For the first time ever, mtvU is recognizing college radio stations in their own category for a Woodie. mtvU believes that college radio stations, such as WEGL, are so important in the world of music because often they bring new music to college students before they achieve mainstream success.

The top stations were chosen based off of Princeton Review Nominations and independent questionnaires completed by record labels.

WEGL 91.1 is a completely student run radio station that offers a variety of music, talk shows and news. Paul Stewart, host of “3 Kings” on WEGL, is excited about the opportunity for WEGL to win a Woodie Award.

Stewart said he believes it is a great honor just to be nominated and recognized as one of the top 20 college radio stations.

The winner will be determined based on votes at woodies.mtvu.com/nominees/college_radio.
“People should get online and vote because WEGL is a college radio station with a lot of good music, shows and DJs,” says Stewart.

Voting goes through Nov. 7 and the award show is in New York on Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.

Now what if I told you that Auburn only rushed for 50 more yards the rest of the game? You probably wouldn’t believe it but it’s true. Auburn finished the game with 110 rushing yards on 44 attempts, 108 of that 110 belongs to Ben Tate. So why is this significant? Well it’s the main reason, aside from a missed P-A-T, Auburn fell to Vandy 13-14. The loss has Auburn coaches scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong (offensively that is) and how to fix it.

Fix it is exactly what the Tigers will look to do against a struggling Arkansas Razorback team. Arkansas (2-3) is coming to Jordan-Hare with hopes of pulling off an upset and getting its first SEC win, but it won’t be an easy task. Despite Auburn’s offensive struggles, Arkansas’ offense is even worse. Against opponents with the caliber of defense that Auburn has, they’ve scored just 31 points. (14 against Alabama, 10 against Texas, 7 against Florida) That bodes well for Auburn’s stingy defense which ranks in the Top 5 of every statistical category in the SEC.

On the flipside, if Auburn’s offense can find some sort of consistency, they should have no problem moving the ball on Arkansas’ young and inexperienced defense. The Razorbacks rank last or next to last in every statistical category except for one.

So what happens when a bad offense (Auburn) meets a bad defense (Arkansas)? Usually one comes out looking like a juggernaut. But in this instance it really doesn’t matter because the Auburn defense scores two touchdowns en route to a win over the Razorbacks.

Prediction: Auburn 21, Arkansas 7

Franklin was hired in December of 2007, just a few days after then-AU offensive coordinator Al Borges was let go by head coach Tommy Tuberville.

Franklin, who spent the last two years at Troy, was brought to Auburn to run the spread offense - or the “Tony Franklin System” which has been installed at high school programs across the country.

Franklin’s offense hasn’t lived up to its expectations this season, as the Tigers are 4-2, 2-2 in the SEC.

The offense is near or at the bottom in most offensive categories in the SEC and the country. Auburn ranks 104th in total offense (309.2 yards per game), 105th in pass efficiency (104.98), tied for 111th in red zone offense (65 percent) and 112th in third-down conversions (29.7 percent).

The goal of the LCAC is to live up to Auburn’s nickname as the “friendliest village on the plains.” The group is known throughout Lee County for its Auburn University scholarship fund as well as their Christmas Gifts for the Elderly project. According to the Web site, the overriding goal of the organization is to encourage hospitality and the Auburn spirit.

It is this friendly spirit that the LCAC hopes to bring to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 29. The LCAC is taking a game day bus to Tuscaloosa, and seats are available. The game day bus aims to provide a fun and safe mode of transportation to the game. LCAC invites all Auburn fans to “tailgate” on the bus. Fans are allowed to bring coolers and snacks to make the game day atmosphere complete.

Seats are $50 per person plus an additional $2.50 to reserve an assigned seat. The reservation fee goes toward the LCAC scholarship fund as well as other service projects. LCAC invites all Auburn fans to ride the bus.

“LCAC has had bus riders in the past of all ages, and our riders are not limited to Lee County,” says LCAC president Nancy Carlton Bendinger. “We have Auburn fans from all over the state join us.”

Members of the LCAC cite that the game day bus is far more convenient than traveling to Tuscaloosa by car. 

“It’s a great way to save gas and avoid the traffic in Tuscaloosa as well as be among Auburn fans,” says Pat Bailey, the LCAC bus captain.

Those interested in riding the game day bus to Tuscaloosa can find sign up sheets on the LCAC Web site, which is leecountyauburnclub.com. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 12.

But the background of the 40,000 square-foot museum started way before that. In 1948, Frank Applebee, chair of the School of Art and Architecture, bought 36 paintings by artists that included Ralston Crawford, Ben Shahn, Georgia O’Keeffe, John Marin and Jacob Lawrence for $1,072. These painting now make up the Jule Collins Smith Museum’s American Art Collection. This was the beginning of a collection that would later become the staples of a museum.

