As I'm sure everyone in the great state of Alabama has heard about, Auburn's Toomer's Oaks at Toomer's Corner have been poisoned with lethal amounts of herbicide. They are not expected to survive, but like The Notebook says, "Science only comes so far, then comes God" so I will hold out for a miracle.
It's very sad to me that someone decided to kill something that has been alive for over 130 years. That's almost as old as the country that we live in! And for those of you that say, "They're just trees", well, actually they're not.
Toomer's Corner is an Auburn tradition and symbol that has been around for generations. It is not just about football, it's about our school. Every school has their traditions and symbols, Alabama has their coaches' statues and Denny Chimes, Georgia has The Arch, Samford has Mr. Beeson, Clemson has Howard's Rock, Purdue has their Drum, Ole Miss has the Grove...the list goes on.
Anyone that loves any of those universities would be heartbroken if their tradition or symbol was taken from them, just as Auburn family members everywhere are heartbroken of the loss of the Toomer's oak trees. And they weren't just taken from us, they were living things that were killed.
It breaks my heart that after these trees do die, I will never in my lifetime see Toomer's looking like it does right now. My children and grandchildren won't either, but there is hope for my great-grandchildren, I guess.
We may have lost a great symbol of our beloved Auburn, but we have "a spirit that is not afraid" and that is something that no one could ever take away from us.
Auburn Family Forever. War Eagle.
-Rachel
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