Auburn Gal Always

Goldsmith knew his stuff

“My-friend-Rachel” sent me this picture of Toomer’s Corner.














For those you who are not-in-the-know, Toomer’s is the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn, Alabama. (War Eagle!) This is the historic place where crazed, elated college students, parents, fans, etc. celebrate Auburn University sports victories by rolling the trees there. Again, for those of you not-in-the-know, rolling is throwing rolls of toilet paper into the air to beautifully (?) decorate the tree limbs.

But alas... Hurricanes have changed the landscaping of that area since I walked that route from dreary apartment to classes.

My memories are…

Rushed walks (because I never left for class early OR in plenty of time to get there without rushing!). The UNHOLIEST of heat and humidity. Rushing beneath the prettiest, towering, shady pines, oaks, magnolias, and other trees I can’t identify and past beautiful Samford Hall the antique lathe (with its questionable legend probably created by some horny frat boys back in the “good ol’ days”). Past the rose garden and its reflective pool that always seemed like a great place to yank off my socks and tennis shoes and cool my feet in the middle of that UNHOLIEST of heat and humidity. Wearing shorts with a heavy coat in January (because if you have classes from early morning to lunch or later without the chance of going home to change, you’d be freezing on your walk to class and sweating on your walk home!). Being caught in the middle of a victory celebration (AU vs FSU, 1990) and being shoved to the middle of Toomer’s to play the fight song with the other marching band members in uniform (THEY had shoved to the center of Toomer’s to celebrate – Toomer’s was merely on my way back to my apartment – besides, a clarinet doesn’t really contribute to the celebratory mood with the verve of a trumpet, tuba and trombone.) Lemonade at Toomer’s anyone??? Hoping against hope that I could get just a little bit of cash out the ATM so I could have that lemonade – really, which is more important, lemonade or rent?


I was not a Greek. I was a band geek. So my memories of “rush” are of hearing the glass-breaking, shrill squeals of the sorority pledges, their whining about the heat as they “rushed” from one air conditioned dorm building to another (this was particularly disgusting when contrasted with the band’s outdoors practice ALL DAY in the UNHOLY heat and humidity (They meet inside. The football team even practices inside an enclosed cooled field. Only the band must endure the UHH of Auburn’s summer and fall weather! I guess that makes me even on the whining score-card.) I have quite a fond – some might say devilishly fond – memory of the marching band’s tuba line gathering outside the dorms to arouse the sleeping pledges very early one morning following a very late night of rush parties. Muhahahahahaaaa

This time of year, I don’t need a picture of Toomer’s Corner to make me long for the wonderful combination of experiences that is the Loveliest Village on the Plains… Sweet Auburn. Oliver Goldsmith, you were so right.

I have tickets for me and DD to go to the homecoming game vs Tulane. We're both excited.



Waaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr Eagle! Hey!