It is days like last Thursday that make me proud to be an Auburn Tiger.
I was watching the Braves- Padres game and was about to turn it off when I heard one of the announcers start to talk about SEC football.
He mentioned that the SEC should once again have a great football year and that there will be a lot of excitement surrounding the conference.
He then continued to say he had never been to an SEC football game and that he should probably go to see the Gators, LSU, Georgia or possibly even Ole Miss.
After a short silence the other announcer said, "One word for you: Auburn!"
He went on to mention that Auburn football is unlike any other SEC football Saturday.
The people are friendly and you immediately feel at home, he said.
Everyone respects the team and the work they do and, although winning is important, everyone has a good time either way.
This was evident when even though Auburn went 5-7, we still sold out every game.
Since a lot of fans already show up on Wednesdays for the game, I realized how much time people will spend in Auburn because they arrive on Wednesday, leave on Sunday and are back the next Wednesday.
It is amazing that everywhere I go in the United States, when I tell people I go to Auburn, they always say how great of a school it is, how friendly the people are or how pretty the campus is, which could not be more true.
There are times when I decide to walk home instead of take the bus because I never get enough of seeing the campus, hoping I have the chance to pass by Samford Hall and hear the fight song play at noon.
I absolutely love seeing people just throw a frisbee around, or seeing people just lay out on the grass enjoying a beautiful day.
On days like those, you realize the love that people have for this team and this school is absolutely amazing.
I am originally from the Netherlands and there is no place even close to an Auburn.
People there are nowhere near as friendly and the atmosphere is more gloomy because the country is so densely populated.
Most students in the Netherlands will continue to live at home during their college studies and the freedom is limited.
If you want to get involved in something, it's simple: get a job. There are no 87,000-seat stadiums or student unions or even dorm rooms.
So moving to the United States was a culture shock to say the least.
Once in the U.S. I lived in Polk County, Fla., where I went to high school.
For those of you who do not know Polk County, it is a county where you either achieve great heights or you don't achieve much; there are few people in between.
Living in that environment opened my eyes and made me realize I had to work in order to get ahead in life. Being able to study here is a blessing, knowing that I enjoy things here I can't anywhere else.
Auburn is more than just a school; it's more than just a town; it's a family, and anyone who is here for more than just a few minutes will quickly realize this.
Walking around on campus makes anyone feel great and happy to be here.
The campus is beautiful, the people are great and so is the education.
Many people underestimate how lucky they are to be at Auburn.
I try to make a couple of road trips every year to other schools to see what other schools would have to offer, and every time the answer is simple.
I get better friends, a better environment, better sports and a better education by going to Auburn.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
