This Week @ AU

Auburn University Photographic Services is offering Graduation Portraits this week on December 16th & 17th. Portraits will be taken in our studio located at 104 Foy Hall (old student union) on campus. We provide caps, gowns, tassels, and folders if you choose to use them. Hoods and other honors accessories are NOT provided. Photographs can also be taken in your choice of attire (one outfit per package).  Each package includes one 5x7 and four wallets of each background (portrait, Samford Hall & bookcase background). For $29.95 (plus tax) you'll receive a total of three 5x7's and twelve wallets.  Call (334) 844-4560 or come by Photographic Services to book your appointment.

The Office of Information Technology is considering some possible changes in student e-mail services. OIT and SGA believe it is important to include student input in this decision. Please share your opinions on what features of student e-mail services are important to you by completing this quick survey at https://fp.auburn.edu/oit/hardware_software/email/studentSurvey/ or follow the link on the TigerMail login page. The survey will be available until Dec. 12. Thank you for your participation.

The Auburn University Veterans Association will hold its monthly meeting at noon Monday, Dec. 8, in the Army ROTC conference room in Nichols Hall. All students, faculty and staff who are honorably discharged veterans, retired, on active duty, or serving in the reserves or National Guard are invited to attend. For more information, contact Steve Pattillo at spp0001@auburn.edu or visit http://www.TheAUVA.org.

There will be an organizational meeting to discuss the Spring 2009 "Argentina Agribusiness Study Tour" Monday, Dec. 8, at 4 p.m. in Comer 109. Please try to attend if you are at all interested in this opportunity. This course is an agribusiness study tour to Argentina. It will be 3 credit hours during Spring 2009. The class will meet for six 2-hour lectures and you will visit Argentina March 14-28, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.ag.auburn.edu/agec/international/ or contact Walt Prevatt at prevajw@auburn.edu or 844-5608.

Students and faculty in the Department of English will celebrate John Milton's 400th birthday Tuesday, Dec. 9, with an all-day reading of "Paradise Lost." They will read from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. in the new Student Center's second floor common area. Cake and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public and also will be webcast at http://media.cla.auburn.edu/english/milton/. For more information or to volunteer to be a reader, contact Matthew Zarnowiecki at jmz0002@auburn.edu.

Roy Spencer, a climate research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, will present "Global Warming: Manmade or Natural?" from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in 2217 School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building. Spencer has written numerous weather and climate research articles in scientific journals and has provided congressional testimony on the subject of global warming. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Climate Confusion: How Global Warming Hysteria Leads to Bad Science, Pandering Politicians, and Misguided Policies that Hurt the Poor." Spencer received his Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin in 1981 and was formerly a senior scientist for climate studies at NASA. He serves as the U.S. science team leader for the advanced microwave scanning radiometer which is on NASA's Aqua satellite. He is co-developer of the original satellite method for precise monitoring of global temperatures from earth-orbiting satellites, for which he was awarded NASA's Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement.

The Auburn University Bookstore is hosting its annual children's holiday party Thursday, Dec. 11, from 4-5:15 p.m. at the store in Haley Center. They will have stories, songs, games, prizes, refreshments and an appearance by Aubie. Contact Margaret Hendricks, hendrm1@auburn.edu or 844-1365, for more information. The bookstore will be open the following hours Dec. 8-19: Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m., except for Dec. 11 when it will remain open until 5:15 p.m. for the children's holiday party. Also, the Bookstore is having its annual holiday sale through Dec. 19. Sales and discounts up to 40 percent off will be offered on various items each week. The bookstore is also having the Springer Yellow Math Sale now through January with a 25% discount off the sale price.

Tiger Dining has announced that its holiday hours begin Monday, Dec. 8. Special events this season include a "Recipes from Home" contest at Chef's Table; breakfast for dinner Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Terrell Dining Hall; and a Tiger Catering holiday extravaganza. Visit http://www.auburn.edu/dining to see details.

The December edition of the International News e-newsletter includes stories about Auburn Abroad in Europe and Africa, travel reminders for international students and scholars, and maintaining immigration status. To read the complete articles or to submit an international news item, visit http://www.auburn.edu/academic/international/news/.

William Powell, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, returns to Walt Disney World as one of three nationally recognized guest conductors for the Candlelight Processional. Held every year at Epcot, the Candlelight Processional consists of a mass choir of singers from across the country joined by a 50-piece live orchestra and a celebrity narrator. The production, which occurs nightly from Nov. 30-Dec. 30, tells the story of Christmas in words and music. Performances are held at the America Gardens Theatre. Powell will conduct shows Dec. 24-27. For more information, visit http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/candlelight_processional.htm.

The Harrison School of Pharmacy chapter of the Committee of 19 has begun advanced registration for the fourth annual "Eat Less to Feed More" spring health and fitness challenge, which will kick off Monday, Jan. 5. The challenge is open to the public, and weigh-in sites will be available on the Auburn and Montgomery campuses. All proceeds from the entry fees for the challenge will be donated to the World Food Programme to provide school lunches for children in underserved countries. This year, there will be single ($25) and group competitions ($80, group of four) to increase the fun. Also, the duration of the challenge is being expanded to span the entire semester with baseline, midpoint and final weigh-ins to give everyone more time to achieve personal goals. All participants will receive a weight, body composition analysis, waist and hip measurements and blood pressure checks at each time point. During the challenge, participants will have access to an online course that will include presentations, newsletters, recipes and other tools to assist with obtaining health and fitness goals. These activities are being coordinated through the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center. At the end of the challenge, prizes will be awarded for weight loss and exercise. Also, participants who meet their personal weight loss or exercise goals will be entered into a random drawing to receive prizes donated by Auburn businesses. To sign up and to schedule your initial screening, e-mail Charlotte Cheatham at aupcc4u@auburn.edu or call 844-4099.

