Auburn University traditions Auburn University has several notable traditions , many related to its varsity team s , the Auburn Tigers . Creed and songs . Auburn University has a creed , an alma mater , and a fight song . Auburn Creed . In 1945 , Auburn professor George Petrie wrote a creed which grew to become a unifying set of beliefs and principles common to all Auburn students , faculty , and alumni . This creed is said to embody the spirit of Auburn and is reflected in every member of the Auburn family . " Alma mater " . Auburn ' s " alma mater " was composed by Bill Wood in 1924 , with revision to its lyrics by Emma O ' Rear Foy in 1960 . The 1960 changes became necessary when the Alabama Legislature granted university status to what had been known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute . The author of the 1960 revision was unclear until 2000 , when Auburn professor Dale Coleman discovered the author to be Foy , wife of former Dean of Students James Foy . Both were University of Alabama alumni who later became boosters of Auburn . < poem > On the rolling plains of Dixie ' Neath its sun - kissed sky , Proudly stands our " Alma Mater " Banners high . To thy name we ' ll sing thy praise , From hearts that love so true , And pledge to thee our loyalty The ages through . We hail thee , Auburn , and we vow To work for thy just fame , And hold in memory as we do now Thy cherished name . Hear the student voices swelling , Echoes strong and clear , Adding laurels to thy fame Enshrined so dear . From the hollowed walls we ' ll part , And bid thee sad adieu ; Thy sacred trust we ' ll bear with us The ages through . We hail thee , Auburn , and we vow To work for thy just fame , And hold in memory as we do now Thy cherished name . < / poem > Fight song . Auburn University ' s fight song , " War Eagle " , was written in 1954 and 1955 by Robert Allen and Al Stillman . It was introduced at the beginning of the 1955 football season and served as the official fight song ever since . < poem > War Eagle , fly down the field ! Ever to conquer , never to yield . War Eagle , fearless and true , Fight on you orange and blue . Go ! Go ! Go ! On to vict ' ry , strike up the band ! Give ' em hell , give ' em hell , Stand up and yell , hey ! War Eagle , win for Auburn , Power of Dixie land ! < / poem > The carillon in the Samford Hall clock tower play the fight song every day at noon . Game - day traditions . A - Day . Each spring , a Founder ' s Day celebration is held in Auburn . As part of this celebration , the football team plays a scrimmage game that gives Auburn fans a chance to preview the Tigers before the fall . Tiger Walk . Two hours before the kickoff of each Auburn home football game , thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from the Auburn Athletic Complex to Jordan - Hare Stadium . The tradition began in the 1960s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs . During his tenure , coach Doug Barfield urged fans to come out and support the team , and thousands did , including the person responsible for starting this tradition : John Mugnier . Today the team , led by the coaches , walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk . To date , the largest Tiger Walk occurred on December 2 , 1989 , before the first ever home football game against rival Alabama — the Iron Bowl . On that day , an estimated 20 , 000 fans packed the one block section of road leading to the stadium . According to former athletic director David Housel , Tiger Walk has become " the most copied tradition in all of college football . " Toomer ' s Corner . The intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn , which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus , is known as Toomer ' s Corner . It is named for businessman and State Senator Sheldon " Shel " Toomer who founded Toomer ' s Drugs on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in 1896 , and helped to found the Bank of Auburn in 1907 . Toomer ' s Drugs is a small business on the corner that has been an Auburn landmark for over 130 years . Hanging over the corner are two massive old - growth oak trees , and whenever there is cause for celebration in the Auburn community , the trees are festooned with toilet paper . Also known as " rolling the corner " or " rolling Toomer ' s , " this tradition is said to have begun when Toomer ' s Drugs had the only telegraph in the city . During away football games , when employees of the local drug store received news of a win , they would throw the ticker tape from the telegraph on to the power lines . The rolling of oak trees has been a tradition since at least the early 1980 ' s . Mainly used as a way to celebrate football victories , in recent years it has become a way to celebrate anything good that happens concerning Auburn . The Student Government Association worked with the City of Auburn to bring pep rallies on the plains back to Toomer ' s Corner during football season . On January 27 , 2011 a caller to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network who identified himself as " Al from Dadeville " claimed to have poisoned the oaks at Toomer ' s Corner with Spike 80DF , a potent commercial herbicide containing tebuthiuron . Subsequent soil tests showed high concentrations of the poison around the trees , which are not expected to survive . Some concern about the possibility of the poison affecting groundwater has also been voiced . After an investigation , Auburn city police arrested Harvey Updyke Jr . , a 62 - year - old man from Dadeville and charged him with class C criminal mischief ( a felony ) . Aubie . Birmingham artist Phil Neel first drew the cartoon tiger Aubie in the late 1950s . From 1958 through 1976 , Aubie was featured on the cover of all of Auburn ’ s home football game programs . In 1979 , James Lloyd , spirit director for the