A Final 'Roll'

Auburn University has announced that the annual A-Day game will take place April 20th. On that day, there will be a final celebration of Toomers Corner. Soon after that, the trees will be removed. That truly breaks my heart. Even though the officials told us the trees weren't likely to make it, I kept holding out hope that a miracle would happen. Auburn posted a website and asked folks to share memories, but I can't do that in a few words on someone else's page, so I thought I'd do it here. There are more memories than I can write down.

Toomer's Corner has always been iconic for all of us. It represents us as much as Samford Tower or Jordan-Hare Stadium. When I was a kid, we would meet my grandparents and my aunt and uncle at the games. We would walk over to Anders, always stopping to look at the trees. Later after my grandparents died and my uncle wasn't really able to go to games anymore, I starting going to games with friends. I shared the traditions with them as well. Later, my family started to go to games together again. This time, passing the love and traditions down to my wonderful little nieces.

So for me, the memories of Toomers is my childhood. It holds memories of family. The memories are of my friends, who I still consider my family. Soon after the trees were poisoned, we took the girls to see them.

I fully believe that Auburn will replace the trees and will come to love the new icon as well. It does bother me that this is something I feel was stolen from us, but as an 'AU Family', we will move forward. We will still hold onto the glorious memories of winning, making new friends, passing traditions down to family, and showing old friends the beautiful traditions of Auburn. However, we will hold together and move forward to something new because that is who we are- a family.  My memories-they can't be taken away!

Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain,
Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,
And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed,
Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease,
Seats of my youth, when every sport could please,
How often have I loitered o'er the green,
Where humble happiness endeared each scene.
-Oliver Goldsmith