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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893
VOL. 128 • ISSUE 3 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢
CORONAVIRUS
COMMUNITY
County sets record for new cases
JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
Auburn students walk on the Haley Concourse.
Auburn begins Sentinel testing By TIM NAIL Section Editor
Auburn began rolling out its “sentinel testing” program for COVID-19 in conjunction with GuideSafe, developed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, on Wednesday, Sept. 2. A pilot test for the program will serve as a precursor for the full launch of the program on Sep. 8. According to Bob Phillips, executive director of the GuideSafe program, the University will work with GuideSafe each week to randomly select a population of students, faculty and staff to test for COVID-19 at an on-campus testing site. Phillips announced the move in a press conference on Thursday afternoon. “The GuideSafe testing process is multiple phases, and the first phase was the entry testing,” Phillips said. “That program was designed around offering access to testing for all students in the state coming back to institutions of higher learning.” Sentinel testing on Auburn’s campus will take place in the scholarship room at BeardEaves Memorial Coliseum. Participation is not mandatory, according an email from the University, but highly encouraged. “Sentinel testing is a very important component of Auburn University’s health and safety plan,” the email stated. “This testing allows us to identify increases in infection rates and promptly respond.” An individual’s ability to be included in the sentinel testing program is dependent on many factors. “Students who are registered for traditional classes on main campus [are eligible],” the email stated. “Students who are enrolled exclusively in distance education courses or experiential training courses that are completed at distance sites will be excluded.” A similar metric is applied for University employees. Those who are assigned to the main campus, both part- and full-time, will be included in testing. Employees at locations off the main campus will be excluded. Any individuals with symptoms will also be excluded, as well as individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 12 weeks. Individuals will be chosen with the use of a randomized algorithm by Verily, the service GuideSafe uses for testing registration, that can be modified to target one group of people on a campus if specific data is needed. “We might want to make sure that we’re sampling a representative group of folks who live in dorms, or we might want to make sure we want to sample folks who are in Greek organizations or [those] who participate in a dining hall plan,” Phillips said. “There’s different groups that logically interact with one another in different ways, so we’re able to set parameters within that algorithm ... that creates a robust sample for the campus as a whole.” » See TESTING, 4
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By JACK WEST Editor-in-Chief
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Lee County spiked again this past week as students at Auburn began their third week of the fall semester. On Saturday, Aug. 29, Lee County added 109 new cases and beat its previous record, 82, for daily new cases, according to data collected by Bamatracker. Two days later, Lee County added an additional 101 cases, and on Sept. 1, the county’s seven-day average peaked at 49. The county also added two more COVID-19 related deaths in the beginning of the month, bringing the total to 56. Auburn University added 517 new positive COVID-19 cases last week according to data released by the University. 509 students and 8 employees tested positive between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28. Since the beginning of the fall semester on Aug. 17, the University has added a total of 725 cases in two weeks.
On Tuesday, Auburn University tweeted a video in which Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, offered his insight into the current state of the pandemic in Auburn. No Auburn University students are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, Kam said in the video. “We expect to see multiple spikes, at least 3–4, between now and Nov. 24 — that was expected,” Kam said in the video. Nov. 24 is the last day of classes before final exams. There are a few ways the community can come out of this pandemic, Kam said. The first way is getting a vaccine that can be mass produced, mass distributed and is readily taken by the public. The second way is to find a medication that can be taken orally to treat and cure the virus. This is not a very likely possibility at this time, Kam said. “The third thing is, again, people taking steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, and right now that’s the best strategy we have that’s working for us as we wait for a vaccine or a
medication to come along,” Kam said. The night before the University released their official data, AUMC posted a graphic on their Instagram account which showed that in a similar time period, the Med Clinic had added 567 new confirmed cases. The graphic also showed that those 567 cases were out of 1,416 tests. This comes to roughly a 40% positivity rating. Shortly after the graphic was posted, it was taken down. According to Preston Sparks, director of University communications services, the graphic was taken down because it was not an accurate depiction of the number of cases among Auburn students and employees. “The post made by the Auburn Medical Clinic was only focused on clinic data — which also includes community patients not affiliated with the University — and so it was removed as it did not accurately reflect the sole number of cases among students, faculty and staff,” Sparks said. » See COVID-19, 6
SPORTS
JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
Gus Malzahn announced Sunday that the team had nine positive cases, which forced them to shut down two practices this week.
Auburn Football adds nine COVID-19 cases By CHRISTIAN CLEMENTE Assistant Editor
Auburn football began fall camp with little to no hiccups in terms of players testing positive for COVID-19, recording zero positives on the whole team over the first two weeks. Auburn did not play in its scrimmage on Saturday, and the Tigers did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday, like they were previously scheduled to. On Sunday, head coach Gus Malzahn announced that nine total players tested positive, causing the Ti-
gers to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The scrimmage on Saturday was canceled following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, as the Tigers took a stand against racial and social injustice, according to Malzahn. “We had a pretty challenging week last week,” Malzahn said Sunday. Malzahn announced that the team would return to practice Tuesday, with 16 players unable to practice this week. Nine players have tested positive, but the remaining players will be out because of contact tracing. Malzahn said there was
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no one specific event that caused the jump in cases. Malzahn also announced that two unnamed position groups have been affected by the positive cases. The Tigers will practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this week, with an off-day for testing on Thursday and a scrimmage on Saturday. The goal for practice this week? “To practice,” Malzahn said. For the players that tested positive, it’s a 17-day process before they can return to practice. “The ones who tested positive are out for 10 days, and then we
have a seven-day back-to-play process to make sure that they’re healthy enough to get back to practice,” Malzahn said. The players that came in “close contact” with a positive case will be forced to quarantine for 14 days. While Malzahn says the team has had very few with “major symptoms,” each case is being treated seriously. “The bottom line is the health and safety of our players,” Malzahn said. The Tigers will have some ground to make up with a little under a month until the season opener on Sept. 26 against Kentucky.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
OPINION
EDITORIAL
AU continues to lag behind in racial reckoning By EDITORIAL BOARD Fall 2020
With a couple weeks of the semester in the books, it’s become cliché to say nothing feels normal. From an eerily baren Haley Concourse to a virtual classroom, Auburn University looks nothing like that of years past. Yet, despite the bizarre nature of the times, the University’s steadfast resolve shines through in its inability to ever have a timely and significant racial reckoning on its campus. In May, the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked worldwide protests and pushes for social justice, leaving Auburn campus and community members to examine issues of racism at the University, whose racially fraught history stretches back prior to the Civil War. Among the countless number of issues needing to be addressed on campus, Ashley Henton, senior in apparel design, started a petition to rename Wallace Hall, which received over 10,000 signatures. Named after the former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, the building is one of at least 10 buildings on campus named after segregationists, white supremacists or Ku Klux Klan leaders. Although Wallace expressed regret in his later years for his racist beliefs, he is widely known for building a national political career through overt racism, leaving a legacy of “segregation forever.” Other problematic building names
on campus include Bibb Graves Amphitheatre, named after the former governor and Klan leader, and Comer Hall, named after B.B. Comer, who greatly profited off the exploitation of Black convict labor. With such nods to despicable and morally bankrupt individuals, it’s no surprise that Auburn has just a 5% Black enrollment in a state where 26% of the population is Black. But once again, Auburn has failed to meet the moment, and the names of racists remain littered across the faces of buildings throughout campus, nearly three months after change was demanded. Unsurprisingly, this is not the first time pressure has been put on the University to change some building names. In 2016, the University tasked a student-and-faculty-run committee with investigating the heritage of landmarks on campus. In their report to Auburn President Jay Gogue, the committee recommended immediately renaming the aforementioned buildings. Four years later, nothing’s changed, including Auburn’s perpetual lip service and thumb twiddling when it comes to dealing with racism. It was past time then, and it’s past time now. Auburn University must remove the names of any racist who is honored as a namesake of a building on campus. Since the petitions were started in early June, all we’ve heard from the University is the same, old excuse that it is just out of their hands, and they’re doing what they can.
End racism now!
