# Rabid Fan Poisons Rival School's 130 year old Trees



## dancingalone (Feb 17, 2011)

For those who don't know, the University of Alabama and Auburn University are bitter in-state rivals.

A bit shocking that the suspect is a retired state trooper.  You'd think he would know better if he is indeed guilty.


http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/11441760-Arrest-in-Auburn-poisoned-oaks-case

http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html


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## Omar B (Feb 17, 2011)

LOL.  Ok, in all seriousness it sucks that they did that.  They went too far.

But I gotta admit, that's a pretty sweet prank.  These guys when caught will be like legends.  This is some Animal House level pranking.

All my college pranks involved streaking and screwing with the school PA system.  "What's that?  No I don't know how to shut off the Kiss playing in all the buildings."


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## LuckyKBoxer (Feb 17, 2011)

This is really upsetting.
I am not an Auburn Fan or an Alabama fan, as a matter of fact I am an LSU and USC fan.
but still this pile of crap took it on himself to destroy, kill a part of history for thousands and thousands of people.
These Oaks are part of a celebratory tradition for students of this school going back a long time.
I dont consider this a prank.
Its not a prank, he killed the trees, they cant be saved.
130 year old oaks are not easily replaced either.
the traditions are going to be gone.
I would be fine with them just locking this guy up for life. Obviously his own bitterness is worth more then tens of thousands of other peoples happiness.
A good prank would have been something that can be undone but is permanent enough and big enough to make a statement and be noticed, but cause no long term harm.
this saddens me.


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## Flea (Feb 17, 2011)

When I went to Penn State, we had a tradition of "guarding the lion" after a visiting team spray-painted the beloved statue with latex-based paint of the team's colors in 1966.  It washed off easily, and Joe Paterno's wife and a friend cheerfully confessed after the fact that they did it to stoke PSU school spirit.  It worked way beyond their expectations.  To this day, 45 years later, Guarding The Lion is a cherished Homecoming ritual with lots of beer, dancing, and general merry-making.

_That's_ how school rivalries are done.

This guy is just an *******, and an embarrassment to his alma mater..  I think that, at best, there's a great opportunity for the two schools to come together and form a new tradition of tree-planting or something.  He should be forced to pay major restitution to the University, and do community service to the Arbor Day Foundation. :angry:


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 17, 2011)

There is something wrong with people who do stuff like this.  I'm not sure it rises to the level of a national crisis, but it still sucks that people would even think of doing things like this.

Where I went to college, we had a century-old tree in our 'quad' that the new school addition had actually been built to go around rather than uproot it.  One year at Christmas break, someone cut it down and then topped the last ten feet or so, apparently for a Christmas tree for themselves.  It was pretty disgusting to see and to think that someone could be so selfish and so thoughtless of the feelings of others.   But it does serve to remind me that this is how the world is, mostly.


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## David43515 (Feb 17, 2011)

It`s a sad statement on how some of us can get carried away by rivalries. If the trees can`t be saved, maybe the lumber can be used for something special for the university. But it`s sad that a traditional spot with special meaning for so many was destroyed. I wonder how long that stuff stays in the soil.


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## Ken Morgan (Feb 17, 2011)

He went out and destroyed what is essentially private property. A 130 year old oak tree can be worth some fair coin cut up and used for veneer or woodworking of some kind. Poisoning the soil could mean it has to be replaced, removed, treated and dumped. Dollar wise this was not a simple HS or College prank. 

At the University down the street they have a 19th century cannon, _Old Jeremiah. &#8220;__Despite its movement, the *cannon* enjoyed relative tranquility until the 1950s when an aspiring entrepreneurial student came up with the idea of painting a message on the highly visible landmark. The act of "painting the *cannon*" has since become a campus tradition with students, residences, sports teams, clubs and others braving the early morning hours to paint messages on the *cannon*, most often about upcoming events but also including birthday announcements, wedding proposals and public insults. The etiquette governing "painting the *cannon*" is unofficial but well-understood: 1) do not begin painting the *cannon* until the sun has set, 2) be finished by the time the first students arrive for classes in the morning, and 3) avoid profanity or coarse language. It is well-accepted practice to "guard" the *cannon* until sunrise so as to avoid another person or group painting over one's message&#8221;._

Harmless fun, everyone gets, this guy went well beyond harmless.


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## crushing (Feb 18, 2011)

Pranks and practical jokes are used to cause some indignity or embarrassment.  Destructive vandalism like this is not a prank.


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 18, 2011)

crushing said:


> Pranks and practical jokes are used to cause some indignity or embarrassment.  Destructive vandalism like this is not a prank.



These are pranks:




> *[URL="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006893/"]Dean Vernon Wormer*





> : Greg, what is the worst fraternity on this campus?
> *Greg Marmalard*: Well that would be hard to say, sir. They're each outstanding in their own way.
> *Dean Vernon Wormer*: Cut the *********, son. I've got their disciplinary files right here.  Who dropped a whole truckload of fizzies into the varsity swim meet? Who  delivered the medical school cadavers to the alumni dinner? Every  Halloween, the trees are filled with underwear. Every spring, the  toilets explode.
> *Greg Marmalard*: You're talking about Delta, sir.
> *Dean Vernon Wormer*: Of course I'm talking about Delta, you TWERP!


[/URL]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/quotes?qt0479918

Killing century-old trees?  Not so much.  Not sure why people have difficulty discerning the difference.


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