Go inside from the best seats in the house -- the student section
Here we were searching for our place in this world, but among the future creators, entrepreneurs, and caretakers there was one place in Auburn where we could all come together and be as one — the Auburn Tigers’ student section. Here we shook our beloved shakers, screamed our compelling chants, and rooted for whichever sport the night had to offer. Whether this memorable zone was in Jordan-Hare or the Auburn Arena, it was quite strictly sectioned off entirely for Auburn students. Mississippi State was armed with their cowbells and LSU with their profanities, but none in all the SEC country went in to cheer on their team quite like the Auburn students.
Students, from all types of backgrounds, came hours early and drowned out crowds for four quarters with cheers, chants, and shakers. Dressed (or painted) in a wave of orange and navy, students could not stay calm when it came time to play their rivals. It was impossible at times to keep them contained, especially when a final score of 26-14 shone down on their already beaming faces from one of the largest jumbotrons in the nation. Auburn University was fined a quarter of a million dollars because students rushed the field after a remarkable victory over the Crimson Tide in the 2017 Iron Bowl. The fine was only part of the damage as the bushes surrounding the field took a massive hit from the intruding students, but any student there would tell you the scrapes and fines were well worth the memory. Another memorable moment from the confined corners of Jordan-Hare was after Auburn’s 40-17 upset over the Georgia Bulldogs. A celebration took place as the players and students danced most notably to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That,” and the party didn’t stop there.
Sometimes students were featured for their five-seconds-of-fame on the big screen. They could “Dance for their Dinner” or initiate a steady stare-down with the camera operators. However, it was not always cheers and laughter in these zones, oh no, there was quite a bit of howling and booing during those well deserved and clearly debatable situations of course. In all sports ranging from football to gymnastics, the student section helped keep our Auburn Tigers riled up and nearly impossible to defeat at home.
Alongside the court for men’s basketball sat The Jungle — one of the most revered basketball student sections in the country. Students filed into the arena for a chance to cheer on the dominate men’s basketball team and get their chance to raise the “Fear the Jungle” banner.
Auburn’s school spirit and support soared high above the campus through one of the loudest student sections in the nation. Conducted by our cheerleaders, accompanied by silver instruments and percussions, and steered by our adored Aubie, students were electrified under the lights of Dixieland no matter indoors or out. The student section was a special place where we as students could come together to sing the melodious, “Glory, glory to ole Auburn!"
