Auburn University students paint famous tiger paw prints

Police strobe lights flashed across a crowd of people. Sirens whooped. Somebody shouted.

“OK, who needs paint?”

Every summer, Auburn University students wielding paintbrushes and rollers paint by night to refresh the famous orange paw prints on downtown streets and intersections.

It might look like a giant tiger stepped in wet paint and took a stroll, but those welcoming prints are a lot of work - and a lot of fun.

“It’s become a tradition,” said SGA President Lauren Hayes, sporting a reflective orange vest.

The streets have to be closed, so the asphalt art usually starts at 10 p.m. Tuesday night it lasted well past 1 a.m.

“Visitors are happy to see them, especially alumni,” Hayes said. “When people come for games, we get a lot of compliments. It’s just really fun.”

The SGA organizes the event, but students enrolled in summer classes and Camp War Eagle counselors pick up brushes, too.

This was pre-med sophomore Megan Grantham’s first year to paint.

“(It’s a chance to) give back to Auburn,” she said. “It’s a great way to show spirit.”

Justin Neisler, a junior studying cellular molecular biology, nodded.

“And every time you drive by it, you can say, ‘I painted that,’” Neisler said.

Farther down Donahue Drive, Kendall Mercer, a junior in secondary math education, chatted with friends on their way to the next paw print. This was her first year painting, too.

“It’s a really great tradition,” she said. “And being part of the SGA, especially, you want to give back to the campus and the community.”

Kyle Bradberry, a junior in accounting, and Matt Nunnelly, a senior in animal science, heard about the opportunity at the last minute and joined in.

“I think this is a pretty cool thing to do,” Bradberry said. “I never knew how they got painted. I always assumed it was city stuff. I think it’s cool the students do it.”

The paw painting is also a chance to have some fun and hang out with friends, junior business major Matt Nelson said.

“(Painting the paws) is not something you get to do during the year,” he said. “It’s a fun way to catch up with people over the summer.”

| 737-2574