Or maybe later? MY LY | ASSISTANT SECTION EDITOR
The 2017 Memorial Preservation Act generally forbids the renaming of buildings named after individuals, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Violators can face a $25,000 fine. The law includes a definition of “memorial school” that refers to buildings and facilities, but only at K-12 public schools and two-year colleges and programs. Even if we’re to ignore the absurdity of the fact that a 2017 law is preventing the University from doing what it was told to do in 2016, it’s rich to hear Gen. Ronald Burgess, chief operating officer of the University, drone on at the last
faculty senate meeting about the bureaucratic nightmares of renaming buildings, while Troy University was announcing the renaming of their own building named after Graves. To make matters worse, even that other school to the west removed plaques glorifying the Confederacy before Auburn could substantively address outward displays of disrespect and disregard for the Black community in Auburn. Considering how quick Auburn is to brand itself as the premier higher-education institution in the state, it’d be wise to not continue falling behind Troy in realizing racial reckoning.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Self-reporting cases will help us stay safe on campus By ERIC SMITH Director of Health Promotion and Wellness Services
Throughout the last several months, I have shared messages from the University’s A Healthier U initiative to help keep our students and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of you may be fatigued from hearing the reminders to wear your masks and remain physically distant from others around you. The vast majority of you are going above and beyond to keep our community safe. I have been really impressed with the
increase in masks across campus, and I’m hearing from students that y’all are taking this seriously. Thank you. I really appreciate your efforts. With that said, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to continue following changing guidelines. I am writing today to share a different and vitally important message that has been heavily misconstrued lately on social media. Self-reporting must happen for all of us to stay safe on campus this fall. Some folks may be concerned that self-reporting will lead to higher reported numbers. While
this may be true as more people test positive for the virus, self-reporting helps keep the Auburn family safer. If you have COVID-19 and fail to self-report, you are putting others at risk and directly affecting our ability to remain in-person and on campus this semester. “Handling it on your own,” as suggested in recent social media posts, is dangerous, negligent and puts more people at risk. When you self-report, the following action is taken: The Auburn University Medical Clinic staff, along with the Department of Social Work, will con-
tact you to help you conduct contact tracing. This action helps eliminate the spread of the virus by alerting others who could have been exposed. Facilities management will disinfect the spaces you have been on campus. Our facilities team makes sure we have a clean, safe environment to come to every day. Campus Safety monitors the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus. Having accurate numbers reported helps Auburn continue to maintain safe operations. I want to stay on campus this fall as much as y’all do. To do that, your
support is vitally important. Just as I have responsibilities to complete my Healthcheck each day and take the necessary precautions to keep myself and my family safe, y’all have similar responsibilities to each other and to the University. Today, that responsibility is completing the self-report form if you test positive by going to aub. ie/covidhelp. Self-report. Mask up. (Boots and hat, too). Take care of yourself and others, because that’s what Auburn people do. And don’t forget to #WearitforEric.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
PAGE 3
FILE PHOTO
EVEN THOUGH SOME BARS HAVE TEMPORARILY CLOSED, SOME ARE CONTINUING TO SERVE CUSTOMERS AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
COLUMN
Auburn’s bars need to be held accountable By LANEY MAYFIELD COLUMNIST
Succeeding the voluntarily closure of Southeastern Bar and 17-16, students continue to visit other bars in the Auburn area. During those visits, some students do not adhere to statewide mask ordinances or practice social distancing. Some students remove their masks once they are inside drinking establishments, while others wait outside without wearing one. This is problematic considering that the University has noted a surge in coronavirus cases since the start of the fall semester. At the time of this publication, Auburn University Medical Clinic has reported over 500 new positive cases of COVID-19. Strict guidelines should be enforced by bars that are still open for business near Au-
burn University to prevent a further outbreak. Government officials should hold bars accountable if they do not enforce safety regulations pertaining to the virus. Owners should lower the limited capacity number, so people can practice social distancing at the bar. Security guards should not allow patrons inside without a mask. If someone removes their mask upon entry, the manager should ask them to put one on. If they do not follow orders, managers should escort them off the property and document the incident for future references. Hours of operation should be reduced due to safety concerns. Auburn bars that remain open for business can inform patrons on their social media pages of the new regulations due to the virus. Management should place signs in front of the building highlighting their new guide-
lines before patrons enter. If new policies are not enforced by bars, students could expose staff members and others to the virus. If bars are unable to implement new rules for students, owners should voluntarily close their business. Bars should close until owners can establish new adjustments or remain closed until further notice. This would be a helpful approach in slowing the spread of COVID-19 on Auburn’s campus and the community. Students would be unable to pack out bars, contract the virus, and spread it from person to person. Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, Bobby Woodard, sent an email to the student body expressing his concern for their safety. He urged students to continue to wear a face covering, practice social distancing, and limit social gatherings. He says if students
do not follow these instructions, they “will likely be unable to complete the semester on campus.” Woodard also said in the email that he understands that the new adjustments “is not the college experience” students anticipated but students must do their part to combat the virus on campus. If students want to remain on campus, they should follow the policies put in for their safety at bars in the Auburn community. If students do not desire to follow guidelines established by bars, they should practice the Safer at Home order. This would mean that students must remain in their homes and only go outside for essential services or activities. The Safer at Home Order was issued by Gov. Kay Ivey and extended it until Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.
COLUMN
Virtual conventions show two visions of the country By JONATHAN STUCKEY COLUMNIST
Eight nights worth of strong political conventions and by this point, you’re either sick and tired or you’re ready to sprint to the finish line. One thing is for certain: amid the circumstances of today, both the DNC and RNC came out swinging with some of their top players over the last two weeks. Shots were fired, support basses were rallied and many loud voices were heard. As the dust settles, the real questions that will be on the minds of many and will soon be answered are how far, if at all, did the conventions move the totem pole? And who comes out as victorious after a new era of conventions? Dating back to the early 19th century, major American political parties have held conventions in order to formally nominate their candidate. As time passed, the conventions became less of an internal battle ground and more into a civil PR opportunity. “Instead of having an opportunity for back and forth debate, the conventions have become sort of a media event and also more of a visual oriented event, as well,” said Michael Milford, associate professor of communication at Auburn.
Milford explained that in the same way a viewer may be enticed to tune into a particular college football game mainly because of the team, but also the game itself and the production of the entire event, viewers in the same way are enticed to tune into the conventions due to the party, production, and name recognition of speakers; most people aren’t really tuning in to conventions for the content factor of the event or to have their opinions changed. In the ways that major historical events have started and ended chapters of history books, the coronavirus has started a new one for political conventions. For many younger voters, the question is becoming more prevalent about the need for the conventions, as they find themselves already sold on a candidate prior to tuning into the conventions. While the question of the need of conventions has been expressed, Milford said they adapted and are necessary because they share their platforms with voters. He said that at the end of the day, one of the biggest roles of conventions is their ability to fire up the base to vote. To the point of viewership, many across the board lowered their expectations of the events and viewership this year due to the modi-
fied format. The DNC kicked off their first night with 18.7 million viewers and ending the week with 23.6 million viewers tuned in for Vice President Biden’s acceptance speech. For the RNC however, ratings were a tad lower, surprising for a leader who normally has no trouble in attracting millions of viewers. The RNC started the week with 15.8 million viewers and ended the 70-minute speech by the President with 21.6 million viewers on Thursday. Critics have hounded on these numbers; however, this is only 2 million less viewers than in 2016, and this comes at the end of two weeks of virtual conventions. Aside from the question of convention relevance in the 21st century, we still had a set of 2020 conventions that said, and disagreed, much about where our country stands today and gave a tad bit of a glance into the future. For the Democrats, the question will be whether or not they will adopt more socialistic tendencies that were just “radical ideas a few years ago”, as Democratic nominee Biden stated. This, however, does not mean that Republicans are off the loose, as they will find themselves redefining themselves in a post-Trump era in 2024, explained Madison Cawthorn, a 25-year-old North Carolina Republican congressional candidate
COLUMNS & EDITORIALS
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The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.
