This Week @ AU

The portion of Magnolia Avenue between Donahue Drive and Cox Street will be closed for road construction beginning today. The closure is expected to last up to six weeks. Westbound traffic on Magnolia Avenue will be rerouted to Donahue Drive via Thomas Street and Glenn Avenue. Eastbound traffic will be rerouted back to Magnolia Avenue via Donahue Drive, Glenn Avenue and Cox Street. A map detailing the closure and detours is available on the city's Web site at http://www.auburnalabama.org/news/2009/pw032409.pdf. This road construction project is part of the Donahue Drive and Magnolia Avenue Intersection Improvements Project approved by Auburn voters earlier this year as part of the Special Five Mill Projects Referendum. Project work includes the addition of left and right turn lanes at the intersection of Donahue Drive and Magnolia Avenue. The project also includes resurfacing Magnolia Avenue from College Street to Donahue Drive, sidewalk improvements and the installation of crosswalks along Magnolia Avenue.

The Department of Art is hosting the 2009 Fine Art Juried Student Exhibition and will present the Joyce and Roger Lethander Awards in Art and Dean's Choice Award on Monday, March 30. The exhibition is located in Biggin Gallery, 101 Biggin Hall, and features artwork by art majors including drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. Guest juror Ron Platt, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Birmingham, Ala., Museum of Art, will present a talk at 3 p.m. in 005 Biggin Hall (art history auditorium). An opening reception will commence in Biggin Hall foyer following the juror's talk and awards presentation; it will run through 6 p.m. Platt will select award winners for the Joyce and Roger Lethander Awards in Art including the prestigious annual purchase award. Students will be awarded more than $3,000 in art awards. College of Liberal Arts Dean Anne-Katrin Gramberg will announce her decision for the Dean's Choice Award following the juror's presentation. The exhibition will run through April 7. For more information, contact Barb Bondy at 844-3483 or bondybj@auburn.edu.

Zdenko Krtic, artist and associate professor in the Department of Art, is holding a one-person exhibition in the Dudley Gallery, located in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, now through April 11. An opening reception will be held today, from 5-7 p.m. The show, titled "Scaffoldings," focuses solely on the artist's photographic work, most of which was created during his residency as visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome in December 2007. The images featured consist of screens, scaffoldings, bandages and other temporary and often ephemeral constructs layered over buildings, artifacts and people. Krtic is the 2008-09 recipient of the Alabama Artist Fellowship awarded by the State Council on the Arts. Dudley Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Melvin Owens, Auburn executive director of public safety and security, addressed the AU Parent's Association recently to provide an update on campus security issues. You can read his comments by clicking to http://www.auburn.edu/administration/public_safety/parents_letter.html.

Students with Disabilities and UPC are co-sponsoring a motivational speaker this week. On Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Student Act, David Denniston, 1999 NCAA National Champion for Auburn swimming, will address students and emphasize the message of "mind over body.” In 2005, Dave had a sledding accident that left him paralyzed. After his accident, he began traveling across the country using his paralysis to motivate others. Dave emphasizes the message that having a positive outlook on life is the way to live. The event is free to everyone. Also on Tuesday, March 31, UPC will be holding its very first tie-dye workshop on Cater Lawn from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. while supplies last. Come tie-dye a shirt provided by UPC or bring something of your own. Also, the much anticipated Spring Tiger Nights will take place this Friday, April 3, from 7 p.m. until midnight in the Student Center. Come enjoy inflatables, food and fun while trying your luck at poker and other casino games at Tiger Nights, "High Rollin' on the Plains.” The event is free for students with their Tigercard, and $5 for the general public.

The Student Government Association will host its annual Tiger Feedback forum for students to address their concerns with university administrators Tuesday, March 31, at 5:15 p.m. in 113A Lowder Business Building. The purpose of the forum is to increase communication between Auburn students and administrators in order to promote campus awareness. All in the Auburn learning community are invited to ask questions of the panelists that will include Assistant Vice President of Facilities Dan King, Director of Housing Kim Trupp, Director of Parking & Transit Services David George, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Studies Patricia Duffy, SGA President Jacob Watkins, as well as other top university officials. For more information, contact the SGA office at 844-4240 or e-mail sga@auburn.edu.

