2 The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Auburn Plainsman 255 Heisman Dr., Suite 1111, AU Student Center Auburn, AL 36849

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Robert E. Lee, EditorNathan Simone, Managing Editor

Melody Kitchens, Special Sections EditorBianca Seward, Copy EditorSydney Callis, Community EditorElizabeth Wieck, Intrigue EditorBecky Hardy, Campus EditorRaye May, Photo Editor

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A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

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Bianca SewardCoPy Editor

After a year of twin beds, strict rA rules and the same meals students are beyond excited to move out of the dorm and into their own space.

Caitlin Perry, senior in biosystems engineering, was looking for some-thing different. While most students shuffle from the dorms to apartments, trading rAs for landlords, Perry had another idea in mind. At the young age of 20, Perry became a homeowner.

Perry bought her mobile home the summer before her sophomore year in 2010.

“My dad is in real estate and so he has always told me it is smarter to buy,” Perry said.

“i bought my trailer with my par-ents,” Perry said. “We split the cost and now i just have a small month-to-

month lot rent.”of the seven mobile home communi-

ties in the Auburn/opelika area, the av-erage lot rent is $222. However, lots rent-ing for less than $200 do not include wa-ter. All seven offer tiger transit trans-portation. Average rental fees for mo-bile homes, combines mobile home rent-al and lot rental, is upward of $600 for a two-bedroom and approximately $500 for a single.

Mobile home communities often offer the same amenities as most apartment complexes in the area.

Perry owns her mobile home in the Avalon community just two exits and a right turn past the veterinary school.

“Here we have a pool and a gym that is almost like an at-home gym, but with more machines and it has a tanning bed,” Perry said. “The gym just opened with 24-hour access.”

Aside from the amenities in the com-munity, Perry said the mobile homes also beat the dorms by having fully-fur-nished kitchens, spacious dining and liv-ing rooms and, depending on this size of your home, some master bedrooms have two closets.

Community safety is another point ad-vantage. Very few apartment complexes in the Auburn/opelika area come with a strong measure of security.

Perry said she has never once ques-tioned her safety in the community. At promptly 8 p.m. the gates shut and only those expressly invited will be allowed in-side the premises.

And although Perry’s has a towel draped over it, each mobile home comes equipped with a fire alarm detector.

“oh it was just driving me crazy,” Per-ry said. “But i guess it is nice knowing it works.”

Perry said she noticed when she first moved to the Avalon community more than two years go, there wasn’t a balance between families who lived there and stu-dents.

However, recently she has noticed a turnover in the rates and that more and more students are moving to the com-munity.

“it’s definitely becoming more of a student community,” Perry said. “And i think the community is responding to that. They have a tiger transit stop and if you live in the way back there is a park-ing lot right next to the stop for you to park. Also, they extended the gym hours so that helps with the lives of college stu-dents.”

As an economically sound decision and an alternative option to convention-al off-campus living, mobile home com-munities offer more choices for students.

Home on wheels: alternative living options safe, affordableRaye May / PHOTO eDITOR

Caitlin Perry, senior in biosystems engineering, bought her mobile home in the summer of 2010. The avalon community offers a pool, gym and tanning.

Thursday, January 24, 2013 The Auburn Plainsman 3

Sydney CallisCommunity Editor

Whether moving in or mov-ing out, organization is key. Keeping everything together and knowing the plan will make your journey to a new house ex-ponentially easier.

1. Pack boxes by location, closet, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc. Know-ing where everything is and goes will help when packing and un-packing. real Simple magazine suggests keeping a binder with a detailed plan of attack can help keep track of all the elements of a move.

2. Figure out transportation ahead of time. decide wheth-er you want to move by your-self or hire a professional mov-ing company. if you don’t have a truck or vehicle large enough to transport furniture or boxes, look into renting a moving truck or hiring movers a few weeks be-fore the move.

3. According to upack.com, before moving out start using items that cannot be transport-ed, like frozen and perishable foods. it’ll make cleaning out the refrigerator easier if you start emptying it in the weeks leading up to the move.