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simultaneously continue to throw their blame on the president, what would they do differently in the White House? They’ve simply given no alternative solutions. These questions come at a time when Sen. Scott’s bill on police reform were rejected by Democrats, and also as the President has vowed to continue the building of “opportunity zones” for minority communities. So the big question is which candidate can expect a bump coming out of the convention? In a way, neither, or both. “Conventions aren’t really going to earn you voters,” Milford said. “They can lose voters because they’re always going to look for a reason not to vote. But the biggest thing a convention does is fire up the base and create ‘Get Out The Vote,’ and not so much gaining new followers.” 2020 has been an interesting year and it will only continue that trend. The conventions have now passed us and will only become useful for future attacking soundbite purposes. There’s still a good trek to take before the big day, but it will be here before we know it. While it’s easy to be told by both sides that this is the most critical election ever, America has never failed to find its path.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
last Wednesday night. But we’re in 2020, and the image of America seemed to be contested between the two conventions. The images described during the DNC, of a systematically racist country, are most definitely an image you won’t see while walking around here in Auburn. In a stark contrast to the depressing image of America, Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador, shared her story of growing up in an Indian immigrant household in a southern town. If a female, or anyone for that matter, in those circumstances can rise to the level that she has, it allows one to reject the notion that the 2020 version of America is racist. Another great example from the RNC was Sen. Tim Scott’s “Cotton to Congress” speech, continuing the rejection of the image the DNC set. Republicans were not free from painting a dark picture, but they painted it in a way that gives a glimpse into a Democratic run country. Critics didn’t like this tactic, and while it was overused, it was fair to use it. Their message was simple, yet misconstrued: If mayors and governors across the country allow rioting to continue while blaming their problem on racism but also reject federal reinforcement and
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TIM NAIL
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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CAMPUS
INCLUSION
‘A dream come true’: First class of EAGLES students graduates By COLLINS KEITH Assistant Section Editor
This past year, Auburn’s EAGLES program, a comprehensive transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, graduated its first class of students. Josh Greiner, Anna Moates and Bradley Basden all make up the first graduating class, and while they all went through the same program, they each have different things that they want to accomplish after graduation. “I would like to be famous for singing and songwriting, but I would also like to be a public speaker too,” Moates said. “I love singing and dancing [with] AU Singers, I really enjoy listening to my music, doing YouTube and writing songs and reading.” Moates, from South Georgia, comes from a long line of Auburn graduates, including her older sisters, father and grandfather, who received a doctorate from Auburn. For her, following in the footsteps of her family is something that makes her proud. “I have just so many favorite moments with my EAGLES family, like going to football games, basketball games and, most of all, when a lot of them showed up as [a] group to cheer for me at my AU Singers performances,” Moates said. “Auburn is my home, and everybody in EAGLES has always been like my family.” EAGLES, or Education to Accomplish Growth in Life Experiences for Success, can either be a two-year or a four-year program for students. While completion of the program does not award a degree to graduates, the program aims to focus on skills that can be applied after graduation to a job or form of employment. The skills that the program focuses on include academic enrichment, personal and social skills, and integrated work experience, as well as the health and wellness of the students. According to their website, the program operates in order to enable their students to be contributing members of society, both now and in the future. Greiner, from Cumming, Georgia, came to Auburn to learn how to live independently, having many memorable experiences along the way. “My favorite moment was getting to be on the football field and be announced as an EAGLES student,” Greiner said. “Another favorite [moment] is getting to be in the United Sound band and to play with the campus band. I’m also excited to be a level one WING this year.” For Greiner, having to move to remote instruction after spring break was difficult, but manageable. “It was hard because we weren’t on the same schedule, and my family was there so it was harder to stay on track,” Greiner said. “They would do their thing, and I would try to do mine. It was hard being with friends, and basketball was can-
CONTRIBUTED BY JENNIFER HOWARD
Bradley Basden (left), Anna Moates (middle) and Josh Greiner (right) celebrate their graduation from the EAGLES program.
celled.” Moates said she also struggled with the transition to remote instruction, but was happy to see her friends and family at home. “It was definitely rough for me to move to Zoom so suddenly because I missed all my friends and I was already back at home,” Moates said. “Even though I love Auburn, I have always been a Georgia girl at heart; that’s where I’ve always lived, so it was amazing to have such a long break too.” According to the website, depending on the level of the program completed, graduates earn different certificates. Upon completion of the two-year program, graduates will receive a Career Readiness Certificate, while graduates of the four-year program will receive an Independent Living Readiness Certificate. Both certificates are endorsed by Auburn University. While in the EAGLES program, students follow a curriculum similar to that of a traditional college student across campus. The curriculum includes Auburn University credit-bearing courses, as well as program specific courses that each focus on different aspects of life. In the first year spring semester curriculum, students would take COMP 1000 Personal Computer Applications, a course offered through Auburn, as well as EAGL 1103 Employment Educa-
tion, a program specific course. The course load each semester can range anywhere from 13 to 21 hours. For Bradley Basden, being from Auburn and seeing his family graduate made the decision to come to Auburn for college easy. “My experience as an EAGLES student was good. My favorite thing was getting to meet new people and make new friends,” Basden said. “One of my favorite moments was getting to sit in the student section at Auburn football games with my friends.” Basden hopes to work at a radio station after graduation, and currently has a radio show on WEGL on Mondays from 3–4 p.m. While he’s excited about graduating, Basden wishes that it could have been in person; as well as the end to the spring semester. “I had a liver transplant in December 2019 so I was not able to live in the dorm in the spring,” Basden said. “I wish we could have had graduation. I am now a fourth generation Auburn graduate like my sisters.” The EAGLES program is unique in the state, in that it is the first post-secondary program for students with intellectual disabilities in Alabama to receive this designation, according to their website, joining a select group of other postsecondary institutions with comprehensive training
programs across the country. While many CTPs have a focus on inclusion within the larger campus community, Auburn’s EAGLES program has emphasized the inclusion of their students with other students without intellectual disabilities. “The CTP status also recognizes that EAGLES has met an advising and curriculum structure and that at least 50% of the program time is with other students without intellectual disabilities,” their website reads. “However, Auburn exceeds the latter requirement with approximately 95% of the EAGLES program time spent with students without intellectual disabilities, with the possibility of 100% inclusion.” Despite an abnormal ending to their time at Auburn, Basden, Moates and Greiner remain excited about what the future holds for them. “I am excited to be the first one to graduate from the EAGLES program,” Greiner said. “I want to work hard at my job and hopefully keep it after I finish school.” For Moates, her experience with EAGLES at Auburn couldn’t have been better. “I definitely am excited about graduating from EAGLES and about what my future has to offer,” Moates said. “My EAGLES experience has definitely been such a dream true for me; I really couldn’t be a part of anything better.”
TESTING
EMPLOYMENT
» From 1
GRACE CLEMMER | PHOTOGRAPHER
The University Career Center hosted its first career fair virtually on Aug. 26.
Businesses meet with students remotely By SARAH GIBSON Writer
In the last few months, businesses have made use of workfrom-home methods to ensure they continue operations while employees are away from offices. At Auburn’s first career fair this semester, they also reached out to future prospective employees remotely, a new means of student engagement for the University’s Career Center. The Career Center hosted its Part-Time Career Fair virtually on Aug. 26 through a platform called Career Fair Plus. Each employer had their own schedule and account on the platform, and students had the opportunity to join an employer’s session for 10 minutes to talk with them during the fair. After this, each employer would decide whether or not they want to offer the student an inter-
view. There were 24 employers who were present at the event. Some employers that came to the fair were East Alabama Medical Center, Initial Outfitters, Synovus, the City of Auburn and Storybook Farm. “There [are] a lot of things that go into a virtual career fair, so this year was just different,” said Heather Rush, assistant director of employer relations of the Auburn University Career Center. “It was a lot of work – like it has been in the past – but it was a lot of tasks that were new with the online fair. All of the work was mostly completed prior to the event.” Students were able to sign up for the career fair up to and throughout the event to allow as many to attend as possible. The signup was open a week before the event for students who wanted to receive their
schedule for the career fair early. This also gave employers time to review the students’ qualifications — their resumes, grade point averages and majors. “Considering everything going on right now, it was definitely a good number of students that attended the event,” Rush said. “This is all new, and this was the first career fair of the year, so we expect numbers to get higher and higher throughout the year.” The part time career fair was free to attend for employers. Rush said that the Career Center really wanted as many employers as possible to show up so that they would support these businesses in finding good candidates for their jobs. “This was all new for everybody, so I think this past career fair was a huge success,” Rush said. “Afterwards, we sent out a survey to students and the em-
ployers, and all of the feedback we received was very positive.” Rush expressed how Provost Bill Hardgrave and Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness Norman Godwin were influential in helping acquire the Career Fair Plus platform for Auburn University. “Without their financial support, we would not have been able to obtain the license for the platform,” Rush said. “As a result of their support we have consistency across the University.” Rush said that the next event will be run very similarly to this one. She expects that there will be more employers and more students in attendance at the next event as well, since the engineering and technology career fair are next on the docket, which typically bring in large crowds. The event will be held on Sept. 16 and 17 of this year.