In 1992, philanthropist Susan Phillips donated her grandfather’s collection of John James Audubon prints. A few years later, she and her brother authorized a grant to Auburn to create an endowment for the care of the Audubon collection, the first major step in creating a gallery space. The idea was further brought to life when Dr. Charles D. Hudson of the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation donated $500,000 toward the museum’s construction. Soon after, Smith donated his gift. The museum then became a reality.

This month, The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art celebrates its fifth anniversary.

The museum showcases art work in six different galleries. Museum Director Marilyn Laufer and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Dennis Harper carefully select each piece from two to four years prior to showcasing.

“It’s a balancing act between gaging what the community is comfortable with and what’s hot in the art world,” said Marketing and Events Manager Colleen Bourdeau.

A lot of decisions go into making the pieces work well in each gallery. Often times the color of the paint on the gallery wall is changed to set the mood of each exhibition.

The museum showcases permanent collections, such as Tibetin bronzes, and brings in unique exhibitions frequently, such as the “Visions of Victory” exhibition which showcases sports photography.

“I think a lot of the Auburn community, especially during football season, has been excited about ‘Visions of Victory’,” Bourdeau said of the exhibition.

But The Jule Collins Smith Museum does more than just showcase art. They also educate. Every third Thursday the museum stays open until 8 p.m. and holds a lecture or movie or some sort of art specific programming followed by a reception. Elementary through university students also attend classes at the museum, taught by Henley. Bourdeau said that they want everyone to feel that they can use the museum as a learning experience.

“We really want the community to feel that we’re a part of them in that we welcome them here,” Bourdeau said. “This is a place for them to come and learn and ask questions.”

Bourdeau added that since the museum is a part of the university, they are always encouraging students to check it out.

“I would love to see more students come by,” she said. “Come and check it out. You don’t have to know anything about art, you don’t have to dress up. Just come and look around. Without the students there would be no Auburn University. Without Auburn University there would be no museum.”

Entrance is free to all students, Auburn faculty and staff. Adult admission is $5 and senior admission is $4.

Another part of what the museum does is research through publications and art.

“Because we are a part of Auburn University and research is a backbone of what the university is about, we do research through annual publications and researching works of art and how they came about, their relation to the community,” Bourdeau added.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art also has a café and a gift shop. The café is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 until 2 p.m. Lunch ranges from around $5 to $9. The menu changes every week and is available at the museum’s Web site. On Thursdays, members of the Auburn Community Orchestra perform from noon to 1 p.m.

Bourdeau referred to the museum’s gift shop as one of their “best kept secrets.” It holds gift items that range from a few dollars up to a few hundred.
Bourdeau said that the museum has some exciting exhibitions and events coming that includes former Athletic Director David Housell speaking in November, and an Elvis memorabilia exhibition coming in late 2009.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:45 and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:45.
“It’s a completely different experience when you see it and experience the sight and texture of it firsthand,” Bourdeau added.
For more on the museum, the café menu, information on exhibitions and more, visit jcsm.auburn.edu.

-Exhibitions and events at JCSM-
Info from jcsm.auburn.edu

Current Exhibitions
“Visions of Victory”
Presented by: Mutual of Omaha: A Century of Sports Photography
Dates: Sep.13 through Nov. 29,
Visions of Victory gathers over 100 images from around the world by such acknowledged masters as William Henry Jackson (1843-1942, one of America’s foremost frontier photographers), Annie Leibovitz (an American photographer known for her images of celebrities including political figures, musicians, actors, and athletes), and David Burnett (a globetrotting photojournalist named one of the “100 Most Important People in Photography” by American Photo magazine). These renowned artists are presented along with less familiar photographers whose lenses have captured some of the greatest moments in sports history. Sports giants like Arthur Ashe, Wilt Chamberlain, Nadia Comaneci, Ty Cobb, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Joe Namath, and Babe Ruth are portrayed at moments of determined exertion, enthusiastic celebration, or quiet reflection. Featured sports include auto racing, baseball, basketball, boxing, cycling, diving, figure skating, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, kayaking, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, thoroughbred racing, track and field, and wrestling, among others.

“The Indian Gallery of Henry Inman”
Chi Omega Gallery
Dates: Aug. 16 through Nov. 8
Acclaimed for his portraits of the socially prominent and the privileged, Henry Inman (American, 1801–1846) gained equal renown as an exacting chronicler of American Western history, primarily through his replicas of a series of North American Indian portraits.
Commissioned as faithful copies of earlier works by Charles Bird King and others, Inman’s oil paintings served as the models from which an important portfolio of lithographic reproductions were drawn and printed, thus preserving a significant record of Native American culture. The Indian Gallery of Henry Inman gathers 13 of Inman’s oil paintings, with a focus on distinguished Southeastern Creek and Cherokee leaders and warriors of the early 19th century.