4. Find packaging materials like boxes, bubble wrap, per-manent markers and packing tape. uPS and the u.S. Postal Service have boxes for sale, but also check websites like Ebay.com and Craigslist.com for pro-fessional quality packing box-es for a cheaper price than buy-ing them from an actual moving company.

5. Especially when moving out, know where the cleaning supplies are and pack them last. Cleaning when you move in and move out is important. Also, a lot of apartment complexes or renters require a walk-through before moving out to make sure everything is clean and still in working condition before you can get your security deposit

back. Professional moving com-panies are actually prohibited by the law from packing flam-mable materials. So, either keep them out to clean after all your things have been removed and then throw them away, or pack and transport them yourself.

6. Always lift with your legs. Lifting and carrying heavy box-es and furniture can be very dangerous if not done proper-ly. There are many helpful vid-eos on youtube that demon-strate the proper way to trans-port heavy items without get-ting injured.

7. Real Simple magazine rec-ommends separating valuables from the rest of the items being packed so you can personally transport them. Keeping track of the important things, like jew-elry and important files makes sure they don’t get lost or sto-len in the bustle. Keep a list of all valuable items as well to provide to moving or insurance compa-nies if anything is lost or stolen.

8. Pack a separate box or suit-case of items you’ll need dur-ing the move or the first night in your new living area. After a long day of unpacking or pack-ing, having necessities already set aside keep you from having to search for your toothbrush or pajamas.

9. Call your utility companies in your current and future loca-tion to cancel and set up your account. this ensures you are not paying for utilities not be-ing used at your previous loca-tion and that you have water and electricity at the new loca-tion when you get there.

10. Before moving in or out of anywhere, go through all your possessions to decide what you really need and use. Eliminat-ing some of your possessions means less to transport, which is always easier. Having a garage sale or giving away unwanted or unused items to charity are two avenues to getting rid of things you do not need to move.

this offHow to make the best of the worst

Emily BrEtt / frEElancE graphic artist

Chelsea HarveyASSiStAnt onLinE Editor

Everyone has had that room-mate – the one who plays the electric guitar at 3 a.m.; the one who leaves dishes in the sink so long they grow mold; the one whose boyfriend or girlfriend moves in halfway through the year and never leaves.

We’ve all had our share of horror stories, and we’ve prob-ably all come up with our own creative ways to exact revenge on the wayward roommate. However, as tempting as it is

to pour green hair dye in your roommate’s shampoo next time he or she puts a toe out of line, this column offers a few more civil solutions to some common conflicts roommates face.

The roommate who never washes the dishes (or cleans the bathroom… or tidies the living room)

What not to do: Leave pas-sive aggressive sticky notes all over everything. “The tilex is under the sink.” “you do know how to use a vacuum cleaner,

right?” “This ain’t your mom-ma’s kitchen.”

What to do: divide up household chores according to your preferences. if you hate washing dishes but don’t mind scrubbing the shower, maybe your roommate wouldn’t mind making the trade. that way, you can come up with a list of tasks that everyone can accom-plish without any one chore be-ing too distasteful for either of you.

» See Roommate 4

4 The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, January 24, 2013

Elizabeth WieckIntrIguE EdItor

Choosing where to live in Au-burn is a big decision.

Location and proximity to campus, financial costs, driv-ing and parking, roommate sit-uations, amenities and size, so-cial involvement and responsi-bility all factor in to making the right choice.

LocationLocation is a prime issue

when comparing on and off campus housing facilities. on campus dorms, naturally, are closer to classes, the library, the Student ACt and other campus buildings. Additionally, students can easily return to their room if something for a class is forgot-ten or if they have a break be-tween classes.

As for off campus housing and location, classes are not as close, campus resources are not as ac-cessible, and it may be difficult to manage time if classes aren’t back-to-back.

CostCost is always an important

factor when deciding to live on or off campus. depending on lo-cation, living on campus often involves higher costs, which in-clude both dorm rent and the mandatory dining plan.