In America today, 9-year-olds growing up in low-income communities are already three grade levels behind their peers in higher-income communities. This is our nation's most pressing problem, and you have the power to change things. Join the more than 15,000 outstanding individuals of all academic backgrounds and professional ambitions who have impacted the lives of 3 million students across the country. Teach For America's next application deadline to begin summer 2009 is Wednesday, Jan. 7. To apply now, or if you would like to learn more about Teach For America, please visit their Web site at www.teachforamerica.org or contact Career Development Services at 844-4744.

Beginning Friday, Dec. 19, Draughon Library will adjust its hours to move materials in order to recarpet the first and second floors during winter break. Full services will remain through final exams and until 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. After Dec. 19, branch libraries located in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction and the College of Veterinary Medicine will be open to serve all users. Users who need access to resources located in Draughon Library can request those resources be temporarily relocated to either location. Submit a courier request at https://www.lib.auburn.edu/jcourier_login.htm telling the Libraries what materials you will need from Draughon Library prior to closing and those items will be moved to the branch of your choice. Although the Libraries will do the best they can to assure access over the holidays, physical access to certain collections cannot be guaranteed during the recarpeting project so please make every effort to submit courier requests prior to Thursday, Dec. 18. Holiday hours for the branch libraries can be found on the Libraries’ Web page at http://www.lib.auburn.edu. Draughon Library will reopen at 7:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5 and for the two days prior to classes, the Libraries and Facilities will be working to bring services online. In order to lay 12,000 yards of new carpet, the Libraries will move 1.5 million books and 195 computers.

In order to evaluate recent system enhancements, a test of the AU Alert emergency notification system will be conducted at 10:50 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The test will not take place if there is an actual emergency or threat of severe weather. The test will consist of voice, text and e-mail messages sent to all contact numbers and e-mail addresses that are registered with the system. Students who have registered contact information for their parents are encouraged to let their parents know about the scheduled test. To register or update your contact information, log on to AU Access and go to the AU Alert link on the Campus Life tab. The information you supply is considered confidential and will not be shared or used for other purposes. You will only be contacted through the system in the event of an emergency or periodic system test. Any questions, comments or concerns should be sent to aualert@auburn.edu.

A blood and bone marrow drive will be held today, noon-7 p.m., at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Please give a pint of blood and have a mouth-swab taken to be placed on the National Bone Marrow List. You do not have to do both in order to participate. For more information, visit http://www.marrow.org.

The Auburn University Bookstore will have its annual customer appreciation day today from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The event will feature special savings, light refreshments and door prizes.

A presentation at Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine by Caroline Schaffer will explore the veterinarian's continuing role in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The lecture, to be held Dec. 1 on the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, begins at 11 a.m. in Overton Auditorium. Schaffer is an assistant professor in Tuskegee University's School of Veterinary Medicine and is founding director of its Center for the Study of Human-Animal Interdependent Relationships. She says World AIDS Day is an appropriate time to look at the "One Health One Medicine" concept that shows the value of merging the expertise of veterinarians with other health care professionals. The lecture by Schaffer challenges veterinary students to explore how they can help clients, staff, colleagues and friends who may be immunosuppressed to maintain a safe relationship with animals and people. She stresses important points about zoonotic diseases, safe pet ownership, health care teams, laws against discrimination in the workplace, universal precautions, community and client communication, and compassion. The lecture is free and open to the public. To receive lunch, attendees must preregister by e-mailing depompa@auburn.edu or calling 321-7988.

It is time to start considering Summer 2009 Washington internship opportunities, and Auburn on the Hill is ready to help students with their internship search. Auburn on the Hill can assist you whether you want to learn more about congressional office internships or you have a strong interest in a particular federal agency. To learn more about Washington internship opportunities, visit www.auburn.edu/washington or contact Heather Finch at 844-5986 or finchhm@auburn.edu.

Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity and the employees of Auburn University Photographic Services are offering family, group or individual portraits made with or without Santa Claus in front of Samford Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 5-7 p.m. All donations will go to missions of South America through the SIFAT ( http://www.sifat.org ) organization. For a donation of $15, you will receive two 5x7 prints, which will be available for pick up at Photographic Services on Friday, Dec. 5. Call 844-4560 to make an appointment. Donations may be made by cash or check only.

The final Green Lunch this semester will take place at noon Wednesday, Dec. 3, in 2216 Student Center. The talk, "Recycling Myths and Facts: Melting the Plastic Curtain," will be given by Gwyn Thomas, associate professor of polymer and fiber engineering. Thomas received her doctorate in textile and polymer science from Clemson University and teaches protective materials, fabric engineering and manufacturing engineering at Auburn. Her research interests include "extreme protection" such as bullets, bombs, fire, chemicals and biological agents. She is also working on a project for embedded electronic materials in roadways and buildings to replace cell phone towers. Biodegradable and recyclable materials have been a strong interest of hers since she first came to Auburn.

The Women's Studies Program will host a panel discussion, "Women Faculty and Teaching Evaluation," at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in 109 Comer Hall. Panelists will include Virginia Davis, assistant professor of chemical engineering; Jim Groccia, Biggio Center on Teaching and Learning; and Paulette Dilworth, assistant vice president for access and community affairs. For more information, call 844-6647.