“Crossing Boundaries: Modern Landscapes in the Permanent Collection”
Wadsworth Gallery
Dates: Aug.11 through Dec. 13
Featuring a selection of paintings and watercolors in the permanent collection, Crossing Boundaries provides a panoramic view of the ways that modern artists have responded to their environment. Often depicting the places the artists knew best, at other times recalling the discoveries of their travels, these explorers in paint altered the ways we perceive our surroundings. Included in the exhibition are works by American painters Walter Anderson, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, and Georgia O’Keeffe, alongside European counterparts, Pierre Daura, Henri Joseph Harpignies, and Edmond Petitjean, among others. On view in the Noel and Kathryn Dickinson Wadsworth Gallery, the exhibition includes several new acquisitions and older works rarely on display. 

“Dana King Gatchell Teapot Collection”
Grand Gallery
The College of Human Sciences at Auburn University made a generous transfer of property to the JCSM in 2007. Adding diversity and depth to the museum’s holdings in decorative arts, the college’s gift comprised a distinctive selection of teapots originally assembled by Alabama native, Dana King Gatchell (1888–1960). “Miss Gatchell,” professor of home economics at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn, was head of the food and nutrition department for more than 30 years and indisputable doyenne of table arts during her tenure there, from 1923 to 1956.
Totaling 59 pieces, the museum’s collection encompasses objects created across three continents and two centuries. From mid-19th century Asian vessels to works created in the 20th-century pottery centers of Europe and the American South and Mid-West, Gatchell’s teapots reveal the collector’s boundless curiosity and discriminating eye. The Gatchell Teapot exhibition is on display in the Grand Gallery of the museum now through the end of the year. 

Upcoming Events
“Leading Men: The 1826 Treaty Delegates,” Lecture by Kathryn H. Braund
Oct. 16, 5 p.m.
In conjunction with The Indian Gallery of Henry Inman Kathryn H. Braund is professor of history at Auburn University. Her research focuses on the ethnohistory of the Creek and Seminole Indians in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. In addition to many published articles, she is the author of Deerskins and Duffels: The Creek Indian Trade with Anglo-America, 1685-1815 (1993). She is the co-author, with Gregory A. Waselkov, of William Bartram on the Southeastern Indians (1995) and she is editor of an annotated version of Bernard Romans’s A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida (1999). She is currently writing a book about the Creek War of 1813-1814.

“Victory Auburn Style,” lecture by David Housel
As JCSM closes “Visions of Victory presented by Mutual of Omaha: A Century of Sports Photography,” they welcome David Housel, athletic director emeritus at Auburn University to give a talk on Victory at Auburn University. Housel graduated from Auburn University in 1969 with a degree in journalism, taught in the Auburn University’s department of journalism from 1972 to 1980, subsequently served the university as sports information director and athletic director, and is the author of “Saturdays to Remember” (1973), “From the Desk of David Housel: A Collection of Auburn Stories” (1991), and “Auburn University Football Vault” (2007). His forthcoming book, “Glory Days Auburn: The Greatest Victories in Tigers History” will be out in August of 2009.

If the defense continues to play like it has, expect the Tigers to win another ugly game against the surprise team of the SEC, the Vanderbilt Commodores. Usually Vanderbilt is considered the “push over” of the SEC, but starting the season 4-0 has everyone taking the Commodores more seriously. The Commordores aren’t doing anything special this season, except finding ways to win. Their offense is ranked lower than Auburn’s. Their defense isn’t that great either; it’s giving up about 400 yards and 17 points a game. Which begs the question as to how they’re undefeated? That answer is that they are forcing and capitalizing on opponents mistakes. Vandy is ranked number one in turnover margin in the NCAA.
So how does Auburn go to Vandy and come away with the win? First the offense needs to score more than three points, like it did the last road game. Next they need to protect the ball. If that means they run Ben Tate of left end the entire game to avoid throwing an interception, then so be it. While that may sound simple enough, at times the Auburn offense has had problems with the simplest things.

Expect to see Kodi Burns early, to provide a change of pace for the Tigers offense. Also expect to see a lot more of the I-Formation that has been a mainstay of the Tigers’ offense since before the days of Shug Jordan.

Defensively, look for the Tigers to continue to do what has worked the entire season; stuff the run, pressure the quarterback with the front four, play solid pass defense and get off the field.

This season Auburn’s given up just 11 third down conversions, which doesn’t seem that impressive, until you find out it’s out of 76 third down conversion attempts.

If Auburn’s offense finds a way to score some points, and the defense continues to play lights out, this one won’t be close. But we are talking about the Auburn offense, so expect another ugly game.

Prediction: Auburn 20, Vandy14

Faulk got to thinking when he realized his love for oysters was not being fulfilled because of the lack of places to eat oysters in Auburn. This unfilled niche, coupled with his previous experience and background in the restaurant business, provided an opportunity for Faulk to capitalize on.

