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Aubie the Tiger: Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

It is often said that women love him, children adore him, and men want to be him.

Meet our beloved mascot, Aubie the Tiger.

Aubie is a nine-time UCA National Champion, and the first mascot to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame back in 2006. Aubie supports all Auburn University athletic teams and can be spotted on campus and in the community. Aubie is known for his charming good looks and bold antics, and is referred to as “the living spirit of Auburn”.

Photo by Robert Adams/The Birmingham News found in AL.com’s article here

Aubie actually started out as a cartoon character that first appeared on a football program cover on October 3, 1959. He appeared on programs over the years and came to life for the first time on February 28, 1979 at the SEC basketball tournament. You can learn more about the history of Aubie here.

Watch this highlight video from 2018-2019 to see Aubie in action:

Aubie 2018-2019 Highlights

Wondering what Aubie is up to today?! Follow Aubie on Instagram or Twitter: @AubietheTiger01

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The Auburn Creed: Part VI

“I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.”

The Auburn Family has always believed in community, in supporting our fellow man, and in mutual helpfulness. “Human touch” is the way we approach everyone we face, it’s a friendly way of treating people, and it’s something that can be felt anytime you encounter the Auburn Family.

At some point we’ve all heard the quote:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

When I think about this line of our creed, this quote always comes to mind. When you’re a part of the Auburn family, you know what it means to reach out in support of your fellow man. It doesn’t always matter what you say or what you do, but how you treat people. When you offer sympathy and helpfulness, you’re treating people well. When you treat people well, you’re offering that human touch that’s so meaningful to our community.

Reading part six of the creed, it’s easy to read “human touch” as “physical touch” but it means so much more than that. Especially now when physical touch is something that is more scarce than usual. In 2020, human touch became more important than ever as our physical touch was limited. The way we treated each other required more intentionality as the world around us changed. 

When George Petrie wrote our Creed in 1943, he probably didn’t imagine a world where handshakes, hugs, high-fives, and physical touch would be put on hold for a while. He probably didn’t imagine not being able to gather in groups or attend events in full capacity. But even without these things, we watched as the Auburn Family lived this line of the creed. Through distance and quarantine, we saw people maintain sympathy and helpfulness. From the support of our frontline workers to students connecting with one another through Zoom, human touch was something that helped us through these times. We saw professors helping care for students in new ways. We witnessed first-hand the Auburn Family continue to show sympathy and helpfulness to their fellow man. We know that we can accomplish more together than we can apart, and we know that we are happier together.

Here’s to continuing to offer the human touch to our fellow man, however that looks in 2021 and beyond.

Signs have been placed around campus to encourage social distancing.

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Being an International Student in Small Town Alabama

Many people in the United States haven’t even heard of Auburn, AL, much less students from another country! So what is it like to travel across the globe and make a home for yourself in rural Alabama? We interviewed some of our international students to find out.

What are the hardest adjustments you’ve had to make?

·         Language barriers – Even if they have been speaking English and studied for many years before they came to United States, the classroom can be a challenging atmosphere. It can be intimidating to raise your hand in a classroom or participate in a discussion when English isn’t your first language.

·       Living by themselves also posed new challenges. Many things that seem so commonplace for Americans are very different from what they are used to in their home countries.

·     Classrooms in the United States are very collaborative and involve more participation from students. Meeting new professors was also difficult for them since the academic environments in other countries are often very different.

·         Writing assignments can be challenging, however, they were blessed with the Miller Writing Center. Students have access to free tutoring and assistance with their writing assignments, which allows the students to focus more on their coursework.

·        Many students also experience home sickness.  It can take up to two days to travel to Auburn from their homes. With the stress of travel and being so far from home, it’s easy to feel lonely and isolated.

What was the best experience while being a student at Auburn University?

·         The most common answer was making new friends. Some students were invited for Thanksgiving meals, and loved the atmosphere and hospitality.

·        Trying new foods is also a great experience in a new country.  Some of the more popular foods like hamburgers and Mellow Mushroom pizza were their top choices. And of course, the famous Toomer’s Corner lemonade! One student told me that his everyday lunch was two slices of mellow mushroom pizza with a sweet tea.

·         Many students enjoyed taking advantage of the school’s resources, like  joining the gym and some found a church that fits their personality. 

What are your favorite things about Auburn University?

