsible for passing legislation, approving an annual budget, confirming presidential appointments and establishing committees to investigate any issues concerning the student body.

Executive The Executive branch of SGA consists of the SGA president, vice president, treasurer, members of the Executive Cabinet and the directors of programs.

Of those positions, the president, vice president and treasurer must be elected by at least 40% of student voters. Anyone wishing to run for those offices must have at least a 2.5 GPA and have completed at least two semesters at Auburn.

Importantly, the SGA president has veto power over any legislation passed by the Senate, but that veto can be overturned by a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

The president is also responsible for appointing the members of their Executive Cabinet and the directors of SGA programs.

Many of these programs have become Auburn traditions that are ingrained with people’s idea of Auburn.

For instance, Hey Day, the Holiday Lighting Ceremony, Homecoming and Aubie are all programs within SGA. The treasurer specifically is responsible for organizing and proposing an annual budget based on proposals sent to them by individual organizations.

Judicial The Judicial branch of SGA is composed of seven members of the Student Jurisprudence Committee and the Attorney General.

All of these people are appointed by the SGA president and confirmed by the Senate.

The Student Jurisprudence Committee interprets the SGA constitution and code of laws, and it has appellate jurisdiction in cases involving infractions of the election laws.

TITLE IX » From 1

reporters, such as professors, academic advisors and resident assistants, are required to pass information on to Auburn’s Department of Public Safety.

“The University has to be prepared to respond when someone makes a complaint on that sort of thing,” she said.

SERVICES » From 1

Orleans for $7, and you’re almost there at the game,” Andrae said.

The company has already launched in Auburn, and customers can book trips through its website or a mobile app.

The Flixbus stop is located at the intersection of War Eagle Way and Wire Road, next to the Village residence halls.

Tiger Transit Tiger Transit has received substantial upgrades in the form of a GPS system and new security cameras on each bus, which were implemented over winter break. The cameras feature real-time recording, allowing footage to be replayed immediately, even as a bus is still on the road.

Tiger Transit is also replacing the TransLoc Rider app for the DoubleMap app over the course of the semester, meaning students can still use both apps. Andrae says using DoubleMap will authorize Transportation Services to submit revised route changes, which is quicker than the process for Rider.

“We also added into there faster counting, so that way we can get accurate counts of how many people are getting on at each stop by the hour,”

NEWS

Legislative

Executive

Judicial

• Made up of a Student Senate of 34 members.

• Presided over by the SGA Vice President.

• Proposes and votes on legislation.

• Can override a presidential veto.

• Establishes committees to address issues concerning students.

• Approves proposed budgets for use of Student Activities Fees.

• Led by SGA President.

• Includes: Vice President, Treasurer, and all members of the Executive Cabinet.

• Appoints members of Student Jurisprudence Committee.

• President may veto legislation passed by the Student Senate.

• Treasurer manages information regarding Student Activities Fees.

• Composed of a sevenmember Student Jurisprudence Committee.

• Six Associate Justices and one Chief Justice are appointed by the SGA president.

• Interprets the SGA Constitution and Code of Laws.

• Attorney General acts as a liaison between parties.

Senators by college

At Large Education Business

When submitting a Title IX report, a representative from the office will work to set up a meeting as soon as possible. Taylor said the first discussion would most likely be on the resources available to students.

“First thing we would do would be to talk to them about resources,” Taylor said. “Options for things that could help them, like visiting Safe Harbor.

We can write teachers and tell them something very vague.”

Andrae said. “There’s a camera at the door counting people as they come on, so it’s automatic. Both the counting and the GPS tracking is done by DoubleMap.” Transportation Services is also weighing their options regarding what company they will partner with for the bus system. Their 10-year agreement with First Transit expires in August 2021. But whether the University decides to stay with First Transit or partner with another company, Andrae said they still want to bring a new fleet of buses. He said the University wants at least 15 vehicles to be fully electric or hybrid.

Andrae estimates 55 new diesel buses will cost between $600,000 and $700,000 each, while the 15 electric buses will cost between $700,000 and $800,000. The current buses — purchased eight years ago — cost $500,000 each, Andrae said.

War Eagle Express Transportation Services took full control of the War Eagle Express program, which was previously partly owned and managed by a third party, according to Andrae.

Four new golf carts have been purchased to pick up students, with one functioning as an on-call vehicle if needed during busy hours.

CADC Agriculture Graduate

Depending on what the student wants to do, the Title IX office will continue to work with them for as long as they want.

“Beyond that, the process would look like talking to the victim about whether or not they want to pursue a complaint under the University’s policies and procedures,” Taylor said. “If so, we would notify the respondent, and we’d notify the complainant, although they’d know.”

“The carts they were using were getting very undependable,” Andrae said. “The batteries on them were not lasting, and we run from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.”

Much like Tiger Transit buses, the carts can also be tracked by the DoubleMap app so that passengers know where to hitch a ride. Routes have not changed following the transition, though one has been added running from the Village residence halls to the RO parking lot.

The move also means students can now apply to drive an Express cart as a part-time job. A listing on Handshake until March 31 describes the position as paying $8.25 an hour, with flexible schedules allowing drivers to work on their own time. Applicants must have a strong driving record and pass a golf cart driving exam to be accepted, Andrae said.

Bike and Scooter Share The War Eagle Bike Share program, a commonly used mode of transportation for students, could potentially have a new vendor.

The biggest potential change from this, Andrae said, is all 200 bikes could be replaced by electric bikes come August.

Forestry Engineering Human Sciences

COSAM Veterinary Nursing

The Title IX office allows the student to go as far as pursuing criminal charges, but they are not forced to do so. The two investigations do differ, however: a police investigation would focus on convicting a criminal who has broken a law; a trial conducted by the University would be more about discovering whether or not the alleged suspect has violated University policies.

“We’re going to do a thorough and

The University is also interested in bringing electric scooters to campus.

“Our risk management team is very receptive [to electric scooters],” Andrae said. “With the newer e-scooter programs, you can control how fast [the scooters] can go, and there’s also geofencing you can put in as to where they can and can’t go.”

These geofencing options also allow for configuring speed in defined zones, which Andrae said is appealing in a college environment.

For example, if scooters were set up in the west RO parking lot, they might be permitted a maximum speed of 12 mph heading toward the Village residence halls. When a scooter drives on Thach Concourse, the maximum speed might drop to 9 mph once it recognized crossing zones, then down to 7 mph if the rider continued to South Donahue Drive, Andrae said.

Transportation Services is taking note of other areas in Alabama, such as Troy University and the City of Mobile. In fall 2018, Birds scooters didn’t register a business license before setting up their vehicles on city property. The incident soured the City’s impression of electric scooters.

“Even if we put a no-go zone in the City, we would not [start] it at Toomer’s Corner because otherwise we would

Pharmacy Liberal Arts

impartial investigation,” she said. “We have investigators that do that, then they reach a finding and make a recommendation if there’s a finding of responsibility.”

The time frame of the process depends on the specific investigation, but the anticipated duration is usually around 60 days. Once a formal resolution is decided by a Title IX officer, it can be appealed by either party involved.

find 200 scooters parked [there],” Andrae said. “The way our request for proposal [on scooters] is written says that you have to come in with a program that you can present to the City and our risk management, showing them a pilot program of maybe 25 scooters to see how it works.”

Transportation Services will be in talks with the City through August to see if scooters can be brought to campus.

Barnacle Parking Enforcement One new method of disciplining parking violators that’s causing discussion among students is the Barnacle. It’s a large square plastic device that parking staff affix to an offender’s windshield, completely obstructing their view.

Parking Services ordered a number of Barnacles to use when ticketing and are already using them.

“What we have done in the past is put wheel locks on a car that’s parked between two white lines, but is not entitled to park in the area,” he said. “If it’s registered, we put one, and if it’s not, we put two. That way, we make sure the vehicle cannot move.”

The downside to this is that offenders have to call Parking Services to have an employee remove the locks, which can be inconvenient at times. In

the case of the Barnacle, however, the offender has to call Parking Services to receive a four-digit code. The parking offender then inputs the code in the device and removes the Barnacle themselves. They are then asked to return the device to a drop-off box at the Parking Services office within 24 hours.

“Now, it’s much more convenient for them because they don’t have to wait for us to come out there,” Andrae said. “If we’re busy doing other things, it could be maybe 10 to 15 minutes before we get there.”

Some have found a method of removing the Barnacle by running their car’s windshield defroster until the suction cups of the device are loosened.

Andrae said Parking Services is already aware of this “hack” and cautions students against trying it.

“It has an alarm that goes off if it’s removed [without putting in the code], and it also has a GPS tracking device on it so we can tell where it’s going,” he said. “The key thing, too, is that we have the license plate number of the vehicle.”

If the device is not returned within 24 hours, Parking Services has the right to report parking violators to the police for theft of property, a much graver offense than simply paying off the ticket, he said.

opinion

3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

OPINION

EDITORIAL

SGA amendment fails due to absences

By EDITORIAL BOARD Spring 2020

For some students, SGA is an afterthought, something that only comes up when you get bombarded on the concourse from campaigns urging you to vote. In actuality, SGA provides students with an opportunity to fundamentally change the university that they attend.

Senators in SGA are a direct pipeline to not only city lawmakers, but state ones as well. The platform that students vote for are taken into serious consideration and can alter experiences at Auburn for years to come. To be appointed or elected is one of the highest honors a student can receive because of the duty and responsibility attached to it.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the current senators failed to live up to that responsibility.

During this meeting, officials were supposed to be voting on a proposed amendment to the constitution.

If passed, this amendment would have increased the number of Senate seats from 34 to 44. The goal was to increase student involvement by giving these 10 seats to representatives from major groups on campus.

This would have included Greek, religious and spiritual, sports and recreational, Student Activity Organizations and cultur-

al groups.

