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Operation Hope’s free workshop encourages smart budgeting and saving strategies

Operation Hope’s free workshop encourages smart budgeting and saving strategies

photo courtesy of fauxels on pexels.com MONTGOMERY, Ala. —  A virtual budgeting and saving weekly workshop hosted by Operation Hope's financial well-being coach, Larry Rockette, last Tuesday, offered practical financial guidance free to area residents to learn about building healthy financial habits.  “For a season, you don’t need subscriptions such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Peacock when you’re trying to be more financially responsible; Be willing to make those small sacrifices because you don’t need that stuff,” said Rockette, who discussed the importance of having an emergency fund and being financially disciplined. He encouraged attendees to make temporary lifestyle changes when…
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Advice before buying a house: Start preparing now

Advice before buying a house: Start preparing now

photo courtesy of Pavel Danilyuk on pexels.com MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A free homebuyer seminar at the EXIT Garth Realty Tuesday evening offered guidance for potential homebuyers from local bankers who shared helpful tips for college students and young adults planning for their future.  “Prepare now,” said Renasant mortgage banker Barbara Williams. “Save what you can afford, even if it’s just $50 a week.” A main takeaway from the seminar was the importance of starting early. Williams said to attendees that they do not need to be ready to buy a home today to begin preparing. Saving small amounts over time…
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AUM students agree more outdoor activities are needed on campus for mental health well being

AUM students agree more outdoor activities are needed on campus for mental health well being

photo courtesy of Stanley Morales on pexels.com By Kate Lindsey-Hunter, Patrick Eiland, Shaniece McGhee and Anna Messick, MONTGOMERY, Ala. — As Auburn University at Montgomery students return from winter break, whether they live on campus or not, last Tuesday in Taylor Center, the overall opinion was that outdoor activities for mental health were the way to go.  Some commuting students and residents shared opinions on how to spice up college life when asked, “What events and campus activities would you like to see AUM bring to life?” “I think a concert would be fun, some concert on campus where it’s like…
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AUM AUM Spotlight Series: Interview with Da’Monta Wiggins

AUM AUM Spotlight Series: Interview with Da’Monta Wiggins

AUM Audio · Da'Monta Wiggins Podcast In this episode of the AUM Spotlight Series podcast, we learn about Da'Monta Wiggins, the director of AUM Student Life. Wiggins speaks about his upbringing, his experiences in higher education and his future ambitions with his role as director of Student Life.
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After shutdown, students say SNAP disruption revealed deep need

After shutdown, students say SNAP disruption revealed deep need

photo credits to Ron Lach on pexels.com With the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits now restored, some AUM students say last month’s pause revealed how vulnerable college students are when it comes to food affordability. Sky Williams, freshman sociology major after being interviewed in the AUM Bookstore. (photo courtesy of Jordan White) Sky Williams, freshman sociology major, shared her own fears as a campus resident living with celiac disease and a gluten-free diet. “It’s really hard to make sure I have food… with the price hikes on them already plus inflation price hikes, it’s making meals and finding affordable…
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AUM Spotlight Series: Interview with Christin LeJeune

AUM Spotlight Series: Interview with Christin LeJeune

AUM Audio · AUM Spotlight Interview with Christin LeJeune by Nichlos Cutrell In this episode of the AUM Spotlight Series podcast we learn about Christin LeJeune, the director of the AUM Central Advising. LeJeune speaks about her upbringing in Alabama, her experiences in higher education and her future ambitions with her new role as director of Central Advising (photo credit to Jordan White).
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AUM food pantry fights hunger

AUM food pantry fights hunger

photo courtesy of Julia M. Cameron on pexels.com Did you know nearly 40% of college students face food insecurity? Food insecurity among college students happens for many reasons, some being the cost of food and lack of resources for students to get access to food in non-traditional ways.  The AUM Food Pantry serves anywhere from 75-100 students a week, but Food Pantry Chair Sarah Bagget said numbers vary. “We may have days where we serve 40 students and others where we may serve 10, so it really depends,” she said.  The number of students that visit the pantry also has…
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Mind in Motion promotes calm mindfulness at AUM

Mind in Motion promotes calm mindfulness at AUM

Photo courtesy of RDNE Stock project on pexels.com AUM students took time to unwind Sept. 18 by making dream catchers with the Center for Disability Services (CDS) and the Warhawk Academic Success Center (WASC). The activity is part of CDS’s semester-long Mind in Motion campaign, which encourages students to “kick off each week with a positive focus” and “end each week with a relaxing check-in”. The campaign began after welcome week and will continue weekly through Nov. 20, just before Thanksgiving break.“It was really, really soothing, and I like how it wasn’t as bustly as the average college experience or…
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Learning to pivot and take the jump: AUM’s communication specialist shares her story of stories

