In 1943, George Petrie wrote the Auburn Creed. That same creed has become a rally cry for Auburn students and a unifying force each year when Creed Day rolls around.
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, stations were set up throughout Auburn’s campus, each one highlighting a section of the Auburn Creed. At these stations — located on Haley Concourse, The Edge Dining Hall, Cater Lawn and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering — snacks, copies of the creed and special guests were present.
Creed Day, which is put on yearly by SGA, has become a day that many look forward to, especially those who are tasked with putting it on.
Director of Creed Day for SGA Lily Grace Thome, sophomore in public relations, said that this day has been in preparation for some time, and she hoped to see the work of her and those around her truly pay off.
“My team and I have been working super hard to make this day perfect this year,” Thome said. “To me, this day is one of the ways that we can see the Auburn family. We talk about the Auburn family, but it’s days like today where it’s actually tangible, and you can see it and feel it.”
Thome also said her favorite part of Creed Day was all the special guests who were going to their stations. Among those were therapy dogs and Auburn’s own Aubie the Tiger.
Creed Day’s Assistant Director Forrest Ann Watson, sophomore in industrial and systems engineering, said she valued this day because she enjoys spreading the creed to others. She felt the creed embodied what Auburn is and wanted all who stopped by to learn and know it.
“My favorite part of Creed Day is just being able to share the creed,” Watson said. “I feel like people don’t really know the lines and what they mean, so I think it’s just special to share the lines of the creed to the Auburn family.”
She also said this was a special day for Auburn because the creed should be a guiding light for Auburn students. Through living out the creed, students can show others what it means to “Be the Creed,” a phrase that was commonly used throughout the day.
With many who helped host Creed Day, a spotlight was placed on Auburn’s student body. Many students all throughout campus could feel what it meant to live out the creed, including Michael Floyd, junior in journalism.
“The creed is a standard that I strive to live up to,” Floyd said. “It was written way before my time here, but it remains just as important [today] as it did then. The Creed is a great example for many members of the Auburn family, young and old.”
Others were also feeling the impact of Creed Day, with Jackson Smith, junior in human development and family sciences, noting that this day was about the people—students, fans, alumni and anyone who truly loves Auburn.
Smith, having served on the Creed Day team last year, said he admired those who had contributed to the University before him and who strived to live by the same principles he did, those principles listed in the Auburn Creed.
“Hearing why people love something makes you love it more,” Smith said. “I think Auburn is the best school in the country, personally, and students are Auburn love Auburn more than most students love their universities, which is pretty unique to our campus.”
Elizabeth Eickholt, freshman in architecture and member of SGA’s Freshman Forum, worked The Edge Dining Hall station. Her reason for doing so came down to her desire to share the Auburn Creed with her fellow students and wanting them to embody each line.
“Creed Day is a chance for Auburn students to come together and share their passion for Auburn and what makes Auburn so great and so amazing,” Eickholt said. “It’s a great way to focus on our community as Auburn students.”
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Tucker Massey, junior in journalism, is the content editor for The Auburn Plainsman.
