(Here is an article I wrote while on staff for The Glomerata. Each article was reviewed by a copy editor on staff.)
Auburn University celebrates nothing better than tradition. "War Eagle" is substituted as a polite greeting, the Auburn Seal is marked as untouchable territory and Toomer's Corner is rolled after every Auburn football victory; all are unwritten laws of Auburn. The Auburn family grounds many actions on what has been established in the past, and each of these traditions have their own meanings and reasons behind them. However, there is one tradition that seems to hold up the rest: The Auburn Creed.
The Auburn Creed establishes a set of beliefs each Auburn man and woman stands by and is recorded as one of Auburn's most sacred doctrines. The Creed not only defines what Auburn people should be, but instills values such as hard work, kindness, honesty and a mutual helpfulness. Written in 1943 by Auburn's first football coach George Petrie, the Creed has lived on through years of Auburn commitment and tradition. Petrie is recognized most famously as the author of the Creed but was also the coach that defeated the University of Georgia in 1892 in the first college football game played in the Deep South. He was also a loyal faculty member that served for 53 years, first as a professor and later as dean of the graduate school. Because of his dedication and love for Auburn, Petrie wrote the Auburn Creed to express his hopes for the future of the University.
This year, Auburn is celebrating the Creed's seventy-fifth anniversary. The university is asking Auburn men and women how the Creed has impacted their lives. Megan Waguespack, serving her second year as a Student Recruiter, always shows prospective students and their families the Creed during her tours. Waguespack recalls, "Parents and students are usually so impressed with the Creed. It's one of the unique things about Auburn that families always notice and remember. I love telling them about how we strive to live it out and celebrate it, especially during our Creed Week." Waguespack believes, 'The Creed stands for everything that l know the Auburn family to be. It's one of the many things that made Auburn stand apart from all of the other schools that I toured. It also makes me feel connected to everyone who calls Auburn home. The Creed is something I will carry with me beyond my four years here on campus."
Along with Waguespack, many other students agree the Creed is one of the many reasons Auburn felt like a home away from home. Petrie's words, 75 years later, are a timeless reminder that Auburn's focus is never-changing. Likewise, Auburn men and women will always have these words to act as a foundation for their lives. This is why they believe in Auburn and love it.
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