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Thursday, October 12, 2006

NOTE ON FORMATTING: When stories are transferred from the Web, certain punctuation marks and other marks in this report don't carry over and result in symbols and other formatting errors. To see or print the story in full without these translation errors, simply click on "full story" at the end of each item."

Total Clips: 11

	Date	Outlet
Birding tower country's largest	10/12/2006	Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn is a small city that's big on football	10/12/2006	Gainesville Sun
In support: AU students mark 'National Coming Out Day' with campus event	10/12/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
Libertarians lacking permit told to leave Republican-sponsored voter event at AU	10/12/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
Pro Wrestling champ Gets Ready for His Close-Up	10/12/2006	ABC News
Ivory-billed hiatus	10/12/2006	Smoky Mountain News
Venable: changing times at Stinky Cove	10/12/2006	Knoxville News
AU's TigerFit Program Puts Fitness to the Test	10/12/2006	WRBL-TV
18th-Century Food Sources to Be Topic	10/12/2006	Lakeland Magazine
Political debate canceled at Auburn University	10/11/2006	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
College Democrats cite ethical reasons in pullout from debate	10/11/2006	Opelika-Auburn News


Birding tower country's largest 10/12/2006 Montgomery Advertiser Ryan Hickman, Huntsville Times		Return to Top
This story from the Huntsville Times also appeared in the Gadsden Times, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Houma Courier. A five-minute drive from Kalico Kitchen's stone parking lot in Marion out to Alabama 175 -- a stitch of road between Highways 5 and 14 in Perry County -- sits a weathered wooden sign. Approaching it too quickly or paying more attention to the nearby fish hatchery might make the road into Perry Lakes Park an afterthought. And blowing past the park's location would mean missing one of the prizes of Alabama's Black Belt. The 170-acre hidden treasure is not only one of the state's sanctuaries of mature hardwood trees but has become a prime destination for bird watchers since a 100-foot canopy tower was erected and opened to the public in April. The tower, built by four Auburn University architectural students from the school's Rural Studio program -- including Huntsville native and Grissom High School graduate Paul Howard -- provides a rich view of the one of the poorest counties in the country. The structure reaches above the forest's canopy and with its 100-foot apex is the largest elevated bird watching structure of its kind in the country. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey in 2001, 46 million Americans were considered bird watchers, including 18 percent of residents in Alabama. The sport is cited as one of the fastest-growing activities in the country. Not only has the tower, highlighted as one of the Top 100 attractions by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, intrigued regional birding groups like the Audubon Society of Birmingham, but the rich array of species and varying heights to observe them has lured international birders to Perry Lakes Park. "There are people coming from all over the world -- Britain, Germany, Argentina -- because of this birding tower," said Dr. Thomas Wilson, Judson College biologist, environmental activist and general overseer of the park. With nine platforms plateauing up to the top of the Perry Lakes Park Canopy Tower, bird watchers are offered views at the differing strata of the forest filled with oaks, slippery elms and swamp tupelos. Because the biodiversity of a forest is based vertically, Wilson says, the opportunity to rise into the canopy allows bird watchers an intimate view of wildlife unmatched from the forest's floor. Perry Lakes Park claims 206 birds on its list of species, including the prothonotary warbler, the signature bird of Perry Lakes Park. The park boasts a number of rare warblers in addition the prothonotary -- the worm-eating warbler, Swainson's warbler, Kentucky warbler and Louisiana waterthrush. Another allure for bird watchers at Perry Lakes is a bald eagle's nest on the edge of the Marion Hatchery woods.
