Professor Williams began teaching at Auburn in 1983.

He served as faculty advisor of the Auburn Plainsman for 23 years and established the King Edsel (Ed) Williams Jr. Endowed Scholarship in Journalism when he stepped down from his advising duties.

Over his 30 year career, Professor Williams has made numerous contributions to the department, the university, and to Alabama journalism.

You can read more about Professor Williams in an article on the Alabama Press Association website: http://www.alabamapress.org/2012/08/28/williams-to-retire-after-30-years/

Caroline is our second student blogger and she is willing to take a chance.  Watch the video below as she gleefully bungy jumps off a Swiss mountain.  (FYI, bungy is the European spelling, as opposed to our bungee.)

Find more videos like this on Auburn Family

Caroline seems to live life large. Her recent trip to Switzerland – Interlocken, Bern – for a bit of sight seeing and bungy jumping, with a dash of parasailing off mountains, seems to illustrate her fun personality.

“I started out at the University of Southern Mississippi for my freshman year and quickly learned that it was not the place for me. I decided to transfer in the Spring of 2012 to UGA or Auburn,” said Mitchell.

“I am a Georgia resident but after seeing UGA I just didn’t get that ‘you belong here’ feeling. I had been to Auburn before but didn’t know that much about it. I re-visited and fell in love,” said Mitchell.

“At Auburn you aren’t a number, you’re a student. Everyone is so nice and personable everywhere you go whether it’s on or off campus. I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to call myself a student and member of the Auburn family,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell is active on campus already.  She’s a member of the Auburn Student Public Relations Society (AUPRSSA), Auburn’s Public Relations Council (AUPRCA) and Best Buddies – a mentorship program for children with developmental disabilities.

“Junior at Auburn University majoring in Communication with a minor in Human Development and Life Sciences. Member of Kappa Delta sorority. Loving life and enjoying everything it throws at me.”

~ Caroline Adair Mitchell, transfer from the University of Southern Mississippi

“My blog is just anything I feel like writing about that particular day. Sometimes I’ll post pictures or quotes on it too. It’s just a blog filled with my interests,” said Mitchell.

That blog is a Tumblr blog.  Tumblr seems to be the most popular blogging platform of choice for Gen-Y these days.  Mitchell writes about Sweet Little Nothings.  The phrase can be traced back to a poem, in a London magazine, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1876). “As low he bends o’er her he loves so dear, To whisper some sweet nothing in her ear.”   Some say it is also from Shakespeare.

Caroline, it seems, is a bit of a romantic.

“If I see a picture that I like I’ll blog it with my opinion underneath. Sometimes I’ll find a good quote to go with my feelings for the day and I’ll comment on those too,” said Mitchell.  She seems to like cats.  This photo is a good example (see right).  It’s an “in bread” cat.

She also has the perfunctory Tumblr post of an animated gif.  Her’s is a tribute to what Mitchell calls “the best series of books I’ve ever read.”  That would be Harry Potter.

“I love being able to express myself in any way possible. I’m a very creative person and the blog is an outlet to show it. I created it just to show people what I like,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell will be graduating in May, 2014.  Auburn is lucky to have Caroline in the loveliest village on the plains.  She fits right in … and spices things up a bit, too.

Photo Slideshow: Caroline in Switzerland

Find more photos like this on The Loveliest Village

Editor’s Note: This series highlights students and alumni blogging.
Whether it be for personal pleasure or for work, the practice seems to be growing.
This has now become a four-week series.

~ Robert French

“My senior year of high school, I was dating a life-long Auburn fan. I slept the entire drive I took along with his family to a football game–my first-ever SEC football experience–and was instantly mesmerized,” said Margie Newman.

“I called my mom and told her I was no longer going to New York University. ‘I am going to Auburn!’ I declared!” Her Mom asked, “Where is that?” Margie says, “And with complete honesty and excitement I replied, ‘I honestly have no idea. But it’s magical.’”

“And with that, I applied and was accepted to the Loveliest Village. Those four years changed my life for the better in more ways than I can count!” “Thank Heaven for football,” said Margie.

She graduated in 2002 with a degree in Radio, Television & Film. Along the way, Margie was very active on campus. Among her activities:

• AU Singers
• AU Concert Choir
• SGA
• War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen
• Sigma Kappa Sorority
• Camp War Eagle Counselor
• Top 5 Miss Auburn
• WEGL

After college, Margie went on to great success, again. She became Communications Officer for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services in the Office of Governor Phil Bredesen and served in many other government roles. She created award winning media campaigns. Later, Margie went to work as a principal with Hall Strategies, a Nashville public relations agency.