Auburn Student Government Association , brought Aubie to life when he ordered a man - sized Tiger costume based upon the cartoon and wore it to the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament . Barry Mask became the first official Aubie in 1979 - 80 . Aubie won a sixth Universal Cheerleaders ' Association mascot championship in January 2006 . Aubie was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame on August 15 , 2006 . He was part of the first group of three collegiate mascots inducted . " War Eagle " . The Auburn University battle cry is " War Eagle " . It originated as an expression of support of Auburn ' s athletic teams , but today is also commonly used as a greeting between members of the Auburn community . The cry is yelled in unison by spectators for kickoffs of football games and tip - offs of basketball games . In 1930 , Auburn gained a live golden eagle mascot , known as the " War Eagle " . War Eagle VI , also known as " Tiger , " recently had her last flight at the 2006 Auburn vs . Georgia game . Today , the seventh War Eagle , nicknamed " Nova " , lives at a raptor center on the Auburn campus , and is featured before football games by a flight in which the eagle circles the stadium before landing at mid - field . " Sports Illustrated " ranks Tiger as the 7th best mascot in college sports . Auburn University ’ s website states that the most popular version of the “ War Eagle ” story dates back to 1892 when Auburn and Georgia met for the first time on the football field . The story tells of a Civil War veteran and his pet eagle he had found on a battlefield and rescued . During the game , the eagle soared into the sky over their field as the Auburn football team simultaneously charged the Georgia end zone and achieved their first , exhilarating win over Georgia . After the Tigers ’ victory , the eagle suddenly nose - dived , crashed into the field and died . But the “ War Eagle ” lived on in the hearts and spirits of proud Auburn fans everywhere . Wreck Tech Pajama Parade . The Wreck Tech Pajama Parade originated in 1896 , when a group of mischievous Auburn cadets , determined to show up the more well - known engineers from Georgia Tech , sneaked out of their dorms the night before the football game between Auburn and Tech and greased the railroad tracks . According to the story , the train carrying the Georgia Tech team slid through town and didn ' t stop until it was halfway to the neighboring town of Loachapoka , Alabama , The Georgia Tech team was forced to walk the five miles back to Auburn and , not surprisingly , was weary at the end of their journey , likely contributing to their subsequent 45 – 0 loss . While the railroad long ago ceased to be the way teams traveled to Auburn and students never greased the tracks again , the tradition continued through 1988 in the form of a parade through downtown Auburn , as students paraded through the streets in their pajamas and organizations built floats . This tradition was recently renewed in 2003 and 2005 , when Georgia Tech returned to Auburn ' s schedule after nearly two decades of absence . The Auburn University Marching Band . Founded in 1897 , the band has long performed at school football games and pep rallies . The band was awarded the 2004 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy , the nation ' s highest award for college and university marching bands . The Auburn University Marching Band marched in the United States Presidential Inaugural Parade ( for President George W . Bush ) in 2005 . In 2006 , the Auburn University Marching Band had over 375 members , the largest in Auburn University history . The Auburn University Marching Band performed on January 15 , 2007 at the Alabama Governor ' s Inaugural Parade in Montgomery and in 2008 in the St . Patrick ’ s Day Parades in Limerick and Dublin , Ireland . The Tiger Eyes are the " visual ensemble " of the Auburn University Marching Band . The Tiger Eyes are composed of three distinct lines — flags , majorettes , and dancers — that feature complementary choreography . The three lines work for one common visual effect as one ensemble . Tiger Eyes are selected by individual auditions . Other traditions . Callouts . Callouts is a tradition in which members of one of Auburn ' s many organizations will stand on the back steps of Cater Hall and " call out " the new members of the organization . After being " called out , " new members traditionally run up the steps and join the other new members inside Cater Hall . The Student Government Association , Student Recruiters , and Camp War Eagle are just a few of the organizations that participate in the tradition . It is typical for friends and family of the candidates to attend callouts in support . Hey Day . Hey Day is a tradition that takes place in both the fall and spring semesters . Started in the 1950s , Hey Day is a day dedicated to promoting friendliness on Auburn ' s campus . Students , faculty , and staff wear name tags and say " hey " to those they pass . There is also free food for students and entertainment provided by various campus performance groups . Foy Information Desk . The Foy Information Desk is a telephone and walk - in information service provided by the university and is hosted in the new Student Union building . The service has been in continuous operation since the 1950s . At one time , the service was available 24 hours a day , but now is available from 6 am to midnight Central Standard Time . The Foy Information Desk service was initially designed as a resource for Auburn students who were looking for course information , grades , or campus services , but now accepts calls from the general public . In November 2007 , Matt Lauer from the " Today Show " placed a call to Foy . The call was part of a feature in " O Magazine " called " Phone numbers that can change your life . "