The Urban-Rural Divide

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Just north of Montgomery and just south of the small town of Wetumpka lies the Tallapoosa River, a narrow body of water that crawls through the central Alabama pines and oaks like a snake through tall grass.

            The Montgomery side and Wetumpka side of the Tallapoosa are connected by a bridge that spans no more than a few hundred feet. Physically, the divide between the two sides is easy to cross.

            Socially, economically, politically and culturally, the same cannot be said. The bridge represents a divide between the two cities that is more similar to the Grand Canyon than the slight part in the land where the river runs. It is one that is not unique to this place in central Alabama. Instead, it currently permeates throughout the country in a fashion that has rarely, if ever, been seen before.

            Simply put, the divide between rural and urban America has reached full-blown crisis mode, and it shows no sign of slowing down or reversing itself.

            “It’s a tough problem to solve,” said Larry Lee, an expert on education in Alabama. “I don’t know if we can do it.”

***

            Steve Lee lived in the city for most of his life.

            He was a United States postal worker for more than 30 years before his retirement, and he decided to reward himself by moving into a rural area. Lee and his wife, owners of more than 10 horses and avid riders, enjoy the serenity of the country life, one that gives them space to roam and room to breathe.

            “Our favorite thing out here is the trails,” Lee said. “You can go just about anywhere and find a trail to ride.”

            Lee’s exodus from big-city living to a more laid-back, slow lifestyle is but one example of one of the biggest factors dividing urban and rural dwellers.

            In interviews with those from both sides, it became apparent that there is a fascination with the way of living on the other side by most everyone.

            Urban residents don’t see the good in being so far away from many modern conveniences and consistently living such a slow life, while rural citizens often wonder how “city folk” survive packed so tightly in such a hustle-and-bustle environment.

            “I’ve lived in the city my whole life,” said Lincoln Bell, a Montgomery resident. “I don’t mind the country, but I’m not sure how I’d feel about living there.”

            The sentiments from those in rural communities were similar.

            The difference in cultures between the two places, even though they are separated by less than 30 minutes, provides one of the biggest wedges between the two sects of the American culture. As long as rural residents stay in rural areas and urban residents stay in urban areas, the chances of narrowing the divide seem slim.

            “I don’t know (if the divide can be closed), man,” Lee said. “That’s a tough question. I do know that the type of people are just so different. Out here, you go to the gas station and sit in the booth and have a cup of coffee and eat a biscuit and talk to the locals for an hour. In the city, that would never happen.”

***

            Bell likes to say he grew up with a drug problem. As in, his parents drug him to church each time the doors were open.

            “That’s just kind of the way it was,” Bell said. “I never really thought much of it, honestly.”

            It’s not as if Bell and his three siblings had much of a choice. He grew up the son of a pastor, but when it comes to religion in urban areas, he is somewhat an exception to the rule. Statistically, people in urban areas are less likely to be religious and attend religious services than those in rural areas.

            A 2016 study concluded that 11 of the 12 states with the highest percentage of church attendees in their population were in the Deep South, most of which is rural area. Some states with the lowest percentage of church attendees included Massachusetts and New York, states where large urban areas make up a significant portion of the population.

            The divisiveness between rural and urban areas when it comes to religion in the Deep South isn’t as bad as other areas of the country, because even the urban areas in the region have a higher percentage of religious people than elsewhere in the United States. Even so, Bell said religion is still a dividing line between rural and urban areas, even in the so-called “Bible Belt” region.

            “I obviously grew up in a religious household, but I definitely had a lot of friends whose families didn’t go to church or didn’t really identify as religious people,” Bell said.

            Due to the higher percentage of religious people in rural areas, Bell said many people in urban areas feel looked down upon if they are not religious.

            “Most of them probably don’t mean to come across like that, but I feel like people from the country who go to church do sometimes kind of look down on cities as immoral places overall,” Bell said. “I don’t notice it as much because I’m also a Christian, but I have talked to people who feel that way.”

            Lee agreed that many people from rural areas don’t mean to come across as looking down upon those from urban areas, but the high priority those people place on their religion makes it appear so at times. It can even blend into other walks of life, such as politics.

            “People here in the country care deeply about their religious beliefs, and that can come across as intolerance of people with other beliefs or different beliefs,” Lee said. “You see religion seep into all areas here, whereas I didn’t see that as much living in a city. I do feel like it’s probably a dividing line.”

***

Though not as stark of a divide as the culture and religion, another dividing line exists between educational experiences in urban and rural areas.

Larry Lee and Dr. Joe Sumners, two education experts in Alabama, said in their travels around the state, the divide has actually been made three ways — rural, urban and suburban.

“Rural and urban are actually more similar than either of those as compared to suburban,” Sumners said.

The divide between rural and urban educational experiences, Lee said, comes when children finish life at home. Children in rural areas who receive opportunities in higher education don’t often return to those rural areas after graduation, because there are better opportunities in cities. Because of this, a significant portion of rural populations have been there for their whole life and have never crossed the divide.

“I’m not sure it can be (fixed),” Lee said. “You’ve got what we’ve always called the brain drain. All these kids grow up in rural areas and go off to college and don’t come back. I call it selling our best heifers.”

***

Though close in proximity, Montgomery and Wetumpka is separated by a dividing line that is physically smaller than in other walks of life.

“I’m not sure why we don’t cross the divide more,” Lee said. “We can all learn from each other, but you don’t see it much anymore. People tend to live in their own bubbles.”

