Untitled Document

Auburn University

Friday, September 15, 2006

Good morning! Here's today's summary of news coverage of Auburn University.
NOTE: Any errors in text are due to formatting by the publication.

Total Clips: 3

Headline		Date	Outlet
	Road Trip: Auburn	09/15/2006	Sports Illustrated
	Employers that emphasize benefits can reap greater productivity	09/15/2006	Spokane Journal of Business - Spokane,WA
	Auburn responds to pork fund request	09/15/2006	Press-Register


Road Trip: Auburn 09/15/2006 Sports Illustrated Rachel Morand		Return to Top
Auburn is a school enriched with tradition, and its surrounding city exemplifies the true values of the South. The unparalleled friendliness and compassion of its residents help visitors understand the meaning of "Southern hospitality," and the quiet and laid-back atmosphere is what gives Auburn its unique character. On football game day, the word stranger doesn't exist; everyone is simply a fan. The town is overcome with a sense of pride that can be seen on the faces of children wearing Kenny Irons replica jerseys and alumni who still proudly flaunt their Tiger spirit exactly as they did 30 years ago. The chant of "War Eagle!" is heard all day long throughout the plains, and no one gets tired of yelling it. Best place to celebrate an Auburn victory: Toomer's Corner. The tradition of "Rolling Toomer's Corner" is one that won't be broken anytime soon. After any football win, Tigers fans comes in hordes to celebrate by lobbing rolls of toilet paper into the trees on the corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. The date of the first "rolling" is unknown, but it is speculated to have been in the early 1960s. The toilet paper remains in the trees for hours after fans have left, leaving the corner looking like the aftermath of a snowstorm. Where to feel Auburn's history: Toomer's Drug Store. The small convenience store and restaurant still occupies its original building, where it's been since the late 1800s. The city landmark serves food such as hot dogs and ice cream and proudly serves the world's best lemonade. The legendary John Heisman, namesake of the Heisman Trophy and one of Auburn's first football coaches, is reputed to have quenched his thirst with the sweet beverage frequently. The December 2001 issue of Esquire placed Toomer's Drug Store at the top of its list of "162 Reasons it's Good to be an American." Where to groove with Auburn students: SkyBar. The downtown hot spot for Auburn students and local residents offers music, dancing and drinking for those 21 and over. Styles of music range from country and dance to acoustic and karaoke. Where to eat after the game: Mellow Mushroom. The restaurant serves pizza good enough to sell your soul for and unique brands of beer from all over the world. Even though it's usually packed to capacity with Auburn fans, no one minds waiting for a table, because talking about the big game with people you've never met before is all part of the experience. Best place to tailgate: Anywhere on or around the university property. For big Saturday games, especially against SEC teams, fans begin to trickle into town and claim their desired spots to tailgate as early as Wednesday. By game time, the campus looks like a giant orange campground, and the mouth-watering smell of barbeque lingers in the air long after everyone has eaten. Where to satisfy late-night hunger: Mama Goldberg's Deli. Open until the early morning hours, the old, wooden building within walking distance of campus looks like it's been part of the city of Auburn as long as the university. Inside, the walls covered with Auburn memorabilia and the friendly atmosphere inspire a sense of pride that could make a 'Bama fan want to be a Tiger. The fresh sandwiches, especially the Mama's Love, are unlike any from the other delis in town, and the nachos are in a category of their own. Most interesting building: Samford Hall. The gorgeous redbrick building is home to the university's administration. Atop the building is the clock tower, which chimes every 15 minutes and is famous for playing the Auburn fight song at noon and midnight every day. In case of a fire, to prevent the entire building from being engulfed in flames, the floors between each story are filled with sand. Auburn's best cheer: The Auburn Fight Song. The marching band plays it after each touchdown, and it never gets old. War Eagle, fly down the field/Ever to conquer, never to yield/War Eagle, fearless and true/Fight on, you orange and blue/Go! Go! Go!/On to vict'ry, strike up the band/Give 'em hell, give 'em hell/Stand up and yell, Hey!/War Eagle, win for Auburn/Power of Dixie Land! Best Kodak moment: In front of the Auburn University sign. The granite stone is visible from College Street and is across from Samford Hall. Probably every student who attends or has attended Auburn has had their photo taken standing next to the sign. Best Asian cuisine: China Palace Asian Fusion. The Thai menu is a special treat for anyone looking for a spicy meal and is certainly at the other end of the food spectrum from traditional Southern cuisine such as black-eyed peas and fried chicken. For the adventurous eater, sit at the sushi bar and try one of many unique sushi rolls, including the Auburn Tiger roll or the fried Chinese Fire Cracker roll. Best outdoor eatery: Niffers. The casual dining spot with outdoor seating is always swarming with college students and is famous for its fish bowls, cheap beer and corn nuggets, for good reason. Coolest spot on campus: The Southeastern Raptor Center. Auburn's college of veterinary medicine has a center that treats and rehabilitates birds of prey including bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, great horned owls and red-tailed hawks. Tiger, Auburn's 26-year-old golden eagle, has been diagnosed with skin cancer and has been receiving treatment at the center. Most prolific sports teams: The men's and women's swimming and diving teams. In spring 2006 the men's team won its fourth consecutive and sixth overall NCAA championship title with the help of seniors Kurt Cady, George