·         Many students have enjoyed the people, spending time with their new friends, and the traditions. Samford Hall is one of their favorite buildings on campus, and of course football season!

What are your least favorite things about Auburn University?

·         When I asked this question, they couldn’t think of anything!

 While there are certainly challenges coming to a new country to learn, many of our students have found it to be a very rewarding and positive experience.  Whether it’s making new friends, trying new foods, or experiencing the traditions that make Auburn unique, every student at Auburn finds a way to make it feel like home.

Auburn International Student Organization Cultural Show Night

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From a small town to Auburn – You can do it!

If you’re from a small town like I am, you probably think moving to Auburn is like moving to New York City. “Auburn is a metropolis compared to my little town with a couple of red lights!” I have said to myself over and over. I am from Opp, Alabama which is about 30 minutes from the Florida line. Population in Opp: around 6,400. Moving to a place that has a population around 60,000 seemed impossible at first.

My first year out of high school I actually stayed at home and went to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College located in Andalusia, Alabama. This was a great decision on my part and my family’s provided our financial situation and other matters. If you are not quite ready to make the jump from high school to a university, going to a community college for a year or two could be a great route for you! That being said, my hope is that by the end of this post I will be able to persuade you to come to Auburn University right out of high school.

Can I be honest with you for a second? Crazy enough, Auburn is actually a small town as well! No reason to be afraid. Auburn might have more buildings and more crosswalks than you have ever seen in your life, but there is such a small town, southern hospitality, and family environment feel like no other that I have come to love and appreciate during my 3 years here. Auburn University is a great place because of the city of Auburn and the people that make up this wonderful town.

As I think about my transition from Opp to Auburn after my freshman year, there were times that I was scared and sad to move from home. As the first day of class drew closer, I felt joy and excitement as I thought about some of the great things Auburn has to offer. Auburn actually has a Walmart and a movie theater, two things Opp is about 15 minutes away from! There are actually more than 10 restaurants to choose from! (It’s the little things people.) Maybe you come from a small town that has a Walmart and more than 10 restaurants. My point is this: Auburn has tons to offer that your small town probably doesn’t. So, leaving home and moving to Auburn helps you broaden your horizon and experience more.

A practical piece of advice I would give to someone who is moving from a small, rural town in Alabama to Auburn is this: find people and/or an activity that reminds you of your hometown. This could be a sport, an organization you were a part of back home, some kind of hobby that you enjoy, etc. It doesn’t really matter who or what, all that matters is that you find people who are like-minded and remind you of friends and family from back home. Auburn is one big family, and I want you to feel that family atmosphere on the first day of your freshman year until the last day of your senior year.

I want you to know that going to Auburn has been some of the best years of my life and I want the same exact experience for you. Was coming to Auburn out of my comfort zone? Absolutely. But, was coming to Auburn worth it? You bet. If you have never visited campus, I encourage you to visit soon! We are offering campus tours this spring and you can sign up for a tour here. If you have any questions specifically for me or another one of our admissions advisors, you can contact us here. War Eagle!

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The Auburn Creed: Part V

Here at Auburn, we love the Auburn Creed. It embodies the values we hold dear and describes who we strive to be. In Auburn, Alabama, we see the Creed everywhere. Classic lines such as “I believe in work, hard work” are worn on t-shirts, “I believe in the human touch” is commonly quoted, there are health and wellness classes at Auburn named after the line “I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body,” and hype videos at football games often contain the line “a spirit that is not afraid.” You can’t go far on campus without finding a trace of the creed. However, there’s one line that often goes unnoticed. 

“I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.”

This is a line that we don’t often quote or think about, but it’s an important one. As Auburn men and women, we believe in the rights of all being protected. George Petrie wrote the Creed in 1943, and it’s evident that the values and ideas that he wrote about have transcended the test of time. Today in Auburn in 2021, this line holds just as much relevance and importance as it did in 1943.

As the Auburn family, we have a responsibility to adhere to the guidelines set in place for us for our own protection and safety. Obeying the law means not only doing so for ourselves but for the safety of those around us. We strive to do what is best to protect the rights for all the members of our family.

I’m not even sure I knew this line existed until the summer before my senior year of college. It was during Panhellenic Recruitment. I was driving through campus after a long day, and I was the only car in sight. As I turned right at a stop sign on campus, I was waved down by a police officer on a bicycle. That’s right- I was pulled over by a bike cop.