JRNL 4470 Story 4

       TUSKEGEE, Ala. — While preparing for a keynote address at Tuskegee University back in early 2013, Dr. Joan Harrell read a quote that she immediately knew would change her life forever.
She was reading comments from Ernest Herndon, the last survivor of the infamous U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee, when one particular line struck her.
       “He referred to himself as a nobody, and he also referred to the other man in the stories as nobodies. That really struck me to my heart,” said Harrell, now the associate director of community engagement for the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Healthcare at Tuskegee University. “At that very moment, I can still visualize the physical space where I was. I became extremely saddened, but at knew at that point a part of my work should include a method to help the descendants realize that they had to tell their stories. At that point, the stories were only being told from a clinical, medical, public health ethics perspective. There was a need for their voices to be included in the public discourse.”
       Since that day, Harrell has made it her goal to give them that voice.
       As part of her duties in community outreach, she has changed the face of the media operation that seeks to benefit the Tuskegee bioethics center. She helped launch a website that now houses photos, videos, history and stories from the descendents of victims of the study.
       “She does a great job and is very professional,” said Dr. Cesar Fermin, the associate dean for graduate studies and research in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health at Tuskegee University. “(She is) true professional who has done much good work for the Bioethics Center.”
       Among the most difficult parts of her job, she says, is getting the descendents to open up to her about their personal experience with the study. Such openness is required, however, to promote the story and keep it alive to increase awareness.
       “It is critically important that people don’t think, ‘Well, this is something that happened back in the 1930s, and it was revealed back in the 1970s.’ There’s still descendents,” Harrell said. “There is a descendent who is a granddaughter who was born with syphilis. There’s a woman who cannot have a descendent who is a daughter who cannot bear children, because her mother contracted syphilis from her father. People are still living not just with emotional and mental angst. They’re living with physical scars.”
       Harrell, a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, has the heart of a story-teller, as she later received her Master’s of Journalism from Columbia University. She’s now also an ordained Baptist minister after graduating from the Chicago Theological Seminary.
       All of the skills she’s fostered and developed over her career in communication and ministry have now found a shared purpose in her work today. As long as she is around and there are stories to tell of the effects of the Tuskegee syphilis study, Harrell will be the one doing her best to tell them.
       “I can never feel what they’re feeling,” Harrell said. “I’m devastated when I hear their personal stories, so I can’t begin to imagine what that sense of pain must have been. It’s still very prevalent, very fresh.”

JRNL 4470 Story 3

       TUSKEGEE, Ala. — It’s a warm spring day, but Ralphine Harper, now in her 90s, has a heavy, white sweater on as she wanders around the third floor of the Legacy Museum on the campus of Tuskegee University.
       She’s quiet, for the most part, as she roams the room checking out various artifacts — newspaper clippings, medical reports and official government documents — commemorating the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee. Toward the end of her tour of the spacious area, Harper’s frail frame stops in front of an enlarged picture on the wall.
       “There’s Daddy,” she says.
       Sure enough, the biggest picture in the exhibit features her father, Charlie Pollard, an unwilling participant in the Public Health Service syphilis experiment, front and center, his arms raised toward the Heavens as if he thought, in that moment, he might be able to touch them.
       In the photo, Pollard is sitting in front of President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and then-Director for the Center of Disease Control David Satcher. He was one of only four participants who lived long enough to make the trip to the White House in 1997 when Clinton issued a formal apology from the nation to the victims of the study.
       “It made me feel good, and it made me feel sad,” Harper said.
***
       Amy Pack remembers the exact feelings that swept over her body when she was told of the syphilis study in the early 1970s, shortly after an Associated Press report revealed the extent and horror of the scientific experiment performed on human beings in rural Alabama.
       “Anger, pain, humiliation,” Pack said. “Some of the other families said they felt stigmatized. I never felt that. I just felt betrayal.”
       Pack’s great uncle, Seth Barrow, was in the study, but she soon discovered she was far closer to the experiment than just having a relative as a participant.
       Pack had just graduated from nursing school when she went to work for the Macon County Health Department. One of the first nurses she dealt with in the field was Eunice Rivers, the controversial and somewhat mysterious coordinator of the study on the ground.
       “Being a nurse, I have treated so many people with syphilis, and I can’t imagine somebody having something like that and just letting them die from the complications and not helping,” Pack said. “It’s truly painful that they had to die like that.”
       The study, which studied the effects of untreated syphilis in African-American males, even after a cure was developed, tarnished the reputation of the medical community in the Tuskegee area and other rural, predominantly African-American areas throughout the country.
       “At the very beginning, it offered hope,” said Dr. Cesar Fermin, the associate dean for graduate studies and research in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health. “Because there were a lot of people who the pretense was that this was a true study for treating syphilis, but it ended up being not that, but rather a study of following the progression of those infected by the bacteria. In the typical way of doing things in the South, the conspiracy was to keep everything secret.”
       The last participant in the study died in 2004, but the legacy and skepticism live on in the eyes of many.
***
       The Tuskegee syphilis study came to light in 1972, Clinton apologized on behalf of the nation in 1997 and the last of the survivors died more than a decade ago, but the study continues to live and breathe in Tuskegee and around the country.
       Understandably, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment led to an erosion in trust of the medical community that has not been regained.
       “I think the Tuskegee study actually impacts the whole country, including this area,” said Satcher, who went on to become the 16th Surgeon General of the United States under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. “I think the whole idea of having people volunteer to participate in very important studies and to trust the ones who are controlling that study to look out for their best interest has become much more difficult. We’re still trying to get over it.”
       One of the driving forces behind the study, a lack of availability of quality healthcare options in rural areas, has not changed 45 years after it came to light.
       Most men agreed to be participants in the study because they were under the impression that they would be used to find a cure for the ravaging disease and be treated when a cure was found, treatment they’d never have access to on their own due to financial constraints.
       That, obviously, was not the case.
       “There’s still a lot of mistrust of the government,” Pack said. “A lot of them don’t really rely on anything that is totally said to them about medical information regarding themselves.”
       Tuskegee residents must also deal with the stigmatization that comes with having been through a study that grabbed national headlines for its cruelty.
       “Because of the study, there is a social, economic and political negative stereotype for the community,” said Dr. Joan Harrell, a visiting scholar at the Tuskegee Bioethics Center. “For example, oftentimes when my colleagues and I are invited out to address academic bodies and communities, people immediately want to know, ‘Are there still people living with syphilis?’ There appears to be a negative stereotype that Tuskegee, Macon County is an unhealthy place. It is very tainted.”
***
       While the Tuskegee syphilis experiment was a horrible event that still affects the community in negative ways today, there are those who now seek to turn it into some form of good. Pack views that as a positive thing.
       “From this bad experience, we don’t have to forever live our lives stigmatized from the devastation that it caused in everybody’s individual lives, even in the descendents,” Pack said. “We can make something good come from the ashes.”
       The Voices for Our Fathers Legacy Foundation was founded in 2014 to provide college scholarships for descendants of the study.
       One of this year’s five scholarship recipients awarded at the 20th annual commemorative banquet and luncheon for the descendants of victims was Kimberly Whitley. She is a doctoral student at Tuskegee who is a third-generation descendant of the study. She is studying bioethics.
       Total healing will never come to the area. There will always be those who do not trust the government or medicine. But with more constructive dialogue and education, Satcher believes Tuskegee, and other areas like it, can move forward.
       “We’ve got to talk about it more than we do,” Satcher said. “We’ve got to explain it more to make sure people understand that there’s a high-level commitment to seeing that nothing like that ever happens again.”