Selected individuals will receive an invitation to be tested, from which they may set up a time that fits their schedule. Both those tested and their campus will be able to see the results, though colleges will be more limited in what data they receive, according to Phillips. “[The school] will be able to see a snapshot for every week of what’s happening on campus, ... increases, decreases [or] stabilization in terms of rates of COVID-19,” he said. “We really need a high level of participation; when those individuals get invited to participate we need them to test. The best way to have a robust sample is to have a high level of participation.” The email from the University echoed Phillips’s thoughts. “[This] data will help us understand the underlying prevalence of COVID-19 in our Auburn University main campus community,” the email stated. “[It] will allow us to promptly respond to changes in infection rates on campus.” Dr. Michael Saag, director of UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases, said the start of sentinel testing will allow for campus populations to have more regular insight on what case numbers look like at their institution going into the fall. “Based on what we’re seeing on campuses around the country, it’s reminding us of how very infectious this virus is, and we’re really never 100% safe,” Saag said. “It’s going to require us to have vigi-
lance every single day in terms of keeping this virus at bay. If we give it a chance to have an opportunity to infect, it’s going to take advantage of that.” Though Auburn faculty have requested more frequent data on case numbers, Phillips said he does not expect sentinel testing to be capable of producing daily reports because of how many individuals are scheduled at each campus. “The testing cadence is really on a weekly basis,” he said. “Some of the larger schools may test over a two or threeday period, some of the smaller schools may be able to done on an individual day, but we know that we’ll be generating weekly data to the institutions.” Sentinel testing is planned to be used throughout the whole fall semester for Alabama campuses, Phillips said, but GuideSafe is prepared to continue the testing phase into the spring if necessary. Phillips said approximately 75,000 students have been tested across Alabama during the initial reentry testing phase, with .75% of those students testing positive for COVID-19. If a student or employee is randomly selected to participate in the Sentinel Testing program, they will receive an email from healthy@verily. com, which will ask the individual to schedule an appointment. Emails for the pilot phase of testing will be sent out to students starting today, Sept. 1. Reporting for this story was contributed by Collins Keith.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 5
HEALTHCARE
School of Nursing balances safety with instruction By MCKENZIE DOOLEY Writer
Clinicals are a critical piece of Auburn’s nursing curriculum that all nursing students must complete, usually in person. However, with a pandemic bringing all sorts of restrictions on in-person gatherings, Auburn’s School of Nursing has been forced to adapt to the situation. Caralise Hunt, associate dean of the School of Nursing, shared how the school’s semester has adjusted to these new guidelines. “Students are still completing hours in hospital clinical settings,” Hunt said. “Other hours are being completed in lab and simulation settings where we have an excellent team to lead and suppose those experiences.” The School of Nursing is following guidelines from the the Alabama Board of Nursing and its accreditor, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. It is also following Centers for Disease Control guidelines in order to keep students safe while learning. “Through the generosity of School of Nursing donors, N95 masks are being provided for all undergraduate and graduate nursing students, faculty and staff,” Hunt said. “The School of Nursing is also providing other PPE including face masks, face shields, gowns and gloves.” Because of all the personal protective equipment that has been provided by the School of Nursing donors, students are still being allowed
to complete their clinical hours this semester in hospital and clinical settings. Hunt said she believes that the current Auburn University nursing students are going to be more prepared than any of the previous classes of nursing students. “Our students are always taught universal precautions, infection control and use of PPE so they are prepared for this,” Hunt said. “These students are just getting to apply this knowledge and [their] skills in a unique and challenging environment like no Auburn School of Nursing student before them ever did.” Despite the current situation, professors at the School of Nursing are still hoping to give students face-to-face instruction. This allows students to be introduced to a more realistic work environment. For Ashley Vincent, junior in nursing, while the fall has gone smoothly, this past summer semester came with a set of difficulties unique to virtual instruction. “My summer semester was definitely challenging having to [be a] student and [trying] to start nursing school alone,” Vincent said. “We didn’t get to do clinicals, which was sad and also nerve wracking because we didn’t know if we were going to try to make them up or how it was going to work. It was also challenging to try to learn how to do shots and different hands on activities virtually.” While her summer semester was difficult, Vincent said she is thankful for the job done by
FILE PHOTO
Students at Auburn’s School of Nursing are completing their required clinical hours both traditionally and in simulated lab settings this semester.
the staff at the School of Nursing in trying to make it as good as possible. “The Nursing School staff really made an effort for us to have a fun semester and I really believe I learned just as much as I would have in person,” Vincent said. “It’s been so fun to come back to
campus and put faces to names.” Hunt and Vincent both agree that the staff and students at the Nursing School came together to help create a successful transition from summer to fall, allowing students to safely get training in hospitals and clinics.
ACADEMICS
Students seek out usual study spaces in an unusual time By CAROLINE CRAIG Writer
JACK WEST | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Study areas in the library have been broken up to distance students.
Many students may study at home, but some with on-campus classes are returning to the library and other safe spaces to study. Kevin Haskins, junior in business, said he occasionally uses the library as a study space while on campus. “I only have two in-person classes, so I use the library when I have a big exam or project to do,” Haskins said. Ralph Brown Draughon Library has modified its hours and requires students to wear masks under Auburn’s “A Healthier U” initiative. The library is encouraging students to social distance by taping off chairs and sections on each floor. There are enter and exit signs to help direct traffic in and out of the library for social distancing purposes. Social distancing is much easier for students to follow with all the precautions and fewer students in the library. These precautions are meant to keep students and staff safe while using library resources. “I definitely feel safe walking into the li-
brary, but I also try to limit the amount of time I spend inside campus buildings and on campus in general,” Haskins said. Study rooms are often rented and help students seclude themselves from others. Sanitization wipes are provided for students to wipe down the room before and after using it. “Wearing my mask is not fun, so I rent out one of those rooms in Mell,” Haskins said. “That way I can study for an hour or two without my mask on.” Students with on-campus classes are still utilizing the library, but they are also studying in other University buildings. Jane Wallace, junior in chemical engineering, said she studies in Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center. “I tend to study in the engineering building a few times a week for a few hours,” Wallace said. Along with a 50-seat classroom and laboratories, Brown-Kopel provides students with study rooms for large and small groups. Some computers are blocked off, and glass panels separate people sitting at tables as safety precautions. Similar to the library, there
are many signs encouraging students to social distance and wear masks. “All my classes are online, and I like to have a separate study space from my home environment, which I keep as a space for relaxation,” Wallace said. Brown-Kopel is accessible for students who may not live as close to the library and provides an environment for students within all engineering majors to feel comfortable. “It’s pretty close to my apartment, and I like the work spaces they have, so I feel super comfortable studying their with my boyfriend and a few friends in my major,” Wallace said. Many students, like Wallace, study at off-campus apartment complexes that provide study spaces for their residents. “I also study at my friend’s apartment complex,” Wallace said. “They have study rooms there.” The University’s “A Healthier U” initiative is continuing to implement guidelines and COVID-19 updates to provide safe environments across campus for students to continue studying and attending class.
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COMMUNITY
ELECTIONS
Avoiding the polls and casting your vote By CHRISTIAN BAKER Writer
KATHRYN MUSSELL | PHOTOGRAPHER
COVID-19 » From 1
“The medical clinic data also only involved testing of patients that were either exposed to COVID-19 or symptomatic, thus resulting in a less reliable positivity rate.” One of the major metrics that the University has said they are basing their decision-making off of is the number of students in isolation and quarantine housing on campus. Currently, there are three residence halls — 225 beds — set aside for housing students who have either tested positive for the virus or had possible exposure to it. As of publication, roughly 150 students — 67% — are reportedly in either isolation or quarantine housing. However, this number is not concrete since the number of students staying in the on-campus housing changes daily. “The situation is very fluid, and the makeup of rooms is dependent on the number of males and females,” Sparks said. “The numbers change throughout the day as students leave and enter quarantine and isolation.” The Plainsman has also been made aware of parties and large social gatherings taking place inside at least one of these isolation and quarantine buildings. “The University is aware of these videos and images and is looking into the situation to determine the next steps,” Sparks said. “Any such activity is unacceptable and is subject to the Student Code of Conduct process.” In the coming weeks, Auburn University has said they will release COVID-19 data on Tuesday each week.
