I Am the Face of Auburn

I did not grow up in Alabama....I did not grow up with the Auburn/Alabama rivalry.  I am not a huge football fan....honestly...I am not a football fan at all.....yet, I love Auburn University.....and I love the Univeristy of Alabama too.  One of my favorite mind photos in the whole world is Sanford Hall at Auburn University.  It is tradition, it is history, it is special.  I am a graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery and attended enough classes at Auburn, main campus to be in love with it.  It is special to me and many other Auburn graduates.....just as special as Denny Chimes in Tuscaloosa (where I also went to school.)  Today I am talking about Auburn....more specifically....the 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.

The Auburn Creed

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.  (I work hard and for those of you who believe that teachers only work for 3 months of vacation you are dead wrong.  I work late at night preparing for my students so I can give them the best education possible.  I attend workshops and conferences to stay on top of what is new in the field of education.  I work during the summer....which by the way is only 2 months for us....we start at the beginning of August and get out at the end of May.  By mid-July I have the first terms pacing chart done and copies for the first few days of school run.  I do NOT fly by the seat of my pants when I teach.  I am prepared....I want to be the very best in my profession.....and I want to make a difference in the lives of my kids.) I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully. (I hold a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Auburn Montgomery.  I worked hard for it and my education did not stop just because I graduated.  I attend workshops and inservices every year to keep on top of the changes in education....it is important to me....and to the students.  I did not major in Underwater Basket Weaving...or Cows.  I majored in English, Spanish, Sociology, and Shakepeare.  I loved school and would still be there if someone would pay me to do just that....learn.  I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.  (I am what I am...no more...no less.  I was raised by parents who believed that in order to be treated with respect you had to be honest and truthful and believe you me....the times in my life when I was dishonest and lied....I paid dearly.  It truly is easier to tell the truth and face the consequences....then tell a lie and lose respect.) I believe in a sound mind, a sound body, and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.  ( I don't always take care of myself physically but I do know it is important.  I have a spirit of adventure and love to explore places I have never been before.) I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.  (I believe that laws were made for a reason and we should follow those laws.  I want everyone to follow them.  Just think what a wonderful world this would be if people did just that.  There would be no shootings, no drugs, no mean people period.) I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.  (I have told you before that I am a touchy feely person.  I like to touch....I like to be touched.  I believe that a hug is one of the best medicines around and many of my fellow faculty members some and see me on bad days just so I will hug them.) I believe in my country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."  (I am proud of this country.  I am proud to be an American.  That does not mean that I like everything that goes on....but when I see old Glory unfurled and waving in the wind I can cry.  When the National Anthem is sung I cry.  When our troops walk through my line at the airport headed for Iraq....I cry.  yep....I love being an American.....and I love being a Christian American even more.) And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.  War Eagle!  Happy Tuesday!

Dreams of The University of the South

One of my favorite southern places to go is Sewanee: The University of the South. It is the home of one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges, a School of Letters, and a seminary of the Episcopal Church. When I graduated from high school, almost 40 years ago, it was one of my three choices of colleges I planned to attend. The other two were UCLA and University of Appalachia in Boone, NC. When I realized my choices were not going to happen I moved on to lesser choices like Andrews College in Cuthbert, GA. I attended Palm Beach Junior College (loving named Peanut Butter and Jelly College)for two years and then eventually graduated from Auburn University. I got a good education. I did things the hard way...and before I was able to finish all four years of college I was married and had children....so I never did the soro life, never lived on campus, I commuted. I am notorious for doing everything the hard way, so college was no exception. I studied after my kids went to bed, never missed a little league game, never missed a child pick up or cupcakes delivery...I did it all.

This college,known simply as "Sewanee" by the students, faculty, staff, travelers, and friends, offers an unmatched educational experience. The University remains purposefully small and dedicated to building a sense of community. All of the classes are taught by professors, not graduate teaching assistants, and close faculty-student interaction ensures that each student enjoys a rich and personal educational experience. It is not unusual for students and faculty members to work shoulder to shoulder on research projects and journal articles, to meet for coffee at a local eatery, or to serve together as members of the University orchestra, volunteer fire department, and other civic groups. This campus is in a very small rural area.

The University can boast of 25 Rhodes Scholars--a number that puts Sewanee in the top four nationally among American liberal arts colleges--as well as 26 NCAA Postgraduate Fellows, 36 Watson Fellows, and dozens of Fulbright Scholars, and has an acceptance rate to graduate and professional schools that far outpaces its peers. The School of Theology has added to its alumni ranks countless bishops, including three of the last four presiding bishops of the Episcopal Church.

At Sewanee you can chose from 36 majors, 27 minors, and 15 special programs, along with pre-medicine, pre-nursing, pre-law, and pre-business. More than 40 percent of students participate in study-abroad programs, and a comprehensive endowed program that provides financial support for summer internships has greatly strengthened career development for undergraduates.

Why was I drawn to this school? Well, the University sits atop the Cumberland Plateau between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sewanee's physical environment, which includes the 13,000-acre Domain (as the campus and surrounding area is known), provides a remarkable academic and recreational resource, and an unparalleled place in which to study and reflect. It invites students to engage in both a multitude of outdoor activities and careful study of the natural environment. I have always been drawn to the Appalachians. I used to dream of being a teacher like the one in the Catherine Marshall book, "Christy." I could see myself teaching grades 1-6 in a small one room school house hidden somewhere in the mountains....prime example of Karen's movie life. I also envision myself busting out into song at the right moment. Where is that reality check?

Anyways, I love the classrooms, they look like something straight out of Oxford or Cambridge in England...and reek of "Dead Poet's Society." But the thing that I love the most about the campus is the huge cross I discovered on the side of the mountain. As I was driving down a rural road in the area the sun broke through the shade of the trees and there it was...and I just had to capture the moment. It was a reminder to me that no matter where you travel...God is there. I am living proof that God has a plan for you...and it does not matter what YOUR plans were...God has a way of working them to his advantage. Remind me to tell you the story of Juliard someday...living proof that God exists.

Ode to Edna Rivers Duggar

I was part of the Sunbelt Writers Project during the summer of 1992. It seems like a bizzillion years ago....and I guess in the grand scheme of things it was. It has been 17 years. I was cleaning out a closet at school and found our complilation of writings. Several of mine made me smile....a couple made me laugh out loud....but the following one....left me feeling odd. I wrote about a lady in the cemetary, from the information on her tombstone....someone I never met....and yet...I hope someday someone will be able to speak so of me.

Edna Rivers Duggar

Poet-Author-Artist

My life was like a book, each day a different page. The daily doings that I lived were my expressions found in my poetry and my canvas creations.

I met my husband in Auburn. We were both just starting out. We courted through our education, burning our candles at both ends. We married soon after graduation and began our life's journey together. I vowed to stay his wife until death....and death had the final say.

My life was so full of love and beauty that I couldn't keep it all inside so I started to write it all down and share it. A friend once read a poem I had written for my child. We sent it off to New York and a reluctant author I became. I put my whole life on canvas and page. I bared my sould for all to see.

At my death lives a legacy, left inside my friends, the book and the painting. They made my life full.