It was during her tenure with Hall Strategies that Margie was recognized by PR News as one of the Top 15 Young PR Pros To Watch. (Listen to podcast below.)

After Hall Strategies, and winning her PR News recognition, Margie was snapped up by The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC. She worked with Pew Center on the States. Her role included media relations and digital strategy (@pewstates), communications planning, and campaign communications infrastructure.

While in Washington, Margie started a PR networking group called D.C. Flacks. It was wildly popular. The group was even featured in The Washington Post Lifestyle section online and in print.

Margie provided some sound advice about blogging at her magazine in Nashville.

After six years of industry blogging and nearly three years of Chic-Geeking, my voice is locked in. My purpose is motivational, my writing style is conversational, and my tone is enthusiastic yet authoritative. My focus is also set. On the Chic Geek blog, I write about technology and productivity. On my personal blog, FlackRabbit.com, you’ll find my take on the public relations profession, social media and careers. My audience keeps coming back because they know exactly what they are going to get.

My voice wasn’t always so clear. And until I found it, I didn’t have a consistent online following (or a print column!). If you’re a blogger interested in finding a relevant voice and generating a following, here are four observations that may help you out:

Obsession is key.

Pick a topic and make it the only thing you write on and rant about. For example: my FlackRabbit blog is about PR and geek stuff. When folks visit my site, they expect to read about those things and nothing else. I love hockey, but I don’t blog about it. I also love my husband, but never write about married life. When we have kids one day, I will not turn FlackRabbit into a journal about motherhood. If I did any of those things, I’d lose my audience. The plain truth is that hockey, hubby and kiddos aren’t what my readers signed up for and I respect that.

Your blog is not about you.

If you want your blog to be more than just a pixilated business card, you’ll have to offer folks something. Make them think, encourage them, scare them, anger them—whatever. Just give them something, so they’ll have an incentive to tell their friends about it and eventually return. In between that stuff, you can express your views and establish your creditability. My highest traffic comes from posts that offer tips on PR careers and the Internet. PR folks visit to get information that might make them better at what they do. No one comes to my blog to see what I ate for dinner or how my job is going. (Trust me, I tried that in 2007.) As long as my audience is willing to turn to me for teachable moments, it’s my responsibility and privilege to provide them.

“On FlackRabbit.com, I share my musings about public relations, careers and geek stuff. I began blogging in 2005 so I could be more knowledgeable about how blogs work; if I wanted to advise employers and clients about a communications platform, I sure as heck needed to have first-hand experience with it,” said Margie.

“I don’t blog about current events, there are plenty of blogs that do that well. Most of what I write about is inspired by my everyday experiences, and those of folks around me. I like to share the mistakes and successes of myself and others so that readers can learn from the case studies of their peers,” Margie said.

“My audience is primarily entry-level communications pros. They are hungry of tips, pep-talks and lessons-learned. I try my best to give them useful content,” Margie said. “I really enjoy playing to role of career coach and mentor. FlackRabbit.com is one platform that enables me to do that. I don’t blog as often as I once did, but I still very much enjoy it. I have so many posts in my head that never make it into pixels.”

Today, Margie and her husband Dave have launched yet another adventure. “Team Newman” (as she likes to say) is going West! Say hello to Team Newman: San Diego Bureau.

Here we go again! Team Newman is headed west to beautiful San Diego, California. Dave and I have been offered an opportunity to work together—doing what we love for clients we believe in. The details are still in the works; we will share them with you soon.

It was just three and a half years ago that we announced Team Newman’s move to our Nation’s Capital. We hit the ground running in D.C., thanks to friends like Joe Flood. There was hardly a happy hour/networking event we didn’t grace. Then, we started our own.

Let’s Recap

D.C. has been good to Team Newman. Since May 2009, we have:

• made lifelong friends;
• had a baby;
• left the well-respected companies we worked for better than we found ‘em;
• ran a 5k (well, my first is this weekend…)
• (I) learned to ride a bike; and
• survived a blizzard.

And those are just the first few fun things that come to mind.

We wish Margie and Dave – plus, their two children, Baby Suzianne Newman & The Porge (their poodle) – all the best. War Eagle!

