Editorial: Those who love Auburn should not trash it

In Dr. George Petrie’s Auburn Creed, Auburn men and women believe in Auburn, and love it.

That said, the Auburn men and women responsible for littering the university before and after last Saturday’s soggy football game with West Virginia should examine their loyalty to the school they cheer for at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn is far more than a football team in blue or white jerseys.

It is an institution of higher learning, the place where thousands of young minds develop their professional skills and prepare themselves for the rest of their lives.

To many, Auburn is a sacred place, and those who love it treat it as such. They leave it just the way, or better, than they found it.

But evidenced by widespread garbage — bottles, cans, napkins, wrecked tent infrastructures, etc. — it is clear that some who wear the orange and blue do not have the proper respect for the university they claim to honor or their fellow fans by trashing the grounds many hold so dear.

Tailgating is difficult, if not impossible, to do without causing a little trash. That’s why it’s imperative that all fans who make a mess take the time to clean that mess. Fill your plastic garbage bags and put them in the proper dumpster.

If a dumpster is not available, then that is something that must be taken up with Auburn officials who desire clean landscapes.

Even if the grounds are wet and the game doesn’t end until after 11 p.m., like last week, that is no excuse for fans not cleaning their tailgating spots.

Fans who act responsibly should be lauded for their patronage and respect.

It is sad that a few bad apples who choose to trash an otherwise beautiful campus cast a negative shadow over everyone.

Over the years, more and more restrictions have been placed on tailgating around the university.

Officials realize the university is much more than an overflow parking lot with grills, tents and lawn chairs. If fans want to continue to have the privilege of spending football Saturdays on campus, barbecuing with friends and meeting new ones, then it’s time they don’t turn the lawns into landfills.

If you believe in Auburn and love it.

Then, by all means, don’t trash it.