“Most of everything around here is franchised,” Faulk said. “There wasn’t anything locally owned. That’s how I got the idea because it wasn’t here so I wanted to do something here, restaurant style … oysters is what I came up with.”
Now open for a little over a year, Auburn Oyster Bar & Grill is sharing what Faulk loves with the rest of Auburn.

Right around the corner from the Oyster Bar on South College Street, another vision was realized, 180 Wellness Spa. Gwin worked at a spa for more than five years and witnessed firsthand some of the not so glamorous sides to running a business. So, Gwin never had hopes or aspirations of opening up her own business. But, then she began to develop some ideas of her own. She became more and more interested in putting her ideas into practice.

“I just gradually put together my own vision and had an idea … a really concrete vision in my mind on how I wanted things to be,” Gwin said. “I knew I just had to go for it.”

Her vision was a spa dedicated to total wellness by incorporating an eco-friendly theme, selling and using only organic products.

By August, Gwin’s vision was realized and 180 Wellness Spa was established. 

Up the road and now open for two years, Blush Cosmetic Boutique & Spa is the result of Slocumb pursuing her dream. She had always wanted to one day own her own store. Encouraged and supported by her husband, who happens to be a business owner as well, Slocumb got the idea for her business after feeling that Auburn was missing a cosmetic boutique and spa combination.

“I enjoy putting ideas together and seeing them through and owning a business allows for many ideas to surface,” Slocumb said.

Faulk, Gwin and Slocumb envisioned the niche their business would fill, but before they threw open the doors to the public, a tedious and time-consuming process lied ahead for them. From the conception of the business idea to the first day of operation, the process took Faulk, Gwin and Slocumb four to six months.

Slocumb said the hardest part about starting her business was having everything fall into place at the same time while also having the right products at the right time.

“Getting all of the product lines to come in at the right time along with the location and furniture is the hardest part,” she said.

Gwin said the most difficult part for her was making the transition from her full-time job to working on getting the business set up. She said that while she was working at her full-time job, she would come home and spend the night at work on her business plan.

In addition to handling all the details that come with starting a business, the amount of money needed to start a business had to be considered. Each owner realized that the initial start-up and operation costs generally were on the expensive side. 

“I was astounded by the numbers, Gwins said “I think it’s really important to budget … and then you’ve just got to stick it to.”

Gwin also emphasized that it was important to set boundaries and goals to follow and have realistic expectations as well.

“It takes more money than you realize to get every detail in place,” Slocumb added.

But what Slocumb, Gwin and Faulk realized that with the effort that came along in pursuing your passion is the responsibility of maintaining your business. Running a business requires hard work, dedication and sacrifice. The hours are long, stress is common, and remaining on top of everything is a must.

“It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Faulk said. “You go home at night and you’re thinking about what’s going on, what you can do or what’s the next big thing you can do to boost the business.”

Being a business owner might entitle you to a different type of freedom or power than most jobs, but Gwin admitted that she feels more tied to this job than she would at any other.

“I feel less freedom because I want to be here all the time,” she added.

Slocumb said it’s hard keeping a business running because the products or services being sold has to interest and attract customers at all times.

“You must keep things changing up to bring people back and that will bring new people in the door,” she said.

However, what keeps these business owners from succumbing to the pitfalls of managing their own business is the satisfaction they receive from serving and providing the public with what they love and also getting to interact with the public on a daily basis.

“The easiest part about owning my business today is selling products that I love and believe in and the best part about owning your business is being able to do what you love doing,” Slocumb says.

“The best thing is the camaraderie, being with the people, the customers, I just enjoy talking to people, learning things about them,” said Faulk.

Gwin said seeing her clients is the “fun part of her job,” and feels it’s important to meet new people and form new relationships while still maintaining the old ones.

“It’s a really nice way to not keep your day all mundane,” Gwin said.

Slocumb, Gwin and Faulk left some tips that young entrepreneurs should be aware of when considering opening a business. Faulk stressed that the restaurant industry is difficult to get in to and ultimately sustains your position.
“Going in, I never would’ve believed that but I do now, it’s tough, it’s tough,” he said.

Slocumb advised others to take the time to research, not to rush into anything, take full advantage of local resources and always ask questions. Gwin urged those who are considering starting a business to go ahead and take the plunge.
“We all can do so much more than we think we can do and you’re not going to know until you try,” she added.

Whether it is serving oysters, promoting total body wellness or selling cosmetic products, these owners are able to share their interests with the public. They each have acknowledged and accepted that the stresses of the job just come with the territory and are inevitable. But it only adds to the challenge, keeping them driven and resilient. 

“Owning your business is fun because it’s something that you want to do making it not feel like work and that’s the best part of having your own business,” Gwin added. “It’s so close to your heart, you don’t feel like it’s your job.”