By the way, a little known fact. “Dave Newman is the reigning Extreme Flyweight Tea-cup Poodle Wrestling Champion of the World! His work site is here and his play site is here. He posts all of his interesting Google Reader links via Twitter (@groovysoup). You should, too.” I told you they have a sense of humor.

Find Margie at: FlackRabbit.com | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr: Margie Newman Preggers & Suzianne Newman. Yes, Baby Newman has her own blog. (Oh, please … like you’re really surprised.)

Photo Slideshow

Find more photos like this on The Loveliest Village

Anna Davidson ’13, a Liberal Arts major, experienced her la bella vita (wonderful life) in Italy this summer, thanks to the College of Human Sciences.

Auburn University offers the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy study program. From their website: “This semester-long program is based in the small town of Ariccia, Italy located in the Alban Hills near Rome. The program offers more than a dozen excursions to a variety of cities and regions throughout Italy including multiple trips to Rome, the neighboring towns of the Castelli Romani, and the regions of Campania, Umbria and Tuscany to visit cities such as Pompeii, Assisi, and Florence. The program also offers optional travel opportunities to Venice, Cinque Terre, and sites along the Amalfi Coast, such as Positano and the Isle of Capri.”

Anna, already an accomplished social media creator, began documenting her experiences in “La Bella Vita” at AnnaCDavidson.com. It is rich with 89 posts, uncounted photos and videos (below) from her summer abroad.

This is a fun blog to read. Anna did a remarkable job documenting the trip. This may just be the best Auburn student blog I’ve ever seen.

It is fun.  It is serious. Anna shares family and friends in a unique way.

Her posts cover such a wide ranging list of topics, you cannot get bored reading this blog. A sampling:

• Lights, Camera, ACTION!
• Je T’aime Paris :: I Love You, Paris
• Parisians Are Like Onions
• Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
• Fashion Capital of the World?

Anna shares her experiences below, but first – what is it that brought Anna to the loveliest village on the plains?

“Auburn encompasses everything I could possibly want in a large university experience without losing that small town feel,” said Anna Davidsion.

“I grew up listening to stories about life on the plains from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and parents so I was well versed in all things Auburn. When the time came to choose a university it was a no brainer because I already believed in Auburn and loved it,” Anna said.

Anna Davidson will graduate in August 2013 with a degree in Radio, Television, and Film.

She’s been busy as a student at Auburn. Her activities include College of Liberal Arts Ambassadors, Auburn University Student Recruiter, special events speaker for Talons and Presidential Scholars Days, Eagle Eye TV Executive Producer, WEGL DJ, Vice President of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, Mortar Board, ODK, Lambda Pi Eta (College of Liberal Arts honor society), Lambda Sigma (top 50 sophomores), and Freshman Forum.

Now, Anna’s la bella vita.

“Originally my blog started off as a virtual resume of sorts where I was compiling all of the news stories, videos, and images that I could use to show what I am capable of,” said Anna. “Since then it has become more like a travel journal filled with the interesting people, places, and things I have encountered. I believe that in order to effectively reach an audience you must first understand them. This study abroad experience has allowed me insider access into a new world and culture. I am hoping to use this knowledge as I move forward in this field.”

“Deciding what to write about is easy. Everywhere I turn I am seeing new things, learning about new places, and experiencing a different way of life. I’ve always been inquisitive and things just naturally interest me. When it comes to writing I just pour out my own inquisitions onto others,” said Anna.

“At first my blog was a way for me to connect with people back home while documenting my summer in Europe. Since then it has become an outlet for me to be creative, think critically, and show my funny quirky side.”

Anna’s work in creating this blog is remarkable.  Her prolific and consistent creation of content has given her a collection allows her to remember the trip for years to come.

Also, the blog will serve as a calling card upon graduation.  Anna is one student that will not want for job offers.  Her creativity and diligence will scream to any potential employer – Anna is a producer.  They’ll say, “We want her!”

Now, a sampling of Anna’s photos and videos.  We did say that she’s creative, right?

Photo Slideshow

Anna Davidson :: La Bella Vita in Europe from Auburn Family on Vimeo.

The Princesses

Getting the Soccer Team to Sing Sweet Home Alabama

Hang Gliding – Interlaken

Whatever you do … Don’t Wake MayMay

Truly, you’ll love Kendall.  She’s very bright and a powerful force.  She’s nice, too.  Go figure.