Learning to pivot and take the jump: AUM’s communication specialist shares her story of stories

photo courtesy of Jessica Lewis on pexels.com By: Jennifer Tolbert MONTGOMERY, Ala. — From being a small-town city hall reporter to being a communication specialist at Auburn University at Montgomery and a career spanning over 20 years, Adrienne Nettles has first-hand experience in what it means to grow in your career. Her profession has given her plenty of opportunities and the ability to learn. Such as the rise in a demanding digital world. In high school in Mobile Nettles knew she had a love for writing, and she set her sights on attending a local university, Spring Hill College, to…
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Reporters, reality and robots: Carrington Cole and the future of news

Reporters, reality and robots: Carrington Cole and the future of news

By: Dezzy Crumpler AUM Audio · WAKA reporter Carrington Cole is interviewed by AUM senior Destannie Crumpler MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The week before Carrington Cole was supposed to start working with Marvel Studios in 2020, the world shut down. “The week before I was supposed to start, COVID hit the U.S,” she said. That sudden pause sent her back to Montgomery, where she traded Hollywood dreams for something unexpected: learning to report the news for WAKA in her hometown. Carrington Cole is shown at this year's Alabama Broadcast Association conference in Birmingham. Her journey is more than just a career…
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The future beyond the newsroom’s rise of AI

The future beyond the newsroom’s rise of AI

Photo courtesy of Shahbaz Zaman on pexels.com One local editor says AI is helpful, but not enough to replace his own writing AUM Audio · Montgomery Independent Editor Brian Hodge is interviewed by AUM COMM student Brionna Crumpton By: Brionna Crumpler MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Like Superman faced Brainiac, journalists today face a similar challenge in navigating the rise of artificial intelligence in their work. Montgomery Independent editor Brian Hodge, in a recent interview, discussed how the news media works to maintain the human voice in its stories. Brian Hodge spent his childhood in Valley but lived in Millbrook in his…
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‘I do it every day because it’s helping somebody else’: Amanda Curran on being a meteorologist

‘I do it every day because it’s helping somebody else’: Amanda Curran on being a meteorologist

  AUM Audio · WSFA's Weather journalist Amanda Curran is interviewed by AUM student Seth Murdick By: Seth Murdick MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Award-winning WSFA 12 News meteorologist Amanda Curran sat down for an interview on Sept. 18 inside WSFA 12’s station to discuss her time as a weather forecaster, including the challenges of working in an extreme weather-prone state like Alabama and changes within the world of meteorology, such as artificial intelligence and how it could affect broadcast meteorology.  Before Curran made Alabama her second home and joined WSFA over a decade ago in 2014, she grew up in the northeast area of Litchfield,…
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For the love of the game: How Stephen Gunter went from reading stats to reporting stats

For the love of the game: How Stephen Gunter went from reading stats to reporting stats

Stephen Gunter filming warmups of an exhibition basketball game between AUM and Auburn at Neville Arena at Auburn.  By: Patrick Eiland AUM Audio · AUM multimedia specialist Stephen Gunter is interviewed by Patrick Eiland about his reporting days MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The late great Marvel Comics editor and publisher Stan Lee loved his job and once said, “If you do what you really want to do, you feel like you're playing." Everyone has their own passions and sometimes they take us places we could never imagine. Stephen Gunter working in his office in the Auburn University at Montgomery Ida Belle Younge…
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Brooke Myers: the pride and joy of Auburn radio

Brooke Myers: the pride and joy of Auburn radio

(photo credits pexels.com) By: Rodrecus Lewis   AUM Audio · Tiger Communications GM Brooke Myers is interviewed by student Rodrecus Lewis AUBURN, Ala. — Displaying her overwhelming southern charm and hospitality, Brooke Myers, the general manager for Tiger Communications, began our interview by setting up new office chairs.  The casually dressed radio host walked into the office, with a warm smile and paper building instructions, offering a seat while we prepared for conversation. “We ordered more chairs because for some reason the ones we have keep breaking,” she explained. “I’ve built every chair in here.”   With a radio station worked by only nine people,…
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Telling Selma’s story: A profile of Brent Maze

