Auburn University Polling The Public About What To Do With Toomer's

[AUChizad]

http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks_feedback.html

Your Input is Needed Regarding
the Rolling Toomer's Corner Tradition


As a member of the Auburn Family, your input is important to us as we try to ensure that the beloved tradition of rolling Toomer's Corner is preserved. We do not yet know what will happen with the trees themselves; the input we request is for long-term consideration. Below are options being considered by the Committee to Determine the Future of Rolling Toomer's Corner*. These are the most popular suggestions based on input received this past year from the campus, alumni, students, faculty and staff, the larger community, and around the nation. After you have read the information below, submit your ideas to rolling@auburn.edu.


Option 1: Replant small oak trees in the same location as the current trees, which eventually will grow large enough for future generations to roll (see below for more information about timing).

Option 2:  Replant one or two very large oak trees, which could be rolled within a few years of the roots taking hold (see below for more information about timing and requirements).

Option 3:  Move the rolling tradition to the intersection of Toomer's Corner (its original location) by building a professionally-designed, permanent structure conducive to rolling, which would become part of the village atmosphere downtown (see below for requirements).

Option 4: Design an artificial tree or sculpture to replace the current oaks as a permanent option.

Option 5: Combine any of the above options (see below).

Additional suggestions welcomed.


Considerations/supplemental information to assist you with feedback:

Size of tree: A large tree as referenced here would range from roughly 10 to 25 inches in diameter but could be larger; trees this size could have root balls 10 or more feet in diameter. A "small" tree would be roughly 3 to 5 inches in diameter and could have root ball up to 40 inches.

Requirements for new trees: A large tree would typically require three to five years to establish a strong root base. A guy-wire system would be required to hold a large tree in place, which would delay rolling trees for three to five years due to safety issues.

Impact of Spike 80DF: It takes five to seven years for Spike 80DF (the herbicide used in the attempt to kill the trees) to degrade. To plant large trees sooner would require completely removing all pavers, the brick gateway and soil from the corner. A small tree would take several years to grow roots long enough to reach the areas of soil still containing herbicide, requiring less excavation and allowing time for the herbicide in the soil to degrade.

"Combination of any of the above": You can suggest a combination of any of the options given – for example, planting smaller seedlings to replace the oaks if they die while also building an 'iconic' structure at the intersection, or planting a large oak tree and building a permanent structure, etc.

Cleaning method: The university will not be able to invest in cleaning the trees (or any new trees) by hand indefinitely, due to the extensive cost in doing so; the current hand-cleaning method is in place only temporarily in an effort to save the trees, as it is more gentle than hosing.

Structure requirements: Any permanent structure put in place at the corner would be required to complement/enhance the downtown "village" atmosphere and historic corner, while being safe and conducive to rolling; designs would be submitted by professionals based on these requirements.

Timing: Work on a more permanent structure can begin immediately, as we await the fate of the trees. Landscaping for the trees area itself would occur at a later date.

Type of tree: The current Toomer's trees are "live oaks," which are native to sandy soils in the coastal plains from Virginia to the Florida Keys and west to east-central Texas. Live oak is borderline cold-hardy in the Auburn area and typically much shorter-lived than live oaks growing in their native area. Marginal cold-hardiness coupled with additional stresses from traffic, pollution and concrete surroundings are not conducive to the survival of live oaks. Originally, when the oaks first took root, most of these conditions did not exist and they were able to survive. Therefore the committee, informed by the Toomer's Trees Task Force,* determined that if the trees die, a hardy, native oak species should replace the live oaks.

Funding: The purpose of your feedback is to hear input from the Auburn Family; costs and funding options will be determined once the best solution is determined.


Historical background
No one is certain the exact year Toomer's Corner began to be "rolled," but we do know it began with the printing off of "ticker tape" containing all the football scores at Toomer's Drugs. When a winning Auburn score came off on the tape, the tape would then be thrown around the corner. Eventually, the ticker tape changed to toilet paper, and it was the full corner (the intersection of Magnolia and College) that was rolled. The earliest the live oaks themselves were rolled may have been in the 1970s (these photographs featured on The War Eagle Reader are from 1972) – and shows the trees in the background, unrolled, and the intersection festooned with toilet paper. Eventually, the wires at the intersection were replaced with poles, and the rolling celebration migrated to the trees.

*The Committee to Determine the Future of Rolling Toomer's Corner was appointed by the president and is comprised of members of the campus and city communities, including alumni, city officials, students, horticulturists, faculty and engineers. The Toomer's Trees Task Force is the group of faculty experts from horticulture, agronomy, forestry, and chemistry (among others) that has been working tirelessly to save our trees.