JRNL 4470 Story 2

       TUSKEGEE, Ala. — When walking down the road packed with a fine-gravel-and-sand mix under the beating Alabama sun, one can almost imagine what it must have been like. Just more than 70 years ago, cadets in the United States Air Force walked the same steps, only with much different surroundings.
       Then, there were planes whizzing down the runway to the left that seems to stretch all the way to the horizon. Tools clanged and engines revved in the repair shop straight ahead. Trucks roared as they traveled over what is now hallowed ground, the gravel, dirt and sand that covers the plains of eastern Alabama.
       It was here where more than one thousand of the nation’s greatest pilots and tens of thousands of other airmen came to train to fight for a country that refused to accept them as equal human beings. It was here where young men came to put their lives on the line for freedom that they knew would not be their own. This, a few buildings strung together in the middle of an airfield in rural Alabama, is the home of the infamous Tuskegee Airmen.
       “This is definitely one of the key jewels of Tuskegee,” said Edward Pennell, a park ranger for the National Parks Service stationed at the museum commemorating Moton Field. “The success of the airmen and their international status, it brought a lot of attention to Tuskegee. Airmen came from all over the country, but it took some of those greats that were from here to get things going to make this a real historic legacy not only for the airmen, but for Tuskegee, the city itself. It’s definitely one of the key attracting points and notable points in terms of the history when it comes to Tuskegee.”
       When it comes to the entrance thousands of young, and surely, to some extent, unsure cadets walked through decades earlier, little has changed. A red metal frame saves the spot where the guard checkpoint once stood, and the gate — two arching brick structures that house a statue of Dr. Robert R. Moton, the Tuskegee University president that inspired the airfield — still stands.
       Through these gates walked exuberant and hopeful cadets who hoped to one day become pilots at the now-infamous airfield where the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the “Red Tails,” trained. Most knew the incredible challenge ahead of them, a challenge that demanded the utmost physical and mental endurance, all in the face of social injustices.
       “There was a great desire to be a part of the flying program. Many of these gentlemen, they wanted to fly, and so this was an opportunity for them to fly,” Pennell said of the airmen, who were the first African-American aviators in the United States armed forces. “Also, with the barriers that were placed against them and before them, that made the struggle and the desire to achieve what they wanted much more profound for them. They came in knowing we have some big obstacles we have to get over, so they came with the right attitude. Because of that, they had the skills, the right attitude and the ability to see beyond all of those blocks.”
       Upon entering the base, cadets would have quickly dropped their packs in the barracks just to the left of the entrance which are now, like the entrance checkpoint, simply red metal frames and reported to Hangar No. 1, which still stands in its original, if restored, state. Inside Hangar No. 1 today is a museum with a plethora of exhibits that include an authentic, deployed parachute, war maps and interactive, educational displays that give visitors a glimpse of what it was like back in the mid-1940s.
       Flanking the hangar are smaller rooms where officers kept records, received war reports and waited to send potential pilots out for training, but the main attractions, especially for aviation nuts such as Rex and Bernice Bohannon, sit squarely in the middle of the main room in Hangar No. 1. Two full-size replicas of World War II-era training planes now rest permanently in the hangar where planes of their kind were stored when not in use back in the 1940s.
       “It’s just incredible to think of what they did in similar machines back then,” said Rex Bohannon, a Tennessee native and self-proclaimed plane nerd visiting the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site for the first time. “It was great, new technology at the time, but I’d bet those machines got pretty shaky in tough conditions compared to what’s today.”
       Just half a football field away is another hangar, still in its original spot but a nearly completely rebuilt version of Hangar No. 2. Whereas the exhibits in the first hangar focus mostly on the many positive circumstances surrounding the Tuskegee Airmen, Hangar No. 2 paints a darker picture.
Many of the exhibits in the second hangar focus on the terrible discrimination and racism the Tuskegee Airmen faced, even during their time in the military fighting for the same country that refused to grant them equal rights.
       “Racism, segregation and prejudice that took place in the world outside the military actually took place in the military, as well,” Pennell said. “It’s important to know that those men and women who were here and that served the country had those same struggles and that, through the military, they were able to defeat a lot of the norms or ways of thinking that the military had against blacks.”
       Many times, that racism was not an abstract idea. The military often kept black pilots, many of whom trained at Moton Field, from contributing to the war effort because it deemed them “inadequate and unable to do certain things,” according to Pennell.
       “They trained here for the purpose of being able to fight,” Pennell said. “They didn’t get really get an opportunity to fight until late in the war, but when they did, they were proven to be some of the greatest pilots. The work that they did just to become a pilot was so difficult, strenuous. The program was designed to be a washout for most, because they wanted the best. They did get the best.”
       For many, the treatment of the African-American airmen in Tuskegee and across the nation comes as a bit of a surprise. Many know the gruesome details of the Civil Rights Movement, but Hangar No. 2 commemorates the struggle for equality that ensued within the ranks of the military, where some assume it already existed.
       “It’s really quite remarkable what they did,” Bernice Bohannon said. “I just don’t know if I could’ve had the courage and strength to do the same thing if I was in their shoes.”
       Racial discrimination aside, the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen are vast, and they are all commemorated within the museum that was commissioned by federal legislation in 1996 and drew more than 31,000 visitors last year. Widely considered one of the best-trained fighter groups in the Air Force at the time, or perhaps ever, the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 1,500 missions overseas and lost only 84 men in combat.
       A book sits just inside the entrance to Hangar No. 2 and contains the names of all Tuskegee Airmen. It is approximately four inches thick and is full of thousands of military personnel — from pilots to cooks to repairmen to officers — who etched their names in history by overcoming the physical, mental and social demands that came with training in Tuskegee.
       From the original control tower that still stands over the airfield, one can look over the expanse of land and see the airstrip where the pilots trained, the barracks where they slept and yes, the gate where they entered for the first time. Little did they know at the time they would be stepping into history.
       “You very rarely hear about anyone else,” Pennell said. “They were an anomaly. They were unique, and they stood out. They did something at the time that was unbelievable.”