The Educational Opportunity Resource Center, a division of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, is seeking mentors in the Providing Peer Opportunities for Diverse Students (P²ODS) Program. This program provides mentoring for underrepresented and disadvantaged students to help them excel in academics and leadership at Auburn University. Those that apply to be a mentor must: be passionate about helping students, especially those from diverse backgrounds; be a junior or senior at Auburn University; have a 2.5 minimum semester and cumulative GPA; commit for one academic year; and be able to meet with mentees individually and as a group on a weekly basis. Mentors will serve as a resource person for undergraduates and also serve as a role model of student success by demonstrating effective leadership and constructive involvement in academic and non-academic programs. If you are interested in this leadership opportunity, visit http://www.auburn.edu/diversity for more information and an application or e-mail Jocelyn Vickers at wilchjl@auburn.edu. Applications are due April 1 to 345 Foy Hall.

The Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project in the College of Liberal Arts will welcome renowned writer and poet Jimmy Santiago Baca to Auburn University on Wednesday, April 1. As part of National Poetry Month, Baca will give a reading and public discussion surrounding his work. At 11 a.m. in 2222 Student Center, Baca will give a lecture on literacy, poetry and social justice. At 3:30 p.m. at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Baca will give a poetry reading. All events are free and open to the public. Born in New Mexico of Indio-Mexican descent, Baca was raised first by his grandmother and later sent to an orphanage. A runaway at age 13, it was after Baca was sentenced to five years in a maximum security prison that he began to turn his life around; he learned to read and write and unearthed a voracious passion for poetry. Instead of becoming a hardened criminal, he emerged from prison a writer.

Auburn Panhellenic would like to ask for your support with the Lauren Burk Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. Please eat at Chick-fil-A on Magnolia Avenue on Wednesday, April 1. Proceeds will help to fund this scholarship in Lauren's memory. Please be sure to sign the back of your receipt.

Auburn University's Department of Theatre will present "The America Play," by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, April 1-5 in the Telfair Peet Theatre. Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 1-4, and 2:30 p.m. on April 5. The Thursday, April 2, performance will be preceded by a panel discussion titled "'He Hoped He'd Be of Interest to Posterity: Defining Greatness in American History" at 6 p.m. in the Theatre Upstairs, and followed by a post-show discussion with actors and other members of the creative team in the Telfair Peet Theatre. The Auburn production of "The America Play" features A.K. Murtadha, a guest artist from Los Angeles in the role of the Foundling Father. Murtadha has numerous stage, television and film credits to his name, including a Best Actor award from the Big Easy Shorts Festival for his role in the short film "In the Wind." For more information about the production, contact Director Heather May at 844-6614 or hemay@auburn.edu, or download the podcast series of interviews with members of the creative and production team, found under the College of Liberal Arts at http://itunes.auburn.edu/.

The College of Human Sciences and the Department of Consumer Affairs are proud to announce the 23rd Annual Grisham-Trentham Lecture Honoree, J.C. Williams of Williams Architecture of New Orleans. Most recently Williams has been awarded the leadership role in the post-Katrina recovery effort as Executive Architect for the Make it Right Foundation created by Brad Pitt to revitalize the Lower 9th Ward. Williams also serves in the leadership role for the Global Green Holy Cross Project, a LEED Platinum development in the Lower 9th Ward, the Mahalia Jackson School, a renovation that focuses on sustainability and community, and the newly constructed William Smith School in St. Bernard Parish. The Grisham-Trentham Lecture was established by, and thus named for, retired Auburn professor Gary Trentham with the intent to expose students to world-class design and business leadership. The lecture is funded by and also bears the name of the renowned painter and textile designer Betty Grisham and her late husband, Charles, an Auburn graduate. The lecture will be held in the auditorium of The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 2. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this free event.

Kathryn Braund will talk about her book “Deerskins and Duffels: The Creek Indian Trade with Anglo-America, 1685-1815,” Thursday, April 2, at 3 p.m. in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library as part of the Discover Auburn series. Braund is a professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts. “Deerskins and Duffels,” recently released in a second edition, documents the trading relationship between the Creek Indians in what is now the southeastern United States and the Anglo-American peoples who settled there. The Discover Auburn series is co-sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University and the Auburn University Libraries. For more information on the program and the series, contact the center at 844-4946.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art will host its fourth annual "Art in Bloom" exhibition from Thursday, April 2, through Saturday, April 4, in a three-day event featuring art-inspired floral designs. "Art in Bloom" will be open to the public during regular museum hours beginning April 2 at 10 a.m. The exhibition will showcase floral designers and garden club representatives from the community and across the Southeast with their interpretations of the museum's permanent collection. Lectures and demonstrations from experts on floral design will enhance the exhibition of paired floral arrangements and artwork. For more information, read the news release at http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/777.