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Auburn is a small city that's big on football 10/12/2006 Gainesville Sun JACK STRIPLING		Return to Top
Locals will tell you that Auburn, Ala., is still "the loveliest village on the plains," just as the 19th-century poem from which it takes its name suggests. Cuddled in a nook north of Montgomery, Auburn prides itself on a sort of Southern seclusion. But for a few fall Saturdays each year, the sometimes sleepy town of 50,000 people transforms, as a trail of Tiger fans in RVs come rolling down Magnolia Avenue with barbecue in tow and a fanaticism for football that borders on religious fervor. Gator fans who head up to Auburn for the football game Saturday will see a city in the grips of a familiar enthusiasm that's synonymous with major Southern football. But longtime Auburn residents say there's something unique about gameday in the town they often call "The Plains." "Auburn still has a quaint down-homeness about it that some schools in larger cities have lost," said David Housel, who served as AU's athletic director for 10 years. "The town and gown in Auburn are one ... "With all due respect to my good friends in Starkville and Oxford, they're a little too small. With all due respect to my friends in Gainesville and Knoxville, they're a little too big. But this is coming from an Auburn guy who says Auburn is just right." Don DeMent, who's operated a popular sandwich shop in Auburn for 30 years, echoed Housel's sentiments. "It's such a small town that everything's just wrapped around the university," DeMent said. DeMent owns Momma Goldberg's, a student joint famous for its steamed "Momma's Love" sandwich. Much like Burrito Brothers in Gainesville, eating at "Momma G's" is an Auburn tradition that alumni are known to relive year after year. DeMent says that's because he's always let the students more or less run the place, taking a laid back attitude even when things get a little rowdy. "I don't tow cars. There's no 'no' signs (that say) you can't do this and can't do that," DeMent said. "If they break something, let them break it." Wayne Flynt, a retired AU professor of history who has written about Alabama's obsession with football, says it's no surprise the town of Auburn and the state in general have typically valued wins on the gridiron above all else. "There is more focus on football simply because there are not a lot of other things to focus on other than football," said Flynt, who attended Florida State University and has written about Florida politics. Flynt traces Alabama's football interest and prowess back to the 1960s when the state was "ridiculed nationally and internationally" because of racial turmoil. A relatively poor state, and in the view of many an intolerant one, Alabama had little to brag about other than its football programs, Flynt said. "It was a single-minded kind of commitment to what Alabamians were good at, and that was winning football games," he said. However it began, Auburn's football story has transformed the town and steeped it in tradition. In the 1960s, the team began Tiger Walk, encouraging fans to greet players on their way into the stadium. Under coach Urban Meyer, the Gators have instituted a similar tradition. Other traditions at Auburn include rolling Toomer's Corner in downtown Auburn with toilet paper after sports victories. Police barricade the street, blocking traffic through Auburn's major traffic artery to make way for the paper-filled celebration. Some of that toilet paper comes from Toomer's Drugs, located at the bustling intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. Established in 1896, Toomer's became known for its lemonade and has also made quite a business out of selling toilet paper to celebrating fans. "On a good year, we'll sell a lot," said Michael Overstreet, the store's manager. For all of its Southern charm, Auburn has at times shown a side that's not as sweet as its lemonade. Faculty and alumni have complained for years that a group of politically connected trustees have wielded too much power over the university, and its football program in particular. The issue reached a crescendo in 2003, when several trustees, Housel and then-President William Walker took a covert trip to Louisville to interview a prospective football coach unbeknownst to coach Tommy Tuberville. The scandal, which became known locally as "Jetgate," led to Walker's resignation. Tuberville went on to an undefeated season the following year. Conner Bailey, AU's faculty representative on the board of trustees, said this week that there are still problems but that relations between the board and faculty have improved of late. Long viewed to be under the control of powerful trustee Bobby Lowder, a Montgomery banker, new members of AU's board are acting more independently, Bailey said. Lowder did not return calls for comment. "It's been a long struggle, so people are a little bit discouraged and demoralized," Bailey said. "But the other thing that's happening, that's' more positive, is that the board is showing some independence. It is not the board of 2001 or 2003." Jack Stripling can be reached at 374-5064 or Jack.Stripling@gvillesun.com
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In support: AU students mark 'National Coming Out Day' with campus event 10/12/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
T-shirts can convey all sorts of messages, and hanging a bunch of them from a clothes line along the Haley Center concourse at Auburn University is one way to say a lot without speaking a word. For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at AU, having a place where anybody could make T-shirts with supportive messages was an ideal way to not only mark National Coming Out Day on Wednesday, but also to show students they exist and a number of its members aren’t afraid to tell people who they are. After freshman Katie Roye came out to her mother five years ago, she had a hard time finding support among her classmates. Her efforts to start a gay/straight group were halted by the administration at her high school and her straight friends couldn't understand her hardships. She feared for her physical safety but only suffered name calling, she said. Roye has found the environment at AU to be conservative, but a little less so than high school. The biggest difference is having groups like the Gay/Straight Alliance, of which she is a member, and the Spectrum Alliance at AU. "All these people know what it's like," she said. Not all members of either group are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Senior Jennifer Bartley is straight, but she wore a pink shirt with "ally" painted on it in rainbow colors because she has friends who are gay and she supports them. As a minimum, she said they should feel safe on campus. "It's part of everyone's right to feel safe," Bartley said. "What are your rights if you don't feel safe?" As long as teachers can be dismissed for their sexual orientation and students can be discriminated against, Auburn isn't a safe place, according to Stephanie Graham, president of the Spectrum Alliance, the graduate student LGBT group which started last year. Since the university administration is currently implementing a diversity plan, Graham said it's perfect timing for sexual orientation, gender identification and gender expression to be covered in the Auburn discrimination policy. She said they currently are not. "It's not a safe place," she said. "It's getting there. But I wouldn't go so far to say that." Erin Doolin's shirt said "second class citizen" because "our rights aren't as important here. Our diversity is not accepted here." Roye hasn't experienced any name calling at Auburn, but before Wednesday's event concluded she said one student left a hateful message on their table. Otherwise the event was a success, passing out literature and ribbons to hundreds of students and getting more than 40 to make T-shirts. Messages varied to the shocking to the poignant. Many declared, "I am a safe place." "They really make you think about if your beliefs are prejudice or not," said junior John Anderson.