He approached my car and told me that he pulled me over because I didn’t come to a complete stop at the stop sign. He asked me what a stop sign indicated, and of course I answered, “to stop.”  However, his next question caught me off guard. “What’s the fifth line of the Auburn creed?”

I had no idea, and when I told him I wasn’t sure, all he said was “You might want to look into that. There’s some good stuff in there.”

Luckily, he didn’t give me a ticket. I returned home and looked up the creed to find out just how clever this police officer was. As funny as this incident is looking back, I’ve never forgotten the fifth line of the Auburn Creed.

Next time you’re driving around campus, don’t forget to stop at stop signs!

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What’s Coming to Auburn in 2021?!

By Joshua Huggins

If you have ever visited Auburn’s campus, you know that there is a constant hum of construction equipment around campus ALWAYS! One of the larger and most exciting projects that is slated to be completed in April of 2021 is the Central Dining Hall Project. This 48,000 square-foot, 800 seat dining hall will include reservable dining and study rooms and retail venue space. It will also have food stations dispersed on two levels and offer a variety of dining options from salads and pizza to allergen-sensitive recipes.

While it will not be completed in 2021, one of the largest construction projects you will see on campus when driving through Auburn is the construction of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. It is a first-of-its-kind project for Auburn University and combines a major academic component with revenue generating elements to help defray the cost of the building. The revenue producing opportunities include six living units that will be leased to third parties at fair market value. The entire project is in support of the College of Human Sciences’ Hospitality Management program, and its Culinary Science, Event Management, and Hotel and Restaurant Management academic options. The project combines academic instructional and laboratory space, as well as operational food venues and hotel spaces in which students will obtain experiential training.

A few steps off campus, it looks like the city council members for the City of Auburn have approved a resolution to construct a downtown grocery store, rumored to be a Publix. The completion of this project will allow students without a means to transportation the opportunity to walk downtown from their residence halls to gather all their grocery items with ease. Currently, the closest full grocery option is about 2.5 miles away.

Just around the corner from the downtown grocery store, AuburnBank is constructing a new 96,000 square-foot building on the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue with retail space on the bottom floor. In addition to this building, a 5-level parking deck will bring an additional 535 parking spaces downtown making the shopping and eating a little more accessible to the community.

Some of the newest and exciting news is that Auburn has hired a new Head Football Coach. Bryan Harsin joins the Auburn Tigers from his Alma Mater, Boise State. With hiring Harsin, completely new to the SEC, Auburn fans are hopeful that he can bring that change our program needs to make us a team that consistently competes for SEC and National Championships! Fingers crossed 2021 is our year!

Regardless of what we are faced with in 2021, there is no doubt that Auburn University will continue to carry on its legacy of family across campus and on the field.

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Review of 2020

By Mary Davis Kennedy

2020- What. A. Year. I am not sure where to begin. COVID-19 has truly flipped our world upside down. When I first started hearing about COVID-19, it was in early March, right before our students left for spring break. I truly thought we’d be asked to quarantine for 2 weeks and then we’d return to work and life per usual. But boy was I wrong. From cancelled events like weddings, graduations, and other celebrations, to businesses shutting down and so many people struggling to make ends meet, it is safe to say that we have all been challenged in one way or another this year. “Wear Your Masks” signs and hand sanitizer stations are everywhere now. Homes quickly became offices and schools. Throw in a presidential election and a toilet paper shortage and suddenly we had pure chaos on our hands.

This year has presented new and unique challenges for Auburn University as a whole, but for the Admissions Office as well. As an Admissions Advisor, one of my favorite things about my job is traveling to meet students in person at their school or other recruitment events. I (along with the rest of our office) cannot wait to get back on the road and to be face-to-face with prospective students. While we are thankful to still connect with our students virtually, nothing beats in-person interactions. Besides not being able to travel, one of the biggest challenges we faced was deciding whether to go test-optional or not and when we made that decision to do so, there was certainly an adjustment period for our office. We’ve also received an overwhelming number of applications this year, especially during the 3rd early action round. I can promise you that Admissions Advisors are reading applications day and night these days! Despite all the changes and challenges, we have remained committed to assisting our future students in any way possible and to be as flexible and understanding as possible as they go through the admissions process at Auburn.

