Auburn University

“Exceed the need” means more than 5 cans

Monday, November 17th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you think we are losing to Alabama in more ways than one. Think again. 

Auburn has a shot at winning the Beat Bama Food Drive this year. I know that no matter how difficult or stellar a year either team is having, this game is a toss up. The canned-food drive on the other hand is not. It’s traditionally Auburn’s victory, and we’re taking it back from Bama’s surprising victory last year.

Last year, Alabama students collected an impressive 241,336 pounds of food.

Though, we put up a good fight,  Auburn brought in 183,017 pounds.

This is one of the state’s most impressive and biggest food drives. Through the competition’s 14-year history, more than 826,880 meals, which equals 48 tractor trailer loads of food, have been donated. All cans go towards the relief at the East Alabama Food Bank.

This year, Auburn has set a goal of 250,000 pounds. 

THERE ARE THREE DAYS LEFT IN THE COMPETITION. SGA has made donating idiot-proof by setting up donations online and setting up canned-food barrels all over the city. Check this out to donate:

http://www.beatbamafooddrive.com/

Currently, we have around 90,000 pounds… Which is good, but not good enough.

As much as I want to “beat bama,” I want to beat the war on hunger.

One out of five children in east Alabama are living below the poverty line.

One out of four senior citizens in east Alabama are living below the poverty line.

Nearly half of the individuals requesting food from the food bank have at least one person working, and of those requesting, 41 percent have a high school education.

Many have had to chose between putting food on the table or paying rent, mortgages or medicines. 

All these according to the beatbamafooddrive.com Web site.

Sure, you get spirit points and a can trophy. Yes, the loser must sing the opponent’s fight song at a basketball game (which no one will attend), and there might be a little pride when hearing the winning team during half time of the Auburn v. Alabama football game. 

All this means nothing, if we don’t realize the point of it all- end hunger.

Spend half as much money on canned foods as you do on Starbucks and Natural Light, and we’ll be all right.

I urge you to pitch in.

“Exceed the need”

All she wants to do is dance

Sunday, November 9th, 2008 | Greek Life, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Don Henley in his philosophical melody summed up sorority social events best.

Whether at a date party or formal, dressing up or dressing crazy and getting together with my sorority sisters for a social is definitely one of the best parts of being greek. 

Socials are fun because we get the opportunity to have a joint event with another sorority or fraternity. Auburn greek life is unique from any other school in this way: we like/live/associate with people outside of our sorority bubble. Many schools’ greek systems are divided and competitive, but Auburn greekers seem to appreciate the diversity that comes with the multiple greek circles. Not only that, but we embrace it by having fun socials!

 

Socials have themes too such as roaring 20s, nerds and the infamous- toga. I love driving down College Street and seeing girls and guys in leggings, teased hair and tube socks going to Sky Bar for an 80’s social. 

Economic lesson 101: if you want to make some money in the stock market, invest in Neiman Marcus, Belk, Dillards, ABS, Betsy Johnson and any brand name designer or department store. Why? Because as long as sorority girls have formals or cocktail parties, there will be a demand for fashion. Girls are known to spend between $50-$500 for the perfect look. 

At a formal, it is open only to sorority members and the dress code usually calls for a semi or formal dress. Luckily for many daddies out there, many girls share dresses, but for some reason, finding a date seems daunting for many girls.

Formals can be a little more stressful because unlike a social where everyone is invited, a formal requires the omg-i-don’t-have-a-date anxiety.

In the words of Jesse McCartney, “don’t stress. don’t stress. don’t stress. girl, you deserve nothing but the best.”

Take a friend. Or better than that, take a great dancer. Your date will be a hit if he knows how to do more than grind.

It’s OK to ask the same guy to multiple parties, if you have a great time with him.

The guy I am dating now is all thanks to a sorority formal where he literally swept me off my feet! We are always the last ones off the dance floor and can be caught dancing in kitchens, parking lots and anywhere open. 

 

all thanks to a formal

 

 

“She wants to party. She wants to get down. All she wants to do is- All she wants to do is dance”

she’s just not that into you

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 | Greek Life | 3 Comments

Sorry guys, but I am going to be blunt on this one because it is time you learned something about girls. You always complain that you don’t get us. Hear this: 

When girls are dancing at band parties, clubs, house parties or in their car, that is not an open invitation for you. There are signs girls show to let you know if they do or don’t wish for your company on the dance floor.

If this Cinderella girl you see is dancing with a group of girls aka her friends, usually more than one other girl, and she is intently dancing, she does not want to dance with you.