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Libertarians lacking permit told to leave Republican-sponsored voter event at AU 10/12/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
A political debate scheduled for Tuesday between Democrats and Republicans at Auburn University got canceled because the Democrats didn't like the Libertarians being left out. Brandon Costerison, campaign director for the College Democrats, said his organization pulled out of next week's debate for ethical reasons. He said the Democrats will take part in a debate only if the Republicans allow the College Libertarians to participate or agree to debate the Libertarians before the Nov. 7 election. "The goal of our organization is to educate voters, and that cannot be done in the format of the debate that we had been forced into," College Democrat President Jeffrey Ioimo said. The campus political groups hold debates annually to inform students of the issues by party. But Kristy Cottrell, chairman of the College Republicans, said last year's three-party debate was "too confusing" and students had a hard time understanding where each party stood. To avoid any confusion this year, Cottrell said Republicans argued for three two-party debates. No one else agreed, so the Republicans planned to face just the Democrats on Oct. 17, while the Libertarians and Democrats agreed to debate Oct. 26. College Libertarian President Grace Toles told the Opelika-Auburn News that Republicans were invited to the latter debate as well but declined the offer. Cottrell said Republicans plan to debate the Libertarians but not until February, three months after the general election. She said there was no need to debate them before Nov. 7 because there is no Libertarian candidate on the ballot for any statewide office. The Libertarian Party does have a candidate on the ballot for House District 79, which covers part of Lee County. Dick Clark faces Republican incumbent Mike Hubbard and Democrat Carolyn Ellis, both of Auburn. Cottrell said Republicans didn't see that race as reason for a debate because not all Auburn students will be able to vote in that contest. Costerison called that reasoning "pathetic." "As an organization, we cannot and will not sit idly by while the AU GOP excludes a political party with candidates running for office right here in our district," he said.
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Pro Wrestling champ Gets Ready for His Close-Up 10/12/2006 ABC News Bryan Robinson		Return to Top
Gerald W. Morton, a language and literature professor at AU is quoted in this story. NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2006 — - Mr. DeMille, professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena is ready for his first close-up. Cena is making his film debut in "The Marine," which opens nationwide on Friday. It remains to be seen whether the film will have the same kind of memorable lines that made 1950's "Sunset Boulevard" a cinema classic. But the World Wrestling Entertainment champion admits that his stomach is tied up in knots. "It's exciting, but I won't sugarcoat it. I'm nervous about it," Cena told ABCNEWS.com. "My own acting aspirations aside, there is a lot riding on this film. It's a chance for WWE as a brand to redirect, reinvent itself. If it is a success, I'm ready for it. At the same point in time, if it is not, I'm ready to adjust accordingly." Movie Franchise Hopes World Wrestling Entertainment -- formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation -- hopes Cena will be one of the marquee stars of WWE Films, its Los Angeles-based film and television company formed in 2002. "The Marine" is the second movie produced by WWE Films to come to the big screen. Its first, "See No Evil," starring WWE wrestler Kane -- a 7-foot, 326-pound version of Uncle Fester -- opened last May and earned slightly more than $15 million domestically. In "The Marine," Cena plays John Triton, a soldier who is discharged involuntarily and becomes embroiled in a personal battle against a band of thugs led by Robert Patrick (of "X-Files," "Terminator 2" and "Walk the Line" fame) when they kidnap his wife during a random encounter at a gas station. The action flick is full of testosterone, with fight scenes, explosions, and car-chase scenes galore. No Oscar buzz is expected to greet "The Marine," but Cena said fans would be surprised to see that the film offered more than an adrenaline rush. "I really encourage fans to see the movie," he said. "Each character has their own story, and you really get to know each and every one of these characters. There's also a lot of humor in there." Cinematic Naturals Cena is only the latest professional wrestler to invade the big screen. Tinseltown has long recognized their star potential. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson -- who first rose to fame as a third-generation WWE wrestler -- drew some critical acclaim in his latest movie, "Gridiron Gang," which opened at No. 1 last month. According to domestic box-office estimates, it had earned $36.6 million as of last weekend. He has been the only wrestler to parlay his in-ring success into a full-time Hollywood career. Since turning some heads for his small role in 2002's "The Mummy Returns," Johnson has nabbed starring roles in such movies as "The Scorpion King," "The Rundown," and the remake of "Walking Tall," among others. The 2005 remake of "The Longest Yard" was full of pro wrestlers. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, Dalip Singh (who wrestled in WWE as "The Great Khali") and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Kevin Nash starred opposite Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. Some say wrestlers, who blend athleticism with charisma and theatrics, are cinematic naturals. Wrestling -- or what some have referred to as "sports entertainment" in recent years -- calls on its performers to adopt an in-ring persona when they entertain the audience. "It is a form of theater. Most of the wrestlers' characters -- in-ring personas -- are exaggerated, blown-up versions of themselves," said Gerald W. Morton, a language and literature professor at Alabama's Auburn University and author of "Wrestling to Rasslin': Ancient Sport to American Spectacle." "This is the best stage for suspending our belief that we can experience in a drama," Morton said. Wrestlers and Hollywood: A Longtime Tag Team The Mexican film industry recognized the star appeal of wrestlers back in the 1950s. Late legendary masked wrestler El Santo starred in 59 Mexican films during an in-ring career that lasted 48 years. The late Andre the Giant made several guest appearances in the 1970s as the bionic Bigfoot opposite Lee Majors in television's "The Six Million Dollar Man" and had a role in the 1987 movie "The Princess Bride." "Rowdy" Roddy Piper surprised critics with a commanding, not-so-campy performance in his starring role in the 1988 cult favorite sci-fi flick "They Live." Former National Wrestling Alliance Champion Terry Funk showed Sylvester Stallone and Patrick Swayze his brawling skills in "Over the Top" and "Road House," respectively. And former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura -- who has had several small roles on the big and small screen -- most memorably fought alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Predator." Most Popular Wrestler, Least Popular Leading Man Still, wrestling charisma and fame have not always translated into box-office success. Though Hulk Hogan is arguably the world's most famous wrestler, he could not pin Hollywood to the mat. Movies in the early 1990s such as "Suburban Commando" and "Mr. Nanny" were critically scorned and commercial flops. He has enjoyed a moderate resurgence in recent years as a retro-celebrity star in the VH1 reality series on his family, "Hogan Knows Best." Films are the WWE's latest outside-the-ring venture, and it fumbled in its earlier attempts at nonwrestling fare, such as bodybuilding with the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) and football with the XFL. "The Marine" will face tough opposition Friday, with "The Grudge 2" also opening and Martin Scorsese's critically-acclaimed "The Departed" likely to continue to draw moviegoers. "It ['The Marine'] sort of looks like a cheap remake of 'Rambo' and other movies made in the late '80s," said Adam "The Phantom" Nudelman, co-author of "Mysteries of Wrestling." "It looks like one of those straight-to-video movies, like anything starring [former NFL star] Brian Bosworth," Nudelman said. But Cena says he is ready for the critics and wants to prove that wrestlers can perform roles other than the ones they play in the ring. "One of the things I've learned in the sports entertainment business is that there are plenty of critics, and critics are there to criticize," he said. "Sometimes they say complimentary things, but most of what they say is critical. For me, it'll be about the bottom line, whether we made a profit -- if we packed people in the seats and sent people home happy." So, it looks like Cena is ready to put a headlock on Hollywood, even if it means getting body-slammed.