My hope for us all is that this world returns to “normal” very soon, whatever that may look like. Here is to a healthy, happy, and “normal” new year!

Finally, may we always remember the many people who lost their lives due to COVID-19. Our hearts go out to the many families who have lost loved ones during this time.

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Winter Holidays in Auburn

By Jan Miles

As with everything else in 2020, the winter holidays look different in Auburn this year. Santa wears a face shield and sits behind plexiglass, Aubie Claus is distanced in the background of family Christmas pictures, and masks are donned at parades, but the glitter of the menorah and Christmas tree still light up Samford lawn.

The December 6th Christmas parade kicked off the season with the first Santa sighting in downtown Auburn.

Unique to the Auburn/Opelika area is the Victorian Front Porch Tour. Their website explains the event impeccably:

“The tour began in 1993 with just a few homes participating, but has grown to include 60 homes on North 8th and 9th street. The homes are decorated with life-size Santas, angels, toys, carousel horses and Christmas themed figures. The Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour has been voted one of the southeast’s top-rated tourism events and featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living.

The event is a self-directed driving tour. However, on Saturday night North 8th and 9th streets will be closed to traffic to encourage visitors, neighbors and friends to stroll through the neighborhood. This enables everyone to leisurely enjoy the homes up close, listen to the carolers, and talk with residents dressed in Victorian costumes. This tour begins on North 8th street and 2nd Avenue and includes over ten city blocks. Admission to this spectacular production is free.”

On the Friday night of the tour, the City of Opelika sponsors Christmas in a Railroad town which includes wagon rides through the Victorian Front Porch Christmas tour. The tour guides take you back in time while enjoying the festively decorated homes.

Another Auburn favorite is the annual Auburn Gingerbread Village on display at the AU Hotel and Conference Center. The impressive display of campus includes campus favorites: Samford Hall, Toomers Corner and the Haley Center.

Dotted throughout the month of December are Aubie appearances, family gingerbread house building at the Marriott, 5ks and lit walks, and story times with Mrs. Claus.

One of the many things I will miss during Covid holidays are the opportunities to gather with the diverse cultural celebrations happening through student multicultural organizations on campus. With a portion of the student population of over 80 foreign countries represented here at AU, the month of December -in a normal year- is one where everyone can celebrate!

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AU Traditions – Don’t Step On the Seal!

By Jeremy Mack

Colleges across the country are full of traditions, and Auburn is no different.

As you walk from Toomer’s Corner onto campus after grabbing an ice cold lemonade, you’ll pass by Langdon Hall. It’s imperative that you watch your step as you pass by Langdon Hall! On the ground at the front of the building you will find the Auburn Seal.

Step on the seal if you dare! Legend says if you step on the seal you won’t graduate in four years, you won’t find your true love at Auburn, AND you’ll have seven generations of Alabama fans in your family. Those are some pretty harsh consequences for not being careful!

In the event that you do step on the seal, there is a little hope for you to reverse the curse, though we don’t recommend trying it. The curse can be reversed by jumping in the fountain at the president’s mansion at midnight on the leap day of a leap year. While our president, Dr. Jay Gogue, is friendly and loves being around students, we’re pretty sure he’d prefer not to meet you in the middle of the night in his fountain.

War Eagle!

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Why I Chose Auburn

By Elaine Shankute, current Auburn student

War Eagle! My name is Elaine Shankute. I am a junior here at Auburn studying psychology, hailing from just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. As an out of state student, I understand there’s a lot more that you have to consider when looking at Auburn. For any of you that are from Georgia like me, you’re familiar with the HOPE scholarship and the role that it’s playing in your respective situations. Personally, I have always wanted to go to school out of state, so I understood what that sacrifice was going to look like for me from early on. I do want to stress the importance of considering logistics like distance and finances, but keep an open mind while exploring your options. Consider my Auburn story as proof that life on the Plains can be for anyone. It’s a long one, but there are lots of lessons that I still carry with me today, and of course, I wouldn’t be here without it. 

 I first visited Auburn as a sophomore in high school. It was my first time ever visiting a college campus and I had absolutely no expectations. The tour wasn’t even for me; my best friend wanted to check out the architecture program while we were on spring break together, and I agreed to making a stop along the way. Little did I know, that day was going to change my life forever too. Auburn felt like a dream. I was in awe of everything I saw and how much older everyone was than me, and how happy they all looked to be here. That day is when I fell in love with the idea of college life and really started getting serious about what I wanted out of my university one day. 