Currently, Auburn has a senator to student ratio of 896 to 1, according to the Office of Institutional Research. This is one of the lowest marks in the entire Southeastern Conference.

Whether this amendment is beneficial or not takes a backseat to what occurred.

To pass an amendment, it must be agreed upon by four-fifths of the Senate. Usually, SGA has 34 senators, but because one changed their major and vacated their seat, they were left with 33.

This meant that a majority would be 26.4 which rounds to 27, according to SGA rules.

So, SGA needed at least 27 members out of 33 to vote on the amendment.

The problem is: only 26 members showed up to the meeting.

More representation doesn’t help if the already elected officials can’t carry out their most essential duties.

SGA can only amend the constitution twice a year; once during the fall and once during the spring. This blunder delays this vote for another semester, rendering an entire hour and a half of debate useless. For some senators, this was their last chance to pass an amendment before the end of their time in the Senate.

This isn’t how you serve the student body.

LOUIS MARTIN \ CARTOONIST

How can you represent the best interest of the people who go to Auburn if you are unable to even go through the process of change? Voting on an amendment is one of the most important duties of the job. Being unaware that you don’t have enough senators to vote is irresponsible.

For some students, the proceedings of SGA are a mysterious process, but SGA members should understand them.

Student government is incredibly important. Without SGA, the campus can’t reflect the thoughts of the people who attend the

school.

With elections coming up, we should see this as a reason to get involved.

It’s up to us to research candidates’ platforms and vote for the ones that align most with what we believe. That’s how we make sure they continue to fight for the student body.

On Jan. 22, the senators who were supposed to represent the student body — who were entrusted with the responsibility of fighting for our best interest — failed.

Representation matters.

COLUMN

I’m from LA; Kobe was bigger than life Bryce Johnson Opinion Editor

Kobe was Inglewood The place where he started his career. Playing in the Forum as a 17-year-old kid drafted by the Lakers in 1996. This wasn’t Kobe, the star.

This was the Kobe that worked himself to the bone. The legend of his work ethic transcends any highlight he’s ever had. The “Mamba Mentality.” Tales of him working out at 4 a.m. when some players are coming back from a night out. Just like the community that surrounded his first professional home.

This isn’t the LA you read about or see on TV. This is the hard work, no glitz, Los Angeles; that’s the reality for millions of people. Everything that the Clippers are trying to market themselves as right now, Kobe was.

Black or Hispanic, you were watching Kobe. At any given moment, you could see someone walking around in a shirt with the x-ray of his hand, showing all the places it had jammed or fractured, but he always continued to play.

Pain was a momentary nuisance to him. It didn’t matter if his Achilles ripped clean off the bone, best believe he’d go out there and shoot free throws. We all watched. Hit after hit, break after break, he was there. “You will not outwork me.” No one was more dedicated than Kobe. He had the aura around him that told everyone he wasn’t the one to mess with.

That’s Inglewood. That’s where the LA ego comes from. The trash talk.

No flinch. The I’ll go shut down your best player and give him 45 points on the other end kind of attitude. The I can do anything.

Kobe was Hollywood He was everywhere. Billboards, Nike commercials, rap videos, mag-

azines. No celebrity shined brighter. His smile was the polar opposite of his trademark scowl. Kobe was a master storyteller. This is a guy that won an Academy Award only a year after playing. You could see him on a late-night show joking it up or talking about the love of his life, his daughters.

He’d let you know how Gigi would carry on his legacy and torch every court she’d ever play on. Just like her dad.

He always thought about his legacy.

From when he first entered the league, he said he’d be the best ever to do it and ended up the symbol for a generation. He embraced the spotlight as only one other Laker had, but there was only one Kobe. He found a way to put the perfect ending on everything he did. We saw this over and over again. At a point, it seemed Kobe was synonymous with game-winners. When the game was on the line and the clock under five, the ball would be in his hands. Even at the end of his career, he found a way to make it feel like a storybook.

Sixty points, the most ever in a curtain call.

Only Kobe. He’d always end right on time but leave you wanting more.

Kobe was Chinatown 24 is global. His reach goes far beyond the Staples Center. Some people have never spoken a word of English but screamed Kobe at the top of their lungs when he’d rise for a fadeaway. There is not one American born player that’s more popular than him in China.

During his 20 years in the league, you could go to Chinatown and see him. Whether it was a knock off jersey or a framed picture, he connected to the community like no one else. The NBA has only been a global

game for a short amount of time, and a lot of that had to do with him. The feeling that you get watching him contort his body through the air to get to the basket was universal.

Everyone wanted to defy the odds like Kobe.

Kobe was Downtown Staples Center, the place he ended his career. The house that Kobe built.

Until 2000, it had been almost a decade since Los Angeles had won a sports title. Anywhere else in the country that’s celebrated. Not in LA. This is a town that doesn’t celebrate winners, it requires them. Kobe was the ultimate winner. Five championships. Tied for the most out of anyone that ever wore the royal purple and gold.

He wore it as a badge of honor.

Celebrities, icons and moguls all looked up to him. The city showed love for him unlike anyone else because every night in the confines of Staples he’d put on a show.

81 points.

There have been countless great scorers in the NBA, but no one turned putting the ball in the hoop into an artistic expression. At times, it seems like he’d create challenges for himself to increase the entertainment. He’d go out of his way to shoot over a double team or to find a new player to dunk over.

The images of him celebrating will live on forever. Hands outstretched, confetti raining around him as he stood over an entire city in attendance. He was a star, unlike any other.

Kobe was LA One of my first memories was going to the 2000 championship parade. As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, nothing came before the Lakers. My parents had been fans all

COLUMNS & EDITORIALS

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.

The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.

Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification.

Submission may be edited for grammar, style and length. Please submit no more than 600 words.

This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper.

The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors.

These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

CONTACT

Letters must be submitted to editor@theplainsman.com before 4:30 p.m. on Friday for publication.

Kobe Bryant, but you could never be indifferent. It was love or it was hate. Viewers had the same passion for watching him as he did playing.

It didn’t even matter if you watched basketball.

He touched everyone.

I remember Sunday afternoons during the playoffs, the extended family that I’m not close with would come over. All I had to say was, “how about the Lakers?” They’d reply with, “how about Kobe?”

He brought people together.

Kobe was Everything to Me It still doesn’t feel right. He shouldn’t be gone. For us, he was a superhero in real life. He’s embedded into everything we do. All over, kids would spend hours in the driveway mimicking every move he ever made. He was the cultural figure that was on the tip of our tongue when a crumpled up piece of paper was in hand. A universal signal that could light up a conversation at any time.

He can’t be gone. Not like this.

As a player, Kobe didn’t pass.

He’s not allowed to pass away. Every night, between 94- feet of hardwood, he always found a way to do the impossible. Why not live forever? If anyone was to figure out immortality, it was him.

This man made me fall in love with what I do now. I’m the person I am because of him. And now a piece of me is gone.

I shouldn’t be crying this much over a person I never met, but I know there’s a city full of people who feel the same way I do. The town he inspired and loved with all his heart.

He gave us 20 years. We watched him grow up as we grew with him.

A representative that brought the world’s attention.

A man who could never be duplicated or thanked. Only adored.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

their lives, and they passed it on to my siblings and me as if it was hereditary. My mother dressed us up in matching eight jerseys, each with a pair of Kobe signature shoes to match. A laker flag proudly clung to the window of our car just like every other one that passed by. Millions of people coming to pay their respect to a team that brought success back to the city. Me, hanging on to my dad’s shoulders above the sea of gold and purple, hoping to catch a glimpse of the float pass by.

Those same millions mourned on Sunday.

“This is how 9/11 felt.”

That’s what my mother told me on the phone that day. Tragedy. A life that was supposed to be here for decades to come was ripped away from us on a freak accident. It can’t be described what he meant to my home town. He was the guy that held everyone together. An invisible fabric that you didn’t acknowledge but knew at all times was there.

It made us all rethink our relationships and mourn together. Saying an extra “I love you” because we were reminded how fragile life is. Knowing that everyone you pass is going through the same amount of grief.

Crying next to a stranger for someone you loved equally. It’s more than just about sports.

Kobe was a Religion Stats were meaningless arguing about Kobe. Something I frequently did after my love for the Lakers faded because my favorite player Shaq left.

There was no use.

Kobe wasn’t great because of his stats. It was his essence. How do you boil down emotion into a qualitative stat? The feeling you got when he was on the court was unlike any other. He made you respect him.

You could feel a lot of things about

EDUARDO MEDINA

JACK WEST

LOREN KIMMEL

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor, Operations

Managing Editor, Standards

ELIZABETH HURLEY

TRICE BROWN

BRYCE JOHNSON

Community Editor

Campus Editor

Opinion Editor

EVAN MEALINS

TIM NAIL

MARIE LIPSKI

Assistant Community

Assistant Campus

Photo Editor

NATALIE BECKERINK

NATHAN KING

CAMERON BRASHER

Lifestyle Editor

Sports Editor

Video Editor

LOUIS MARTIN

SUMNER MARTIN

JADA WALKER

Cartoonist

Assistant Sport

Social Media Manager

Newsroom: news@theplainsman.com Sports: sports@theplainsman.com Opinion: opinion@theplainsman.com Editor: editor@theplainsman.com Advertising: admanager@theplainsman.com

334-844-9108

344-844-9101

campus

4

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

CAMPUS

2020 SGA ELECTIONS ADA RUTH HUNTLEY

JACARI HOLT

JACK O’KEEFE

PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT

By EDUARDO MEDINA

By TRICE BROWN

By NATALIE BECKERINK

Editor-in-Chief

Campus Editor

Lifestyle Editor

Ada Ruth Huntley, junior in global studies, remembers going to Auburn football games as a child, clad in orange and blue, bearing witness to a University that made its members feel like family.

Now, Huntley is running to lead a student body that she believes embodies the best of Auburn: passion, empathy and a willingness to face issues directly and honestly.