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Ivory-billed hiatus 10/12/2006 Smoky Mountain News Don Hendershot		Return to Top
Ornithologists Geoff Hill of Auburn University and Dan Mennill from University of Windsor presented a program at this year's American Ornithological Union's meeting in Veracruz, Mexico on Oct. 4, regarding their claims of the presence of the ivory-billed woodpecker in Florida. The pair plus three of their graduate students recently published a paper in the new Canadian online journal Avian Conservation and Ecology. The article can be found here http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/. Hill and Mennill also both have websites regarding their findings Hill's is here, http://www.auburn.edu/academic/science_math/ cosam/departments/biology/faculty/webpages/hill/ivorybill/index.html, and Mennill's here, http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/biology/dmennill/index.html. The evidence basically consists of several brief sightings of supposed ivory-billeds flying away and some culled (from 11,500 hours of recording) recordings that the researchers believe were ivory-billed double raps and "kent" calls — still no definitive proof. While the evidence is generally more of the same kind of stuff posited by Cornell Lab of Ornithology as evidence of an ivory-billed along the Cache River in Arkansas back in 2004, there is a slight twist. Hill claims to have seen the bird. I am not 100 percent sure, but I believe his claims are the first by any ornithologist regarding ivory-billeds in the States since John Dennis back in the '60s. Dennis was never able to corroborate his sighting. While I remain highly skeptical of the continued existence of the ivory-billed in the US and personally convinced that neither Cornell nor Auburn have provided definitive evidence, I am going to take an ivory-billed hiatus until after this year’s "search season" — unless, of course, that million dollar photo should appear. Besides continued searches in Arkansas and Florida, there will be searches in South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas and perhaps other southern states. If, as I suspect, that million-dollar photo is still absent after this search season, I would hope that researchers would sit down and reassess their findings objectively. I would dearly love to know that the ivory-billed was still with us, but I see no compelling evidence that it is. I think science has been co-opted with regards to the ivory-billed. I believe ego, conservation interests, notoriety and the overwhelming desire to see ivory-billeds in the wild have taken precedence over sound scientific inquiry. But Hill said he saw one and he knows it's there. I think back to my college days and trips to the Louisiana Gulf Coast during spring migration with my ornithology professor. Man, was he good. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of birding with Fred Alsop, field guide author and ornithologist at East Tennessee State University. And man was he good. So when an ornithologist says "I saw the bird and I'm gonna get a photo," I'm ready to pause and let him do it. Readers can keep up with the ivory-billed saga via the Internet. There are unlimited Web and blog sites. A simple Google search for ivory-billed will overwhelm you. With this new Florida announcement, the blogs are presently on sensory overload and are getting kind of testy. There's a lot of sniping back and forth between ivory-billed believers and skeptics, but I still highly recommend Tom Nelson's ivory-bill skeptic blog - http://tomnelson.blogspot.com/. Nelson keeps his finger on the pulse of ivory-billed happenings and although his blog is from a decidedly skeptical point of view he always links to whatever it is he is discussing so the reader can get both sides of the story. So, unless that smoking gun is uncovered I will not bore you with any more of my personal ivory-billed rants till May 2007. You don't have to look so happy!
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Venable: changing times at Stinky Cove 10/12/2006 Knoxville News Sam Venable, columnist		Return to Top
AU professor John Grizzle is a source in this story. It's an expression people tend to say whenever there's a rash of pregnancies: "Hmmm. Must be something in the water." It's good for a chuckle, at least the first few dozen times you hear it. But now, I'm starting to think it might contain a sliver of truth. Scientists studying smallmouth bass in the Potomac River believe pollutants in the water are causing a "gender bending" effect. The result is what these learned folks are calling "intersex" fish. In other words, he-fish that are actually she-fish. I'm not pulling your leg. A study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that 80 percent of male bass had eggs growing inside their bodies. The apparent culprit is estrogen that has entered the river from sewage, pesticides and farm waste. No problem in this part of the country. Yet. Doug Peterson, a fisheries biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in Morristown, says the oddball situation has not been detected in waters around Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis or Chattanooga. "This is associated with larger metropolitan areas, so that's where you would expect to find it," he said. Peterson directed me to Dr. John Grizzle, a