JRNL 4470 Story 1

       MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Cynthia Handy stands in the corner of a large room at the end of a hallway at Alabama State University with a full box of cherry-flavored Kool-Aid Jammers in her hands. Temporarily suppressing her gentle nature, she forcefully opens the box and sets it down on the table next to three open plastic containers filled with pencils, Crayons, markers, scissors and glue. She then punctures the seal on a 30-count variety box of potato chips before turning her attention to the Powerpoint presentation that an Alabama State student is loading on the computer behind her.
       School-aged children file into the classroom, some alone, others in small groups, and make a beeline for the snacks Handy has set out for them. Donning a gray three-button suit, she greets them each by name and asks how their day has been as they enter.
       For Handy — the director of ASPIRE, an Alabama State program aimed at preventing dropouts in Montgomery-area schools — so begins another day of fulfilling work. For the students, walking into the classroom marks the beginning of two hours of learning, inspiration and renewed hope for a better tomorrow.
***
       Before there were Kool-Aid Jammers, students or even a classroom, Handy arrived in Montgomery with nothing but a desire to help. Retired after a 30-year career in education from second grade through high school, she knew she didn’t want to return to the classroom. She did, however, want to make a difference.
       “I always wanted to do something to help children,” Handy said. “That’s kind of the only thing I know is helping children.”
       Handy moved back to her hometown with her husband, Rev. Cromwell Handy, who had accepted a job as Alabama State’s director of alumni relations. Cynthia Handy immediately
looked for a way to get involved, and her search started and ended at Alabama State, where she obtained her Master’s degree in early elementary education in 1985.
       She penned a proposal outlining what she envisioned for a program she called ASPIRE, an acronym for Amazing Students Putting In Resilient Effort, and it landed her the job. But while she had earned the position, Handy began with little in the way of resources or help.
       “It was just me in the office, and I had student volunteers. … I wanted something for ASU students to be able to contribute, because I felt like college students, the kids can relate to college students better than they can to me.”
       ASPIRE began in the fall of 2010 as a pilot program at Jefferson Davis High School that focused on ninth- and 10th-graders. Handy had 25 students in her first class.
       The following summer, Handy decided to expand ASPIRE and add a summer program. Thirty-two children signed up for the first summer, and she called it Head Start Camp, a name that reflected the program’s goal of preparing students eighth grade and up for their upcoming year of high school.
       The program now, funded by a federal Title III grant and donations, accepts students as young as fourth grade and has 83 students on the roll. Approximately 50 of them, including an average of 25 per day, attend at least one of the four ASPIRE meetings each week.
       From the beginning, Handy has told every student and parent to come through the program one thing: “You only get out of this what you put into it.” And that remains true today.
       ASPIRE is not for every student. It is not a rehabilitation program for severely ill-behaved children. Instead, it serves as a daily opportunity for encouragement and mentorship for students with untapped potential who may not receive either elsewhere.
       “It’s generally going to be that child that kind of falls in the middle. The one that doesn’t get that much attention or the one that’s really quiet. When they get these mentors, that can kind of wake them up, open (them) up.”
       While Handy and the dozens of mentors, all of whom are Alabama State students working on a volunteer basis, play a pivotal role in the day-to-day academic success of the so-called mentees, ASPIRE doesn’t stop there. From the beginning, Handy has sought to use the program as a vehicle to enhance the students’ knowledge of the world around them and the past behind them.
       In honor of Black History Month, the students have studied influential figures in black history ranging from Shirley Chisholm to Muhammad Ali to Booker T. Washington to Oprah Winfrey.
       Handy has also made field trips a regular part of the learning experience, taking groups of children to the King Center in Atlanta, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and landmarks in Selma, Tuskegee and even right at home in Montgomery.
       “You more you expose, you more you know and the more you want to know,” Handy said. “The more you’re exposed, you more you want to see.”
       Over nearly seven years of ASPIRE, Handy estimates approximately 500 children have come through the program. As with all such programs, there have been some failures. But the successes of ASPIRE, headed by Handy all along, have been far more plentiful.
       What does an ASPIRE success story look like?
       “Hmm,” Handy says, “I would say there’s one right there.”
       She points to a golden banner in the corner of the classroom that includes a picture of Camden Toogood. Then a student at Lee High School in Montgomery, Toogood came to ASPIRE for the first time in 2011, the summer before her freshman year. She never left.
       Toogood is now a sophomore at Alabama State majoring in English education with dreams of becoming a high school teacher herself, just like Handy.
       “Mrs. Handy is amazing,” Toogood said. “I love Mrs. Handy, but I think it’s really her passion. … She said she always wanted to open her own school but she never did that, but this is like her own mini-school. She really loves everyone that’s involved in the program, and it’s like her baby.”
       Toogood’s story is far from the only positive one Handy has produced through ASPIRE. In fact, her favorite story involves a student still in the program. Though she declined to name him, Handy identified the mentee as a student at Lanier High and described him as more than a bit hesitant when he first came to ASPIRE in the ninth grade.
       “He was one I really didn’t think would really stick with the program,” Handy said. “Now, if he can’t get here on the bus, he walks. He’s always walked home. I’ve seen a shift in his whole mindset, because he’s in the 12th grade and wanting to go to college.”
       Kendell Lampkin is yet another success story, one that is still very much in progress. Lampkin, a student at Bethany Christian Academy who started at ASPIRE in sixth grade, has seen steady improvement in his grades since enrolling in the program. Now an eighth-grader, he says he plans to stay in the program through graduation.
       “My goal when I came here was to hurry up and get over with. The goal now is to take my time and learn as much as I can as I grow,” Lampkin said. ““You can come here and have fun and learn new things. … (Handy is) a good person and she loves kid and enjoys helping others.”
       For Handy, the success stories far outweigh the few who slip through the cracks.
“When someone comes in and they’re so happy about their grade —‘Look what I got!’ — that’s the bright light that keeps me going,” she said. “Knowing that if I made a difference today with just one child, just one, then I’ve had a good day.”
***
       As the day winds down, Handy sits in a chair near the end of a long table and overlooks the classroom with a black “ASU ASPIRE” lanyard hanging from her neck. She tells the students to pack their things — it’s a few minutes before 5 p.m. — and smiles approvingly as they stuff their papers into their backpacks.
       She slides her knee-high black boots from under the table and rises to escort the children outside, where their parents await on West Fifth Street. Handy stands at the top of the steps just outside Abernathy Annex as she watches over the children, occasionally calling one closer if they venture too close to the street. She then returns inside, gathers her things and slips quietly out the back door.
       Another day complete, another 25 lives potentially changed forever.
       “That’s what I tell these children: All you’ve got to have is a vision, and you keep working toward that vision,” Handy said. “You can’t do anything about where you came from. It’s where you’re going.”