As the pandemic continues to impact daily life, most public spaces have adjusted accordingly. Trips to the grocery store are now guided by arrows showing which direction to shop; restaurants require patrons to wear masks until their drinks are served and classes are largely conducted through online lectures. With a presidential election only a few months away, voting could face changes as well. In July, 1,000 public health officials addressed a letter to members of Congress pushing for mail-in voting options for all voters. The letter urged that “Members of Congress must ensure funding for the rapid scale-up of bymail voting nationwide in time for the 2020 presidential election, and our local and state election officials must do all they can to support American citizens’ right to vote, while protecting them from SARS-CoV-2 infection and from spreading the virus during a pandemic. The right to vote should not have to be sacrificed or compromised to ensure our health and safety.” The House of Representatives passed a bill on Aug. 22 which would allocate $25 billion to the United States Postal Service in order to “maintain prompt and reliable postal services during the COVID-19 health emergency, and for other purposes.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) issued a statement saying, “the Senate will not pass stand-alone legislation for the Postal Service while American families continue to go without more relief.” This bill comes after news of mail collection boxes being removed from locations around the country sparked conspiracies about voter suppression. “Removing blue collection boxes is a decades-old protocol,” said the Postal Service in an official statement. “The Postal Service’s coordination with state and local election officials helps ensure every ballot is delivered and counted.” Mail-in voting is not a new form of voting. Four states use a universal vote-by-mail method. However, Alabama’s form of mail-in voting is through its absentee ballot system. “Every state has some method of voting that uses the U.S. mail,” said Kathleen Hale, Auburn University political science professor. For the last ten years, Hale has directed the University’s Election Administration Initiative as well as its partnership with the Election Center. “There are lots of pressures on the [voting] system, but we’ve expanded the methods to allow vot-
CHARLIE RAMO | SECTION EDITOR
ers more options to vote,” said Hale. On July 17, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill added an emergency absentee voting rule for this year’s General Election. The rule states the following: “Any qualified voter who determines it is impossible or unreasonable to vote at their voting place for the General Election on Nov. 3, 2020, due to the declared state of emergency shall be able to check the box on the absentee ballot application which reads as follows: ‘I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls.’” Lee County Absentee Election Manager James Majors expects there to be a rise in the requests for absentee ballots. “What I’m looking at, have heard from other people, and just common sense says it’s going to be a much higher number than normal,” Majors said. Majors stated that the main reason for mail-in ballot applications being tossed out earlier in the year during the runoff election was mainly due to voter errors. “The last election we had, I think it was 261 applications for ballots that were rejected, and it was because people weren’t reading the application,” Majors said. “A lot of those were people who weren’t eligible to vote. A good example of that would be in June and July; they were wanting to vote for the president, and that wasn’t on the ballot.” The Alabama Secretary of State’s deadline for ab-
sentee voting states that absentee ballots must be postmarked or hand-delivered by 5 p.m. on the day before the election. It must be received by the Absentee Election Manager by noon on the election day. The mail-in option has long been a convenient way to vote for students that live out of state or far away from their hometown. Madeleine Battle, a sophomore majoring in nursing, is planning on voting by mail for this reason. Her hometown’s a few hours away from Auburn, so traveling home just to vote would be an inconvenience. She’s yet to request a ballot yet, though. Jacob Thornton said that he may vote by mail in the upcoming elections. Most elections, Thornton, a sophomore studying chemical engineering, votes, but this election season has been a little different. “I haven’t honestly thought about voting at all … I just haven’t scheduled or filled out for a mail-in ballot or anything,” Thornton said. “With COVID and everything, I just didn’t even know how that was working yet, I guess.” There are still students who plan to vote traditionally in November, though. In November, Jaykela Collins, a freshman studying elementary education, will be heading to the polls in person. “I don’t see any problem with it,” Collins said. Reporting for this story was contributed by Evan Mealins.
GOVERNMENT
Council approves construction agreement for new park By CHARLIE RAMO Section Editor
During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the Council unanimously approved a contract for the construction of Dinius Park, a proposed City park that will be located on East Glenn Avenue. The contract between the City of Auburn and Adams Construction and Associates, Inc. allows for construction to begin on the park, according to the City Council’s ePacket. The park is set to be located at 1435 E. Glenn Ave., near Auburn High School’s Duck Samford Stadium. The park was part of the City’s Parks and Recreation
and Cultural 2018 Master Plan. Ward 2 Council member Kelley Griswold had questions about the proposed park, specifically with certain items that were removed from the project due to budget constraints. Rock climbing walls and pathways were among the items that were cut from the plan’s design. City Engineer Alison Frazier stated that some of the features that have been removed from the park’s designs will be provided through City services. Becky Richardson, who is the director of the City’s Parks and Recreation department, said the City will improve the park’s trails gradually over time. Dinius Park has now been fully fund-
ed except for a playground, which is expected to be built in the future. The playground is the last remaining aspect of the project that would require the City Council’s approval. The land and the majority of the money for the park were donated to the City from the Dinius family, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said. The Dinius family donated around $700,000, while the City is spending around $100,000, said City Manager Jim Buston. Before any issues were brought before the Council, though, Anders made his typical remarks. He began Tuesday’s meeting by congratulating the City of Auburn’s August employee of
the month and commemorating various City employee milestones. Anders also recognized in his announcements Auburn Junior High School student Kounte Threadgill, who saved the lives of his family members when their duplex caught fire. “He’s an incredible young man,” Anders said. “[We’re] certainly proud of the young man who was very courageous. Thank you, Kounte, for being a great example to all of us.” Ward 3 Council member Beth Witten wanted to recognize East Alabama Medical Center for how the hospital has handled the coronavirus pandemic. EAMC has seen a consistent decrease in
CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN
The 13-acre park will be the third major project from the City’s 2018 Parks, Recreation and Cultural Master Plan to be built.
hospitalizations due to COVID-19 since mid-August, according to the hospital’s website. Witten also thanked the bars who elected to close downtown last week. 1716 Bar and Southeastern Bar elected to voluntarily close their doors out of precaution of rising Auburn University student COVID-19 cases. “As long as we can keep the numbers down at EAMC, I believe we’re doing what we set out to do back in March,” Witten said. The Council unanimously approved the City’s biennial budget. Council members held multiple meetings during the previous week to finalize the proposed budgets for 2021 and 2022. The budget will provide better retirement benefits for City employees, Buston said. Tier II employees, will now receive the benefits that a different classification of employees, Tier I, have received. One of the benefits now available to both Tier I and Tier II employees is the ability to apply unused sick leave toward retirement. Buston later stated that the City has had recent issues with hiring new police officers. In an attempt to bring in more applicants for the job, the City is increasing pay to officers. Buston said that some other nearby cities pay their police officers more than Auburn does, as well. “With these changes, [we will be] fifth in the state in terms of benefits,” Buston said. The budget also allows for a cost-ofliving adjustment for public service employees — partly as a way to thank the many City employees that showed up to work every day during the pandemic, without being recognized by the City, Buston said. During the Citizens’ Open Forum, the portion of the meeting when residents are given time to air their concerns or thoughts, an Auburn University student talked about a petition that, as of publication, has 258 signatures urging the City to strengthen its public COVID-19 protocols.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
PAGE 7
CULTURE
JACK WEST | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Most of the museum is made of four recycled shipping containers.
Museum of Wonder Local art, artifacts and oddities find a home in small-town museum By SAM LANKFORD Writer
“The World’s First Drive Thru Art and Antique Gallery,” reads the marquee sign in front of The Museum of Wonder. In the sleepy town of Seale, 26 miles from Auburn, modern pace was not the impetus for this World’s First; it was something only local folk artist Butch Anthony could have dreamed of. The four 40-foot long shipping containers bought on retirement in Atlanta serve as the museum’s masthead, beckoning commuters of County Road 431. Lined horizontal to one another with a top bridging section, windows installed in the front, these containers house the museum’s artifacts. These include, but are not limited to, paintings, sculptures, fossils, bones, antiques, preserved snakes, organs, turnips and taxidermy. In the rear sits the Barter Tree, where visitors are encouraged to “leave anything, take anything.” Offerings from this summer ranged from knick-knacks to Black & Mild cigarillos. There is a story behind every physical object in the Museum of Wonder, including the containers themselves. As visitors from out of town swelled, the steel corral was birthed. “I had the museum down at my house since I was 14, but I had so many folks coming through that I had to put up a gate to keep them out,” Anthony said. “Everybody was getting mad, so I just said, ‘put it up on the highway there’.” Not long after, Anthony had to give up his annual Doo Nanny, an outdoor DIY camping and art festival, for similar reasons. “We did that for 13 years, but we don’t do it anymore. It got too big,” Anthony said. In a 2010 interview with the New York Times, Anthony was prepping the Doo Nanny, filling up a barrel with water as a precaution for the 100-foot effigy of female anatomy he was preparing to burn. Asked for the reason behind this particular effigy, he replied, “They’ve got a burning man, why not have a burning woman?” Bones are often seen in Anthony’s works interposed on classic paintings, daguerreotypes and high school
yearbook photos. “When I was about 14, I found a dinosaur bone in the creek bed,” Anthony said. “So, I put that in my old barn down there and put a little piece of velvet on a pedestal and put that bone on it.” The local paper learned of Anthony’s discovery, and shortly after, he became acquainted with some Au-
a distinctive way of speaking, thinking, behaving, assessing; and ism = a theory.” The contents of the Museum of Wonder are indeed a mix. There is Anthony’s own work, and then there are the items collected or brought to him over the years. Included in the last group is “Revelations,” a series of eight suitcases containing Pa-
SAM LANKFORD | WRITER
“Revelations” consists of eight Paper Mache suitcases.