Bovell, Eric Shanteau and Doug Van Wie. The women's team also claimed the national title, its fourth championship in five years. Where to get game-day gear: Tiger Rags, J&M Bookstore and Anders Bookstore. Tiger Rags is most popular for its game-day shirts, and all stores offer Auburn memorabilia from coffee mugs to truck hitches to dog collars. Tigers fans have grown to love the color orange. Where to shop 'til you drop: Downtown Auburn. The strip of stores down College Street and Magnolia Avenue in the downtown block consists of unique stores including Auburn Hardware, a small store that sells just about anything imaginable. While walking the streets, glance at the ground to see Auburn's version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The granite stones every few steps are a tribute to legendary athletes who've helped Auburn become the major sports school it is today. What to see before the game: Tiger Walk. What is known as "the most copied tradition in all of college football" is Auburn's cherished pregame tradition. Before each game, the football players and coaches walk a narrow path among overwhelming mobs of Auburn fans from Sewell Hall to Jordan-Hare Stadium's south-end-zone entrance.
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Employers that emphasize benefits can reap greater productivity 09/15/2006 Spokane Journal of Business - Spokane,WA		Return to Top
Contrary to the nefarious plots of Catbert, the "evil director of human resources" character depicted in the popular Dilbert comic strip, a study of nearly 20,000 organizations shows that employee incentives really are good for business. Data from more than 19,000 organizations reveal that when a company emphasizes human resource activities such as incentive pay and flextime, it can enjoy a 10 percent to 20 percent improvement in employee retention, employee productivity, profitability, and stock price. That’s according to a study that’s to be published soon in a journal called Personnel Psychology. Meanwhile, companies that cut such programs can expect a 10 to 20 percent reduction in their bottom line, the study shows. "Over the last 25 years, corporate America has debated whether the human-resources function adds value or if it is just a necessary evil," says Dave Ketchen, study co-author at Auburn University. "Our results show that negative images of human-resource managers miss the mark. Skilled HR managers can make the difference between a company making a profit or losing money." The study found that performance improvements are stronger when companies take a systematic approach to human resources rather than implementing one or two practices. "A firm can't view training or team-building as a magic bullet that will deliver profits," Ketchen says. "Executives need to adopt a strategic view of the human-resource function and create sets of practices that reinforce each other." The study also found that human-resource activities make a bigger difference among manufacturing firms than among service firms. "Manufacturing jobs often involve complex and dangerous machinery," says Ketchen. "In high-performing companies, the services that the human-resource function provides, such as safety and training, support other programs such as quality-management and lean-manufacturing systems to make sure that workers are safe, motivated, and productive." The study used a technique called meta-analysis to mathematically combine the findings of 92 previous studies published since the mid-1980s. Co-authors with Ketchen on the project were James Combs, Yongmei Liu, and Angela Hall, all of Florida State University. Personnel Pyschology publishes applied psychological research on personnel problems facing public and private-sector organizations.
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Auburn responds to pork fund request 09/15/2006 Press-Register Sean Reilly, Washington Bureau		Return to Top
After being marked down for tardiness, Auburn University President Ed Richardson responded Thursday to an Oklahoma senator's request for information about his school's use of paid lobbyists to seek congressionally "earmarked" funds. But, like the replies submitted by his counterparts at the University of South Alabama and the University of Alabama System, Richardson's one-page letter doesn't fully answer questions raised by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican. Among other things, Coburn had sought a list of all federal appropriations received since 2000. In his Thursday letter, Richardson does not name one; nor does he address Coburn's request to explain how Auburn sets standards to achieve quality outcomes with earmarked appropriations, which critics often label as "pork." Instead, Richardson acknowledges that the school hires Washington, D.C., lobbyists, which allows Auburn "to be successful securing federal investments" that further its mission of serving Alabamians, according to his letter. He adds that the school is also investing its own funds in research, such as $3 million for an alternative fuels initiative. Richardson's letter came two days after Coburn listed Auburn on his Senate Web site as one of 38 schools that had not answered his late July request for information. That failure to respond was not just an affront to Congress, "but to every American taxpayer that finances earmarks," Coburn said in a Tuesday news release. Richardson did not return a phone message Thursday. Auburn spokesman David Granger also did not return a voicemail asking why the school missed Coburn's deadline, originally set for Sept. 1 and later extended. In all, Coburn, who chairs a federal financial management subcommittee, has asked 113 colleges and universities around the country, including USA, Auburn and the three schools in the University of Alabama System, for information on lobbying and earmarks. All five schools receive millions of dollars in congressionally earmarked funds each year. In Tuesday's release, Coburn said he plans to hold hearings on the earmarking issue this fall or next year.
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