The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID Thursday, October 31, 2013 ThePlainsman.com Vol. 120, Issue 22, 14 Pages ONLINE From David to Darcy, student embraces new identity Kyle Nazario identity. CAMPUS WRITER “If I didn’t have the GSA, I don’t know On May 11, 2013, Darcy Corbitt was what I would have done,” Corbitt said. “I’d born at 21 years of age. have probably killed myself.” With her friends gone for the sum- When she still used the name David, mer, Corbitt moved a couch, three book- Corbitt said she came within seconds of shelves and more than 350 books into an committing suicide after being outed as Football vs. apartment to start her new life. someone attracted to men. Arkansas She had $70 in her checking account. “The only thing stopping me was I Check out It was the day before her birthday. couldn’t break the razor blade out of my ThePlainsman.com The Auburn University senior no lon- razor,” Corbitt said. for game updates ger wanted to go by her birth name, Da- “I just kind of thought that was fun- and photos vid Hall. She wanted to start again as ny. I laughed, and I thought, ‘I can’t real- Darcy. ly kill myself. I’ve got so much I can do in “When I was really little, 3, 4, I thought the world.’” I was a girl,” Corbitt said. “I went by a girl’s Corbitt fully accepted being Darcy last COMMUNITY A7 name in my mind, but I never told any- May, on her 21st birthday. one because I knew it was socially unac- The transition hasn’t been easy. Some ceptable.” friends offered minimal support for her Corbitt struggled with such feelings new public identity. throughout her childhood and said de- Corbitt said her best friend from high spite being born biologically male, she school, a girl who drove three hours from never felt like a man. the University of Montevallo to see her “I tried to be that person for 18 years during their freshman year, unfriended and it didn’t fit me,” Corbitt said. her on Facebook last summer. With help from her friends, she began “You post a lot of gay stuff,” Corbitt said Gnu News exploring the idea of living as a woman. the friend told her. The Gnu’s Room Bonnie Wilson in the Women’s Initia- Corbitt said she recently ran into her returns with a gnu tives Office said she recalled a poignant former best friend. When Corbitt tried to space and a gnu conversation about gender identity with start a conversation, the friend showed look Corbitt when she still went by David. little pleasure in seeing her. “I asked her, ‘if there weren’t any bar- Other groups have reacted differently riers, what would you be?’” Wilson said. to the news. “And (Corbitt) said, ‘a woman.’ And I said, Corbitt sent an email to every profes- ‘then that’s what you are.’” sor she’s worked with in the past to let SPORTS A9 Corbitt said she also credits Spec- them know about the change. SARAH MAY / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR trum, Auburn’s Gay-Straight Alliance, Darcy Corbitt preparing for her day by putting on makeup. with helping her come to understand her » See IDENTITY A2 Putting parking issues in drive Hardcore Parkour Page A5 Derek herscovici would choose.” search for space, allowing the Malzahn, Frazier CAMPUS WRITER Parsons said Auburn Athlet- school to maintain its unique head home After years of being a traf- ics and Gameday Committee layout without having costly Arkansas natives fic jam, Auburn University is is in charge of game day park- road expansion. return to their green-lighting new transit sys- ing, but no one can build on Parsons said a new parking home state tem policies that may lead to Auburn’s campus without ob- deck, with twice the capaci- the end of road rage on cam- structing something else. ty of the original, will be erect- pus. “One of our biggest issues ed on the site of the former Transit routes, parking ga- in student government is to Ralph Brown Draughon Li- rages and game day parking get actual feedback from stu- brary parking deck, with con- INTRIGUE A12 for both students and visiting dents,” said Rob Garcia, assis- struction slated for the sum- tailgaters were points of con- tant vice president of auxiliary mer of 2014. versation among students and services with the Student Gov- A second, 750-car capacity administrators of the Universi- ernment Association. “Stu- garage is being built adjacent ty transit services department dents don’t know how to reach to the South Donahue garage, at the fourth HeAUrd That! out to SGA or the administra- which administrators