professor at Auburn University who has extensively researched the effects of pollution. "This isn't the first case," he told me. "There have been reports about it as long as 20 years ago. It certainly needs more investigation. "Fish are constantly exposed to these pollutants in the water. The concentrations they receive are a lot higher than it would be for other animals." What's more, fish may be more naturally susceptible to a sex switcheroo than most other critters. "The gender of fish isn't as rigidly determined by genetic makeup as other animals," Grizzle said. "Fish are a little more plastic than some animals. They can change their sex more easily. In aquaculture, for instance, it's routine to make all the fish male or all female." On one hand, I'm happy to know Tennessee's waterways, as fetid as they may be, are not on nastiness par with the Potomac. We've got our share of woes, of course. Pick up a copy of state fishing regulations and check the page called "contaminants in fish." There, you will find 16 lakes and streams, mostly in East Tennessee, from which fish should not be eaten. On the other hand, I'm wondering how this "intersex" business will affect the way anglers refer to the beasts splashing at the end of their lines. In the old days, fish were always male: "I hooked a big bass at Stinky Cove, but he got away." In recent years, however, fisherpersons have become more educated. They know that the vast majority of trophy-sized fish are female. Males tend to be runts. Thus: "I caught a big bass at Stinky Cove but released her after taking her picture." But now, boat dock conversation will likely drift toward legalese: "I caught a big bass at Stinky Cove and fried he, she or possibly it for supper." Sure makes you pine for those innocent days when the only worry you had at Stinky Cove was whether the bass were biting in the first place. Sam Venable's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. He may be reached at 865-342-6272 or venob@knews.com. His latest book, "You Gotta Laugh to Keep from Cryin': A Baby Boomer Contemplates Life Beyond Fifty," is available at most bookstores and online from the News Sentinel.
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AU's TigerFit Program Puts Fitness to the Test 10/12/2006 WRBL-TV Jaime Lakin		Return to Top
Just how healthy are you? A program at Auburn University could help you check out your overall health with a check up. Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum is probably best known for its basketball and graduations. But it's also the home of TigerFit -- a program of Auburn University's Health and Human Performance Department. "What we do here is a comprehensive health profile -- that's what we call it," said Dr. Pete Grandjean, director of the TigerFit. "It's very comparable to what you might get if you went to a physician, but it's a little more extensive in some areas." Through a series of exercises and tests, the Tigerfit assessment program tracks the body's response to the stress and impact of exercise and physical exertion. "We do a graded exercise test where someone starts at a low level of exercise intensity and go all the way up until they can't go anymore -- looking at your blood pressure, EKG and heart rate responses to exercise," Grandjean said. The tests also assess lung function, bone mineral density, body composition even the client's blood. Once the tests are complete, the information is compiled into an overall health and fitness profile. The service is offered to au faculty, staff, students, alumni, as well as community members. But there is another side to Tigerfit and that's education. Tigerfit is a partnership between AU's department of Health and Human Performance and the Baptist Family Medicine Residency Program from Montgomery. Residents from Montgomery come to the Auburn labs to train, and the Auburn students are also a part of the action. "We actually have students conduct these tests so they can get some hands on experience and we offer the tests at a real reduced price to the general public," Grandjean said. "So it's really a win-win-win situation." In addition to the comprehensive assessments, tigerfit also offers sports specific testing. For example, cyclists can bring their bikes in and actually be tested on their own equipment. Tigerfit offers the assessments during Auburn's regular semesters. For more information or to make an appointment, call Tigerfit at (334) 844-1482 or visit the Tigerfit page on the College of Education's Web site (http://education.auburn.edu/resourcesservices/clinicandlaboratories/tigerfit.html).
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18th-Century Food Sources to Be Topic 10/12/2006 Lakeland Magazine		Return to Top
Mentions AU history professor Braund. Kathryn Holland Braund will discuss food sources in Florida during the time of explorer William Bartram's travels tonight in Florida Southern College's Florida history lecture series. Braund, a history professor at Auburn University, will explore "living off the land" during the late 18th century, when Bartram traveled among Creek and Seminole Indians and European settlers in Florida. Braund holds a doctorate from Florida State University and has written and edited several books. The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be at 7 p.m. in the Hollis Room on the FSC campus.
