It is only fitting that the most rewarding point in my new writing journey this semester would come at the end. After picking a difficult and quite heavy topic, Braden, Sara, and I dove into the resources available to prevent an active shooter scenario here in Auburn.

Given the subject matter, I expected many of the conversations to be serious. And they were like they should be. But what I wasn’t expecting was to have this emotional moment during our round table podcast interview today with Assistant Chief Stewart.

After countless interviews, I can confidently say that I feel safe in the community because everyone works together to maintain it. But knowing that someone with compassion, depth, experience, and knowledge like Chief Stewart, almost brought tears to my eyes.

He is truly an Auburn man through and through!

As a journalist, I am so glad that I was able to capture this moment because it is not one I am likely to forget. The conversation regarding lifting the veil on why we do feel so safe here, and why the Auburn Family truly exists, is one I hope continues for more of Dr. Platenburg’s classes.

I hope we can disseminate this project in a way that uplifts and highlights hardworking community members. So many easy pull quotes from this clip emphasize Chief Stewart’s character and dedication to keeping Auburn the “Loviest Village on the Plains.”