First of all, I agree that what Mr. Updyke did is morally reprehensible. As an Alabama alumnus, I do not condone his actions in the least. It was a horrible thing, but it has happened.

This man has no affiliation with the University other than that he enjoys watching its football team on Saturdays. If he had ended his phone call on the Paul Finebaum Show with “Quack Quack, Go Ducks,” this would be a much quieter and different story. But that is beside the point I wish to make. Tide for Toomer’s has raised over $36,000. This infuriates me basically in two ways.

First, an oak tree is a natural organism, native to this climate and area. They grow all over both Alabama and without the help of $36,000. This was not a mystical tree that grew with the help of magic beans. It is an everyday tree that grew in a particular location.

And due to its location, people incorporated it into a tradition, and therefore assigned special meaning to it. A meaning that comes not from its molecular biology, but its history.

From what I have heard, there is no way to save it. This tree will die.

Auburn is well known for its great agricultural programs. If anyone needs help to make a tree grow, it certainly is not Auburn. So what is all this money actually going for?

There may be some removal cost, but that sounds like something that Mr. Updike should have to pay for. Upwards of $36,000 is an offensive amount for the landscaping cost of a single tree.

Second and exponentially more important, there are many more deserving causes within the state. According the website for Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, an annual charity food drive hosted by the University of Alabama, 721,875 Alabamians live in poverty (244,661 of which are children). Likewise, 214,200 households are food insecure. Twenty percent of households in 9 counties surrounding this university are below the poverty line. Children in your own communities go hungry.

This is but one of the many problems infecting our towns, counties, regions, and country. Yet, we are raising money for a tree?

Even the greenest of tree-huggers would say this is messed up.

Donation has been deemed a part of speech, and I believe you have the right to donate to whatever cause you desire, but please use common sense. I will be the first to admit that it is easy to get caught up in college football, especially living in the South, where the teams are so good and the rivalries so heated. But let’s not lose our heads. Take care of the real problems first. Maybe it’s just me, but I believe that a child deserves food on his plate a lot more than some college kids deserve to litter on a tree.

In summation, Mr. Updyke’s vandalism was awful, and he should be held accountable for his action. Alabama fans, though, should not be coaxed into feeling guilty and whipping out their checkbooks. Instead, help those who need it. Roll Tide.

Jamerson Godsey is an alumnus from the class of 2010 with a B.A. in philosophy.