The Traditions Council of SGA reintroduced a classic touch to the famous orange tiger paw of Toomer’s Corner this week with the addition of a blue “AU” emblem to its center.
After a setback due to weather conditions and miscommunication, the process began at 11 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, when the Auburn Police Department blocked off traffic through the intersection so that members of SGA and the Alpha Phi Omega service organization, as well as several volunteers, could begin the annual tiger paw touch-up.
“It is always best to paint them at night because there is typically less traffic, but this year was pushed all the way back until 11 p.m. at the request of the police,” said SGA Director of Traditions Billy Walick, a senior in actuarial science with minors in finance and economics. “We didn’t have too much of a say in that.”
They began by refinishing the orange paint of the paw and continued their task with the use of a new stencil that required several volunteers to act as a paperweight by standing on top to hold it down as others painted around them.
According to Walick, the new stencils were an idea that the Traditions Council came up with last semester.
“We actually were not aware of the older stencils and that an ‘AU’ had once been painted downtown,” Walick said. “After further inquiry, we discovered the wooden stencils were still in possession but were missing several key pieces, making them practically useless.”
Walick said the Traditions Council drew inspiration from the old and damaged stencil and began the process of acquiring a new one in order to update the renovation procedure.
According to Director of Student Involvement Corey Edwards, the stencil was last used in 2008.
Although Toomer’s Corner is the only paw exhibiting the “AU” emblem, other large orange tiger paws were painted at the intersections of Samford and Donahue and Heisman and Donahue.
Walick said he was honored to be involved with the tiger paw painting for the first time and that the undertaking took his Auburn experience to another level. He said he recommends all Auburn students to volunteer next year and enjoy with fellow peers.
Although no one was technically in charge, the procedure took place through the students’ combined efforts while graduate assistants and advisers stood by to oversee.
“A little cliché, but it was a team effort with everyone helping out and offering ideas,” Walick said. “It’s a really great example of the Auburn family coming together for the betterment of Auburn.”
Another team of approximately 40 SGA summer Cabinet members previously met June 19 to paint smaller tiger paws along Donahue, from Kinnucan’s to the stadium.
One sophomore summer Cabinet member, Kealon Drake, said that he had an unexpectedly good time working with his friends and that the two-hour volunteer project was completed faster than he had expected.
“Everyone made it fun and before we knew it, we were on the last paw,” Drake said.
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