“Knowing my leadership abilities and what I can bring to the table, that’s why I decided to run for this,” Huntley said.

There are three key issues she’ll address if elected president: health, wellness and diversity, she said.

Instead of making a blanket promise to uphold diversity, Huntley said she wants to create an inclusion certification program for on-campus organizations encouraging people to engage with these topics in a practical manner.

“No family is perfect,” Huntley said. “There are still students on this campus who struggle with their identity in the Auburn Family.”

Mental health and wellness are also key issue for Huntley. She said she’s experienced anxiety and depression, but she’s “very open about it” because it’s what good leaders do — be truthful and honest with themselves.

“It’s not a hindrance — it’s a challenge, and it’s a challenge that many people have,” she said. “It’s a challenge that I think makes me a better leader because I’m able to apply those experiences.”

Huntley plans to establish a task force focusing on mental health and advocate for the addition of a military-trained counselor on campus to support student veterans.

Jacari Holt, junior in political science, is running for SGA President because he wants to serve all Auburn students and make an impact in each individual’s life, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

“I have a servant heart and I believe that through all of my life experiences that I can add value to them,” Holt said.

Holt has served two years on the Interfraternity Council Cabinet, spending one year as director of health and wellness and this past year as director of outreach. He also currently serves as an at-large senator in SGA Senate.

Holt said he believes food insecurity is one of the chief problems facing Auburn students as a whole right now.

“30% of Auburn [University students are] food insecure,” he said.

To combat this problem, Holt hopes as SGA president to host a 5K and half-marathon race that would raise money for a student recovery fund, where students can apply to for extra dining dollars or other financial resources.

Holt’s platform also focuses on including international students in SGA, a group that he said he feels has been largely left out.

Holt said that after meeting with international students, he learned that they would benefit the most from would be sending shopping shuttles to Tiger Town more than once a week.

“The vast majority of [international students] don’t have cars,” he said. “They all have to Uber to Walmart, Uber to Publix, and that adds up.”

Jack O’Keefe, junior in building science, said one of the most important aspects of the Auburn experience is all students feeling like they are heard, something he focused on while crafting his platform for SGA president.

“What’s really cool is that I got to see that one side of the coin of that average Auburn student, and now I get to see that SGA side, so I get to see the back workings and how everyone really goes about this,” he said.

For his platform, “On-Board with O’Keefe,” the focal points fall into three different categories: inclusiveness, transportation and campus life.

One idea that O’Keefe emphasized was creating a rewards program for students to attend different organizational events in order to assist in growing the Auburn family, he said.

“Not typically how students may think of inclusiveness, but more so including people in the Auburn family and making them feel more included and more involved in the Auburn family,” O’Keefe said.

In regard to transportation, O’Keefe said that he hoped to improve several aspects, including working toward getting electric scooters and keeping close tabs on the new Lyft program that was recently implemented.

As the current director of housing for SGA, O’Keefe said he is passionate about the last portion of his platform. Campus life is a something he’s spent a lot of time working to improve by listening to students, he said.

“What’s really cool is that I’ve been able to throw so many things into this part of the platform that students told me that Auburn might be missing the mark with,” O’Keefe said.

JAMES SADIE PRESIDENT

By TIM NAIL Assistant Campus Editor

James Sadie, junior in finance, is centering his campaign around three pillars: safety and transportation, community and the word “elevate.”

Sadie wants to introduce housing ambassadors who would cooperate with resident assistants to provide a smoother transition for students moving on campus. “[They would be] able to relay your concerns and needs to the administration and faculty in a more precise and simplified manner,” Sadie said. “[We could] get quantitative feedback directly from the residents living in those halls to really help make a big difference in your expe-

rience in the residence hall.”

Sadie said he would like to extend the University’s partnership with Lyft beyond fall 2020.

“We believe that this is the ideal form of transportation for our students, whether you’re studying late at night on campus, trying to go off campus or if you’re in the downtown area late at night and you need a ride to your door,” he said.

He’s also interested in bringing electric bikes and scooters to campus. Sadie hopes to work with the City of Auburn and the University to get this done.

“We believe that there’s true value in those electric bikes and scooters,” Sadie said. “For example, going from the RO parking lot to the RX parking lot.”

Sadie’s role as budget and finance chair for SGA this year helped shape his third pillar — to “elevate” the student experience. The position familiarized Sadie with the University’s $45 student activity fee supporting SGA and student organizations.

He said University-approved excuses covering job or internship interviews would elevate Auburn.

“All classes at Auburn are important for what we’re doing,” Sadie said, “but we never want to have class interfere with our ability to get to where we’re trying to go.”

Another way to elevate Auburn involves wait times for men’s basketball

JORDAN BAILEY PRESIDENT

By TRICE BROWN Campus Editor

Jordan Bailey, junior in industrial and systems engineering, said he’s running for SGA president because he thinks most students don’t know enough about what’s happening in SGA. “The top 5% of students that are all super involved and know everything, I mean, it’s perfect,” he said. “They get everything they are looking for. But then the other 95% of students that may not necessarily be involved but still want to know what’s changing on campus, they’ve kind of been left out.”

During his time as a senator, Bailey said he saw organizations

struggle with certain issues that SGA has had solutions to for years.

“My passion is just like having everyone get to at least the same level a little bit, so it’s not just people being left behind anymore,” he said.”

One way Bailey wants to connect students to SGA is by creating a texting service that updates students on what’s changing around campus.

“If you asked most Auburn students, I don’t think any of them can name their senator or School’s Council or anything,” he said. “I’m voting on decisions that affect your day-to-day life, but you don’t know I exist, and that scares me a lot.”

Bailey said he took a year off of student government this past year to get outside of the “bubble” of SGA. He wondered if he would be able to find information if he wasn’t getting it from SGA meetings.

“I realized that it was actually really difficult because a lot of things are changing,” he said.

Jordan said he would hear from friends who would ask if he heard about things happening in SGA since leaving as a senator, and he hadn’t. He said he realized most students don’t get it either.

“Is it their job to go and find it or is it our job to make it easy enough to tell them where it is?” he said.

PHOTOS VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

PAGE 5

VOTE FEB. 4 AT AUB.IE/SGAVOTE

2020 SGA ELECTIONS ANNIE OZMENT

HAYS KASSEN

XAVIER KIMBRELL

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

By COLLINS KEITH

By COLLINS KEITH

By COLLINS KEITH

Campus Reporter

Campus Reporter

Campus Reporter

SGA vice presidential candidate Annie Ozment, junior in psychology, has been a part of SGA since her freshman year.

Beginning with a year on Freshman Forum, Ozment then moved to become a senator for the College of Sciences and Mathematics and has held that position for two years.

During this past year of Senate, Ozment lead the Inclusion and Diversity Committee. From this position, she said she has been able to see the gap that is still present between different groups of students.

According to Ozment, through her meetings with professors, students and different organizations on campus, she has been able to see that not every student is able to fit in with the majority on campus.

While she hopes to be able to fix this problem regardless of her position in SGA, Ozment has seen the work that SGA Vice President Carlos Smith has done towards increasing the representation of all different types of groups at Auburn, and she hopes to be able to continue this tradition in the following year.

This past year in Senate, Ozment pushed for an increase in the amount of need-based aid available to students, in hopes of advocating for a more diverse student body.

According to Ozment, she found through her research that a large amount of students who would like to attend Auburn are forced to look elsewhere due to the steep price, and increasing the amount of need-based aid to students would hopefully combat this issue.

SGA vice presidential candidate Hays Kassen, junior in accounting, knows his work would begin as soon as he took office in February.

While many students are already looking forward to summer, Kassen said he wants Senate to be willing and ready to do as much as they can, right from the start of the next term.

“You don’t really feel like you start working really hard until you’ve been in office for a little bit,” Kassen said. “As soon as I get in office, I just want to have that mentality of, ‘We only have six weeks left, so we need to do everything we can from the start.’”

According to Kassen, the transitional period between terms is a large hindrance to the speed at which they can begin work.

The easier it is for senators to grasp their specific roles, the quicker they can begin working on legislation and talking to constituents, he said.

A way to speed up the transition, according to Kassen, is to make their individual roles more well defined, and to make sure senators are pursuing issues they are passionate about.

Kassen said being a part of this year’s Senate and a member of the Academic Affairs Committee has allowed him to be involved with a lot of the processes he would oversee as vice president.

Regardless of how long Kassen is a member of SGA, he knows he will continue to advance Auburn, serving until the day of his graduation.

Being a first-generation college student with a major in biochemistry, SGA vice presidential candidate Xavier Kimbrell knows the meaning of hard work.

Kimbrell began his involvement in student government in high school, where he ran for treasurer multiple times — a position he knew he would win – often unopposed.

According to Kimbrell, he didn’t feel as if he had the self-confidence to run against anyone else during high school, but now, due to the culmination of the experiences he’s had and the relationships he’s formed since coming to Auburn, he feels more than prepared to run in an election of this magnitude.

One of Kimbrell’s main focuses is improving the outreach of Senate and making it a better representation of the student body.

Kimbrell said he hopes he can increase student representation during his term via an amendment that was recently tabled indefinitely in an SGA Senate meeting.

In addition, he hopes to make some structural changes to committees that are somewhat outdated, updating them to better suit the current student population of Auburn.

Kimbrel said a good way to bridge the gap between senators and students could be to have a field day once a month, where the senators would all go to meet and discuss topics and ideas with students.

For Kimbrell, he hopes not to just continue the traditions of SGA to promote and serve, but to exceed and go beyond for the present and the future.

By SARAH GIBSON

By SARAH GIBSON

Campus Writer

Campus Writer

The first candidate for treasurer is Caroline Willoughby, a junior in accounting from Hoover, Alabama.