Auburn vs. Louisville Preview

It's finally here, everyone! College football returned last night with some thrilling Thursday night games, and we'll enjoy our first Saturday full of Division-1 football tomorrow. As I type this, we are approximately 29 hours away from a game I'm particularly interested in, not because I have an interest in who wins, but because it will be the first college football game I've covered as a member of the credentialed media (see bottom). In preparation for Auburn's opener versus Louisville, I will lavish you with all of my extensive knowledge of this year's Auburn team and give you some things to watch for against Louisville. Kidding, of course. At least about the "extensive knowledge." While I did get to sit in press conferences and listen to coaches and players talk about the upcoming season throughout fall camp, I have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow. No one does. Ever. Especially not in the opener. However, that will not stop me from making a prediction just like everyone else who has no clue what's going to happen. But first, a little breakdown of Auburn's team this season based on what we've heard in fall practice.

Position-by-position breakdown

Quarterback: If there's any position on the team that Auburn fans should feel at ease about, it's quarterback. I'm not sold on the huge hype for Jeremy Johnson as far as postseason accolades and such, but he has the talent to be a first-team All-SEC player. I just don't know if he can accumulate the stats necessary to compete for the Heisman and other awards in Gus Malzahn's run-first offense, especially in the age of other quarterbacks putting up huge numbers in spread offenses. If, God forbid, something were to happen to Jeremy, Sean White has earned high praise from Gus, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and Jeremy throughout fall camp.

Running back: This is kind of a "wait and see" position right now. Roc Thomas was named the starter after a lengthy position battle with Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson in fall camp, but the coaching staff said that is just a formality, which I think is true. All three (and possibly true freshman Kerryon Johnson) will get chances against Louisville to show what they can do. I've compared this running back situation to 2013. If you'll recall, Auburn played Tre Mason, Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant in the opening game versus Washington State. It took until the LSU game to really determine who "the guy" was, and I think it will be the same type of thing this season. The coaches have said that they want one guy to step up before they travel to LSU in week 3, so at that point we should have a fairly good idea of who that guy is based on performances in the first two games.

H-back: Honestly, this isn't a position I know a lot about. Redshirt freshman Kamryn Pettway and true freshman Chandler Cox have been competing for the starting job throughout fall camp, and I don't have any clue who has the leg up. Neither has game experience, and I think both will play against Louisville. What I do know is that this is a vital position in Malzahn's offense, so no matter who the starter is, they're going to need to grow up quickly.

Wide receiver: I could use all this space talking about Duke Williams, but that would do a huge disservice to a group of receivers that I think is very talented. Duke may or may not start because of his "suspension" in fall practice (Is it considered a suspension if you only miss practice?), but I expect him to see the field his normal amount, excluding possibly the first few plays of the game. The coaches are really looking for guys like Ricardo Louis, Marcus Davis and Melvin Ray to step up this year. Those three have a ton of experience, and they're going to need to be more consistent and well-rounded in this offense, which could be a bit more balanced with Jeremy at quarterback. Jason Smith, Tony Stevens, Ryan Davis and Stanton Truitt round out the two-deep depth chart at receiver. Jason Smith is one particular guy to look out for. He's not very big (6-1, 180) but everyone says he has some moves, so I think the coaches might find some creative ways to get the ball in his hands.

