AUBURN VS. OLE MISS see special section inside
The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, October 3, 2013
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID ThePlainsman.com
Vol. 120, Issue 19, 24 Pages
Behind the wheel with security shuttle drivers
ONLINE
Derek Herscovici CAMPUS WRITER
Football vs. Ole Miss
Check out ThePlainsman.com for updates and photos of the game Saturday, Oct. 5
INTRIGUE
B5
ZACH BLAND / PHOTOGRAPHER
Willie Wyatt and Anthony Lee answer questions concerning their experiences at their lecture Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Integration Innovators return to tell their story
Derek Herscovici CAMPUS WRITER
Ukelele Guy Freshman strums and serenades students around campus
COMMUNITY A8
Boogying Down Waverly Fall Boogie continues to bring in crowds, bands, art and more
READERS RESPOND
Segregation is not nearly what it used to be at Auburn University, but its memory and lingering effects still haunt its first generation of integrated students. Willie Wyatt and Anthony Lee, the first African-American students to graduate from Auburn University, came back to The Plains Tuesday, Oct. 1, for the first time since 1964 to remember what it was like, and remind us of where we still need to go. “This is the first time that I’ve been back to Auburn,” Wyatt said. “This is the first time being back on campus, and the first time I’ve ever been contacted by a representative of the University to come back and participate in any function. But I am glad to be here, thankful for the experience and I hope you guys get something out of what happened today.” The early days of integration were hectic, with White Flight, a school fire and other acts of terrorism eventually left only
six African-Americans at Macon County High School, an experience Lee said was instrumental in bringing him to Auburn. “I really wanted to be the first black undergraduate from Auburn, the first black student to come to Auburn period, but Harold Franklin beat me here,” Lee said. “But I still had to persevere, because I knew it was all white, and I thought we needed more opportunities in higher education than just the predominantly black schools in the area.” Wyatt and Lee were accepted late in the summer to Auburn, but denied housing almost immediately, leading them to rent rooms with local businessman Ralph Foster and his wife Jean. The Fosters, also AfricanAmerican, provided the young students home-cooked meals, a safe place to sleep and a sense of community during the school year at a time when there were strict lines dividing whites and non-whites, both
» See INTEGRATION A2
INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue
A2 A6 A7 B1 B5
» See SECURITY SHUTTLE A2
ZACH BLAND / PHOTOGRAPHER
LEFT: Dan Church, security shuttle driver, watches to ensure passengers get into their buildings safely. RIGHT: Church filling out driver’s log after dropping off students.
Aaron brings his party to Auburn, come get it Ashtyne Cole INTRIGUE WRITER
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If it’s late, you’re tired and need to get somewhere on campus between 6 p.m.–7 a.m., dial 334-844-7400 and let the professionals handle it. If you haven’t used the Campus Security Shuttle — commonly referred to as the “Drunk Bus” by much of Auburn’s nocturnal population — it’s a reliable, dependable and often unintentionally entertaining nighttime fleet of white vans with yellow lights. “I had some misgivings in the beginning, but I found the kids to be so appreciative of the service that it just makes it all worthwhile,” said Dan Church, a veteran Security Shuttle driver. “That’s one of the things that surprised me the most when I first started working here.” Church said in its seven-year history of running multiple vans every night, all year long, there have only been a handful of minor accidents involving the shuttles, though none of them were the drivers’ fault. He said one time an intoxicated student
was so angry he would have to wait for a lesscrowded van that he slammed the door hard enough to break the window. Church said students more frequently verbally assault the drivers. “You wouldn’t believe how we get talked to sometimes,” Church said. “I’ll tell (students), ‘sorry, you can’t get in, we’re full,’ and they’ll get so upset. I mean they’ll go to cussing. They will cuss (at) you like a dog.” Church said the shuttle is not intended for intoxicated students and never was, but students out celebrating a late night often bring an element of unpredictability — telling stories, making friends and occasionally leaving their underwear on the van. “It’s a balancing act,” said Randy Cerovsky, associate director of Auburn public safety and security. “We don’t want to take away from the initial thought process behind the vans, so we always make sure there are vans that don’t go to the downtown area.
Students, let your inner tween rejoice, Aaron Carter is coming to Auburn. He may be a few years older, but Carter is starting a comeback tour. He will be performing at Bourbon Street Bar in downtown Auburn Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 9:30 p.m. The concert is one of the stops of his After Party Tour. Dirty Pop and Brie Goldsobel will also be performing. Talking on the phone with your tweenage dream is amazing enough, but Carter was nothing but down-to-earth and positive about his experiences and performances to come. “I never expected it to be like this,” Carter said. “Everyone is so supportive. It’s amazing to see that my fan base has been so strong for all these years, it makes it that much easer to come back.” Carter came on the pop scene in the late ’90s, but he is best known for the album “Aaron’s Party.” Released in September 2000, the album went triple platinum. “Aaron’s Party” includes adolescent favorites such as “I Want Candy,” “That’s How I Beat Shaq” and “Oh Aar-
on.” Carter also made his acting debut alongside Hilary Duff in the much-loved Disney show, “Lizzie McGuire.” “I remember I was so upset with Aaron when he made out with Lizzie McGuire on the Christmas special,” said Anisha Khanijow, junior in cell and molecular biology. He released his next album, “Another Earthquake,” in September 2002. This included Carter’s personal favorite, “Do You Remember.” “‘Do You Remember’ is probably my favorite to perform, but it just depends on how the crowd reacts,” Carter said. “My first album had four songs on the Billboard list at the same time, so it’s hard to pick just one.” With dating Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff at the same time, being a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars,” having Nick Carter as an older brother and starring in the reality show, “House of Carters,” his life has always been in the spotlight. “It was so boring being famous when I was younger,” Carter said. “I couldn’t go anywhere,
I was just young and sheltered. Now I can do whatever I want. I can have fun and go out, but being responsible, of course.” These days he’s a normal guy, minus the interviews and concerts. “Most mornings I get up and walk my dog. He’s an English bulldog named King,” Carter said. “I just ride around on my Razor scooter and he pulls me along.” Carter said King accompanies him wherever he goes, even on the tour bus. As for his concert in Auburn, Carter said to expect many of the popular songs from his first two albums, along with some new things he has been working on, and some covers of top songs right now. During his After Party Tour, Carter has
» See AARON A2