Willoughby has served as director of City relations, and she is currently a senator for the Harbert College of Business. She has been on Lobby Board throughout her time in college.

“I have been in SGA for the past three years and have been able to observe past treasurers,” Willoughby said. “I feel my education and passion for helping other people manage their money will suit this position very well.”

Willoughby’s platform is supporting students in all of their money endeavors by working with both on-campus and off-campus stores and restaurants to provide discounts for students and set aside the money saved for something else.

“As a college student, I know how much a 10% discount can mean when on a budget,” she said in her platform document. “I plan to advertise these money-saving opportunities by advertising in the weekly newsletter and a comprehensive document on the University website.”

She wants to aid students in budgeting their money through a spreadsheet that would detail how much students should spend on a monthly or weekly basis. This would include

The next candidate is Michael Thomas, a sophomore in finance from Auburn. Thomas gives tours for the business school, and he mentioned how passionate he is about returning the generosity he has received from Auburn.

“I feel like through this platform I can serve Auburn,” Thomas said. “I am a finance major, and I work for the Board of Trustees in Samford Hall, which has given me so much insight to how Auburn works as a whole.”

Thomas’s platform involves putting a spotlight on scholarships that are not highly publicized so students qualified for these are granted them. These include scholarships such as the Ceddrick Mack Beacon Scholarship through SGA, open for everyone to apply.

Thomas said he wants more people to be aware of the scholarships available to them.

“As a quadruplet and one of four siblings in my family currently enrolled at Auburn, I fully understand the significant impact any scholarship can have for a student,” he said. “I will create a committee whose job is to properly investigate scholarship opportunities for Auburn students based on their involvement as well as need-

CAROLINE WILLOUGHBY TREASURER things such as food, laundry and any other purchases.

She also mentioned helping to budget Tiger Card money.

Willoughby also wants to work with the Organizations Board, which is in charge of all student organizations. She wants to make a more comprehensible path for this department to get financial help from SGA. Her goal for the treasurer office is to make spreadsheets more accessible to students.

“These student organizations do not automatically receive funding through the Student Activities Fund,” Willoughby said. “I would like to increase support by delegating a director to work with and aid in the creation of budgets and requests when needed.”

MICHAEL THOMAS TREASURER based.”

Thomas also wants to explain to students why tuition and fees are increasing and where this money is going through summary reports, explanations of the budget reports and other fiscal reports.

“Since 1980, the tuition and fees rate has grown from around $600 to around $11,500 per semester, an 1,800% increase,” Thomas said in his platform document. “Every student has the right to understand how [their] hard-earned money is being spent.”

Thomas wants to have more personal connections with people who request money from SGA, saying that intentionality goes a long way in this process.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY, ARIANNA HAYNES AND JANEY ARMOUR

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

PAGE 6

2020 MISS AUBURN ELECTIONS VOTE HERE:

CAT BRYANT

KATIE PHELAN

MAGGIE RICKS

By JORDAN WINDHAM

By JORDAN WINDHAM

By JORDAN WINDHAM

Campus Writer

Campus Writer

Campus Writer

Catherine Bryant is a Miss Auburn candidate who believes in “a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities,” her chosen line from the Auburn Creed, so much so that she is campaigning on these values.

“I believe that the rest of our Creed cannot be accomplished without stepping outside of our comfort zones first,” Bryant said.

“It’s not easy to be the ‘human touch’ to someone you don’t understand. It’s scary to put in ‘work, hard work’ with fear of failure, and it’s uncomfortable to give ‘honesty and truthfulness’ to yourself and others.”

Bryant hopes that her platform will encourage people to push through these growing pains and live the Auburn Creed.

Pushing through fear and uncertainty, Bryant said, has been a part of her Auburn journey from the beginning.

As an out-of-state student from Texas, moving to Auburn was a time when she learned the value of pushing through these emotions.

“Today I look at ‘out of state’ as a gift because it challenged me to look at every person I met as a potential friend and every risk as my next great adventure,” Bryant said. “This line of the Creed has always been a reminder and challenge of that for me.”

Bryant wants to share the power she has found in self-belief with her Auburn Family.

“My slogan, ‘Believe in Bryant,’ is a reminder to believe in myself as much as it is a cheesy campaign slogan,” Bryant said. “That’s been a big part of my Auburn story — strangers believing in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.”

Miss Auburn candidate Katie Phelan chose honesty and truthfulness to be the central points of her campaign. Phelan committed to this theme wholeheartedly. During the interview process, she said she did not prepare for questions because she wanted to be her most authentic self.

“I just wanted to speak honestly, and if I made it to the next round, it would be because they liked what I had to say,” Phelan said.

She chose her line of the Auburn Creed to represent these beliefs, selecting, “I believe in honesty and truthfulness.”

“Focus on being honest and true with yourself first before you can pour out to others,” she said.

Her campaign is focused on starting the conversation about mental health on campus.

Phelan said her personal struggle with anxiety has made her passionate about advocating for those who struggle with mental health.

“I realized that no one wants to talk about it because people see it as a weakness,” Phelan said. “I was lucky enough to have people in my life who didn’t see that as a weakness.

It was just a different thing I was battling, and everyone has something.”

When she got to college, Phelan knew that she wanted to start with helping individuals.

“I can’t change the face of Auburn,” she said. “No one can. But if we just start being more authentic and honest with ourselves, those small changes are how we have a big effect on campus.”

Miss Auburn candidate Maggie Ricks believes that Auburn University is not just a school, but a home to everyone who attends. She chose the Creed line, “I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God.” This line of the Creed, Ricks said, has always resonated with her.

She wrote about it in her application to Auburn and her Camp War Eagle counselor application. “[Auburn] has given me so many things.

It’s given me my friends, a great education and a lot of fun memories that I can hold onto, and I want other people to have that, too,” she said.

Ricks said her campaign is focused on “my own home,” because students spend at least four years living in Auburn, and it should be more than just a school.

“This week, we’re going to be on the concourse just welcoming people in and hearing what makes Auburn feel like home and [hearing] what qualities a home has for them,” Ricks said.

As a girl from a small Georgia town, Ricks recognizes that home means something different to each person.

She wants to use her platform to hear about what “home” is for members of the Auburn Family and to help them find it in Auburn.

“We’re really looking forward to focusing on hearing about what makes Auburn home to people this week and, if I win, using that voice to represent those students who don’t feel as well represented,” Ricks said.

MEGAN ONDRIZEK

By JORDAN WINDHAM Campus Writer

Miss Auburn is a representative of the people of Auburn, so Megan Ondrizek chose to focus her platform on the Auburn Family. To represent this, she chose the sixth line of the Auburn Creed: “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.”

“I love the people of Auburn because they have loved me, and I want to return the intentionality that they have poured into the Auburn students,” she said.

Ondrizek plans to use her time as Miss Auburn to promote cur-

rent service opportunities around the community and the creation of new service opportunities.

“It is my goal to remind students that the Auburn Family extends beyond the people that they see on campus daily and offer a way to bridge that gap,” Ondrizek said in her platform. “We are fortunate to attend a University that is loved so well by those who surround it, and it is our turn to return that support.”

Her campaign uses community service to highlight the importance of relationships in a community.

“I truly do believe that Auburn has given me the greatest gift life has to offer: genuine, loving relationships,” Ondrizek said. “My goal is to ensure that the intentionality found in those relationships is both shared and received by all.”

Ondrizek said her road to this campaign has strengthened her passion for service and appreciation of those who serve tirelessly. She said she has felt this support during her time at Auburn and wants to share her passion for giving back with the Auburn Family.

“As Miss Auburn, I would seek to serve the student body and the community as I serve those closest to me,” Ondrizek said. “A smile and an act of service do just as much for you as they do for the people you offer them to.”

SASHA COHEN

By JORDAN WINDHAM Campus Writer

Sasha Cohen is using her Miss Auburn platform to ask her fellow students to look within to create a more authentic student body. Her platform is rooted in the Auburn Creed line, “I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.”

“I think it’s easy to look at this line of the Creed and ask others to be honest and truthful, but to me, I think you have to start by looking within,” Cohen said. “My vision for Auburn is a place where we can be sincere in our actions, speak truth in our words and be genuine in our character.”

Cohen is using her perspective as a

member of a minority group to bring a new perspective to call for increased inclusion and diversity.

“Many times, [Miss Auburn candidates] have never experienced what it is like to be the minority on campus,” Cohen said. “Instead, they are just going off what they are hearing. Their advocacy is important, but as a black woman, I feel like I can bring the perspective of what the experience is like as a minority student at this University.”

Cohen wants to provide a voice for all students so that the student body can come together, create change and work to improve Auburn.

“It’s imperative that Auburn is always striving towards creating an environment where all students feel like they can be themselves every single day,” Cohen said. “By working with the new SGA administration, collaborating with different University offices and resources and accounting for actual student voices, change is possible.”

Cohen considers the voice she has been able to lend to her cause to be the most important part of her campaign for Miss Auburn.

“If you are not present, then your voice and your perspective is not even being considered,” Cohen said. “If one student feels safer and more secure knowing that they are loved and someone is advocating for them, then I know that I have accomplished what I wanted.”

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

community THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

7 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COMMUNITY

PHILANTHROPY

Food Bank of East Alabama begins work at new facility

EVAN MEALINS / ASSISTANT COMMUNITY EDITOR

By CHARLIE RAMO Community Reporter

The Food Bank of East Alabama effectively doubled their food storage space when they began distribution out of their new facility on Jan. 27.

The week prior to the move was spent moving 750,000 pounds of food to the new facility, said Martha Henk, Executive Director for Food Bank of East

Alabama.

It had eventually gotten to the point that the food bank had to turn down donations multiple weeks in a row, Henk said.

“We knew we’d love to have that product, and our agencies would be benefitted by it, but we didn’t have the space for all that was being offered to us.”

The old building was about 20,000 square feet, only 13,000 of which was the warehouse.