burn paleontology professors who later determined the bone to be around 65 million years old“… it’s been nothin’ but bones since then,” he said. Anthony attended Auburn in the mid 1980s studying zoology, geology and biology. He began to develop his own genre coined “Intertwangleism.” Anthony’s website addresses the etymology: “inter = to mix; twangle =
per Mache dioramas of a hellscape, much like Dante’s, but demons are replaced by giant reptiles and octopi biting the heads off sinners. The piece was donated by an Athens, Alabama woman whose father was a preacher in the 1930s. “It was a traveling preacher that went around and would scare the hell out of all those kids with that thing in Sunday school,” Anthony
said. There is a preserved turnip in a jar of formaldehyde which reminds Anthony of a long-time friend’s contribution, the late John Henry Toney. “He would plow garden patches for people,” Anthony said. “Back then, everybody had a little garden patch; John would come up, plow your spot for $20, go on to the next one.” One day when Toney plowed Anthony’s garden patch, he found a turnip with a face on it. Toney made a painting of it and put it up for sale. “There was a junk store down there in Pittsview, and that painting, someone came around and bought it,” Anthony said. According to Anthony, this sale spurred him into action. To challenge his friend, he drafted a similar painting and sold it, to his amazement. The buyer of the first happened to be the renowned Atlanta chef, Scott Peacock. “He had this lady with him named Edna Lewis, she wrote cookbooks and stuff,” Anthony said. “The other day, I bought some stamps at the post office and there’s Edna Lewis. She died; they put her on a U.S. postage stamp.” Anthony has crossed paths with renowned artists from other mediums, including the late filmmaker Les Blank. He’s featured in Blank’s The Maestro: Rides Again (1994) and in numerous unfinished Blank films that were shot throughout a period of 20 years. When Blank was dying of cancer in 2013, Anthony assisted. “Right before he died, he said, ‘I want y’all to build me a casket, and I want to be buried with worms,’” Anthony said. Anthony made the casket and Werner Herzog contributed by imprinting his paint-covered hand to the top of it. As Blank wished, worms were placed in there with him. Why the worms? “[Blank] put in his will that he wanted me to make something out of his skeleton, dig him up,” Anthony said. When the exhumation will take place is uncertain. In the meantime, Anthony continues to operate his compound and the Museum of Wonder, and to work on his current project: bone quilts.
JACK WEST | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The museum holds both outdoor and indoor exhibits.
sports
8
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
CONTRIBUTED BY ALYSSA BERRY | THE REVEILLE
LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall (6).
CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF | THE KENTUCKY KERNEL
FILE PHOTO
Kentucky linebackers Jamar Watson (31) and Jordan Wright (15) celebrate during Kentucky vs. Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.
Bo Nix (10) during the Auburn vs. Georgia game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.
Networks, game times announced for three AU games By MATTISON ALLEN Writer
The SEC announced on Tuesday the game times and TV networks for three of Auburn’s games this season, including the first two weeks of the 2020 season. Auburn’s opening game versus Kentucky on Sept. 26 will kick off at 11 a.m. CST and air on the SEC Network. This decision comes at the SEC’s request as the conference asked for early selections due to the unusual college football season. This will assist the conference and individual schools when preparing while still being COVID conscious.
Any games not selected before the beginning of the season will follow the standard season rules where the times and TV networks will be announced 12 or six days before the game. Auburn’s Week 2 game against Georgia on Oct. 3 will begin at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN. The Tigers will be taking their show on the road to Athens, Georgia, in this year’s edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Auburn’s Week 4 contest at South Carolina has been narrowed down to either 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. CST. The TV network hosting the game will either be the SEC Network, the SEC Network alternate channel or another ESPN
TRAINING
channel. CBS also selected and announced its six games plus the SEC Championship. They have opted in for the first two weeks then scattered the other four games throughout the season. Auburn was included in one of the CBS selections as it was announced that the Week 6 game between Auburn and LSU will be played at 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS Oct. 31 in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The opener will be the first matchup between the Tigers and Wildcats since 2015, when Auburn outlasted Kentucky in a 30–27 win in Lexington, Kentucky.
FOOTBALL
Whitlow finds new home By HENRY ZIMMER Writer
FILE PHOTO
The Auburn logo located on Jordan-Hare Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.
Athletic facilities ranked first By ASHLEY BIRDSONG Writer
According to The Princeton Review, Auburn University is home to the best athletic facilities in the nation. Auburn has been ranked No. 1 nationally in the Best Athletic Facilities category as part of The Princeton Review’s annual best 365 colleges ranking list. The rankings criteria are based on survey data from 143,000 students at the 386 schools who were included in the review.
The student survey has 85 questions and asks students about their school’s academics/administration, life at college, fellow students and themselves. Five total SEC schools were ranked among the best athletic facilities in the nation. Joining the Tigers on the list are the University of Alabama, Vanderbilt University, Louisiana State University and the University of South Carolina. Alabama was ranked third, Vanderbilt was fourth, LSU was 11th and South Carolina was 17th.
Former Auburn running back Boobee Whitlow has found a new program. After entering his name into the transfer portal in February, Whitlow will continue his academic and athletic career with Western Illinois, per an announcement on his Twitter. Western Illinois is an FCS team, out of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Missouri Valley Conference’s fall season has been postponed but is scheduled to play an eight-game schedule in the spring, followed by the playoffs. Since Whitlow is going from an FBS program to an FCS, he will be immediately eligible.
Coming into Auburn, the three-star Alabama native was a bit of an unknown. In his redshirt freshman year in 2018, Whitlow led the Tigers with 787 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards a carry. Even while dealing with a knee injury and missing time in 2019, Whitlow racked up 763 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Ball security was an issue for Whitlow during his time at Auburn, coughing up the ball eight times over 2018 and 2019. As a Tiger, his last game was the Outback Bowl against Minnesota, where Whitlow carried the ball nine times for 24 yards. Whitlow leaves the Plains with a total of 1,550 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
JaTarvious Whitlow (28) runs the ball during Auburn Football vs. Alabama, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.
Ask the Auburn Family:
‘What’s your favorite memory from an Auburn season opener?’ “I don’t know. This is literally my first season in the Auburn Family.” #firstyeargradstudent -@futballbrewer
“I would say when we played in the Benz because it was my first time going to that stadium and we won.”
“Doing our gender reveal and finding out we we’re having a girl, then running into Cam Newton.” - 2016 vs. Clemson
“When my now husband put his arm around me during Dixeland Delight pregame.” (Sept. 2006)
“Cam’s first touchdown.”
“Fly by and Kickoff.”
“As a freshman watching Cam beat ArkState and thinking this guy could be special.”
-Rachel Vickers
“Bo Nix TD throw against Oregon.” -Jennifer Brashier Walker
-Terri Leigh Wilson Armstrong
“Standing arm in arm, singing in the rain during my first game in the AUDL.” - 2014 vs. Arkansas -Mason Atkins
FILE PHOTO
Students cheering during Auburn vs Arkansas on Aug. 30, 2014.
-Charley Ham
-Hannah Hooper
-Andrew Harris
-Braden Hahn
FILE PHOTO
The eagle during Auburn vs. Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019.
FILE PHOTO
Junior quarterback Cam Newton makes a run against Arkansas State.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 9
SCHEDULE
Changes announced for volleyball and soccer Soccer -Season runs Sept. 18–Nov. 8 (eight total weeks) -Eight regular season matches plus at least two matches at the SEC Tournament -Regular season includes six divisional opponents and two crossover opponents (4 home/4 away) -One match per week — play dates will be either Friday, Saturday or Sunday based on campus activities and television. Matches may move to Thursday on the fifth weekend of the season for make-up dates. -14-team Conference Tournament Nov. 13–22; each team guaranteed at least two matches
Volleyball -Season runs weekend of Oct. 16–Nov. 27 -Six weeks of competition -Compete against four opponents; same opponent twice in the same weekend COLE TANGYE | PHOTOGRAPHER
Riley Petcosky (2) throws the ball in during the Auburn vs. Southern Miss game.
ALLISSA STANLEY | PHOTOGRAPHER
-Eight total matches
Auburn player Tatum Shipes (21) serves the ball at the Auburn v. Mississippi volleyball game.
