We Go Way Back

Ok, people. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to revamp the "tagged" post I keep seeing. I've really enjoyed reading all your top 5's, but now it's time to change it up a little. Spice it up, if you will. Give it some umph. And I'm taking it upon myself to do so. Now then, as I stalk all of your blogs and try to come up with one common thread it seems that most of the blogs I'm drawn to are people I know from Auburn. And if I didn't know you personally, I knew you because you were a friend of a friend. Or a friend of a friend of a friend. And if that's really not the case, I 'know" you because I'm obsessive when it comes to blogs and I read about you just for fun. I can make myself feel at ease about being so interested in the lives of people I've never met because I know everyone single one of you out there do it to! Since, like I said, most of us in the blogging circle have Auburn in common, it only seems fitting to play tag Auburn style. Auburn was/is one of the greatest loves of my life. And although I don't get back there as much as I'd like, my four years there were something so remarkable that any describing I could do would hardly do it justice. It's in my blood. It runs through my veins. It always has and it always will, no matter how many years have passed since I was there. There's no feeling in the world like driving up I-85 knowing you're about to enter the Loveliest Village on the Plains....like one of my old Successfully Orienting Students t-shirts says (that I still wear with pride)...."where the tiger roars and the eagle soars and the Plainsmen ain't so plain". It's love. Deep love. Your heart pounds like it will come through your chest at the thought of it, and you know without a shadow of a doubt that it's the best place on Earth. And oh how thankful I am to have been a part of it! Since it's so fitting, I have to share some of my most favorite words (by David Housel)....

WHAT IS AUBURN?
What is Auburn?
Far be it from me to try to answer that question. There are as many definitions of Auburn as there are Auburn men and women.
It would be safe to say, however, that Auburn is much more than a football game.

It is much more than winning and losing.
It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman.
-David Housel

If that doesn't get you going, I don't know what will! So....let's get this game going!

TOP 5 THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT AUBURN:

1. No matter where you are and what you're doing, if you spot another Auburn fan you know you're family.

2. The words "WAR EAGLE"

3. The Auburn Creed

4. The Auburn Fight Song

5. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!

TOP 5 THINGS YOU MISS/LOVED ABOUT BEING ON CAMPUS:

1. The Concourse and how you saw everyone you knew (freshman & sophomore year especially).

2. Hearing the fight song coming from the chimes at Samford Hall every day at noon.

3. Living on The Hill and opening my dorm room window to listen to the band practice during football season.

4. Being able to swipe the Tiger Club Card like it was my job

5. Seeing the eagle in its cage as you walked to class

TOP 5 PLACES YOU SPENT MOST OF YOUR TIME IN AUBURN:

1. The COB (College of Business)

2. Dorm M on The Hill freshman year

3. Hollifield Hall (Chi O dorm) Sophomore year

4. McKee house

5. Bodega patio!!

TOP 5 PLACES TO EAT YOU MISS MOST AT AUBURN:

1. Amsterdam Cafe...can still taste the turkey wraps and pasta salad as we speak

2. Mellow Mushroom...because the one in Auburn is the ONLY good one

3. Breezeway...grilled chicken fingers...MMMM!!

4. Traditions!!! Need I say more??

5. Niffer's...didn't really like the food but we sure had some good times there!

TOP 5 FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM AUBURN:

1. Graduation day...such an accomplishment, but so very bittersweet to be leaving Auburn

2. Rush, rush, and more rush! I would have majored in it had it been an option.

3. Living in The Cave on the Chi O hall

4. Chapter every Wednesday at 5:30...I dreaded it then, and now I'd give my right arm (and probably my left) to sit in that chapter room with everyone again!

5. Greek Sing 2002...I headed it up for Chi O and we WON! I can still remember every last move of that dance. My favorite practice was when I made everyone come to the McKee house at 10:00 one night for mandatory practice...in our driveway. Ah, those were the days...

***I had to keep going...sorry

6. Campaigning for Katie Morris for SGA President sophomore year...I was in charge of recruiting her escorts and Anna Kate was in charge of finding drivers and we got to know people we otherwise wouldn't have talked to....i.e. the time we took a Katie Morris for SGA President t-shirt to Ben Leard's house so he could wear it around campus, and the time we went to Supper Club for Pat McGee and got him to wear one on stage. I think it's safe to say that AK and I would have crawled across the state Alabama had she asked us to. We loved some Katie Morris, let me tell you!

7. Diane Dow doing "Down By The River" from SNL...random that I just thought of that!

8. 61's candlelight

9. I know I already listed rush, but senior year rush was the best...I still hold the "Bop Chair" title near and dear to my heart....good times

10. Walk For A Wish senior year...Elizabeth Stewart recruited me to help her and it was hard work, lots of fun, and something so worthwhile. I think that year Chi O was in the top 3 contributors for the Make A Wish Foundation for the year!!

TOP 5 FUN THINGS TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME AT AUBURN:

1. Freshman and sophomore year laying out in Memory Garden...every girl you'd know would be out there and you weren't cool if you missed out....just kidding!

2. Ride around on Thursday nights during football season and get the early tailgaters fired up by leading them in chants, cheers, and Auburn football songs.

3. Shopping on College Street

4. Hanging out on the Hall doing absolutely nothing productive and having the best time doing it!

5. Drive by's!!!

TOP 5 FAVORITE FOOTBALL GAMES:

1. Auburn/Alabama sophomore year

2. Auburn/Florida senior year when we won and the goalposts came down!

3. Auburn/Georgia senior year in Athens...Anna Kate, Blazer, Erika, Cameron Headlee, and I piled in one car and listened to Michael Jackson anthems the whole way. That was the night Erika designed her own Kate Spade out of a styrofoam cooler...remember E?!

4. All the away games we went to...

5. Every home game the entire 4 years!

TOP 5 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT AUBURN FOOTBALL GAMES:

1. Tiger Walk

2. The band taking the field before the game

3. The eagle flying....leaves me with tears every time!

4. Tommy Tuberville

5. Game Day Dogs (AK & 61 will appreciate this one)

*I really shouldn't have limited it to 5...

TOP 5 THINGS ABOUT AUBURN WE KNOW AS ALUMS THAT STUDENTS NOW DON'T KNOW (could be translated "you know you're old if you remember...."):

1. Dowdeli

2. The sweet old man at Traditions who tailored suits in the back of the deli

3. Tiger Card was only accepted on campus (we came along a few years too late)

4. School started in late September and we were on the quarter system

5. Rush consisted of more than 1 skit day, less than 2 philanthropy days, bids were distributed early morning on the steps of Terrell, and it was probably a lot more fun back then!

5 FELLOW AUBURN ALUMS I'M TAGGING (I'm picking 6 b/c I can!):

1. Darby

2. Erika

3. Jess

4. Tara Verdigets

5. Jennie Marie

6. Sarah Martin

Now, get to it girls because we all want to reminisce a little more!!