[Kaos]

Option 6:  Use Updkye for fertilizer. 


Opposed to 3 or 4. 

[chinook]

option 2 gets my vote.  planting a different oak species would be a suitable option; however, selecting a live oak originating from a hardy seed source or a known hardy culitvar would be a bonus.

[Saniflush]

2.

I'll burn this mutha down if 3 or 4 happen.

Sorry I just have too much Auburn in me.

[The Prowler]

Option 6 Plastic Oak Trees...kinda like the plastic Christmas trees where you can take the limbs off. It would make the clean up that much more gooder.

[djsimp]

Option 2 then, with a great deal of patience, option 1.

[CCTAU]

I had suggested that an artificial structure be built to surround new oak trees until they were strong/old enough to handle the job. The Oak trees could be planted inside a fenced in structure that would have "fake" trees at each corner that could be rolled. As the trees get bigger, the structure could be adjusted. This would protect the trees and give the fans something to roll in order to keep the tradition alive. Eventually the fake structure would be removed. This could be done using option 2, as this would only require a fake structure for a short while.


Maybe something like this:

http://image08.webshots.com/8/4/89/57/131348957xvjRVF_ph.jpg

[AUChizad]

I had suggested that an artificial structure be built to surround new oak trees until they were strong/old enough to handle the job. The Oak trees could be planted inside a fenced in structure that would have "fake" trees at each corner that could be rolled. As the trees get bigger, the structure could be adjusted. This would protect the trees and give the fans something to roll in order to keep the tradition alive. Eventually the fake structure would be removed. This could be done using option 2, as this would only require a fake structure for a short while.

That's actually the best idea I've heard yet. Don't know the specifics of how they'd do that, but I like the idea. Submit that shit.

Option 2 seems like the only real solution to me, but waiting 5 years to roll it will suck. Will we have an alternate temporary "new" Toomer's corner? Are there some trees on the corner of College and Miller or Samford?

[Tiger Wench]

I know a lot of y'all are opposed to artificial trees - and I understand why, and I would love real oak trees too - but I have this vision of this MASSIVE bronze metal tree, towering over everything, sculpted to look just like a huge live oak.  Not some artsy fartsy impressionistic or abstract thing, but a freaking HUGE bronze oak tree, with limbs and individual leaves.  Perfect for rolling, perfect for cleanup, impervious to anything other than a fucktard with a blowtorch.

It's just a suggestion - it is not the same, but then again, I wonder if it will ever be the same again...

[Tiger Wench]

Obviously David Housel disagrees with me. 

There is apparently some idea or proposal going around that we should put artificial trees or, worse, metallic treelike sculptures at Toomer’s Corner. That cockamamie idea sounds like something dreamed up by a well-meaning fan of another school trying to be helpful or a member of Academe, either way someone who doesn’t understand what Auburn is all about.

Artificial trees or metal trees at Toomer’s Corner? Bah. Humbug.

I take slight umbrage with his "You don't understand what Auburn is all about" line, but whatever...  He should have told me to go read the Creed... same thing. 

My opinion.

My issue is the thought of the poison in the soil.  Watching new trees die too would break my heart. 

[Saniflush]

Obviously David Housel disagrees with me. 
My issue is the thought of the poison in the soil.  Watching new trees die too would break my heart.

Two words.....

Soil Abatement.

[Godfather]

I wonder if it will ever be the same again...

It isn't and that truthfully is what sucks about what this asshole did, and that's what outsiders will never understand.  Its about the trees but it is so much more than that, what he robbed from us and further generations.  I wish I could spike his ass.

[AUTiger1]

It isn't and that truthfully is what sucks about what this asshole did, and that's what outsiders will never understand.  Its about the trees but it is so much more than that, what he robbed from us and further generations.  I wish I could spike his ass.

^^This^^.

Unless some new larger trees are planted that can be rolled in 5 years or so, I fear this will not be a tradition, that I have had the privilege to take a part of, that I won't be able to share with mini-AUT1.   Even then, it will still not be the same.

[AWK]

If the trees are dead and don't blossom in the Spring, I say we give them a parting gift by tying the motherfucker to the dead trees and setting them ablaze. 

[Buzz Killington]

I think option 2 would be the only way the tradition will soon be "back to normal".  Obviously, it will never be the same for us old folks, but if they can plant a couple of larger oaks; within 20 years they will be somewhat close in size to what has been there.