Tight end: True freshman Jalen Harris beat out redshirt freshman Chris Laye for the starting job, but, like with H-back, we haven't seen either in a game. tight ends have had various roles in Malzahn's offense over the years, so we'll see how it's utilized this year. Rhett Lashlee did say that they will "not put him in a position to fail" in the opening game. That seems obvious, but it's especially crucial to simplify the game as much as possible for a player in his first game. Based on that quote, I don't see Jalen getting a lot of touches in the first game, especially not if the game is close late.

Left tackle: Shon Coleman returns as the starter at left tackle this year. Coleman struggled in pass protection last season, but he said that was an emphasis in his offseason training. He'll get a good test in the first game against Louisville's talented front that really gets after opposing quarterbacks (they ranked 11th in the nation with 41 team sacks last season). Especially with Jeremy Johnson likely passing from the pocket more this season, it's crucial for Coleman to improve in defending Jeremy's blindside.

Left guard: Alex Kozan and Devonte Danzey are still competing for a starting position. The coaching staff plans to play both in the opener. I think this is a dangerous situation. Both are great players, but for the good of the line and the team, the coaching staff needs to pick one and go. I wouldn't be surprised if they do so after the first game (or even after the first half of the Louisville game) and roll with it. Chemistry is important on the offensive line more than anywhere else, so Auburn needs to pick its five and let them gel as early as possible. I think Kozan will win the job, but Danzey is a talented guy and could very well beat him out. Regardless of who wins the job, the "loser" will be the sixth lineman and the first man up if a starter goes down.

Center: Austin Golson won the job over Xavier Dampeer in fall camp. Golson was a tackle at Ole Miss before transferring to Auburn after the 2013 season, so he has SEC game experience. The only problem is that the experience is at tackle, not center. The other problem is that Auburn waited until the final week of fall camp to name Golson the starter, so he and Jeremy have not had much time to develop chemistry. I don't see that being a problem, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Right guard: Sophomore Braden Smith will be the starter at right guard. He played some as a freshman last year, but like Golson, he played at tackle. It will be interesting to see how seamless his transition to guard is. The coaching staff has expressed full confidence in Braden, but I wouldn't be shocked if the loser of the battle at left guard moves to the right side if he struggles early in the season.

Right tackle: Avery Young will be the right tackle, and I think this is the most solid position on the line. Avery has plenty of experience, and I'd be surprised if Auburn didn't run behind him quite a bit against Louisville.

Defensive tackle: The might be the weakest position on Auburn's team as far as depth goes. Montravius Adams has shown flashes of greatness but needs to be more consistent. The other three players on the two-deep depth chart are Dontavius Russell (I'm sure I won't get Montravius and Dontavious confused at any point this season), Devaroe Lawrence and Maurice Swain. We've heard especially good things about Devaroe. Defensive end DaVonte Lambert called him a "beast" and several members of the coaching staff have said he might be the best athlete on the team. However, none of the latter three have much experience.

Defensive ends: This is a position group that Auburn fans expect a lot out of, and rightfully so. Lambert was one of Auburn's best defensive linemen last season (I know that's not saying much given last year's D-line play, but still) before going down with an ACL injury, but he has fully recovered and will start at one defensive end spot. Behind him on the depth chart is vaunted freshman Byron Cowart, who has huge expectations on him this season. I would advise fans to not get too hyped up about Byron just yet. I'm not saying he's not a special talent, but only so much can be expected of freshmen. If he has five sacks this season, most people would consider it a disappointment. I think that's both a realistic and reasonable goal. But forget stats. If Cowart can help get some pressure on the quarterback, something Auburn was unable to do last year, he will help the defensive line out a lot. Opposite Lambert is Carl Lawson. Lawson will play the "Buck" position in Will Muschamp's defense, which is a "hybrid" defensive end, if you will. Lawson should have a bounce-back year after tearing his ACL last summer, but like Cowart, I would temper expectations, at least for the first few games. Keep in mind, he hasn't played a game since January 2014.

Linebackers: Oh, the linebacker situation. Two of Auburn's most consistent defenders and best tacklers over the past few years have been Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy, yet neither are starters. Both are listed on the depth chart with "or" between their names and Tre Williams, who will play inside and outside linebacker. The one linebacker spot that is locked up is the SAM linebacker (strongside), which will be manned by Justin Garrett. I expect to see Cassanova and Kris start at the other two spots, but regardless, all four will play a lot of snaps. Like defensive tackle, don't know about the depth here either.

Cornerback: Jonathan Jones returns from a year ago to start at one corner, but there will be new blood on the other side of the field for Auburn. Michigan transfer Blake Countess will start at cornerback, but he was worked at corner, safety and nickel in fall camp. He'll play all three in games as well, according to coaches. Everyone has had high praise for Countess. He started 30 games during his time at Michigan, so experience is not an issue. One person who surprised me is Josh Holsey. Holsey got extensive playing time last year at corner and nickel but is not listed as the starter for either this year. True freshman Tim Irvin is the starter at nickel. As I said earlier, you never know about freshmen, so I would stay ready if I'm Holsey. Auburn might need him to step up if Irvin falters early.

Safety: Another transfer, Tray Matthews, will start at safety alongside returner Johnathan Ford. Even though CBS will mention this SEVERAL times tomorrow, I'll go ahead and share a fun fact with you. Tray Matthews, who came to Auburn from Georgia, was one of two players on the wrong end of the Prayer in Jordan Hare as a freshman in 2013. The other, Josh Harvey-Clemons, who also transferred, now starts at safety for (drumroll, please) Louisville. Also, the Georgia defensive coordinator at the time, Todd Grantham, now holds the same position at Louisvile. Oh, and Shaq Wiggins, who was a corner on that 2013 Georgia team, now starts at corner for, well, you get the point. Lots of connections in the two secondaries. Moving on, Irvin is the backup for Ford, and Nick Ruffin, who played a lot as a freshman last year, is behind Matthews. I really like that group and think safety will be a strong point for Auburn's team this year.