antic- discussion Tuesday, Oct. 29. tion, but there’s a section on ipate to be ready by the sum- The scarce amount of park- our website under HeAUrd mer of 2014 as well. ing during home games and That! where they can post Garcia said the PC park- exam week was the biggest comments.” ing system, created in 2011, al- Design students topic the small gathering dis- Parsons said solutions to ready implements aspects of carve into fall cussed in AUSC 2222. problems facing the 5 p.m. on- that solution, staggering cer- Auburn’s 25th “[The RV’s are] totally out campus parking policy include tain parking passes at differ- annual Pumpkin of hand,” said Greg Parsons, building additional parking ent times throughout the day, Carve lit up Dudley University Architect said. “The complexes around campus, though the good it does to stu- Courtyard evolution of trying to get those ending faculty workdays be- dents was poorly communi- to move out and take the cam- fore 5 p.m. or pushing evening cated by the SGA and the ad- pus back to where it could classes back to 5:30 p.m. to al- ministration. READERS function as a campus, you had low students time to park and “Transit times on Donahue to find some places to move, walk. have decreased, we have less RESPOND and unfortunately, some of Parking garages in partic- complaints from faculty that those ended up in probably ular are a popular solution not the locations that any of us to the hunter-gatherer style » See PARKING A2 Want your opinion heard? To be featured in our issue, chime in on Facebook, Twitter or Ben Hohentatt bestos control, said asbestos is present tent that the presence of asbestos in the bestos, and he said the Haley Center’s ThePlainsman.com CAMPUS REPORTER in the center, above the ceiling, and in center is manageable and not particu- pipes are not insulated with materials With a layout some students might some of the floor tiles. larly dangerous. containing asbestos. find confusing and an advancing age, Hamby also said a spray-on form of “When a problem occurs we take Asbestos is harmful to people when few things are as regularly maligned as asbestos was used to help fire proof the care of it,” Hamby said. it is no longer intact and releases asbes- the Haley Center. building during construction. Parsons said this is manageability is tos fibers and dust into the air. INDEX One of those things would proba- Parsons said the asbestos in the Hal- because of the type of asbestos present Parsons said the asbestos contained bly be asbestos, the building material ey Center is left from before the health in the building and its location. above the ceiling and under the floor Campus A2 linked to mesothelioma, which the Hal- risks associated with the mineral were “Asbestos comes in many forms, and tiles does not make contact with peo- Opinion A6 ey Center itself contains. known. some forms are more suspect when it ple and are not disturbed in a way Community A7 “There are protocols in place to “No new asbestos-containing prod- comes to contact with people,” Parsons which cause them to release fibers or Sports A9 make sure there is no hazard,” said Greg ucts have been used in any new proj- said dust. Intrigue A12 Parsons, University architect. ects,” Parsons said. Parsons cited piping insulation as Corbin Hamby, supervisor for as- Both Hamby and Parsons were insis- one of the more harmful types of as- » See ASBESTOS A2 Campus A2 The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, October 31, 2013 DUI ARRESTS FOR THE CITY OF AUBURN OCT. 24–29, 2013 POLICE REPORTS FOR OCT. 24–29, 2013 Oct. 24, 11:59 p.m., Lee Road 137 Oct. 27, 2 a.m., Cedarcrest Circle Oct. 29, 1 a.m., Opelika Road Tonya Bradford, 47 Laura Thomas, 22 Auto breaking and entering: theft of range find- Third-degree burglary: three pistols, revolver Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle: Oct. 24, 10:32 a.m., Alabama Oct. 27, 9:53 a.m., South Col- er, knives, flashlight and camera bag and clips theft of golf clubs, softball equipment and cell Highway 14 lege Street and Devall Drive phone charger Oct. 24, 5:29 p.m., Lee Road 12 Oct. 27, 4:18 a.m., Old Mill Road Amber Jones, 21 Daniel West, 18 Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle: theft Third-degree theft of property: game console Oct. 29, 2:45 a.m., South College Street Oct. 25, 2:17 a.m., Highway 280 Oct. 27, 4:04 a.m., West Magno- of drive set, miscellaneous tools, wrenches and Second-degree theft of property– pairs of and Lee Road 72 lia Avenue a tool bag Oct.