Applications for the fall '09 editorial staff are out for the Auburn Plainsman. All students are encouraged to apply. Applications are available in the Auburn Plainsman office located on the first floor of the Student Center or at the Communications and Journalism office located in the basement of Haley. They are due this Friday, April 3, by 5 p.m. in the Plainsman office. All the information you need is provided on the application form. Available positions include editors and writers in the areas of copy, opinions, online, multimedia, photography, design, news, campus, intrigue and sports. This is a great opportunity for any student looking to get involved on campus. E-mail any questions to lindsey.davidson@theplainsman.com.

The Auburn University Relay For Life will take place Friday, April 3, from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. in the Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising event, bringing communities together in hope, celebration and memory. It is a unique event that offers everyone at Auburn University an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. The overnight event remembers those who have lost the fight against cancer and honors those who have survived. This event is presented by the Auburn University Colleges Against Cancer chapter. The 2009 Auburn University Relay for Life goal is $100,000. To register, go to this link, or for more information, contact Brittany Freeman, 2009 Auburn University relay chair, at (205) 586-4482 or e-mail aurelay@gmail.com.

Nose in a book or toes in the sand this summer? You can do both! Here's a quick reminder that the sessions of Summers at Auburn are quickly filling up.  Remember that classes are smaller and you can choose a flexible schedule with 5- or 10-week sessions.  You can fulfill core requirements, catch up on any lost academic ground or reduce your fall course load.  Plus, you can take advantage of the savings on 12-month apartment leases and even work part-time. Not only will you have time for fun this summer, you'll be on the fast-track to graduation. Financial Aid for summer is also available. Study Abroad programs are available for summer as well.
AU has three sessions of varying lengths. Select from one or more schedules:
-Full Semester (10 weeks): May 21 - August 6
-Mini-Semester 1 (5 weeks): May 21 - June 27
-Mini-Semester 2 (5 weeks): June 29 - August 6
To register, visit www.auburn.edu/summers.

Rotary District 6880 will award two Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships and two Six-Month Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarships for study abroad during the 2010-11 academic year. The Academic-Year Scholarship provides a flat grant of $25,000 for one academic year of full-time study at an institution/university in another country. The Six-Month Cultural Scholarship provides a flat grant of $17,000 for six months of intensive language training at a language school in a non-English speaking country. Interested parties must submit their applications directly to a local Rotary Club. Any applicant who wishes to apply must submit an application before July 1. Students may download all scholarship applications and other information at www.rotary.org. Interested students may direct their telephone inquiries to Steven Speakman at 821-0091.

The Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic is offering a series of three free classes for students who wear hearing aids and students for whom hearing aids have been recommended. Topics will include hearing aids, tinnitus, listening strategies and hearing protection. Sessions will be held on three consecutive Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. in the 1199 Haley Center. This student-oriented program is offered by the Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic free of charge. The discussion leaders will be a Department of Communication Disorders faculty member and two audiology students. Anyone interested in more information should contact Judith Blumsack at blumsjt@auburn.edu or call 844-9518 to register. Space is limited.

Study Partners, the official Auburn Peer Tutoring Program sponsored out of the office of Academic Support and located in the basement floor of the RBD Library, announces its new online appointment system. TutorTrac provides Auburn students the opportunity to make tutoring appointments online. Study Partners offers free tutoring for a number of core courses and is open for tutoring Sunday through Thursday from 2-7 p.m. To make an appointment log onto www.auburn.edu/studypartners and get started today.

Sophos anti-virus software is now available for download from AU Install at http://www.auburn.edu/download (login required) at no cost to Auburn students, faculty and staff. Please contact the information technology provider for your area before installing Sophos on a university-owned computer because your university-owned computer may have already been updated. Home users should review the installation instructions at http://www.auburn.edu/oit/security_center/virus/ht_install_sophos.php and uninstall any anti-virus software currently on the computer before installing Sophos. Auburn University policy requires virus protection software be run on all computers connected to the Auburn University network. Sophos has replaced McAfee as Auburn University's anti-virus solution. McAfee anti-virus software will expire in June. In order to remain safe from virus threats, you should upgrade to the latest version of Sophos before June. Contact your information technology provider or the Office of Information Technology HelpDesk at helpdesk@auburn.edu or 844-4944 for further assistance.

There are still a few courses that you have time to sign up for this spring.
We have Car Maintenance & Repair, Fly Fishing, Boating Safety, Driver Education, Gardening, Golf Clinic at Auburn Links, Investment Basics and Computer Courses. Some are reaching capacity so don't wait too long. Visit www.auburn.edu/cconline or call the Outreach Program Office at 844-5101.