I kept this in the back of my mind, and once I got to my junior year I started doing some research, spent a lot of time on the CollegeBoard website, and began visiting other campuses. I noticed that no matter how excited I was about visiting a school, they all fell short of the way I felt when I was at Auburn. I would listen to tour guides share facts and figures and each time I would be comparing them to what I remembered about Auburn. After giving a few more schools a chance, I decided I wanted to come back to Auburn for another tour— just to make sure I was remembering it correctly. Sure enough, I left that tour even more excited, not just about college, but by the possibility of my future here as a student.

So one year and two tours later, I was finally sure of the fact that this is where I wanted to be. But college decisions are a big deal, and as sure as I was about Auburn, I was still scared to make things final; I was on the hunt for as much affirmation as possible. This is the part of my story where things get a little crazy. 

New age philosophy suggests that if you make a wish when the clock is at 11:11, whatever you wish for will come true. It’s something about how that number is supposed to represent the universe telling you to listen to your heart, follow your dreams, etc. Well, personally, I just don’t think there is enough luck out there for the whole world to be wishing at the exact same time, so I’ve always preferred to wish at the time that matches my birthday just to make things feel a little more personal between me and the universe. My birthday is February 17th, so for my entire senior year of high school I dedicated 2:17pm to making the exact same wish. Every single day for months, I wished for a sign to come to Auburn. I knew this is where I wanted to be, but I needed one small push to tell me to go through with it, give up that HOPE Scholarship, and make myself a Tiger once and for all. During that year of wishing, I also applied for scholarships, talked to as many alumni as I could, all while I waited for my sign to come. 

Well, as I’m sure you suspected, nothing happened. Eventually deposit season came around, and I decided to pay my deposits at Auburn and the last few schools I was considering. I gave up my daily wishing in exchange for pro-con lists and running the numbers in an effort to think more practically. I was half-way to convincing myself that life on the Plains was a little too good to be true, when I got an email from Auburn with my housing assignment—Glenn Hall, Room 217. My Auburn student email shares these digits as well, and according to the university, this was pure coincidence. But to me, it meant finally saying yes to my dream. 

Now I am not suggesting that all of you will have your destiny spelled out for you the way mine was. Your journey to Auburn could be a lot simpler, and that’s great too. But if there’s one thing I hope you can take away from my story, it’s that the Auburn family wants you here just as much as you want to be—however big or small that amount may feel to you. If you’re passionate about this place after just one tour, or maybe you have been for a while and the numbers aren’t adding up the way you need them to, whatever part of you that’s not ready to give up just yet, pursue that. If you’re like me and need a little something extra to say yes, I promise you, the fact that you’re looking for a sign is symbolic enough and there’s nothing wrong with owning what you want. You’ve worked so hard to get to this point in your academic career, and your decision should be a celebration of that. 

Maybe you came here today looking for some more practical advice. Well don’t worry, I have some of that too. Please, if you’re able, come visit campus. Our admissions office offers a few different options for you to get a feel for life here at Auburn, but nothing beats planting your feet on the land and getting to explore your future home. Secondly, do your research. Consider the factors that are important to your college experience and see what they look like in the context of each school you’re considering. For me, financial aid, involvement, and quality of life were under a microscope everywhere I visited. Ultimately, all of that falls under how you feel and how hard you’re willing to work to make sure those boxes are checked. Since my decision to attend this university, the Auburn family has stepped up massively through scholarships and anonymous donors, virtually eliminating any financial burdens I faced when making my decision. That truly goes to show if you care enough about where you are, people will notice. HOPE scholarship is an amazing opportunity, and your in-state schools may be sending you some very intriguing offers right now, but I challenge you to think about where you would be if that wasn’t a factor. For me, that was Auburn by a mile. And you can call me the poster child of a high-risk-high-reward mentality, but I know that looking back at these last two years, I wouldn’t trade the outcome for anything. I hope I get to share that joy with all of you one day being here at Auburn too, but truthfully I just want you to feel this good about wherever you end up. I was in your shoes not too long ago and I wish I heard that more often. Now all I hear is “War Eagle” and that sounds really good too.