If some of you do not know already, Auburn is what I consider my home. I know it sadness my parents but they know how much this place means to me. It's not about the professors or classes (like it should be), it's not about the school/university (it's a close second), but it's about the people I have met here and what they/it (the town) has done for me. This place has given me so many opportunities that the small town I'm originally from, never could have given me. I grew up an Alabama fan because I was a Daddy's little girl. Until, I started applying to colleges. Everyone from my hometown was "going to the University of Alabama, no doubt". That was their school. Well, I had NO intentions of keeping in touch with ANYONE I went to high school with so I chose the polar opposite, Auburn University. I visited the campus one weekend that my mom had to come for continuing education. I took a tour by myself, walked around downtown, got some Toomer's Lemonade and realized what a spectacular place this town was and I didn't know a soul at this point. Anyways, three years later and if it wasn't for Auburn and the people in it I never would have gotten my life back and become myself again.
On my AU Knowledge test this week, we were asked to describe these six traditions: Tiger VI/Spirit, Aubie, "Hey" Day, Tiger Walk, Spirit Walk, and last but certainly not least Rolling Toomer's Corner. I thought it was kind of a joke to study those traditions because they are such a big deal of my life already I didn't need to know anything else about them. BUT when I got to "Hey" Day and the description beside it read:
"...this day is symbolic of the year-round friendly atmosphere in Auburn."
It made me think about how deep these traditions run in Auburn people. This is how Rolling Toomer's Corner read:
"After any Auburn athletic victory, fans march up to the intersection of Magnolia Ave. & College St. (known as Toomer's Corner) & roll the trees with toliet paper on the campus side of the corner. Tradition began when the cheerleaders would announce the score to the townspeople on the step of Langdon Hall after which the rolling started. Toomer's Corner was named after Sheldon Toomer, longtime operator of Toomer's Drug Store, which is known for it's lemonade. This is where campus ends and the town begins." That last sentence means so much more than it really shows. Yes, Auburn is a university inside a small town, but where Toomer's meets is how this whole place is connected; around FAMILY! If you go to Toomer's by yourself, it won't matter because you will make friends there because we are all there to celebrate with family.
I love rivalries! I love sports! But this Old South rivalry is getting extremely out of hand. My PaPa has heard me say numerous of times, "I hate that town, I can't stand it, I will never have anything to do with it." I could never say I hate that place now because I would never want to ruin someone's tradition. I will just politely say, "I don't care for their football team." In an article on ncaafootball.fanhouse.com, Clay says we should take the year off. I am completely behind him. Maybe with the break the rivalry will settle back down. I don't understand why everyone is so hostile. Alabama won the National Championship in 2009 and Auburn won it in 2010. Can we just say, SEC domination??
My parents always taught me to respect people. I use to get in so much trouble if I didn't say "Yes ma'am, No ma'am, Yes sir, No sir." The south knows how to respect people and I just don't understand how you can KILL a tree. The latest I've heard is the injection is spreading, rapidly. It could easily kill other things on campus because of how big the dose was. BUT if it gets into our water system, Mr. Updyke could be faced with attempted mass murder. I really hope your disrespect was worth it to end up in prison for life. (Could thing Dad retires in a few short months :D).
I know everyone just thinks of Toomer's as a tree and it doesn't mean anything but Toomer's is to Auburn as Ugga is to UGA and National Championships are to Alabama. If you take these things away from these schools it's not a laughing matter. This tradition has been around for years and years and years. It's a place to take your kids too, your grandkids too, to get proposed to, and to take pictures at to remember the victory of a huge game. I know this stuff is getting repetitive within my blog and everyone else's comments on Toomer's. As Jay Gouge says,
"It is understandable to feel outrage in reaction to a malicious act of vandalism. However, we should live up to the example we set in becoming national champions and the beliefs expressed in our Auburn Creed."
AND BECAUSE AUBURN MEN AND WOMEN BELIEVE IN THESE THINGS
I BELIEVE IN AUBURN AND LOVE IT!
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