2. About the Author
Courtney Oliver
I am a senior at Auburn University majoring in public relations. Although I grew
up in Cumming, GA., I have always been a Tiger fan. As the youngest in my
family, I had a long line of Auburn alumni to live up to. My years at Auburn are
so special to me because this is where I truly found myself and my passion for
nonprofit work.
Growing up as a type 1 diabetic, my parents taught me to put all of my frustration
with my disease into something positive. My family and I started volunteering
with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and I was able to look outside
myself to get a better perspective. As a student at Auburn, I decided to focus my
studies on my love for public speaking and writing.
My involvement in my social sorority led to an officer position in which I
planned and executed fundraisers for our philanthropy Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA). My experience as Philanthropy Director inspired me to
pursue a career in fundraising and event-planning.
This magazine is a compilation of stories I haven written during my time at
Auburn. Through my words, I hope you can see the beauty in these plains that I
call my home.
2
3. Contents
Auburn Clubs 4
Go Green! 6
Auburn Senior 8
Bucket List
Steve Forbes 10
Comes
to Auburn
Rear Window 12
Screening
at JCSM
Kicks for 14
CASA
3
4. Stay Connected with Auburn Clubs
Graduation is a scary
thing. Saying goodbye
to the place that has
been your home for the past
four or more years is never easy,
especially when that home has
been the loveliest
village on the
plains. However,
graduates and
soon-to-be
graduates may
not realize the
networking
opportunity that awaits them at
their next destination.
Auburn Clubs are organizations
of Auburn alumni that provide
networking opportunities and a
chance to stay connected to the
New graduates network and meet other alumni through Auburn Clubs
By Courtney Oliver
“Auburn Clubs are a great
way for young alumni to
meet and network with
existing alumni in their
new home.”
- Audrey Lowry, Auburn alumna
Auburn Family. With 92 clubs
nationwide, new graduates are
able to meet other Auburn alumni
and get involved in their new
home away from Auburn.
“After I graduated from Auburn,
I moved away for a year and I
was so lonely
and miserable,”
said Audrey
Matthews,
web design
specialist for the
Auburn Alumni
Association.
“If I had known there was an
organization of Auburn Alumni
right there, it would have
made such a difference in my
experience.”
Auburn Clubs also host events
4
5. throughout the year to engage
alumni and stay connected to
Auburn. These events include
game-watch parties during
football season, annual club
meetings and fundraisers. For
example, the Lee County Auburn
Club raises money throughout
the year for their scholarship
fund. This scholarship fund helps
to relieve the financial burden of
paying for college on Lee County
Auburn students.
Auburn clubs also stay plugged
in when it comes to Auburn
news. Several of the clubs remain
active on social media and are
good sources of information. In
addition, Auburn Clubs provide a
source for professional networking
which is beneficial to new Auburn
graduates starting the job search.
Each Auburn Club is also given
the opportunity to network with
other Auburn Clubs through
events hosted by the Auburn
Alumni Association. Friday, Feb.
8 was the 2014 Club Leadership
Conference. Club officers and
members gathered in the Alumni
Center to network and attend
informational meetings to learn
how to better promote their clubs.
Auburn Clubs give new graduates
the chance to grow their Auburn
Family tree.
Incoming Auburn freshman at the Florida
West Coast Auburn Club’s “Freshman Send-
Off.”
5
6. Go Green with Auburn’s
Industrial Design Department!
Auburn University’s
Industrial Design
Department had
its annual Designing Green
competition
Thursday and
Friday, Feb. 20-
21. Each spring,
the Industrial
Design
Department’s
student chapter
of Industrial
Designers’
Society of
America
sponsors a
competition in
which industrial
and graphic
design students get to put their
Industrial design students test out
their chair created from recycable
products.
Auburn University hosts its annual Designing Green competition
By Courtney Oliver skills to the test. Students are
assigned to teams and given the
task of designing and building a
functional object entirely made
of recycled materials over the
course of two days. In addition,
the materials and
task change each
year.
Although the
competition is
hosted by the
Industrial Design
Department,
graphic design
students have
still been able
to participate in
past competitions
by observing
and recording
information.
6
7. Students heard from Tiffany
Threadgould, Chief Design
Junkie at TerraCycle, Inc.
Threadgould spoke about the
importance of sustainability and
took questions from students.
The competition commenced
at noon on Thursday. Student
design teams were given
materials in the TerraCycle
library, including wine corks,
tents and leather. Their task was
to use these materials to design
a product with an upcycled
use, meaning to convert waste
materials or trash to a product of
use or value.
Judging took place noon Friday
followed by a cookout of Wallace
Hall lawn.
Caroline Collins, senior in
graphic design at Auburn says
she loves this competition.
Projects of graphic design students adorn the
walls of Wallace Hall.
Student projects hang on display in Wallace
Hall.
“Everyone can afford
to learn a little more
about how to achieve
sustainability by
growing green.”
- Caroline Collins, Auburn student
7
8. Auburn Senior Bucket List
Roll Toomer’s Corner
#1
#2
#3
Watch the eagle fly
over Jordan- Hare
Stadium
Take a picture with
Aubie
Top 6 things to do before graduating
8
Source from http://bit.ly/R3NKyw
Source from www.espn.go.com
Source from http://bit.ly/PT2j7b
By Courtney Oliver
9. #4
#5
#6
Pull an all-nighter
in the Ralph Brown
Draughon Library
Go for a hike at
Chewacla State Park
Tour the Samford
Hall clock tower
“And because Auburn men and women believe in
these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.”