VOLLEYBALL
Auburn volleyball looks ahead to new era By MATTISON ALLEN Writer
While Auburn volleyball still does not have its schedule, the team does have more information on what a season will look like. Even without a schedule and a later start date, there are still plenty of things to look forward to for the upcoming season. Auburn ended the 2019 season down and out with a 7-22 overall record. The season resulted in former head coach Rick Nold and the Tigers parting ways. Now Auburn is starting a new era under new head coach Brent Crouch. Crouch was the coach at the University of Southern California before being hired at Auburn. He was consistent in his leadership at USC, leading them to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. “The Auburn family is going to see a volleyball program playing a fast, aggressive style of volleyball and to continue to develop young student athletes at the highest level on and off the court,” Crouch said after being hired in January. “I expect us to be earning a bid to the NCAA tournament very soon, and I know our athletes are up for that challenge. It’s a great time to be an Auburn Tiger.” The Tigers have four rising seniors on the roster who will play leadership roles during
Crouch’s first season. One of these seniors is Payton White. White played in 29 matches on the back row last season. She led the team with 325 digs averaging 3.16 per set. She started her junior season off strong with 23 digs against Tennessee and kept the momentum rolling. Chesney McClellan is another returning senior who saw the court in 29 matches last season while leading the Tigers with a .216 attacking average. McClellan finished with 175 total kills, second-best on the team. Along with the experienced seniors, Auburn brings in some talented freshmen to help start a new chapter in program history. Jackie Barrett will take the court for the first time with the Tigers in 2020. She is coming from Highland, California, where she played at Citrus Valley High School. Barrett holds her high school’s career record in assists, blocks and service aces with 2,148, 162 and 187, respectively. As the Tigers look into the future of the season, a lot is unknown, but they are ready to start a new era for Auburn volleyball. “Volleyball in the SEC is on the rise, and it is only a matter of time before it leads the country,” Crouch said in January. “I want to be at the forefront of that growth. Auburn volleyball is ready to take off, and I’m excited to partner with the department to ensure this happens.”
FILE PHOTO
Payton White (14) digs for the ball during Auburn Volleyball vs. Alabama on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017.
SOCCER
Auburn soccer relying on young roster in 2020 By RYAN METCALF Writer
KATHRYN MUSSELL | PHOTOGRAPHER
Sydney Richards (14) advances with the ball during the Auburn vs. South Carolina game on Oct. 31, 2019.
On Aug. 4, Auburn soccer returned to training for the 2020 season. Head coach Karen Hoppa is looking to bounce back from Auburn’s first losing season since 2013 and continue the streak of 19-straight SEC Tournament appearances. Auburn and Hoppa will look to continue the SEC Tournament streak even with the absence of spring exhibitions and a delayed start to the season. The Tigers will start on Sept. 18. “We’re excited to be able to have a fall schedule,” Hoppa said. “Our players have been working extremely hard both on and off the field, especially during these uncertain and trying times, and they’re thrilled about the opportunity to play meaningful games this fall.” For the first time in four years, Auburn will be without All-SEC midfielder Bri Folds. In June, Folds signed a professional contract with Swedish team Kopparbergs Göteborg FC. While Folds’ absence will be missed, the Tigers return SEC All-Freshman forward/midfielder Sydney Richards.
Auburn boasts a youthful team with 15 freshmen this fall, only four seniors and a graduate transfer at goalie in Dani Kaufman. Kaufman comes to the Tigers after spending four seasons at Bucknell. Despite two seniors being defenders, the defense will need new players to fill the holes created after last season’s departures. The forward positions will be Auburn’s most youthful this season, which could affect how Auburn strategizes their attacking plays. The team has the most experience at the midfield positions, which creates an opportunity to control the possession in games and create better chances for the young forwards. Currently, there isn’t a schedule for Auburn soccer this fall, but the conference has released details on how the season will operate safely. “We’re also very proud of the SEC for putting the health and safety of our student-athletes at the forefront,” Hoppa said. “Playing one game a week allows for the appropriate testing and additional measures to take place so we compete while continuing to place an emphasis on everyone’s wellbeing.”
lifestyle
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
LIFESTYLE
CULTURE
CAROLINE RICE | WRITER
Views of the historical Crenshaw Guest House on North College Street in Auburn, Ala.
Victorian B&B holds the memories of Auburn By CAROLINE RICE Writer
A historic treasure stands outside of the heart of downtown Auburn, where visitors are welcomed into the Auburn community with Southern hospitality and rich history of the Loveliest Village on the Plains. Auburn’s North College Street Historic District holds stories of Auburn’s earliest ancestors and events. One of these historic buildings is The Crenshaw Guest House, which is now a bed and breakfast. The buildings in the North College Street Historic District were constructed between 1848 and 1937. These homes hold architectural and historic importance in their Victorian style. The Crenshaw Guest House was built in 1890 by Dr. Bolling Hall Crenshaw. Crenshaw practiced law and was an esteemed circuit judge before becoming director of mathematics at the Alabama Polytechnical Institute for 30 years. Crenshaw County in Alabama was named in his honor.
Crenshaw reportedly met in his house for tea with Dean Cliff Hare, his colleague, who was a member of Auburn’s first football team. Jordan-Hare stadium is named in Hare’s honor. The house remained in the Crenshaw family until 1942 when the Hardie family bought it. The home was named the ‘Crenshaw-Hardie House’ when they applied for a listing on the national register of historic homes. Ninety years after the house was first built, Dean Cliff Hare’s granddaughter and her husband– Fran and Peppie Verna– bought the house and worked to restore its original beauty. It was 1985 when the Vernas’ house transformation was up to par with the Department of Interior guidelines, and the Crenshaw Guest House was first turned into the bed and breakfast that it is today. The Crenshaw Guest House can host 33 guests comfortably, with 8 different suites or rooms that are available for individual bookings. Each room is named after notable Auburn characters, such as George Petrie and
William Samford. When guests arrive at Crenshaw Guest House, they are welcomed with homemade cookies and granola and are shown to their individual suite. Their bathrooms are filled with custom shampoos, conditioners and soaps. In addition to the four bedrooms located inside of the main house, there are three separate cottages dispersed throughout the spacious backyard, where each maple tree originated from the yard of Pat Dye. Jennifer Nunnelley, the owner of the Crenshaw Guest House, says that her guests quickly become like family. Many guests are returners and consistently stay at the Victorian house while their son or daughter is at Auburn University, she said. “Once they stay here, they usually come back,” said Nunnelley. Guests commune in the dining room each morning over homemade breakfast cooked by Crenshaw’s innkeeper. These meals allow guests to fellowship with one another. “We have families that come for weddings or family reunions, and they will book the
ARTS
whole house,” said Nunnelley. “But sometimes the room is filled with people who come in strangers to each other, but leave as friends.” Even with the presence of coronavirus, families are still excited to stay at Crenshaw Guest House during football weekends. Nunnelley said that they are planning to have an inflatable screen to project games in the yard, as well as using a tailgate caterer that was already scheduled for a regular season game. Crenshaw Guest House also houses University guests, such as visitors to Auburn’s physics department or artists who are installing their work at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Nunnelley said the guests who stay at the Crenshaw Guest House are some of the nicest people that she has ever met. When a returning family comes for graduation, she and the family share bittersweet feelings, as it is possibly their last time needing to stay at Crenshaw Guest House. “Without this house, I would have never come across these friends that I now keep in touch with,” said Nunnelley.
HEALTH
Auburn graduate seeks authenticity through artwork By ABIGAIL WOODS Writer
Caleb Murphree, a graduate from Auburn University’s class of 2020, has taken the world of creativity by storm through his formation of Sons Of. Sons Of is the culmination of paintings, sketches, and deeper thought. “Sons Of was created from a realization that most of us live our lives without really understanding the power that a moment can hold,” Murphee said. Murphree said he works to create art that draws from the idea that “moments add up to remind me that this life is worth living, not just surviving.” He explained that is the main inspiration behind Sons Of. “My drawings focus on life as we live it; my writings focus on our everyday thoughts and my paintings focus on the spirituality that I believe brings it all together,” he said. “The non-negotiable part is … it’s got to add value to someone.” Being a post-graduate, Murphree is living and work-
CONTRIBUTED BY CALEB MURPHREE
ing in Auburn. “Visual art and poetry are my creative outlets, but that is just a small part of what comprises my life,” he said. Murphree said his driving passions in life are mentorship, leadership, storytelling, ministry and coffee. He explained his life’s purpose is “to support people who want to change the world, develop young leaders, and change the way people see culture’s role in their lives.” Murphree said he made the decision to pursue art four years ago when he started school at Auburn. “I needed a creative outlet, and decided to ‘get good’ at art,” he said. “From there, I disciplined myself to draw two hours a day until I felt like I could begin creating my own original content.” As he never took any classes or
any formal training for art, Murphree explained: “I just make it up as I go.” Seeking new horizons, Murphree said his upcoming work is titled “Iterations of Thought.” ““Iterations of Thought’ is my newest collection of drawings and writings centered around how concepts are created in our mind,” Murphee said. “I’m diving into how we think about love, fear, hope and identity.” He said his new idea will come “in the form of a book that will be on display at Uniq Coffee beginning in mid-September.” In addition to the work of painting and sketching, Murphree mentions his love for leadership and the learning process art involves. He said he enjoys “learning about the different art forms” such as dancing and the music. In his fascination with music, Murphee noted: “I pride myself on my Spotify playlists.” Murphree’s art is on display at Uniq coffee, near downtown Auburn, and for more updates, he can be found on Instagram @the.sons.of.