The new building, right nextdoor to the old one, has over 40,000 square feet in the warehouse alone. Frozen storage space increased by 20% and cooler storage space increased by 140%, Henk said.

The volunteer work area has increased from 2,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet in the new building, Henk said.

The old building could only handle about 20 volunteers at once. Over 84,000 pounds of food was sorted each month in the old facility, and Henk expects that number to grow in the new facility.

“All the way around, it’s going to greatly increase our ability to handle and distribute food to our agencies,” Henk said.

Henk expects to hire additional staff in the future, but no determination has been made yet.

The Food Bank of East Alabama will look to grow their current

programs and potentially add more after operating in the new space for some time.

“We started a new program last year called Commodity Supplemental Food Program, where we pack boxes of food for low-income seniors,” Henk said.

“We will be growing that program. Part of our difficulty in the old building was we didn’t have the space to store that product.”

The Food Bank is a part of the Feeding America program, which analyzes each county to determine how many people are food-insecure and how much food is distributed, Henk said.

The food bank serves seven counties in central-eastern Alabama, Henk said. Lee County is the only county they serve that is currently considered underserved in food distribution. Over half of the food distributed in this region goes to Lee County.

In Alabama, an average of one

FOOD

in five people are food-insecure, Henk said. There are over 64,000 people who are served by the Food Bank.

“We love our mobile food pantry program, essentially a food pantry on wheels, where we partner with an agency in an area, load up a truck with a variety of foods,” Henk said. “We drive to the area to do direct distribution off of the truck.”

The expansion of fresh food storage in the new facility will directly improve the mobile food pantry program, Henk said.

“From humble beginnings in the old Auburn Post Office, the Food Bank has dreamed of more: more storage for fresh, healthy food, more room for volunteers, more efficient offices and operation space, more members of the community rallying behind our mission,” Henk said. “We have accomplished much of that, but this is just the beginning.”

SERVICE

Chili Fest serves hot dishes in cold temps

By TIM NAIL Assistant Campus Editor

After Auburn reached a new low temperature last week, patrons of the Auburn Chili Fest were warmed with bowls of chili at the Greystone Mansion. Five eateries in the area exhibited their recipes in the competition to see who could cook up residents’ favorite chili.

Visitors to the event had the opportunity to try one free bowl of each restaurant’s take on the dish and then use a voting ticket, given after paying for entry, to choose their favorite offering. Local businesses like The Hound, Lucy’s and Butcher Paper BBQ were present, as well as the regional chain Jim ‘N Nicks. A new restaurant, Country Club of Auburn, which is planned to open on South College Street, also made its debut at the fest.

“A lot of places have chili on their menu, but no one really knows about it,” said Melissa King, event coordinator for Auburn Fest. “[With] it being January, we wanted to have something for people to do in the wintertime.”

Auburn Fest is an event series in the Auburn area, featuring events like Auburn Taco Fest, Auburn BBQ Fest and Auburn Chili Fest.

Lucy’s presented a variety of chili

BAIL » From 1

legitimate.

However, bail is typically denied in Alabama only for capital offenses. The Supreme Court has recognized the rights of state and local courts to deny bail for those accused of capital crimes, stating that the Excessive Bail Clause from the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not apply in those cases. “[The Excessive Bail] Clause, of course, says nothing about whether bail shall be available at all,” Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote in United States v. Salerno.

In these capital cases, there is still a burden on the judge to show that “the proof is evident or the presumption great” that the suspect committed the crime, according to Section 16 of the Alabama Constitution, which also protects the accused from excessive bail. Bail is provided as a default in these cases.

In Ward’s bill, for those accused of the seven crimes listed above, bail denial would be the default rather than the exception.

that included hominy, Alabama Sunshine hot sauce and corn, which Lucy’s representatives said dulled the heat of the overall recipe. The Hound gave guests a seafood-based bowl that proved popular and had some event attendees coming back for seconds.

“I decided to do a little something different, so I did a shrimp and chorizo chili,” said Robbie Nicolaisen, executive chef at The Hound. “I put a little butternut squash, sweet potato and black bean. Then I did a Mexican sweetcorn and a relish I put on top of it.”

Nicolaisen said he had never made the recipe before, developing it specifically for the event following encouragement from event organizers who pitched the fest to restaurants regardless of whether they had chili on their menus.

“I just winged it,” Nicolaisen said.

“I’ve made chili plenty of times but never one of this style, so I think it turned out very well.”

In the end, it was Jim N’ Nick’s’ entry that won over the most hearts of attendees, whose chili and cheddar cheese biscuits ran out on several occasions over the course of the fivehour event.

“For us, our recipe was really more of an homage to the founder of our company, Jim, and his son, Nick,” said

Because of this, Ward’s legislation would have to take the form of a Constitutional amendment, overriding at least part of Section 16 of the Alabama Constitution.

This change to the Constitution would apply only to certain cases, Ward claims.

For crimes besides the top seven outlined in the legislation, Ward said Section 16 would still apply.

While the Supreme Court has generally allowed states to deny bail for defendants who are accused of capital offenses, assumed to be flight risks or thought dangers to society — considered individualized determinations — the Court has, in the past, been less inclined to allow a “categorical” denial of bail.

A categorical denial of bail could perhaps be best understood in the context of a pair of Arizona court rulings: In 2018, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a 2002 Arizona law that denied bail for all those accused of sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor under 15 years of age or molestation of a child under 15 was unconstitutional and denied the defendants their due-process

Oscar Valladaras, general manager of the Auburn location. “We actually decided not to really change anything.

We felt like the product we have to offer in our restaurant was good enough to win.”

The Jim N’ Nicks chili was a beef brisket blend made fresh that morning before the restaurant set up at the Greystone Mansion. The brisket was smoked for 10 hours then topped with onions, bell peppers, bacon grease and a company secret blend of spices. Its demand was so great that Valladaras said he had to contact their restaurant to restock their supply.

“I actually had to call my chef and be like, ‘Hey man, we ran out of chili, can you make me some more really quick?’” Valladras said. “He had to scramble to make some more, [but] he’s been at Jim ‘N Nick’s for 18 years so I think that in and of itself helped.”

Upwards of 400 people kept vendors busy with food preparation throughout the first Chili Fest. Organizers were pleased at the count, saying they were hopeful it inspired attendees to visit these restaurants in the future to order their chili of choice. “[This was] definitely one of our mid-range fests,” King said. “It’s still a great turnout. Our normal fests have been around 700 or so, but it’s a great turnout with the 400.”

rights. These defendants all belonged to a specific category, and it was their belonging to this category that resulted in their loss of bail.

In January of 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case, letting the ruling stand.

In 2014, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court ruled in Lopez-Valenzuela v. Maricopa County that a 2006 Arizona law, that categorically denied bail to undocumented residents if they are accused of “serious felony offenses,” was unconstitutional.

“Whether a categorical denial of bail for noncapital [sic] offenses could ever withstand heightened scrutiny is an open question,” the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court wrote.

Ward recognized his legislation’s similarity to Arizona’s — the Constitutional amendment would, in essence, be a categorical denial of bail.

Ward said he feels that allowing a case-by-case denial and not a categorical denial is contradictory.

“Right now, a judge actually has the discretion to deny bail anyway,” Ward said. “So in that case, it’d be hard to say, ‘Well this is denying some-

IRELAND DODD / PHOTOGRAPHER

The Auburn Public Library said many books that were donated were in poor condition.

No more library donations

By EVAN MEALINS Assistant Community Editor

The Auburn Public Library has revised its policy to no longer accept physical donations beginning Saturday.

The decision to no longer accept books, DVDs, CDs or other media was made at the Auburn Public Library Board’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The board chose to allow patrons to continue making donations until Jan. 31, but the new policy will take effect on Feb. 1.

The library said in a press release that both the quality and the quantity of the books received from donors in the

one their day in court or their Constitutional rights,’ but you have a judge who voluntarily denies it. How is that any different? They’re still being denied.”

To the SPLC, this distinction is fundamental, and it rests on cornerstone American principles.

“It all comes down to fundamental public policy positions that are based on those principles of supporting longstanding jurisprudence of American law that says, ‘Innocent until proven guilty,’” said Shay Farley, state policy director for the organization. “And if the state is going to deny liberty, they have to have a heavy burden to meet.”

Ward said he met with officials on Monday, Jan. 27, to discuss how to avoid the outcomes similar legislation has met.

“One of the things they say you have to change — in order to make sure that you don’t fall into the same Constitutional traps that other states have made — is you need to have a backstop,” Ward said.

“There has to be, at some point, at least some opportunity for judicial override, and there has to be an expedited

hearing in those cases.”

Judicial override would allow judges to make exceptions to the categorical denial of bail.

“You have to basically show that you have no doubt this person is not going to be a threat to society,” Ward said, describing the role of the judge in carrying out a judicial override.

Ward said the goal of having an expedited hearing is to avoid inflicting punishment before trial, a violation of the Constitution’s Due Process Clause.

“You hear the nightmare story right now of someone sitting in jail for a year before they get their first hearing; you have to avoid that in cases like this,” Ward said. “There’s a debate as to what that time frame is. It’s been ruled differently, but usually between 15 and 20 days.”

West said that the SPLC works with individuals who have experienced not having their first hearing for a year.

Time spent in jail is taxing, and it is often “traumatic,” he said. Holding defendants before their trial is also “enormously costly” to counties, West said.

past has contributed to the decision.

The staff time required to receive, screen, sort and box the donated items has become great enough that the library felt the time could be better spent assisting guests and performing other library tasks.

In addition, the library said many donations were in a condition too poor to be shelved at the library or sold at the Friends of the Auburn Public Library’s biannual BIG Book Sale. Most donations have gone toward the book sale in the past.

The final BIG Book Sale will be held this spring, March 28–30.