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Political debate canceled at Auburn University 10/11/2006 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Associated Press		Return to Top
This AP story also appeared in the Montgomery Advertiser, Tuscaloosa News, The Gadsden Times, Herald-Tribune (Fla.) and on WTVM-TV (Columbus), WAFF-TV (Huntsville) and WPMI-TV. AUBURN, Ala. - A political debate scheduled for Tuesday between Democrats and Republicans at Auburn University got canceled because the Democrats didn't like the Libertarians being left out. Brandon Costerison, campaign director for the College Democrats, said his organization pulled out of next week's debate for ethical reasons. He said the Democrats will take part in a debate only if the Republicans allow the College Libertarians to participate or agree to debate the Libertarians before the Nov. 7 election. "The goal of our organization is to educate voters, and that cannot be done in the format of the debate that we had been forced into," College Democrat President Jeffrey Ioimo said. The campus political groups hold debates annually to inform students of the issues by party. But Kristy Cottrell, chairman of the College Republicans, said last year's three-party debate was "too confusing" and students had a hard time understanding where each party stood. To avoid any confusion this year, Cottrell said Republicans argued for three two-party debates. No one else agreed, so the Republicans planned to face just the Democrats on Oct. 17, while the Libertarians and Democrats agreed to debate Oct. 26. College Libertarian President Grace Toles told the Opelika-Auburn News that Republicans were invited to the latter debate as well but declined the offer. Cottrell said Republicans plan to debate the Libertarians but not until February, three months after the general election. She said there was no need to debate them before Nov. 7 because there is no Libertarian candidate on the ballot for any statewide office. The Libertarian Party does have a candidate on the ballot for House District 79, which covers part of Lee County. Dick Clark faces Republican incumbent Mike Hubbard and Democrat Carolyn Ellis, both of Auburn. Cottrell said Republicans didn't see that race as reason for a debate because not all Auburn students will be able to vote in that contest. Costerison called that reasoning "pathetic." "As an organization, we cannot and will not sit idly by while the AU GOP excludes a political party with candidates running for office right here in our district," he said.
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College Democrats cite ethical reasons in pullout from debate 10/11/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
A debate scheduled for Tuesday between the College Republicans and College Democrats at Auburn University is not going to happen as planned. Brandon Costerison, campaign director for the College Democrats, said his organization for ethical reasons has pulled out of what has become an exclusive two-party debate. He said the Democrats will take part only if the Republicans allow the College Libertarians to participate or agree to debate the Libertarians before the Nov. 7 election. "The goal of our organization is to educate voters, and that cannot be done in the format of the debate that we had been forced into," said College Democrat President Jeffrey Ioimo. The campus political groups hold debates annually to inform students of the issues by party, but Kristy Cottrell, chairman of the College Republicans, said last year’s three-party debate was "too confusing." Answers were not clearly defined by party, she said, making it hard for students to understand where each group stood. To avoid any confusion this year, Cottrell said, the Republicans argued for three two-party debates. No one else agreed, so the Republicans planned to face the Democrats only Oct. 17, while the Libertarians and Democrats agreed to debate Oct. 26. College Libertarian President Grace Toles said Republicans were invited to the latter debate as well but declined the offer. Cottrell said Republicans plan to debate the Libertarians but not until February, three months after the general election. She said there was no need to debate them before Nov. 7 because there is no statewide candidate on the ballot. Loretta Nall, the Libertarian Party of Alabama’s candidate for governor, is a write-in. Dick Clark, the Libertarian nominee for the state House of Representatives, District 79 seat, will be on the ballot against Republican incumbent Mike Hubbard and Democratic challenger Carolyn Ellis, but because not all Auburn students will be able to vote on that race, Cottrell didn’t see the need to debate it. Costerison called that reasoning "pathetic." "As an organization, we cannot and will not sit idly by while the AU GOP excludes a political party with candidates running for office right here in our district," he said. The issue last year boiled down to the format of the debate. Toles said the Libertarians organized a meeting to discuss the matter and invited the other two parties, but only the Democrats agreed to take part. Toles said she is baffled by the actions of the College Republicans, saying that an open debate involving all three parties would be in the best interest of the campus community. But she is pleased with the Democrats’ move for equality. "It shows that the minorities on campus aren’t going to let the majority push everyone else around," she said. "If we want to do what’s right for Auburn students and the Auburn family, we need to inform them so they can make the best decision when they go to the polls." Cottrell said the College Republicans will have to decide in the next couple of days what they will do to educate students before the election. She said they could have a Republican-only presentation Tuesday, try to get the Democrats back into the debate or scrap the whole event. The Republicans hosted a voter registration drive Tuesday night on the lawn of Cater Hall. On Thursday, the College Libertarians are hosting a candidate forum for Clark and Nall at 7 p.m. in Room 202 of the Foy Student Union. The College Democrats are hosting a candidate forum of all statewide candidates at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in Room 113A of the Lowder Business Building. All events are open to the public.
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