This year’s Plainsman’s Choice for best tradition is no surprise; it is the tradition of rolling the trees at Toomer’s Corner.
There are people who say that being an Auburn fan takes a lot of heart and can be turbulent, but every time there is a big Auburn win, those wins get so much sweeter when the student body takes part in the tradition of grabbing a roll of toilet paper and heading up to the corner.
The history of how the Auburn student body started rolling the trees at Toomer's is not totally clear. What we do know is that the tradition started at some point during the 1970s.
The most popular theory up to this point is that it stems from a quote by former running back Terry Henley, who before the Iron Bowl said, “we’re going to beat the number two out of Alabama.”
This theory does not clearly point to why the toilet paper is being thrown in trees, but it makes it very clear why toilet paper is still being used. Regardless of how this tradition came onto the Plains, it is not going away. At the height of its popularity in the fall during football season, the white covering the trees has become Auburn’s iconic substitution for snow.
According to Gaines Jackson, senior in nursing, the tradition of rolling Toomer's is special because she’s been able to do it both with her family for football and with her friends throughout college for every other win.
“I just became, even more, a part of the tradition because I have been able to do it with my family and my friends,” she said.
Auburn has become a way to link many families generationally, and the rolling of Toomer's is no exception. Students have been rolling the corner since the 70s, and future students will continue to carry on the tradition well into the 21st century.
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Junior double-majoring with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in History