“So if Alabama thinks about changing its constitution, it really needs to begin from that common understanding … that we really need to be releasing people, the majority of people, pretrial,” West said.

But Farley was clear that that does not mean releasing everyone: “What SPLC is advocating for, along with national players in the states and other local-level bail advocates, is not for no pretrial detention. It is a process to assess an individual’s risk to specific public safety concerns.”

Ward sees this bill as a way to fix a problem that devastated his state.

“Unfortunately, I’ll say this: The legislative process in our country, not just Alabama, is a reactive system,” he said.

To him, it’s a way to recognize the lives of the two girls and the families who live without them.

“It’s more of a recognition of the faults that occurred there so that we never have an Aniah Blanchard-type case again,” Ward said. “You want to do everything you can to prevent that. If it just prevents one instance of an Aniah Blanchard case, then it’s worth it.”

sports

8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

‘All eyes of college basketball will be on Auburn’

GUIDE TO GAMEDAY

By HARRISON TARR Sports Writer

Excitement surrounding the Auburn basketball program is at an alltime high. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are 182, freshman Isaac Okoro is making his argument to be an early first-round draft pick, and Auburn is back on the winning track after two consecutive losses two weeks ago.

This weekend, the excitement will move to another level, as ESPN’s college basketball GameDay will be held in Auburn Arena for the first time in program history prior to the tipoff of No. 13 Kentucky at No. 17 Auburn.

“It’s great for our University,” Pearl said. “It’s great for our community.

All eyes of college basketball will be on Auburn, Alabama, next Saturday.

That’s pretty cool.”

In preparation for the big event, the Auburn athletics department has released a plan of action for all students and fans who wish to attend the show, with an additional set of stipulations for those who will also be attending

the game.

Gates to the arena open up at 8:30 a.m. CST, with seating being first come, first served for both students and the general public, with student lineup beginning at 7 a.m.

The first 2,100 students to go through the gates with a valid Auburn Ignited card will receive a wristband which will guarantee admission to the game later on in the afternoon.

The University has informed students that the only way to be guaranteed a seat is to obtain a wristband in the morning.

Auburn Athletics told the fanbase that they are encouraged to create and bring signs in support of the team to the set of College GameDay. However, signs with inappropriate images or vulgarity will be removed by event staff.

College GameDay will air at 10 a.m. and will feature a yet-to-be named guest with close relations or ties to the Auburn basketball program. Tipoff between the Tigers and the Wildcats is 5 p.m. CST.

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Bruce Pearl pumps up the crowd during Auburn men’s basketball vs. Iowa State on Sat, Jan. 25, 2020, in Auburn, Ala.

BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL

Revisiting last year’s UK matchups

By EAMON SMITH Sports Writer

JORDAN PRATHER / KENTUCKY KERNEL

Nick Richards (4) during Missouri at Kentucky on Jan. 4, 2020, in Lexington, Ky.

Previewing UK with the Kentucky Kernel

By JAKE WEESE Sports Reporter

Ahead of No. 17 Auburn and No. 13 Kentucky’s marquee matchup this Saturday, The Auburn Plainsman reached out to Kentucky Kernel sports editor Erika Bonner for a Q&A previewing the conference clash.

Here’s what she had to say about the Wildcats this season.

Q: Kentucky has already played in some tough road environments; how do you think they’ll handle the crowd this weekend?

A: If they hadn’t already played at places like Arkansas and Texas Tech where the arenas were dang near exploding, I’d say they’d probably get to Auburn Saturday and play pretty rattled. But those two games, both in hostile environments, were pretty good tests for what they might face

against the Tigers. That being said though, with College GameDay being there and just the simple fact that it’s a big-time SEC game, nerves and jitters still might become a factor for the Cats.

Q: How do the Kentucky coaching staff and players see this game?

Do they see it as one of their bigger games or just another SEC game?

A: On paper, with this game being a No. 13 vs. a No. 17 matchup, I think Kentucky knows it’s a big one. Having lost to South Carolina in possibly the Cats’ worst performance of the season and Auburn with its two conference losses, it’s hard to imagine either team would look at it as just another SEC game. Although Coach Cal does always say, “It’s just the next game for us.

Unless we win, then it’s a big one.”

Q: Who is a player for Kentucky that Auburn fans should

know before Saturday?

A: I’d have to say Nick Richards. He’s the current SEC co-Player of the Week after his dominating 25-point, 14-rebound, 4-block performance against Texas Tech and has blossomed into a completely different player than he’s been in years past.

He’s arguably Kentucky’s most important player right now-- the Cats are 14-1 this season when he scores in double figures, 8-0 when he gets double-digit rebounds and 6-1 when he blocks at least four shots.

Q: Last season, it was a close game in Auburn Arena with Auburn falling at the buzzer. What’s your prediction for this Saturday?

A: My mid-season prediction was that Kentucky would end up 25-6 heading into the SEC Tournament. The Cats are 15-4 right now, so if I’m sticking to that, I’m going to say this game at Auburn will be one of those two losses. 77-74, Tigers.

Gameday inside Auburn Arena always gets the orange and blue faithful rowdy on the Plains, but this weekend’s matchup with Kentucky carries rare weight.

For decades, UK basketball has been a dominant force in the SEC, achieving high rankings, stellar recruiting classes and deep runs in March Madness with consistency. In contrast, Auburn basketball hadn’t seen much historic achievement until recently, with the team’s last tournament appearance before these past two years coming in 2003.

When looking at this matchup a few years ago, it could hardly be called a comparison between two equals; Kentucky held an average margin of victory of over 11 points in 17 matchups from 2000 -14.

UK ranked beneath Auburn just once in those games, which coincidentally was the only time the Tigers defeated the Wildcats. Kentucky won 18 games in a row against the Tigers, with Auburn’s closest bid at an upset falling three points short before managing a win in 2016. AU basketball was, in no uncertain terms, the kid brother to a true blueblood in Lexington.

Enter: Bruce Pearl.

Pearl is now a fixture in the textured and colorful fabric of the Auburn Family, so it would feel redundant to break down how he’s turned the program around, recruited and coached at an unprecedented level in the history of Auburn basketball, etc.

There is a trend, however: Kentucky has been a litmus test for his teams over the course of Pearl’s time at Auburn. In particular, the past three matchups from the 2018-19 season had rippling impacts that could be felt in the moment and now.

College GameDay is coming for Saturday’s matchup between the No. 13 Wildcats and the No. 17 Tigers, so let’s look back to see what this game could mean in the scheme of the current season.

Game 1: No. 12 Kentucky at No. 14 Auburn Final score: Wildcats 82, Tigers 80 On a rainy Saturday, two preseason titans of the SEC clashed in Auburn Arena in front of a sold-out crowd, champing at the bit for a huge win to push the Tigers to 3-1 in conference play and 14-3 overall.

The story of Auburn’s year had been inconsis» See UK 2019, 10

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

PAGE 9

CAMPUS

BRANTLI DENNIS / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Auburn remembers Kobe Bryant

By HARRISON TARR Sports Writer

The Auburn men’s basketball team is in the middle of what is widely considered to be a successful season. The Tigers are 18-2 overall, 5-2 in the SEC and are ranked No. 17 in the country. One would think that the Tigers’ performance thus far would be indicative of morale within the fanbase; however, some fans are focused elsewhere right now.

Auburn students, alumni and fans join the rest of the basketball community ­— and the world — in mourning the death of former NBA star Kobe Bryant on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were aboard a private helicopter headed to a youth basketball practice when the craft crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.

Kobe and Gianna were among nine people who were pronounced deceased on site. Kobe was 41 years old.

Kobe’s sudden passing sent waves of shock, not only across the sports community but across the world. Professional athletes took to Twitter to express their disbelief in the sudden

occurrence.

NBA teams began their games with a 24-second runoff followed by an 8-second backcourt violation to honor both numbers that Kobe wore, and it seemed as if every social media outlet was bursting at the seams with celebrities and TV personalities offering their condolences to both Vanessa, Kobe’s wife, and the entirety of the Bryant family.

Many students and alumni of Auburn University spent much of their lives looking up to Kobe, and were no exception to mourning his loss.

“Kobe is the embodiment of hard work, and that’s why I love him,” said Alex Barker, sophomore in business administration. “He worked to become better and better from a young age, until he couldn’t compete anymore physically ... he’s a modern day mythological hero.”

Barker said to honor the late Kobe, he plans to “work hard in every aspect of his life as he believes this is what Kobe would do.” “[Kobe] was not only a star athlete, but an all-around role model for hard work, selflessness, and determination,” said Delaney Baro, sophomore in journalism.

Baro elaborated upon the challenge of coping with the loss of Kobe after looking up to the All-Star for so long.

“It’s hard to cope with something this unexpected,” Baro said. “It just really puts things into perspective about how precious life is and how quickly things can change.”

For some students at Auburn, the loss of Kobe hits a little bit closer to home.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, sophomore Kyle Leborn recalled his childhood being centered around Kobe.

“My first basketball game was a Lakers game when I was very young, and I don’t remember much, but I remember seeing Kobe and Shaq,” Leborn said. “He was by far my favorite athlete, and he was the main influencer on me being introduced to sports at such a young age.”

Former Auburn center Charles Barkley was saddened upon hearing the news.

“For me, this is like losing a family member, to lose Kobe and his daughter, Gianna,” Barkley said in a statement on Monday. “Basketball is a close knit fraternity and I’m just sad. Really sad. My thoughts and prayers are with Vanessa and their girls, the Lakers family and every bas-

ketball fan around the world.”

Throughout his 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe won five NBA championships, earned two Finals MVPs and was named to the All-Star game 18 times.

Following his retirement, the former NBA star earned an Academy Award for his short film Dear Basketball.

Despite his accomplishments on the court and in the entertainment world, Kobe was most proud of being a father to his four girls: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

Throughout his career, the star guard was clear about how much of an influence his parents were on him and how important being a good father was to him.