Kicker: Daniel Carlson will handle the kicking duties again this year. He was solid as a true freshman last year, and I expect to see more of the same this year. Although this hasn't been clarified in any press conference, at least to my knowledge, I assume Carlson will also handle the kickoffs again in 2015.

Punter: Kevin Phillips won the job in fall camp over Ian Shannon. Shannon will be the backup at kicker and punter. The coaching staff is hoping the emergence of a punter this year will save some of Carlson's leg, because Daniel did all the kicking and punting last year. Gus Malzahn was quick to admit that punting is one of the hardest things to simulate in fall practice. Even when special teams are going live, defenders aren't going to go clock their own punter. Louisville and other teams won't mind doing so. Phillips will get the first opportunity, but if he struggles, I can't imagine the leash on him being too terribly long.

Long snapper: The most overlooked position on every single team. Auburn is no exception. Ike Powell will be the starter, and I haven't heard his name in fall camp. Auburn fans probably don't want to hear that name too much either, because usually it's not a good thing when the long snapper is being mentioned as a factor in the game.

Punt return: The coaching staff didn't name a starter on the depth chart, but apparently Marcus Davis didn't get the memo, because he told us last Sunday that he's the starter. Marcus has been compared a lot to Quan Bray, last year's punt returner. Marcus is shifty and he's got speed and good hands. Personally, I never cared much about big returns as a fan, I just wanted the returner to catch the ball. I don't think Marcus will struggle with that.

Kick return: The coaches gave no insight as to who this will be. Johnathan Ford, Roc Thomas, Ricardo Louis and Blake Countess are all listed with "or" between their names on the depth chart. I would think Roc and Ricardo will get the first shot, if only because of experience. Both of them returned kicks last year, and I don't remember Rudy (Johnathan's nickname) returning any last year. Not sure about Blake because I, admittedly, didn't watch a lot of Michigan football last year.

What to watch for

1. The line of scrimmage - This could be something to watch for in every game. All games are won or lost in the trenches, but I think that battle is especially key in this game. Louisville has one of the best front sevens in the nation, and Auburn's offensive line could be shaky early in the year, especially in the interior of the line. On the other side, I've heard that Louisville could start three freshman on the offensive line. If I'm a coach and I'm sending a freshman tackle out to block Carl Lawson all day, I don't feel so good about my chances in that matchup. I think both defenses will win the battle up front. Don't see a whole lot of rushing yards on deck for either team, and there may be more than a few sacks.

2. Fast starts - As you may have noticed, Auburn wasn't great at getting off to a good start last season. On the first offensive snap of three different games, the Tigers turned the ball over. Unsurprisingly, they went 0-3 in those games. In the first game of the season at a neutral site, it will be key for both teams to get off to a fast start. If Louisville comes out of the gate fast, Auburn could be in real trouble. But on the other side of things, it's important for Auburn to get off to a fast start on both sides of the ball to instill some confidence in Jeremy and the defenders, who are playing under Muschamp for the second time. And I hate to even count last year's Outback Bowl. He had that team for three weeks, but this is his defense now.

3. Mistakes - The first game is all about adjustments (if I had a dollar for every time I heard that line in preseason press conferences), but they're also about mistakes. As we've already seen with games this weekend, often the team to play the least sloppy is the team that will win. Once again, that sounds obvious, but it's true. I wouldn't be surprised to see 3-5 turnovers between the teams in this game. Whoever can force the opponent into mistakes and capitalize off those mistakes will have a good shot to win.

Prediction

As I mentioned above, I think the Louisville front seven will control the line of scrimmage and make plenty of plays. The game will come down to Jeremy Johnson's arm, and I think he will deliver in the second half. Louisville has not officially announced a starting quarterback, but it will be Reggie Bonnafon. He's a dual-threat guy who could cause problems if Auburn can't keep him in the pocket. Still, the fact that he didn't seize the job outright in fall camp tells me that the coaching staff is still not totally comfortable with him. I believe Auburn will force a late turnover and will win an extremely sloppy game by a field goal.

Auburn 24, Louisville 21

Enough talk, it's time to play ball.

Note/shameless plug: I'm the assistant sports editor at The Auburn Plainsman, and I'll be in Atlanta with the sports editor covering the game. Check out "theplainsman.com/section/football" to catch up on all the fall camp news, and stay tuned in the hours following the game for extensive game coverage. Also, we recorded our weekly podcast on Thursday which includes a run-down of fall practice and a Louisville preview. Give it a listen to get ready for the big game! Enjoy your day full of college football!

My Day at Augusta National

This past Wednesday I got an opportunity to cross something off of my sports bucket list: attending a round of golf at The Masters. It was an incredible experience, and I would recommend that everyone go at least once if given the opportunity. The beauty of the course alone makes it worth the trip, even if you're not a golf fan.

About six weeks ago, my friend and future roommate Matt informed me that he had won the Masters ticket lottery and had an extra badge for Wednesday's practice round. I quickly jumped at the chance to visit the most famous golf course in the world.

On Tuesday morning I met Tanner, another friend and member of the Auburn football tailgate crew, in Montgomery and we set out for Auburn. There we met up with Matt and his girlfriend Lena and enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Barbecue House. From there, Matt, Tanner, and I headed east, and we made our final stop in Grantville, Georgia (don't worry, I didn't know such a place existed either), where we picked up Mr. Mike, the leader of the tailgate crew and the only one of us who was not an Augusta first-timer.

We arrived in Augusta a little before 7 on Tuesday night, and, after settling into the hotel, headed across town to scout out the area around the course. After we put together our plans for Wednesday morning, we met up with Mike's son Coleman, who is in Augusta this week covering The Masters for Golf.com. All of us went downtown for dinner at Farmhaus, a popular burger joint. Downtown Augusta was beautiful. All of the shops and restaurants lining both sides of the street, combined with the buzz of Masters week, made for a great atmosphere.