HANNAH SKIPWORTH | PHOTOGRAPHER
Intermittent fasting is eating during certain hours of the day.
Students find intermittent fasting helpful for weight loss By SARA BLEVINS Writer
During the adjustment to the new normal, people are trying different eating habits to see what works for them. Some have taken to intermittent fasting, which is a form of fasting by eating during set times. Maggie Heath, a sophomore at Auburn, said she started intermittent fasting during quarantine since she wasn’t waking up until around 10:30 a.m. She then would eat between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., she said. “I did it because I had heard about it, and it seemed like it would be easy to do,” she said. Heath said intermittent fasting requires no special food or supplement; it requires time and commitment. She said the only thing she did in addition to following intermittent fasting guidelines was counting her calories. “I counted my calories, but I didn’t do a specific diet or anything,” Heath said. Mike Roberts, an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University, offers a scholarly perspective on intermittent fasting and weight loss. Roberts said that there have been many studies to test the effectiveness of this diet, on both humans and animals. “Those studies are typically limited to being 3-12 months in duration,” Roberts said. “The main benefits that I’ve seen have suggested that intermittent fasting is more effective than no intervention for promoting weight loss and modestly improving blood chemistry markers (e.g., fasting glucose and lipid levels).”
Diets have been around for a long time. “[Right now] there seems to be a craze with intermittent fasting for weight loss,” he said. It has become increasingly popular, but Roberts said an individual shouldn’t try intermittent fasting blindly. There are things they can do to make it most effective, he said. “First, don’t chronically over-consume calories,” he said. “Second, try to be physically active throughout the week because, beyond weight maintenance, the benefits of exercise are numerous.” Roberts said exercise aids in blood lipid management, reduced frailty, increased energy levels and reduces the risk of certain cancer types. When asked if intermittent fasting should be seen as more helpful or harmful, Roberts said the way an individual approaches this diet is the deciding factor. “The human body is remarkable at adapting to imposed stressors,” Roberts said. Intermittent fasting is a new way of training your body and changing the way you approach your dietary habits, he said. “Now, where intermittent fasting can become harmful is if a person haphazardly implements it into days at a time of no eating,” Roberts said. “There are certain essential nutrients that the body has to have access to on a routine basis.” Robert said to keep in mind the consumption of certain amino and fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals. When it comes to intermittent fasting, he said the best thing to do is research and be aware before investing in it.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
PAGE 11
TRADITION
Raptor trainer shares the life of a War Eagle By LYDIA MCMULLEN Writer
It’s diffcult to imagine an Auburn home football game be without a traditional eagle flight around the stadium as the crowd cheers “War Eagle.” While this has become a strong Auburn tradition today, the pre-game eagle flight did not begin until 2000 when a golden eagle named Tiger, also known as War Eagle VI, first soared around Jordan-Hare stadium in a game against Wyoming. War Eagle VI’s historic flight was made possible by the Southeastern Raptor Center, a rehabilitation and education facility that provides learning opportunities and care for birds of prey. While Tiger no longer flies on game days, the center currently hosts Spirit, a bald eagle, who has been flying in the stadium since 2002. A golden eagle Nova, or War Eagle VII, flew from 2004 to 2016. Another golden eagle Aurea, or War Eagle VIII, has been flying since 2018. The Independence, a bald eagle, has yet to fly in the stadium, but is ready for gameday at the next opportunity, said Andrew Hopkins, the assistant director of raptor training and education. Hopkins has been working at the center since 2012. He said that every day at the center looks different, but for the most part he tries to start the day by training the eagles at Jordan-Hare Stadium. In the morning, the birds are weighed to determine how much they should be fed for the day. Then, it is off to the stadium for practice flights. “Once we get to the stadium, I look at the wind direction,” Hopkins said. “We want the eagle to fly with the wind– that way they get pushed into the stadium.” Since the weather on a game day is unpredictable; Hopkins said he mixes up the takeoff spots to prepare the eagles for anything. After practice, the eagles often have a presentation at the center. The center does about 300 presentations a year. Hopkins said a practice flight in the stadium is vastly different from an actual game day with thousands of screaming fans, but the eagles learn to look for the trainers, who hold a small leather lure. Once the bird touches the lure, they are given a food reward, he said. “They do all have a little bit of a different personality,” Hopkins said.
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JOSH FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER
War Eagle VII looks over the field before the game begins.
Spirit is one of the easiest to work with, and will stay in the air longer than the golden eagles, Nova and Aurea, he said. Hopkins said he is excited for The Independence to make her debut, as she is a young, powerful bird and is willing to fly higher in the stadium than the other birds. On game day, a trainer begins preparing the eagle about five hours before kickoff. A police escort transports the bird to the stadium to be placed in the “eagle house” while the wind and weather are checked. “Each week we have a plan as to which eagle we want to fly,” Hopkins said. “Rivalry games
we like to fly a Golden Eagle. Then military appreciation games we like to fly a Bald Eagle.” An hour before game time, the eagle’s responsiveness is checked. If conditions are good, the eagle is sent to their release point until 17 minutes before kickoff, when it will fly. Hopkins said one of the trickiest parts about finding eagles to fly for game days is that for the center to keep them, they must be non-releasable. “All eagles are owned by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service,” he said. “We are per-
mitted to care for them and use them in educational presentations.” All 23 of the birds under the center’s care have some sort of problem inhibiting their ability to live in the wild. Hopkins said he looks for optimal vision and flying ability when selecting a potential eagle to fly for game day, but this is difficult to find. The birds are usually trained from a young age to fly. “As long as a raptor is physically capable of doing the training you are asking it to do, then it can,” he said. JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER
TIGERMARKET
Abbigail Hickey, Auburn Universitys campusPrint dietitian speaks with The PlainsDeadline: man on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Auburn, NoonAla. three business days
prior to publication.
Release Date: Monday, August 31, 2020
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Asks for a treat, as a boxer 5 Site of a boxer’s attack 9 Chocolate syrup brand since 1928 14 Circus prefix with bat 15 Diva’s delivery 16 “This __ much!”: “I’m overwhelmed!” 17 Rental vehicles for self-moving 19 “Pleasantly” chubby 20 President after Madison 21 Mother-of-pearl sources 23 Has title to 25 __ standstill 26 Tea biscuit 29 Designed for comfort and efficiency 35 Guffaw syllable 36 Pirate in “Hook” 38 U.S. state with the lowest average annual rainfall 39 Horse known for its endurance 41 Wed 43 Not fer 44 Wisdom teeth, e.g. 46 Fabled loch 48 Stooge Howard 49 Rainy day protectors 51 Casual conversations 53 Contend (for) 54 Bro of van Gogh 56 Dedicatee of an annual MLB tribute game 61 Snare 65 Lion’s warnings 66 Lost-one’s-place words often preceded by the two-letter start of 17-, 29- and 49-Across 68 Lake craft 69 Bubbly-textured Nestlé chocolate bar 70 Muscle pain
71 Change for the better 72 Tall tale 73 Classic Jaguars
DOWN 1 Wicked Witch of the West creator 2 Reverberate 3 Mom’s mom 4 Become disenchanted with 5 Poe’s “ebony bird” 6 Nest egg letters 7 Columbus ship 8 Chatterbox 9 Double-winged WWI aircraft 10 Norway’s capital 11 Leave slackjawed 12 Arrive 13 “Sorry, my mistake” 18 The Home Depot competitor 22 Shows contrition 24 Noticed 26 Former SeaWorld star 27 Off-the-cushion billiards shot
28 Dental care brand 30 Spanish queen 31 Caesar’s eggs 32 Molten rock 33 Meathead 34 Curved-top candy shapes 37 Mosque visitor 40 Saloon 42 Exam 45 Made changes in 47 Play division 50 Wiggle room
52 Hair-removal substance 55 White wader 56 26-Down, for one 57 Rich soil 58 “Great” dog breed 59 Suffix with Jumbo 60 Flightless bird 62 __ of lamb 63 Tennis great Arthur 64 Crusty desserts 67 Goof up
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Jerome Gunderson ©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
08/31/20
08/31/20
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 12
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