Telling Selma’s story: A profile of Brent Maze

photo courtesy of Pixabay on pexels.com Local news editor affirms community journalism matters and is worth the fight AUM Audio · Selma Times Journal Editor Brent Maze is interviewed by AUM senior Nichlos Cutrell For long-time journalist Brent Maze, success isn't measured in the number of awards he's won or the titles he's held. He measures the success in stories he's written connecting neighbors, holding local leaders accountable and giving voice to communities. “People sometimes think local news is small news,” Maze said. “But it’s the news that affects your life every single day. It’s the stories of your neighbors,…
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AUM squirrels: pizza thieves, trash can jumpers and campus celebrities

AUM squirrels: pizza thieves, trash can jumpers and campus celebrities

Squirrel rummaging around in leaves on AUM's campus (photo courtesy of Jordan White). Squirrels on AUM’s campus are not afraid to throw down a slice of pizza from the Warhawk Cafe or even jump scare students between classes. “They were jumping out of trash cans since I could remember being on campus,” said Kayla Smith, an AUM alumna. Data backs up what students notice on campus, as squirrels often thrive in urban settings. According to Fox Squirrel Survival in Urban and Rural Environments, a 2010 article from the Journal of Wildlife Management, studies of rural and urban mammal populations suggest…
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More than just news: News anchor and reporter of 23 years Sally Pitts shares her experience being a part of the WSFA family

More than just news: News anchor and reporter of 23 years Sally Pitts shares her experience being a part of the WSFA family

By: Tyreanna Causey ​​AUM Audio · WSFA-TV anchor Sally Pitts is interviewed by AUM student Tyreanna Causey MONTGOMERY, Ala.— For 23 years, Sally Pitts has worked for WSFA-12 News, where she reported and anchored for the state of Alabama, bringing viewers breaking news and heartfelt stories to watch. When she’s not in the studio, she’s playing tennis, running or spending time with her family or taking her daughters to soccer practice.  Sally Pitts is shown reporting live from Montgomery Whitewater to show off some behind-the-scenes footage of the location on July 7, 2023. (Photo taken by WSFA-12 News in 2023) Sally…
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Cap and gown to community sound: Wetumpka Herald reporter Ana Meyer, storyteller of local athletes

Cap and gown to community sound: Wetumpka Herald reporter Ana Meyer, storyteller of local athletes

Ana Myer poses in front of the Wetumpka Herald building. (photo courtesy of Ana Meyer) By: Alexis Taylor AUM Audio · Wetumpka Herald reporter and UT grad Ana Meyer is interviewed by AUM senior Alexis Taylor WETUMPKA, Ala. — Ana Meyer, a recent University of Texas graduate, got a fresh start in Wetumpka as she embarks on her journey as a sports reporter. Ana Meyer is pictured wearing a University of Texas stole in Austin, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Ana Meyer) “Going to journalism school was really one of the best decisions that I ever made,” said Meyer. The University…
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Angier Johnson: A voice of faith and resilience on Montgomery’s airwaves                            

Angier Johnson: A voice of faith and resilience on Montgomery’s airwaves                            

Uplifting listeners, Angier Johnson delivers heartfelt inspiration during her radio air shift. (Photo courtesy of Angier Johnson) By: Nicholas Drayton AUM Audio · WVAS 90.7 FM gospel show host Angier Johnson is interviewed by COMM senior Nicholas Drayton MONTGOMERY, Ala.— As the sun rises over Montgomery on a Sunday morning, families throughout the city will start waking up to the comforting, soothing sounds of Angier Johnson. With Angier's rich, energetic voice, her Sunday Morning Gospel show on WVAS 90.7 FM from 6 to 11 a.m. brings words of inspiration and worship into households throughout the city. Angier Johnson shines on…
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When headlines fade, faith remains: Former reporter Chris Searcy traded the newsroom for the pulpit, finding purpose beyond the press

When headlines fade, faith remains: Former reporter Chris Searcy traded the newsroom for the pulpit, finding purpose beyond the press

Pastor Chris Searcy poses for a picture with AUM senior Shaniece McGhee after their interview in the Communication Department office on Sept. 22, 2025. (photo courtesy of Nichlos Cutrell) AUM Audio · Montgomery's Pastor Chris Searcy is interviewed by COMM senior Shaniece McGhee By: Shaniece McGhee Chris Searcy reporting at night against a city skyline backdrop, showcasing his role as a journalist. Before Pastor Chris Searcy stepped in front of a newsroom camera, he never imagined his life going that way. His mind was first set on pursuing a career in politics, and he believed that campaigning would be his…
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