Living off campus common-ly allows for a lower rent cost, but includes the responsibility of power, water and cable bills.

ParkingIt’s key to consider parking as

well due to such limited parking on Auburn’s campus. unless the parking lottery is won when liv-ing in the dorms, having a car is often inconvenient, especial-ly when parking in the faraway resident overflow lot.

At an off campus apartment or house, close parking is usu-ally the norm. of course, if the apartment or house is not with-in walking distance of the uni-

versity, taking the tiger transit to class or driving are the only options. Finding a parking spot in a timely manner or close to class can be difficult, while tak-ing the transit can make for a long route on the way to or from campus.

RoommatesWith the exception of a few

single-person rooms, on-cam-pus dorm life requires a room-mate. unless students live in the Village, they will be sharing a room with another person and a bathroom with three others. If students don’t formally request a roommate for on-campus housing, they may be paired at random with a roommate, while in off-campus housing they can hand pick whom to live with and may also have their own room.

Amenities and sizeIn general, there are more

amenities in off-campus hous-ing. These might include a full-size fridge, washer and dry-er, oven and stove, dishwash-er, pool and workout room. of-ten, off-campus housing means larger bedrooms, closets, living space, a kitchen and individual bathrooms.

Amenities on campus are more limited, and unless stu-dents live in the Village, they have to bring their own micro-wave and fridge. Laundry facili-ties are often on a different floor or in a different building, and re-

quire quarters for every use. The rooms are small, there is limited storage space and bathrooms are shared, although campus se-curity guards do add a sense of safety to campus housing.

Social lifeSocial life is a large part of the

college experience, as many stu-dents are out on their own for the first time. Living on campus provides a wealth of social op-portunities. It’s easy to develop a sense of community and meet others, easing the often difficult transition into college.

dorm movie nights and oth-er activities are common in res-idence life. Little privacy, living in close proximity to hundreds of students and dorm rules ac-count for negatives in on-cam-pus social life.

Living off campus allows for more privacy and freedoms due to no rAs, which can include fewer restrictions on noise, par-ties and drinking. Additionally, off campus housing can create a potential break from the busy-ness of campus.

Responsibilityoverall, living on campus re-

quires less responsibility, as pay-ments and the meal plan are factored into tuition. Living off campus, although preparing students for the future, requires more responsibility in paying rent and bills, learning to live on their own and cooking.

Things to consider, list beforechoosing on or off-campus living

Rachel SuhS / DeSIGN eDITOR

The roommate who can’t pay the bills on time

What not to do: Allow your electricity and water to be shut off in an act of defiance.

What to do: First, divide up the bills so that some are listed in your name and some are in your roommate’s name. You’d be surprised how much of an incentive it is to pay the bills on time when your person-al credit standing is at stake. Then, post a calendar on your refrigerator (or other high-traffic location) with the list of bills and their due dates to help both of you remember how much to save each month and when to have it ready.

The roommate who eats you out of house and home

What not to do: Pour ta-basco sauce into your carton of Sunny d and tell him to help

himself – that’ll teach him. What to do: Come up with a

list of items you two can share on a regular basis. It makes sense to share commonly used items like milk, butter, salt, etc. Keeping two of everything in the same fridge takes up space, and the items often go bad before one person can use them up. Keep a track record of who buys which item so you two can alternate. If Steve buys ketchup one week, dave should pick it up the next. All other items should be consid-ered personal, and it is impor-tant to point this out to your roommate explicitly. If Jessi-ca continues to eat your Cap’n Crunch every morning after this conversation, move your dry goods into your bedroom (or, if you share a dorm room, place them clearly on your side of the room) and label the items you keep in the refriger-ator so it’s clear what belongs to whom.

roommate» From 3

Thursday, January 24, 2013 The Auburn Plainsman 5

6 The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, January 24, 2013

Lemans square & Chateau apartments

(334)-821-9192560 North Perry St. Auburn, AL

www.lemanssquare.com

1 BR-$4202 BR-$4953 BR-$570

Rates per apt.

Scan for more info!

Come in to quiet comfort A great place to live.