- George Petrie
9
Source from www.auburn.edu
Source from http://bit.ly/1k5NyJx
Source from http://www.youtube.com
10. Steve Forbes Comes to Auburn
Auburn Conservatives for Tomorrow host “An Evening with Steve Forbes”
By Courtney Oliver
S
teve Forbes, chairman and
editor-in-chief of Forbes
Media, will visit Auburn
University Friday, March 21
at the Auburn Arena. Auburn
Conservatives for Tomorrow and
the Young America’s Foundation
will host “An Evening with Steve
Forbes.”
The keynote address begins at 7:30
p.m. when Forbes will be discussing
the value of the free enterprise
system. Admission for students is
free and $30 at the door for non-
students. The Raymond J. Harbert
College of Business is an event
sponsor.
“I personally wanted to make
sure that our organization picked
someone that not only would focus
on relevant topics that are affecting
younger generations of Americans,
2014 Auburn Conservatives for Tomorrow
but also someone who has an
impact on Auburn University and
the Auburn/Opelika community,”
said Cody Garton, president
of Auburn Conservatives for
Tomorrow.
According to Garton, Forbes will be
one of the highest profile speakers
Auburn has hosted in the last
decade.
Members of Auburn Conservatives
for Tomorrow gauged the opinions
of Auburn students regarding the
idea of bringing Forbes to Auburn.
10
11. Brian Rizzetta, history major
and fraternity liaison for Auburn
Conservatives for Tomorrow,
explained the importance of Forbes’
visit.
“Many students recalled seeing
famous artists in Forbes
magazine and would be delighted to
hear him speak,” said Garton.
“We have already had many students
sign up and reserve their free tickets
online for this event, confirming
that the student body is engaged and
interested in his presence.”
For more information on Forbes
magazine, go to
www.forbesmagazine.com.
“We want to get everybody
out here because for those
people going into the business
world, he’s one of the best
at it and it’s important that
they learn from someone like
him.”
- Brian Rizzeta, Auburn student
Steve Forbes talks with Cody Garton, President of Auburn Conservatives for Tomorrow.
11
12. Join Kappa Alpha Theta in Kicks for CASA
Kappa Alpha Theta hosts kickball tournament benefiting Lee County CASA
By Courtney Oliver
T
he sisters of Kappa Alpha
Theta are hosting their 2nd
annual Kicks for CASA
Sunday, April 6 at the Auburn
University Intramural Fields.
Kicks for CASA is a kickball
tournament among Auburn
University organizations and
students in order to raise money
for Lee County Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA). The
sorority hosts several fundraisers
throughout the year, their most
prominent ones being Kicks for
CASA in the spring and Rock the
CASA in the fall.
Kappa Alpha Theta adopted CASA
as their national philanthropy in
1989.
CASA is a non-profit organization
that serves neglected and abused
children.
The organization recruits and
trains volunteers that fight for
the rights of children in court.
Kappa Alpha Theta at Auburn
University serves the Lee County
CASA chapter. Last year’s Kicks
for CASA event raised more than
$15,000 for Lee County CASA.
“There’s something so rewarding
in helping out children in need,”
said Beth Vaughan, CASA
volunteer and Kappa Alpha Theta
alumna. “When I was an active
member in Theta, I fell in love
with this philanthropy. After
graduating I realized I needed
something to keep me grounded.
My CASA kids are a constant
reminder that every child deserves
to have a voice. ”
To learn more about CASA, visit
www.alabamacasa.org.
12
13. “Every child deserves to
have a voice.”
Aubie joined in by playing in the tournament and posing for pictures.
Auburn Thetas enjoyed watching the
tournament and soaking up the sun
at last year’s Kicks for CASA.
Tau Kappa Epsilon celebrated their victory of becoming
the first Kicks for CASA champions.
13
14. Movie Night at Jule Collins Smith Museum
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” screened at the Jule Collins Smith Museum
By Courtney Oliver
The Jule Collins Smith
Museum of Fine Art
(JCSM) screened the
film “Rear Window” Thursday,
February 13 at 6 p.m. The
screening was a part of the
museum’s FILM@JCSM series
which promotes interdisciplinary
learning. Professor Sara Blair
from the University of Michigan
introduced the film and guided
discussion among those present.
“Rear Window,” known for being
one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most
famous works, tells the story of
photographer L.B. Jeffries who
is played by James Stewart. After
being injured, Jeffries is confined
to a wheelchair unable to leave his
apartment. He chooses to pass the
time by spying on his neighbors
through his camera lens.
Attendees enjoyed snacks and
beverages from the museum’s café Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
before and after the film.
“I love how the museum shows old
films like these,” said Cheyenne
Rudowski, art major at Auburn
University. “It’s cool to see how
the movie ties into art. The entire
plot of ‘Rear Window’ is based on
what a photographer does with his
camera.”
The Jule Collins Smith Museum
houses approximately 2,000 works
of art consisting of seven changing
galleries, an auditorium, a café,
14
15. a gift shop and beautiful walking
paths.
The museum
also provides
educational
programs such
as Lunch and
Learn talks
where students
get a more
focused look at a
single
piece of artwork and discuss it
“The museum is a
great place to go even
if you don’t like art.
Sometimes I just sit
in the café and study
because the atmosphere
is so relaxing.”
- Cheyenne Rudowski, Auburn student
Jule Collins Smith Museum Café
with the artist. Each talk lasts
approximately 15 minutes, leaving
time for lunch at the museum’s
café.
The Jule Collins
Smith Museum
is open to the
public with free
admission Tuesday
– Saturday from 10
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
and Sunday from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m.
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