The question of why she chose Auburn for college is not new to Kendall. “I often get that question considering I am from Chicago, and although I love Chicago, I have lived there all of my life and I wanted to experience life outside of the Windy City. Auburn offered more than good football and warm weather, it was a chance to come into my own and go somewhere where I was an outsider.”  Kendall will graduate in 2013 with a Journalism major and French minor.

“At the time I chose to come to Auburn, I was one of very few from my high school. Coming to the South and hearing ‘y’all’ instead of ‘you guys’ or my peers addressing people other than their grandparents with ‘yes m’am’ or ‘no m’am’ was just a part of the culture shock, to say the least. I was amused by everyone’s accent, yet little did I realize I was the one with the accent,” said Kendall.

“Despite being a Chicagoan with a love of ice hockey and a vegetarian who has never had barbeque, Auburn welcomed me all the same.”

“Now, going into my senior year, there are astonishingly more than 22 people at Auburn from my high school. I would like to think I somehow influenced this influx of northerners, but I guess a national championship might have played some role in gaining more national attention than myself,” Kendall said.

“Above all it isn’t SEC football, warm winters or even a great education that draw people to Auburn. It is the people themselves that hold the biggest pull.”

“Freshman year I delved right into recruitment and then a sorority. I am a manager at Behind the Glass, where I helped grow the store’s Facebook page and started a blog. I was a writer for The Auburn Plainsman. I am Auburn’s first CollegeFashionista.com Style Guru and became a campus marketing associate for BranchOut.com. As of last week, I began working for YogaFly (Facebook), the new yoga studio in Auburn, where I am helping with their social networking initiatives and also training to be a yoga instructor,” said Kendall. More after the video…

Kendall Wangman Photo Slideshow

This is also a story about someone that takes process very seriously.  She may be, in her own words, “an inconsistent blogger” but Kendall is an organized blogger.

Kendsall writes, “O.K. so I’ve always been a little neurotic when it comes to writing in general, so I obviously am a huge advocate of planners, but I’ve found that electronic planners just don’t do it for me and I much prefer physically writing down my schedule, notes, lists, etc. I have been through my fair share of planners and none of them compare to the Lilly Pulitzer Agenda. Generally, I am not a huge Lilly fan, but this planner has it all! Not only does it have a monthly calendar, but it has a weekly calendar which gives me tons of room to write down my assignments, yoga classes, work schedule, etc. Along with added fun extras such as a “dates to remember,” “reasons for a party,” contacts, notes, and even stickers!”

“A Vegetarian in Alabama is about finding happiness no matter where you are, even in a place that is far from what you consider your home or even comfort zone. I write about food, fitness, fashion and all the things that fall in between,” said Kendall.

Her Various Websites

A Vegetarian in Alabama |  Behind The Glass (Blog)
Behind The Glass(Facebook)
College Fashionista (Blog)  |  College Fashionista(Facebook)
YogaFly (Website)  |  YogaFly (Facebook)

“I became a vegetarian about six years ago,” said Kendall.  ”Although I would love to say I initially became a vegetarian because of deep-rooted, ethical values against animal cruelty, I honestly just didn’t like meat (with the exception of bacon). So for me, becoming a vegetarian was easy, it was becoming a healthy vegetarian that I had to work on.”

“I fell into yoga after too many injuries from dance and gymnastics in high school. I reluctantly agreed to attend a hot yoga class in a room where the temperature is set to 98 degrees. Despite my reluctance and the intense heat, I was hooked after my first class and eventually started working for the studio,” Kendall said.

Add Yogo-obsessed to Being a Vegetarian

“Being a yoga-obsessed vegetarian from Chicago who chose to go to school in the South, I found myself constantly trying to defend my decision to not only my skeptical friends and family, but to myself.”

Kendall writes, “Regardless of where you live, work, socialize, etc. yoga teaches us to how to discover happiness and contentment everywhere. Yoga teaches us to find the calm in the uncomfortable.”

“I chose to write about how being a vegetarian has helped my learn how to adapt to any situation and practicing yoga taught me how to find the calm in the uncomfortable.”

“My blog, A Vegetarian in Alabama, started as a way to practice my writing, but has morphed into an outlet for some of my personal thought. Mainly I try to focus on health, fitness and my experience at Auburn, but I also like to comment on random, yet profound moments in my life whether they are health-related or in Alabama at all,” said Kendall.