- Only 4 blocks from campus- Water/Garbage included- On Tiger Transit Route- Spacious Floor Plans- On-site Management- Sparkling Pools- Pet Friendly

Becky HardyCAmPus Editor

dunn Hall resident Assis-tant Annie Lopez, sophomore in business, shares her experi-ences as an rA.

BH: What made you decide to be an rA?

AL: my rA and i got along re-ally well last year. she didn’t ex-actly talk it up, but it really in-terested me. i wanted to live on campus again just because it was close to everything and what better way than to be an rA.

BH: What was training like?AL: We had to go through

two weeks of training at the end of the summer. it was a lot of going over procedures and policies, just making sure that we understood the policies and policy violations and how to handle crises.

We did have to go through a really extensive application and interview process, and actually, i do think they gave us a back-ground check.

BH: What does your job en-tail as an rA?

AL: We have a lot of hall ac-tivities. it’s actually more than i thought we would have to do. We have to put up bulle-tin boards every month for the specific themes for each month and we have to put on at least two or three floor minglers and one hall activity.

You also have to do rounds, which the rAs have to have at least one night on duty per week. it’s not bad, but it’s defi-nitely a time commitment.

BH: How many students do you manage as an rA? does this get stressful?

AL: technically we look over the whole hall, but i’m the sec-ond floor rA, so i’m most-ly focused on the residents on the second floor, which has about 44 women on it. it can get stressful when there are nights when people don’t come to floor minglers, so you don’t

get a lot of attendance. obviously, you’re going to

have instances that you have to bring down the band ham-mer, but it’s not bad. As long as the residents respect you and there’s a mutual respect there and no lines are crossed then it’s fine.

BH: How do you typically help students?

AL: A lot of times i have built up relationships with my res-idents from just hanging out downstairs, so some residents have come to my room to just say hey. Just this past week i saw one of my residents and she had a question on which class she should take and one of those classes i had previous-ly taken, so i could help her out with that.

Also, they will come to you with personal questions about friends or family. You have to be really careful with how you handle it because you’re not trying to be a psychiatrist to them, so you can’t exactly give them advice or suggestions. You are more there for their support system.

BH: What is it like working with other rAs?

AL: it’s a lot better when ev-eryone is around. We recent-ly got a new rA, and she’s been really good at being downstairs all the time, not even when she’s on duty. it helps build a re-ally good relationship with the other rAs. We’re all really close.

This being my first year as an rA, i’ve gone to them a lot with any questions i’ve had. We’re kind of each others support

groups.BH: What are the perks of

your job?AL: People would consider

free housing a good part of the job. i didn’t really do it for the free housing. i did it more to be involved more on campus be-cause i didn’t really get to do that last year. Just last semester i was able to have a dinner with the vice president of student affairs, so that was pretty cool and i wouldn’t have had that opportunity if i wasn’t an rA.

We also get to have really good insight on what’s going on with the university because we are kind of the front line for the residents, so we have to let the university know what’s going on and advertise that. We can give advice to those who are making the big decisions tell-ing them what residents real-ly want.

BH: Any crazy stories?AL: i can’t exactly tell stories.

There are times when we have violations with drugs and alco-hol, but it’s nothing we couldn’t handle.

obviously in those situations you call the police or the non-emergency number and then call the hall director. Those sit-uations are why we go through training.

it’s kind of funny because in training they were making ev-erything sound like a crisis and a big deal, and we didn’t think that was the way it was going to be, but it really did help when things like that actually did happen.

BH: Would you recommend it?

AL: i would. it really depends on what interests you. if you’re just going to do it for the free housing then it’s not the right idea because it’s a lot of work. if you are really motivated and enthusiastic about it, it can be a lot of fun, so i would suggest it to people who are really enthu-siastic to do it.

Behind the job of an RA

Lopez

We hope you enjoy this year’s Rental Guide.