“My parents are my backbone. Still are,” Kobe once said. “They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40.”

The Auburn Family will continue to grieve alongside the rest of the world over the loss of Kobe Bryant, and the world will surely miss him in many ways. However, as the late legend once said: “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is an opportunity for me to rise.”

GYMNASTICS

AU ‘staying in the bubble’

By MATT JOHNSON Sports Writer

Auburn came away with a victory in its third meet of the season against Missouri because of a season-high on vault, but the Tigers will have to fire on all cylinders to beat a Georgia program on the road that has won 10 national championships in its history.

Auburn is 2-1 this season, picking up both of its victories at home. The Tigers are yet to find their stride on the road as they put up a season-low in total points at LSU, finishing with a score of 196.275.

So what will Auburn have to do to pick up its first road win of the season against a bitter rival? The answer has become something of a mantra for the Tigers this season: “Stay in the bubble.”

Many of the gymnasts have been talking about staying in the bubble this season which, for the team, means focusing on what they can do individ-

ually to contribute, while also blocking out negative crowd energy.

It’s a tough task trying to maintain focus against a soldout crowd in Athens, they said, but it’s a challenge the Tigers are looking forward to.

“This is why they’re here.

They showed up in the SEC at Auburn to be in meets like this,” said head Jeff Graba.

The meet will be televised on ESPN on Super Bowl Sunday, which will make it one of the biggest stages the girls will compete in this year.

“We need to focus our energy just in ourselves,” Drew Watson said.

Watson has been one of the leaders in promoting staying in the bubble, and she has also been one of the biggest factors in Auburn finding success this season.

Watson put up a career-high in the vault against Missouri, and she is ranked in the Top 25 nationally in the all-around event. Watson was

proud of her vault score Friday night, but she is staying humble about her work ethic.

“It was really special, but I could still improve,” she said.

The junior from Tyler, Texas, has emerged as a leader this year for the team, and for the Tigers to find momentum on the road they will need a steady performance from their star.

One other aspect Auburn will have to monitor is staying focused through a long period of rest before the meet on Sunday, Graba noted.

“You can get into a real bad place if you’re not paying attention as far as health of your athletes,” Graba said.

Coach Graba will be looking to get a productive week of practice in for Georgia, making sure all the gymnasts are locked in for what should be a challenge in terms of mental toughness.

Auburn’s matchup with Georgia begins at 3 p.m. CST on Sunday.

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

NOMINATIONS

OPEN

Each year, Auburn University recognizes the efforts of three individuals who represent our institution through their humanitarian leadership and contributions to the community.

Recipients of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award include one male and one female student from the 2020 graduating class as well as one non-student member of the campus community.

Faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends of the University are encouraged to nominate individuals they believe are deserving of this prestigious honor.

Visit for more information.

IAN LOGUE / SPORTS WRITER

Auburn’s Drew Watson during Auburn gymnastics vs. Missouri on Jan. 24, 2020, in Auburn, Ala.

@AuburnStudents

studentaffairs.auburn.edu

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 10

FOOTBALL

Former Tigers on XFL rosters

By CALEB JONES Sports Writer

With less than two weeks until the relaunch of the XFL, the league announced Monday that all eight teams have finalized their 52-man rosters. Among those rosters, nine former Auburn football players made the final cut.

Here are the former Tigers listed with their new teams, respectively.

Dallas Renegades Cameron Artis-Payne, running back — The now 29-year-old running back played for the Tigers in 2013 and 2014, totaling over 2,200 yards in his Auburn career. He was drafted in 2015 by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round, playing four seasons with the Panthers before being released during final roster cuts in August 2019.

Darius James, offensive tackle — A transfer from Texas, James played in 26 games for Auburn in 2016 and 2017.

After going undrafted in the NFL, James was let go by both the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets.

Houston Roughnecks

UK 2019 » From 8

tency as a team with excellent shooters struggled to find success from behind the arc with any regularity, with the most recent cold game coming in a bad loss to Ole Miss in Oxford. Kentucky was more mortal than usual, and sat as the second-best SEC team behind Tennessee. While UK had a better floor than the Tigers, they didn’t have the same scoring ceiling that the Tigers had, and Pearl had given better Kentucky rosters upsetting losses with less talent.

This was a potential statement game for an Auburn program looking to cement itself as a repeat contender after dwelling in relative obscurity for so long, and a chance to prove that the previous year’s No. 4 ranking in the tournament wasn’t a fluke.

Bryce Brown led the team with an efficient but deadly game from the star senior, scoring 28 points on 8-of9 shooting, while co-star Jared Harper (17 points) made standout plays, in-

Sammie Coates, receiver — Coates played for Auburn for three seasons, finishing 10th in career receiving yards before forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft. He saw limited snaps in the NFL and was drafted in the third round by the Roughnecks.

Gabe Wright, defensive lineman — Following his career at Auburn where he played 39 games, Wright was signed and released by five NFL teams. He was drafted by Houston in the XFL’s supplemental draft.

Los Angeles Wildcats Tre’ Williams, linebacker — He finished his Auburn career with 188 tackles over four years (2014-17) on the Plains. Williams never played a game in the NFL. New York Guardians Avery Young, offensive lineman — Young started in 36 of his 37 games at Auburn, and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

He was signed and released by a few NFL teams before spending time in the AAF and the CFL. Originally drafted by the St. Louis BattleHawks, Young was sent to the Guardians in a trade on Jan. 17, 2020.

St. Louis BattleHawks

cluding a 3-pointer with 32 seconds to play.

Victory and a chance to ramp up some momentum heading into a tough stretch of schedule were within reach, but Kentucky hit two free throws to reclaim the lead. Samir Doughty’s desperation shot caromed off the rim, and Kentucky escaped The Jungle with a narrow victory.

Auburn had proven its ability to play with anyone no matter the situation, coming back from down 17 at one point, but the orange and blue fell just short of the all-important W. The Tigers fell to .500 in SEC play and looked deflated coming out of the game. That image would last for a while.

Game 2: Auburn at No. 4 Kentucky Final score: Wildcats 80, Tigers 53 This game was the pain of the Tigers’ season to this point encapsulated in 40 minutes of play.

Auburn had fallen off the wagon

Ryan White, defensive back — Part of Auburn’s 2010 national champion team, White played in 42 games over his fouryear career from 2010-13. St. Louis selected him in the 10th round of the XFL draft in the fall.

DaVonte Lambert, defensive lineman — Lambert played for Auburn in 2014 and 2015 before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being placed on injury reserve in 2017, Lambert was waived by the Bucs a year later.

Tampa Bay Vipers Ryan Davis, receiver — The single-season reception record holder at Auburn, Davis totaled 178 receptions for over 1,500 yards throughout his college career. Davis signed with the New England Patriots in April 2019 before the Vipers took him in phase one of the XFL open draft.

These former Tigers will be in action starting on Feb. 8, 2020 — the Saturday after the Super Bowl — when the Seattle Dragons travel to face the D.C. Defenders. All games will be broadcast nationally on ABC, FOX, FS1 and ESPN.

since the Kentucky game, coming into the matchup 7-6 in the SEC and 5-4 since losing to Kentucky at home in January. The team looked destabilized, with erratic shooting and disappointing defense that was heavily exposed in a loss to Mississippi State, giving up a season-worst 92 points.

This game was a shot at a turnaround, but on the road and facing a UK team that had been playing much better basketball as of late, it was a tall task for a downtrodden squad.

Chuma Okeke led Auburn scoring with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, the team had a 32.8 field-goal %, and Harper, usually an elite scorer, was shut down along with Brown, with the two combining for 5-of-18 shooting and 18 points.

Kentucky led almost the entire game and rambled up and down the court, posting a 54.5 field goal percentage.

The Wildcats were never really tested, and Auburn fell back to .500 in SEC play.

“I’m not surprised that they’re this good. However, I am surprised that we

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan Davis (23) runs with a reception during Auburn football vs. Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018 in Auburn, Ala.

were not competitive today,” Pearl said at the time. “I thought we legitimately had the chance to come in here and play with them. We were physically overwhelmed.”

The Tigers looked forward to a four-game stretch leading up to the SEC Tournament that featured road games against a pesky Georgia team and the rival Crimson Tide, as well as a showdown with then-No. 7 Tennessee. The thought was that Auburn couldn’t find the rhythm to compete with top teams; that was the narrative in late February.

Game 3: Auburn vs. Kentucky in the Elite Eight Final score: Tigers 77, Wildcats 71 The Tigers made it to the Elite Eight with a win streak now spanning 11 games, ready to face down a familiar foe.

Auburn had never made it to a Final Four in its history and had the chance to do so while vanquishing their reg-

ular-season demons, while Kentucky had a chance to make it back to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.

In an overtime thriller, Auburn came out on top thanks to tenacious defense and 26 points from Harper, who made 11-of-11 free throws.

The win was arguably the biggest in program history, and the added accomplishment of beating a conference rival and established basketball power made it even sweeter for Auburn.

The Tigers would go on to lose to the eventual national champion Virginia Cavaliers in the Final Four, ending a historic run, but the pair of Kentucky games bookending the run served as clear indicators of the program’s shift in mindset, as well as Pearl’s abilities as a head coach to rally the troops and coach teams that can truly play with anyone, at any time.

This Saturday, Auburn looks to improve to 19-2 on the year and 6-2 in conference play in a clear marquee matchup.

Auburn and Kentucky will tip off at 5 p.m. CST.

lifestyle

11

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

CULTURE

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESS

Workout shakes, loaded teas to be served up soon

By KARA MAUTZ Lifestyle Writer

ALLISSA STANLEY / PHOTOGRAPHER

YEAR OF THE RAT: Auburn Global celebrated Chinese New Year on Cater Lawn on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 in Auburn, Ala.

