This Week @ AU

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art will have a book signing and reception with author Taylor Littleton on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 3:30-5 p.m. Littleton's latest book, "A Present for My Country, John James Audubon's American Voice," celebrates world-renowned wildlife artist John James Audubon and his work. The book may be purchased beginning Thursday in the museum gift shop. One hundred of Audubon's prints may be seen in the The Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Collection at the museum. Littleton is a Mosley Professor Emeritus of Science and Humanities at Auburn. He is the author of "The Color of Silver: William Spratling, His Life and Art," and coauthor with Maltby Sykes of "Advancing American Art: Painting, Politics and Cultural Confrontation at Mid-Century." For more information, contact the museum at 844-1484.

Fans who will be attending next weekend's Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa will find helpful parking information on the University of Alabama's game day Web site. Visit http://uagameday.com/football/whats-new.php for more on where to park and tailgate. For the latest game prep information, click to the official Web site of Auburn Athletics, http://auburntigers.cstv.com

Do you have unmet transportation needs on or off campus?  Show us the ways you move! All students are encouraged to participate in an online campus-wide parking and transportation survey. The survey will assess the transportation needs of students and gather information on their current transportation habits. Data generated from the survey is of great interest to Auburn University and will provide valuable information to the Office of Campus Planning throughout the implementation of the Campus Master Plan. You may access the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=G5paFGA2eLy6NpKsl5UhUw_3d_3d. Please contact rollifl@auburn.edu for additional information.

Late November is approaching and the most important day in Auburn football is right around the corner: the Iron Bowl. This time also marks another annual competition with the University of Alabama that is held in just as high esteem: the Beat Bama Food Drive. Last year, Alabama captured the trophy with a total of 241,336 pounds of food to Auburnís 183,017 pounds. This is one of the stateís largest food drives and collectively more than 826,880 meals (or 48 tractor trailer loads of food) have been donated during the competitionís 14-year history. Our goal for the 2008 Food Drive is 250,000 pounds. We cannot lose to Alabama. Please donate food at our barrel locations on campus or donate online at www.beatbamafooddrive.com. For additional information, including a list of drop-off locations, visit http://www.auburn.edu/sga/Events/FoodDrive/FoodDrive.html. The deadline for donating is Thursday, Nov. 20.

Stressed about exams? The Academic Survival Team (A-Team) is helping any students interested in learning better test-taking strategies and improving test performance Monday, Nov.17 in Haley 2370 from 4-5 p.m. The seminar presents a student approach to successful test taking. Students who attend will learn better tips and techniques about taking all types of tests, including multiple choice, essay, true/false and short answer. The A-Team is a student-led program in Academic Support Services. For more information, visit www.auburn.edu/ateam or e-mail ateam@auburn.edu.

Serving on the Welcome Week leadership team is a great opportunity for a student to grow as a leader. Applications are now available for students who are interested in planning Welcome Week 2009. Informational sessions will be held Monday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m. in 2225 Student Center and on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. in 2310 Student Center. Students who need more information or an application may visit http://www.auburn.edu/welcomeweek, e-mail Becca Bowers at rmb0005@auburn.edu or Michelle Murphy at murphmi@auburn.edu, or call 844-4788.

During basketball season, the university will block off the east coliseum parking lot at 2 p.m. for weekday games and at 8 a.m. for weekend games. A basketball parking permit will be required for entry once the lot is closed. This lot also will be used for disabled-persons' parking. The next game will be this Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Declaration of Intent forms are due Nov. 20 at 4:45 p.m. in the SGA office for all students interested in running for a major candidate position within SGA (President, Vice President and Treasurer) or a minor candidate position in a school/college (President, Vice President and Senator). Information packets that include all of the information regarding elections and running for any of the above positions are online at www.auburn.edu/elections. If you have any questions, please contact Will Hart at hartwil@auburn.edu or call the SGA office at 844-4240.

This is the final week for nominations for the 2009 Final Lecture. The nomination period will close this Friday, Nov. 21. The Final Lecture program was created to give all students the opportunity to participate in a teaching award given on behalf of the student body that recognizes professors who have made extraordinary contributions to Auburn University through classroom teaching and service to the university. If you have a professor you feel is worthy of this distinction, please email Rohan Kambeyanda at kamberh@auburn.edu with the professor's name and a paragraph informing the selection committee how that professor has influenced you and Auburn University. A committee of seniors comprised of student and academic leaders narrow down the nominations, and in the Spring, upperclassmen will vote on which of the candidates is most deserving of this honor. The Final Lecture for the 2008-09 academic year is set for April 9, 2009.

Campus organizations at Auburn University are collaborating to bring the Auburn Community Love Your Body Day festival to students, faculty, staff and the Auburn community Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The event will be held in the new Student Center ballroom and will include music, entertainment and a health fair. The event will promote replacing dominant beauty ideals with more diverse and inclusive representations of the human form. It will also offer opportunities for learning about physical, mental and emotional wellness through interactive activities and awareness of public resources. A comprehensive overview of community wellness resources will be provided by a variety of cosponsors. Materials on display in each sponsor booth will address some aspect of wellness or body image, such as physical activity, nutrition, environmental health, mental health, spiritual health, reproductive health or community programs that build healthy bodies. For information on the national Love Your Body campaign, visit http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/. For information on the Multicultural Center at Auburn University, visit http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/odma/multicultural.html.

The College of Liberal Arts Student Council is hosting a town hall meeting Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. to discuss research and raise awareness of available research grants. The meeting will be held in Haley 3203. This will be a great opportunity for students to get to know some of your deans, faculty and advisors as well as ask questions about the research program and the College of Liberal Arts in general. The first ever recipient of the OURCLA research fellowship will be there to talk about her experience of applying for the scholarship. Bring questions and ideas for the College of Liberal Arts. Snacks and beverages will be provided as well.