Look for our other special sections this spring:

February 14

March 7

April 18

May 2

To advertise, call 334-844-4130 or email admanager@theplainsman.com

Thursday, January 24, 2013 The Auburn Plainsman 7

CreeksideofAuburn.com | 334.321.2356

C R E E K S I D EStudent Living Redefined

{650 Dekalb Street #1000 | Auburn, AL 36830 }

Above the buzz: living in downtown Auburn

Melody Kitchens / sPeciAl sections editoR

samford hall is visible from most downtown college street apartments.

Melody KitchensSPeciAl SectionS editor

Shelby Selman, senior in po-litical science, lives in one of the most envied apartments down-town on college Street.

MK: How did you come about renting your apartment?

SS: My roommate and i al-ways knew about the apart-ments because my brother, who is six years older than me, lived in them one time when he was in college, too. i always thought they were really cool and a lot more spacious compared to a lot of other apartments, espe-cially for the price you pay for them. not to mention the loca-tion is incredible, obviously.

MK: Have you enjoyed living downtown?

SS: i've really enjoyed living downtown because i like being

within walking distance to class and work. i work for Auburn University in ingram Hall which is right down the street from me, so that's really convenient. Also, we're in walking distance from the bars so we never have to worry about driving when we go out, which is really nice.

it also gives our friends a place to stay rather than drink-ing and driving. one thing i don't really like is the parking prob-lem. We pay a lot for one park-ing place, although it is volun-tary, but the free parking places are pretty far away over in elm court's parking lot.

MK: What’s the best thing about the view downtown?

SS: The best thing about the view is probably the sunsets, but i mean, i just enjoy the view in general. Also, i've never actu-

ally watched the christmas pa-rades or looked out my window whenever they've had the "AU-tumn nights" downtown, but it is right outside so i'm sure that would be a great way to watch them.

MK: if someone wanted to live above downtown on college Street, what would you recom-mend them to do?

SS: if you want to live in the specific college Street apart-ments that we live in, you need to contact northcutt realty ASAP, because the tenants re-new their leases in January and February so if there are any available after that, they usual-ly go pretty quickly.

You just have to keep your eyes open and keep checking. But if you get one, it's definitely worth it.

8 The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, January 24, 2013

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Raye MayPhoto EditoR

if you’re like me, you’ve fall-en head over heels for Pinter-est. From the depths of the in-ternet, vigilant pinners find ev-erything from fashion advice to recipes. My obsession of choice, though, has become arts and crafts. Though some may seem daunting, there are tons of do-it-yourself projects that are simple, yet adorable, and this diY chalkboard fits the bill!

What you’ll need:-Chalkboard paint-Something to turn into a

chalkboard. (Mirrors, glass and wood work best.)

-Paintbrush-Splatter paper-Chalk or liquid chalk pensYou can find these supplies

at Walmart or hobby Lobby.

Step one: Spread out some old pa-

pers or some kind of cover to keep paint from dripping on the floor. if you choose to use spraypaint instead of paint out of a can, go outside somewhere away from anything you don’t want coated. This stuff sticks to everything. hint: to keep your soon-to-be chalkboard from touching the paper and stick-ing to it, prop it up on tacks to keep it an inch or so off the pa-per.

Step two:Paint it up! A wide, flat brush

or a sponge brush works best, because you need a Lot of this paint. don’t be sparing with it--the thicker it is, the better. Make sure to smooth out all the brush strokes and drips, or it’ll be hard to write on once it’s

dry.Step three:Wait! it should be dry to the

touch within thirty minutes, but that doesn’t mean touch it. if you need to move it, do so carefully. Allow two hours for it to dry completely before use, or four hours before applying a second coat of paint. have a Netflix marathon, meet a friend for lunch, or do that homework you’ve been putting off for days. it’s going to take a while, espe-cially if you decide it needs that second coat.

Step four: decorate and enjoy your cre-

ation! Chalk will work fine, but for cleaner lines and less dust, try liquid chalk pens. They dry like paint, but come off easily with a wet paper towel. Now go show off your creativity!

Homemade how to: make your own chalkboard

Raye May / PHOTO eDITOR

Chalkboards are an easy way to decorate unpaintable walls.