After retreating to the hotel for a few hours of sleep, we awoke the next morning and went to Waffle House for breakfast. We then drove the couple of miles to the course, passing the infamous Hooter's where the PGA's resident drunk John Daly can be found partying when in town. We parked and walked to the front gate, arriving around 7:45. Gates were scheduled to open at 8, but they let us in as soon as we got there. I was amazed by the scene at the main entrance. There was a row of approximately 30 metal scanners, like the ones you walk through when going through airport security. Each person entering the course had to empty their pockets and pass through a scanner before getting their badge scanned. If anyone has a doubt about the seriousness of the tournament, it is laid to rest right there at the gate.

After successfully making it through security, we passed by the practice range and got our first look at the pros. Phil Mickleson was out on the practice green early, and we watched him for a few minutes before moving closer to the course.

We all agreed that the first order of business was to walk the front nine, no small task considering its length of over 3,700 yards. We made our way through the first few holes without seeing any golfers because, due to the early time, none were on the course.

After we reached the back edge of the course and examined the 6th hole, we noticed that some of the first groups, who had started on the back 9, were making their way down 15 and onto 16. We took a break from our walk to stand to the left of 16 and watch a couple of groups. This was one of the many cool spots on the course because from where we stood, we could see the 15th green, all of the par 3 16th, as well as the tee box on the 17th hole. This was also one of my favorite stops on the course because of the action that 16 presents in the practice rounds. The hole is entirely over water, so after hitting their tee shots, the golfers would drop a second ball on the tee box side of the pond and hit it so that it skipped across the water and onto the green, much to the delight of the spectators.

After watching a few groups play through on 16, we made our way back over to 6 to see a few groups who had started on the front nine and were beginning to catch up to us. The 6th hole was fun to watch because it has one of the toughest greens on the course. The hole placement on this particular day was an easier one, but after getting their original shot into the hole, the players would stick tees in the ground at the future hole locations to practice putting to that spot. One place they had a tee was on the far right of the green where the elevation is 15-20 feet higher than on the far left. When the flag is there, players have to hit into about a 10'x10' area from the tee box, which is 180 yards away. This hole was the first to make me truly realize the immense challenges that Augusta National presents to golfers, and likewise, the incredible skill that it takes to compete on such a course.

After spending about half an hour watching groups play through 6 and tee off on 7, we made our first stop of the day at the concession stand. I was amazed by the reasonable prices at the concession stands around the course. If you've been to any type of sporting event, you know that it typically costs an arm and a leg to eat inside the stadium/arena/ballpark, but this was certainly not the case at Augusta National. Throughout the day, I enjoyed a lemonade, two sweet teas, one of Augusta's famous pimiento cheese sandwiches, as well as two sugar cookies with Georgia peach ice cream, all for a grand total of eight dollars. (By the way, I think it's a rule that you can eat anything at The Masters and it doesn't count, hence the very unhealthy splurge.)

When we ended up at the clubhouse after finishing our trek through the front nine, we decided to head towards the infamous Amen Corner and check out a few of the holes on the way. After watching a few players finish number 18, we cut over to the 10th hole, which runs almost parallel to the 18th. While there we went to the spot where Bubba Watson hit the now-famous hook shot out of the trees to set up his par on the second playoff hole to win the 2012 Masters. While famous shots like that one look awfully tough on television, they look even tougher in person. Throughout the day I was able to see many spots where famous shots have been hit in recent years, such as Phil Mickleson's second shot on 13 in 2010, Tiger's birdie chip on 16 in 2005, and the aforementioned shot by Bubba on 10 in 2012. To see these places in person made me appreciate even more the skill of the professionals who have successfully taken on Augusta National over the years.

After watching some action from the grandstands on Amen Corner, we wandered around the course for a while and ended up back at the clubhouse at the front of the course. From there we made our way over to the Par 3 course, where the annual Par 3 contest is held. The crowds at the event were larger than normal due to the fact that crowd favorite Tiger Woods was participating in the event for the first time since 2004. We attempted to catch up with Jason Dufner, a Tour favorite of the whole group because of his Auburn ties, but he had finished the nine-hole course before we got there. From there we made the short walk to Founder's Circle, the players' entrance that is famous for the azaleas arranged in the Masters logo, where we had a picture taken in front of the clubhouse. While walking back around to the course, we saw Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, making his way out onto the course. Seeing such a powerful sports personality would usually be a cool experience for someone who loves sports as much as I do, but given my dislike of Goodell for his handling (or mishandling) of last year's domestic violence issues, it was anything but the highlight of the day.

After wandering around the course for a while longer, we made our way to the back of the course (we did A LOT of walking, about 7-8 miles over the course of the day) to visit the gift shop. The gift shop is not as reasonable as the concessions, but it was still important to get some memorabilia because the Masters logo is the only one I know of in sports that you have to purchase on site. I left with a golf polo, a hat, and a coffee mug. After leaving the gift shop, we made our final stop for concessions and made our way back to Amen Corner for the final time. On the way, we ran into the always-lovable Tommy Tuberville and his long-time running backs coach Eddie Gran, who were as nice as I could have ever imagined. I had never met Tommy, but after we approached him and he saw our Auburn shirts, we carried on a lighthearted conversation for five to ten minutes.

After saying goodbye to Coach Tuberville and Coach Gran, we spent a few minutes sitting on the 12th hole before making our way back to the front. On the long walk back to the front of the course, I took all of the mental snapshots of the beautiful course that my brain could hold. We finally made it back to the clubhouse, past the massive scoreboard, past the practice range at the entrance, and out of Augusta National Golf Club.

Visiting Augusta National was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had, and something that I hope every golf fan has an opportunity to do at least once in their life. The beauty, the pageantry, and the difficulty of the course make it one of the greatest places in the world of sports, and I hope I am privileged enough to go back many more times in the future.