This week UPC will be showing Pineapple Express, a comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. The movie will be held in Haley 2370 on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and is free to all students.

The Auburn University Bookstore is hosting a holiday open house Thursday, Nov. 20, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. next to the general books desk, featuring some of its favorite books in this year's Holiday Gift Books Catalogue. The staff will serve coffee and dessert and have drawings for autographed books and other prizes. All book lovers are welcome. Contact Margaret Hendricks at hendrm1@auburn.edu or 844-1365 for more information.

The Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts will host a campus visit from David Scobey Thursday, Nov. 20. Scobey is the founding director of Arts of Citizenship at the University of Michigan, inaugural director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College, and past chairman of Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life, a national consortium of institutions that supports the civic work of university artists, humanists and designers. Nationally recognized as a leader in the theory and practice of community-based learning, Scobey is the author of several well-respected publications, including "Putting the Academy in Its Place" and "Empire Study: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape." Scobey will discuss Imagining America's recent report, "Scholarship in Public: Knowledge Creation and Tenure Policy in the Engaged University," with the Pebble Hill Faculty Committee. All faculty, students and staff are invited to visit with Scobey during a reception to be held from 3:30 p.m-5 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center. For more information, contact the Center at 844-4946.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art welcomes everyone to enjoy our Free Night every third Thursday of the month. This free event features a special program, followed by a reception, admittance to the museum galleries and a free wine tasting. The next Free Night is Nov. 20 starting at 5 p.m. The featured program is a lecture by David Housel, athletic director emeritus at Auburn University. Housel will be speaking on "Victory Auburn Style," in conjunction with JCSM's current exhibition "Visions of Victory: 100 Years of Sports Photography." Housel graduated from Auburn in 1969 with a degree in journalism, taught in the journalism department from 1972 to 1980, then served as the university's sports information director and athletic director. He has authored several books about Auburn University athletics and his forthcoming book, "Glory Days Auburn: The Greatest Victories in Tigers History" will be out in Aug. 2009. Following the lecture, there will be a reception and free wine tasting provided by Gus' Fine Wine and Beer. For more information on this event, please contact the museum at 844-1484.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a remembrance holiday held every November in honor of those who were victims of hate crimes due to the sole reason that they were transgender. There are many different ways to honor those that have been victims of the hate crimes like candlelit vigils and small prayer circles. The day is a somber event that usually ends with comments and maybe even personal experiences dealing with the subject matter. Because of the nature of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Auburn Gay Straight Alliance will be holding a candlelit vigil on Samford Lawn at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in honor of all the transgender people (not necessarily at Auburn) who have been victims of hate crimes in the past year. Please come out and join everyone in honoring those transgender people. For more information about Transgender Day of Remembrance, please visit http://www.gender.org/remember/day/.

The Auburn Chamber Music Society (ACMS) will be presenting its first concert of the 2008-09 season Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Goodwin Recital Hall. The Borealis String Quartet will be on hand to perform Franz Schubert's String Quartet #12 in C minor, D. 703, "Quartettsatz"; Edvard Grieg's String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27; and Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet #6 in F minor, Op. 80. In our 44th Season, the ACMS is celebrating Mendelssohn's 200th birthday. Tickets are $20 general admission and $5 for students with ID. For more information, please contact Craig E. Bertolet, Co-President of the ACMS, at bertocr@auburn.edu.

Jack Costello of Providence College will speak Friday at 3 p.m. in Rouse Life Sciences Room 112. Costello will speak on "Fluid Motions and Prey Capture by the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi." His visit is hosted by the Department of Biological Sciences. All members of the community are welcome. For more information or if you would like to meet Costello, contact Tony Moss at 844-9257 or mossant@auburn.edu.

Auburn University Libraries' Interlibrary Loan and AubieExpress services will be accepting book and article requests until Wednesday, Dec. 10. Requests submitted after Dec. 10 may not be processed until Jan. 5. For more information, call 844-1728 or e-mail illhelp@auburn.edu.

Do you have unmet transportation needs on or off campus?  Show us the ways you move! All students are encouraged to participate in an online campus-wide parking and transportation survey. The survey will assess the transportation needs of students and gather information on their current transportation habits. Data generated from the survey is of great interest to Auburn University and will provide valuable information to the Office of Campus Planning throughout the implementation of the Campus Master Plan. You may access the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=G5paFGA2eLy6NpKsl5UhUw_3d_3d. Please contact rollifl@auburn.edu for additional information.

Visitation and a memorial service have been scheduled for Virgil Starks, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services, who passed away suddenly Saturday evening. Visitation will be held Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home in Opelika from 6-8 p.m., with the memorial service to be held Wednesday, Nov. 12, at First Baptist Church in Auburn at 11 a.m. Starks, 46, joined the Auburn Athletics Department in 1998. "Words can't express the feelings of sorrow and mourning that we have at the passing of our dear friend Virgil Starks," said Athletics Director Jay Jacobs. "Virgil was passionate about all facets of his life and cared for Auburn student-athletes as if they were his own children. He will be dearly missed by all that he touched. Our thoughts and prayers are with Virgil's family, friends and our Auburn Family in these difficult times." A native of Hartselle, Ala., Starks succumbed to cardiac arrest while returning home after the Auburn football game against Tennessee-Martin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tigers Unlimited Foundation ( http://auburntigers.cstv.com/tigers-unlimited/mainpage.html ) in memory of Virgil Starks. All donations will benefit Starks' passion, the academic and life-skills enhancement of Auburn student-athletes. Starks is survived by his wife, Donna, and three daughters, Carolyn, Victoria and Anastasia.