“Hands-down it is the cathartic release of opening up through my writing and seeing how it is received by others. It began with my first few posts and only after a few hours of posting my blog link to Facebook I had numerous ‘Likes,’ comments, texts and physical people all reacting to my blog.”

“I have always struggled with my relationship with food and writing has been a profound tool in mending this relationship. It took a lot of courage to not only admit my struggles to myself, but to honestly share them with others in my writing,” Kendall said.

“After writing about my own eating disorder, I inadvertently affected two particular people struggling with their relationships with food.”

“One of them was a friend in my sorority. She approached me one night at the bar and although we were friends through the sorority, we had yet to have a relationship beyond recruitment or chapter. She told me my blog helped her come to terms with her own eating disorder and how she had never really told anyone about it. We grew closer in our friendship and became a support system for one another,” Kendall said.

“The second person was a girl I hardly knew in my French class and her response came in the form of a Facebook message where she detailed her struggles with her weight and how my blog affected her.”

She wrote, “This is truly random, but I felt like I should let you know and thank you for how I’m currently vegan.”

“She went on to tell me how she had been overweight since the third grade and failed at losing weight over and over. After reading a post about a book on a vegan lifestyle I had read, my classmate slowly integrated a vegan diet into her own life and successfully shed 30 pounds in the process,” said Kendall.

“So to have two people I barely knew at the time divulging their deepest secrets to me and attributing their good health to my blog really made me realize A Vegetarian in Alabama was more than just a health blog. It is every reaction from a simple, ‘Hey I saw your blog,’ to ‘I went to a yoga class after reading that post.’ Affecting others on any level fuels my motivation to write more.”  Kendall, you see, is doing more than writing. She’s actually touching people’s lives.

The following is on Kendall’s Facebook page under Favorite Quotations.  It strikes one as a good reflection of how Kendall lives her life.  “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kendall is blazing trails, and – have you noticed?  She’s always smiling.  I don’t mean just in her photos.  On campus, when I see her … she’s always got that smile.  She’s going places.

Kendall :: The Movie

Editor’s Note: This series highlights students and alumni blogging.
Whether it be for personal pleasure or for work, the practice seems to be growing.
This has now become a six-week series.  One more week to go – I promise, just one more.

~ Robert French

First, who is Gabrielle Hoyt?

Why people choose to attend Auburn is always interesting to learn.  In Gabrielle Hoyt’s case, we may have been blessed by her attendance … on a mere whim.  And I do mean blessed.  You’ll learn why below.

“I have no idea why I applied to Auburn, but the second I stepped foot onto campus for my tour, it didn’t matter why I was there, because I knew I was home. I am a true believer in the Auburn family and I felt that love from my first day at Camp War Eagle to today living in Atlanta. I may not have been an Auburn fan born and raised, but my kids sure will,” said Gabrielle.

Gabrielle graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2012 with a B.A. in Public Relations, Concentration in Management.  Along the way, she garnered some remarkable awards and achievements.  Stephen Sprayberry wrote about Gabrielle’s frenetic – yet controlled – schedule here in Auburn Family – A Real Life: I Don’t Know How She Does It.

Her campus involvement, alone, is remarkable.

• Alpha Chi Omega
• Panhellenic Administrative Vice President
• PRSSA (President, PR Director and Founder)
• Student recruiter
• PRCA
• Campaign manager for SGA Treasurer candidate

But, that’s just the main activities.  There’s more.

Stephen writes, “Just by taking a look at Hoyt’s jam-packed, color-coded planner, you’d probably gasp in disbelief and wonder how in the world she gets everything done without having a nervous breakdown.”

Judge for yourself.  Just look at a typical set of pages in Gabrielle’s planner.

Now, consider this … that’s only Gabrielle’s classes, activities and work.  Remember, Gabrielle graduated Summa Cum Laude and she is an Honors College graduate.  So, somewhere in there, she actually found time to – study.

How an Award Leads to a Remarkable Blog

Gabrielle was one of two recipients of the 2012 Daniel J. Edelman/Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Award.  (See story.)

Her award meant that Gabrielle would receive “a $500 award; plus, an interview with her choice of Edelman agency offices.  The PRSSA award has only two recipients nationwide.  The Daniel J. Edelman PRSSA award recognizes an outstanding student who best demonstrates the leadership, commitment and strong work ethic exemplified by my father to be successful in a career in public relations,” said John Edelman, managing director of Edelman’s global engagement and corporate responsibility.