Shakes offered in more than 50 flavors ranging from banana to Butterfinger and a variety of loaded teas will soon be served in Auburn with the opening of Burn Nutrition, a nutritional club specializing in preand post-workout shakes.

With the official grand opening still unannounced Burn Nutrition is set to open its doors in a few weeks with a soft opening.

The establishment will be located at 1345 Opelika Road and will be owned and operated by Susan Cobb and managed by Brock Murphy.

“The inspiration behind opening Burn Nutrition was to try and bring healthier options to the area,” Cobb said. “All of our shakes have 250 or less calories, and we do loaded teas, which have as much caffeine as a Diet Coke or a Monster, but they are all natural.”

Cobb said they are hoping to partner with Orange Theory Fitness and help people with their post-workout nutrition, since they are located across the street.

The shakes offered can be used as a meal replacement.

The post-workout shakes contain ingredients to help rebuild and gain muscle after a workout.

Burn Nutrition will also offer a line of classic shakes

that are not for workouts.

The classic shakes include flavors like lemon, French vanilla and a line of coffee shakes.

The nutritional club will also offer a kids’ menu containing shakes with sprinkles and crushed up candy.

Loaded teas, which are brightly colored and highly caffeinated are meant to serve as a healthier alternative to soda or energy drinks and will be offered in a variety of different flavors.

Burn Nutrition will also sell specialty teas and a line of “beauty teas,” consisting of collagen and other ingredients to help with hair, skin and nail health.

Cobb said they plan to partner with the local sororities and fraternities as a part of their “Burn Gives Back” program, which raises money to give back to Auburn and to philanthropies.

There will also be discounts given on drinks for law enforcement officials, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and other rescue personnel.

Cobb said she planned for years to open her own nutrition club, but the timing was never right. However, with more people now considering their health and looking for on-the-go options, she said it seemed like the right time to turn Burn Nutrition from a dream into a reality.

FAMILY

VIA FACEBOOK

Sunny Merchant greets customers as they look over his menu of traditional Indian cuisine.

Food trucks with family ties bring about a Good Connection

By DESTINI AMBUS and DAVID SHANNON Campus Writers

Everyday, students line up outside of Good Karma and Philly Connection in attempt to grab lunch before their next class. However, they may not be aware of the family ties.

Sunel and Sonia Merchant are the owners of Philly Connection. According to their son, Sunny Merchant, they have been serving the Auburn community for several years.

“My parents have owned the Philly Connection in Auburn for the past 15 years; they will be celebrating their 15-year anniversary this August,” Merchant said. “They started running the food truck about four years ago and have enjoyed it ever since.”

Sunny decided to open Good Karma after graduating from Ohio State University this past year. He said he

was inspired to come back to Auburn and work in the community after experiencing a life-threatening event where he was held at gunpoint.

“People in Ohio who had heard about the incident would come to check up on me,” Sunny said. “I was really surprised because I didn’t know a lot of these people like that. The encounter changed my perspective on how community members can make an impact on one another, even with small interactions.”

The two food trucks offer different selections of cuisine for customers. Philly Connection serves a variety of cheesesteaks, including original, plain jane and chicken cheese.

Good Karma is Indian-inspired, offering foods such as chicken tikka, garlic naan and mango lassi.

His decision to open Good Karma was also inspired by Sunny’s father, who showed him what it meant to help

DESTINI AMBUS / CAMPUS WRITER

Father and son Sunel and Sunny Merchant in the Good Karma food truck.

others. “[My dad] was like, ‘What brings more people together more than good food?’” Sun-

ny said.

This statement was so significant to Sunny that it is now painted on the side of

Good Karma’s food truck.

Sunny also said that his mom has been a huge addition to the success of his business despite her also encouraging some friendly competition between the two trucks.

“Just this morning, my mom called me to put an ingredient I always forget in the dahl,” Sunny said. “She also told me that they were beating us in sales by about a hundred dollars, and I was like, ‘What, already?’”

Although they joke with each other, Sunny said the family is always there to lend a hand at whatever truck needs assistance, something he greatly appreciates.

“There is some rivalry in the house, but it is all love,” Sunny said. “For me, I could not have created Good Karma or faced all of the challenges that come with opening a brand-new restaurant without the support and guidance of my parents.” Compar-

ing sales at the end of the day gives us the opportunity and motivation to keep improving and trying new things to get more friends to our trucks.”

Not only do the Merchants constantly keep up with each other’s businesses throughout the day, but all of the food trucks tend to look out for each other, Sunny said.

“There have been times that I have run out of propane, serving bowls, bags, and when I asked for help from another truck, they, without hesitation, offered whatever help they could … It feels like we are all one big food truck family,” he said.

The food trucks have overall had a positive impact on not only himself, but on the community, he said.

“It does feel good when we get ahead of them; it brings me to tears sometimes thinking about how many people love the food and love Good Karma.”

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

PAGE 12

ENTERTAINMENT

CONTRIBUTED BY CHRISTI GIBSON

Christi Gibson performed at the White House during a Christmas celebration in 2019.

Local Trump staffer takes piano talents to White House

By LYDIA MCMULLEN Lifesyle Writer

October brought surprising news, as Christi Gibson, resident of Opelika, was informed that she had been selected to play piano during a Christmas celebration at the White House on Dec. 18, 2019.

Gibson entertained White House staff and family members in her two-hour piano set.

“I could’ve played for two more hours,” Gibson said.

Though nervous at the beginning, Gibson said after the first 15 minutes passed, she was able to fully enjoy it.

“It was a wonderful experience from the time I got there,” Gibson said. “The piano I played on was a Steinway and had previously been played on by Elton John, Stevie Wonder and — I think — Paul McCartney.”

To Place an Ad, Call 334-844-4130 or email admanager@theplainsman.com

Gibson, a self-proclaimed jack-of-alltrades, is a pianist, a singer, a former staff member of the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign, the owner of a bed-andbreakfast in Mississippi, a mother, a grandmother and a philanthropist.

She said that both of her parents were election commissioners, and her father was a veteran. Proud of what her parents contributed to their country, Gibson turned to her upbringing to motivate her desire of giving back to her country.

For Trump’s 2016 campaign, Gibson began as a volunteer caller, then evolved to doing events and eventually transitioned to holding a staff position as an office manager.

Gibson currently volunteers for Tommy Tuberville’s Alabama senate campaign.

During the 2016 race, Gibson regularly played piano for veteran lunches in Iowa

and sang the national anthem at a Trump rally.

While in Iowa, Gibson said she was able to make strong connections with people that live across the country.

“I worked with amazing people, and I’m still friends with them today,” Gibson said.

It was a former colleague of Gibson who encouraged her to contact the White House about potentially performing there.

“I really did not think I was going to be selected,” Gibson said.

But, Gibson said she believes in always trying, even if she is told “no.”

To film an application video of her piano skills, Gibson worked with Opelika videographer Rex Roach. The pair filmed on a Steinway at a local Opelika school.

“You can’t make a video with just anyone,” she said. “The comfort he gave me was unbelievable.”

TIGERMARKET

Line Classifieds

Display Classifieds

15 words................$6 Extra Words............40c Bold Outline.....$1 per ad

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

Gibson said she is so thankful that everything she prayed for turned out the way it did.

At the conclusion of the awaited evening, Gibson went to Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. with her husband for dinner. They were recognized and praised by many of the attendees from the Christmas celebration.

“I just had this dream to do this — crazy as it may seem,” Gibson said. “But I took the chance.”

With a history of teaching, Gibson said her experiences have taught her to make sure her kids are not afraid to try things even if they do not work out.

“If there is anything I want to convey from my experiences, [it] is to not be afraid to dream big and [that] you can achieve things that you never ever thought possible,” Gibson said.

Print Deadline: Noon three business days prior to publication.

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 30, 2020

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

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Healthful berry 5 Sommelier’s concern 9 San Antonio cagers 14 Bananas 15 “... the __ blackness of the floors”: Poe 16 “The Fox and the Grapes” storyteller 17 Dutch cheese 18 Way to go 19 Queen’s milieu 20 “That’s fine” 23 Get going 25 “Knives Out” Golden Globe nominee de Armas 26 Lansing-to-Flint dir.

27 “That’s all folks” 32 1960s chess champ Mikhail 33 Mustard family member 34 They’re tapped 37 Bundle 39 On the money 42 Kentucky coach with 876 victories 44 Foolhardy 46 __ avis 48 Mex. title 49 “That’s not the point” 53 Withdrawal site 56 Carnival city 57 Words before “so sue me” 58 “That’s rich” 63 Polynesian language 64 Sitar music 65 Yemen’s Gulf of __ 68 Conclude with 69 Indicator 70 Feet-first race 71 Video chat choice 72 “What __ is new?”

73 MP3 player DOWN 1 Cream __ 2 Fish that’s salted and dried to make bacalao 3 Like Pentatonix numbers

1/30/20

By Dan Margolis

4 Flying insect with prominent eyespots 5 Bookish type 6 Wind up on stage?

7 Fly like an eagle 8 Win over 9 Hapless sort 10 Ucayali River country 11 Grammarian’s concern 12 Type type 13 Just-in-case item 21 “The Caine Mutiny” novelist 22 Paternity identifier 23 Web address letters 24 Atheist activist Madalyn 28 Deface 29 “When We Were Kings” boxer 30 Pola of the silents 31 Poetic contraction 35 Dressed to the nines 36 Wild period 38 Uncommon sense

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

40 Actor Holbrook 41 Amount past due?

43 Ranch bud 45 Wonder Woman, for one 47 Plot-driving song, perhaps 50 Zilch 51 Rough around the edges 52 High-pH compound 53 Summits

1/30/20

54 “__ goodness” 55 Temperamental 59 Edit for size, as a photo 60 Follow 61 Confident juggler’s props 62 Candy __ 66 It may need a boost 67 Flanders who inspired the band Okilly Dokilly