If she is looking around and making eye contact with you, make sure she is looking at you and then go ahead and make your move. For your sake, make sure she is not looking at the 6′6 UFC model/fighter behind you. 

If her friends are trying to help her stand up because she is so drunk, don’t you dare make your move then. That’s not classy and very illegal.  

Don’t sneak up from behind her and immediately grab her hips. That makes girls uncomfortable. Girl’s hips are not magnets, they are private property. Also, if her friends grab her and pull her away, let her go. It doesn’t mean her friends are jealous and want you to pick them. It means, she was making “help me” faces you couldn’t pick up on. 

Don’t get me wrong. Girls welcome a charming Fred Astaire to sweep them off their feet, but be respectful. A girl would much rather Astaire step on her toes every once in a while rather than Slim Shady try to break her hips.

“Second star to the right and straight on til morning”

Friday, October 10th, 2008 | Campus | No Comments

 

Pan's trusty Lost Boys

Pan and his Lost Boys

These are the directions to Never-Never Land in Disney’s Peter Pan motion picture. When I explore Auburn’s New Student Center, I cannot help but picture it as the large tree house where all the Lost Boys in Peter Pan live. With all of the mammoth tree’s trap doors, slides, swinging vines and more, the home, however unconventional it seems, serves so many purposes and fits the lifestyles of all the Lost Boys.

Though we may not have slides, or none that I have found, the Auburn Student Center constantly amazes me. I can walk in one way, and never find that place again. I will walk out of the building, and once I am outside, realize I had no idea how I got there. Stairways will appear that I swear were not there days before. 

Also, I know there is something I am missing. That building is huge from the outside. Except for the second floor, which I think I understand, I always feel that I am walking around only the perimeter. In a conversation I had earlier about this, we talked about how there is a party going on in the center, but I just can’t get to beyond this perimeter I am using. I cannot seem to grasp all the building has to offer.

Like the Lost Boy’s tree house, our new “house” is conventional and efficient for it’s users. It might not be so open and easy to navigate because it was designed to house all the many student organizations on campus. All of the meeting rooms with their projection screens and dry erase boards and the new glass conference rooms are impressive. I especially like the Greek Life, UPC and SGA open floor. It is spacious, and conducive to all the different facets of those large organizations. And that ball room. It really is an grand ball room imitation with the floor to ceiling glass walls. The outdoor areas offer a different study and social environment, and I am sure once the dump trucks leave, I’ll enjoy sitting outside.

Sure, there are color-coded maps, but I like finding my own way around. Considering I am a junior and still get lost in Haley, there may be no hope, but a girl’s got to try.

Maybe it’s not me. Maybe it’s magic. Maybe the New Student Center really is just part of Auburn’s magical act. I wish. In Never-Never Land, no one ever grows up. I wish that was true the second I turn onto College Street and enter campus.

At least, I know Auburn will never-never leave, and even if I have to fly, I can always come home.

grace anthony

Panhellenic Police

Saturday, October 4th, 2008 | Greek Life | No Comments

As a pledge, excuse me, a new member, some of my best memories were made swinging off rope swings at SAE, dressing up in togas at FIJI, throwing shaving cream with ATO, gallavanting in my halloween costume at PIKE and so many more.

There is something about driving around in the back of some random guy’s pick-up truck that bonds you with your new pledge sisters. The swaps normally included the guys coming to get us at the dorms, an activity like a a food fight and an after party.

Not anymore. Panhellenic now restricts after parties thrown by the fraternities. I cannot say, I agree with this decision. Freshman year, especially first semester, is a time to step out of your comfort zone and meet as many people as possible. Pledge swaps and after parties are a great way to do this.

The swaps themselves never include alcohol. This is a respected rule. I can figure the reason after parties are now so frowned upon is because they pose an alcohol threat. I hate to be Debbie Downer to Panhellenic (so call me Reeda Reality), but a party, which may or may not include alcohol, will happen.   

Panhellenic is now strapping on the police belt and patroling the streets in unmarked cars insuring no after parties go down. They threaten with social probation and fines for the whole sorority or fraternity caught having an afterparty. Yes, I feel bad for the new members, but I also feel bad for Panhellenic: like the members of Panhellenic have time to inforce this rule.

So, I propose an idea. Panhellenic and IFC allow the after parties with regulations. If Panhellenic is worried about alcohol, plan an alcohol-free after party. I do not condone underage drinking, so I would be in favor of this party. Panhellenic could get a schedule of the swaps on any given night and throw a large party for all the sororities and fraternities having swaps that night. 

Give the pledges and new members a break. Let them have an after party.

Peace, love and greek

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