So, to put it simply, Gabrielle left college with a promising future ahead of her.  Her choice of offices at Edelman?  Atlanta.  That choice would lead her to write her blog on a topic that will likely cause anyone from Atlanta to do a double-take.  As in, “Whaaaa?”

Say Hello to:  adventures in marta-ing

“After graduation, I moved to Atlanta and began an internship at a PR firm downtown. After a month and a half of commuting – I was sick of it. I decided to start taking the Marta – the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.  In my blog I joke about it as the red-headed step daughter of the mass transit world. People give the Marta a lot of crap in Atlanta and the majority of people don’t take the Marta and say I might get killed on it or something ridiculous. But I decided after weeks of almost car accidents and ridiculous gas prices, it was time for a change,” said Gabrielle.

Hey, she’s tough.

“Well I figured I would have a few fun adventures to tell on my daily commute. Also I thought it would be a nice way to keep in touch with my family and friends who I miss terribly,” said Gabrielle.  This is where the blog Adventures in marta-ing was born.  You’ll love the sub-title:  ”BECAUSE THE INTERSTATE IS FOR CHICKENS”

“Working in PR you are expected to do a lot of writing. I found, however, that the writing you do in PR is business-oriented and has a specific purpose. I love to write creatively, with an ultimate goal to one day publish a book of creative stories loosely based on my life. I thought this blog would be a good place to start writing each day and keep my creative chops up in hopes to one day eventually accomplish that dream,” said Gabrielle.

I love this blog.  It is fun and it is touching … even a bit sad at times.  Gabrielle captures the fabric of marta life.  I’ll share this one excerpt from a recent post.  Day 23 – Home-less

I walk to and from the station, a distance of maybe four blocks, and see a dozen homeless people. It literally hurts my heart to see that pain. I can just picture myself; different clothes, different shoes, different jewelry, to and from by and by these people each day. Fully fed, freshly showered, walking to and from an employed job. I don’t always have change or food on me, so I walk by them and pretend I don’t hear what they say. And it’s so painful. But if it’s painful for me, I can’t imagine what it is for them.

So THEN when things like today happen, I get so excited. At a goodbye-drinks-thing after work today, there was a bunch of extra food and I happily put it in boxes to pass around as I made the walk back to the Marta station.

On my way, a man stops me and asks, “can you help me get some food?” Well isn’t that just fine, dandy and perfect. I got myself three little boxes full of food! ”Here you go!” I happily respond. Two boxes left. As I see the next person I think might need some food I think “What if I offer some food to someone who’s not homeless?” Oh well… Then I see a man lying on a bench with his hand held out. I ask him if he’d like some food and the joy in his eyes was amazing. I felt so wonderful.

I didn’t see a third person to give my third box to before I got to the Marta station. Not thinking I would see anyone inside, I cross the street to a woman sitting on the ground, reading a book and give her the food and walk right back across the street toward the station.

Feeling happy with myself and the not-wasted food, I joyfully walk down the stairs into the Marta station. Before I could even use my pass to get through the gates, I see a woman without one of her feet in a wheelchair searching through the trash can for food. And there I stood, empty handed.

I guess you can’t help everyone.

Gabrielle’s sentimentality gives way to a bit of dark humor in Day 11 – Cry Baby, Cry.  She got to leave early from work one day.  On this fateful day, Gabrielle gives help to another wayward soul.

As I got back to Lenox station and was heading up the escalator, I thought it would be another non-bloggable journey. That was until a Sweet Young Man asked if he was headed the right way to the mall. At the Lenox station, if you go right you go to the parking lot, if you go left you  get to the mall. Sweet Young Man was, in fact going the wrong way. I told him to go back down the escalator to the other side of the  station and that would bring him back to the mall.When I told him he was going to the wrong way he looked sad and defeated. I told him not to worry, it’s not a big deal.

I’m not surprised he got so sad. He must be the type of person who gets sad a lot. I mean, he even had two teardrops tattooed under his right eye. Sweet Young Man.

The frighenting thing, of course, is that Sweet Young Man’s tattoo tear drops have many possible meanings. Among them, they could mean he may well have killed two people. In some areas it would mean he is a Crip or part of the Folk Nation gang.  He may have lost two loved ones or he’s been to prison. It could, of course, also mean he was just someone that likes a good tattoo … and tears mean something special to him. Let’s hope for this last version.

Gabrielle, I’m confident, knows the connotations of the tattoo and her reference to Sweet Young Man struck a chord as a telling hint of dark humor. That’s just a small part of what makes her writing fun to read.

You really should check out Gabrielle’s blog Adventures in marta-ing.  It’s a blessing.  (Don’t miss Day 9 – Turbulence.  Mama and the Wonderful Airport Land of Games is worth the visit. I won’t share here. You need to read the whole story.)

Encourage Gabrielle to (a) keep the blog going and (b) to be very, very safe.  We’re proud of Gabrielle and we want to keep her around for a long, long time.  She is, after all, a young woman in a hurry.  She seems to want to capture all the experiences she can – as fast as she can.

From Gabrielle’s Facebook page under Favorite Quotes:

“There’s plenty of time, right? Plenty of time.” - John Lennon, Dec. 5, 1980.

Photo credits:  Gabrielle’s blog and Facebook page, Flickr’s Creative Commons photos, and the Marta website.

Gabrielle Hoyt :: Family and Friends at Auburn

Editor’s Note: This series highlights students and alumni blogging.
Whether it be for personal pleasure or for work, the practice seems to be growing.
This has now become a six-week series.  And these are our final five bloggers.

~ Robert French

Taylor shared the news recently with Dr. Margaret Fitch-Hauser, Chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism.

“My book was inspired by actual squirrels in our attic! We trapped and set free four of these noisy critters, and it made me wonder what they were really doing up there. A story was born! I imagined them celebrating the holidays with the stored up decorations, and I take you through New Year’s Eve to Christmas,” Taylor said.

“It is a rhyming story for pre-schoolers to 2nd graders, and it is alot of fun to read.”

Taylor majored in Public Relations and graduated from Auburn in December 1991.

She has been a stay at home mom to 2 great kids for the past 13 years. Prior to that, Taylor was an Account Executive with Denson/Reed Marketing and a Community Director for the March of Dimes.

Squirrelly Celebration

by Lori Taylor

Have you ever heard the sounds of little feet tap-tap-tapping in the attic? When we put our holiday boxes away, the squirrels come out to play! They go nuts for our stuff and have all kinds of fun. So put your party hat on and join the Squirrelly Celebration!

You’re invited to th

Who: Journalism, Public Relations, COMM and RTVF majors, and any others; former Auburn Plainsman, WEGL and Eagle Eye staffers; and spouses, relatives and friends of all of the above.

What: A fun time.

When: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, starting two hours before game time and continuing up until 30 minutes before kickoff of the Auburn-Samford Homecoming game.

Where: We will gather on the lawn in front of Tichenor Hall.

Why: You will have the opportunity to visit with your former classmates and professors.

How: Call several classmates now and plan to meet them in front of Tichenor Hall.

Keep up with what’s happening at Auburn through The Auburn Plainsman’s Web site,

http://www.theplainsman.com

Keep up with news in the Department of Communication and  Journalism,

http://media.cla.auburn.edu/cmjn/index.cfm

If you have moved, please update your address with the Alumni Asssociation by going to this link:

https://develop.auburn.edu/update.html

Want to be in the know about news and events happening in the journalism program?

Want an easy way to stay in touch with fellow alumni?

Join the Communication and Journalism Facebook page  at

http://www.facebook.com/AuburnCMJN

Join the Journalism Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AUjournalism

Miss Alabama Courtney Porter (The Birmingham News/Mark Almond)

Courtney Porter, 24, won the crown of Miss Alabama 2011 on Saturday night in Birmingham.

Porter is a 2009 Communication graduate from Auburn University. She is the current Miss Leeds Area and a native of Clay, Ala.

Porter’s performance at Miss Alabama was a tap dance routine. She was a four year member of the Auburn University Tiger Paws dance team. As a Tiger Paw, she performed at all home football and basketball games, as well as pep rallies and other sporting events.

Porter competed with the Tiger Paw Dance Team in the UDA National College dance competition in Orlando, FL in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Being a Tiger Paw was always a dream of hers and a once in a lifetime experience she will never forget. She has been competing in the Miss Alabama/Miss America Organization since 2003.

Porter’s platform as Miss Alabama will be to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Sources and other coverage:

• Courtney Porter Bio
• Al.com Story
• Al.com Photos
• O-A News Story
• MissAlabama.com