Peach Fest is over, and we have now hit that lull when most of the Tech and GSU students have gone home for the summer.
I’ve heard Ruston described as a “ghost town” over the summer, but as someone who stayed to take summer school classes all three years while I attended Louisiana Tech, I loved staying in school during the summer months. My parents couldn’t understand why I would willingly take summer classes, but they were usually my favorites during my collegiate career.
First off, there’s orientation. Orientation for incoming freshman – yeah, that’s fine and great, but working orientation was like working a party. I volunteered with a few campus organizations, and we passed out snow cones, informational sheets, and free T-shirts. And who doesn’t like a free T-shirt?
Secondly, classes seemed more casual. Don’t get me wrong; the academic rigor was still strong, but I did not mind having class at 7:30 a.m. (when classes would start) and being done before mid-morning. I could also complete six hours in a three-week time span, and that seemed like magic to me. (I discovered later with my doctorate this concept of a “mini-session,” where I was able to complete a three-hour course in one week, and I definitely took advantage of that once or twice as well.)
Also, because I didn’t have access to one in my hometown, I had the option of swimming. At the time, I swam at the Natatorium, and while I would have preferred an outdoor pool like the students have now, I was able to get in good swim time with the indoor pool.
Tech and Ruston slow down significantly in the summer, but it’s not a “ghost town.” Instead of large Bible studies at the BCM, we had fellowships at different houses, which I loved. I didn’t have to wait in line so much at Java City – after all, a 7:30 a.m. political science class called for morning coffee, and most of the time, I was running right on time, if not a few minutes late. The class size was smaller, so I often got to know more people outside my major than during the normal school year. Also, taking college classes in the summer allowed me to graduate a whole year early with a double major – and I came in with zero college credits from high school (I would also like to add the caveat that I don’t always think graduating early is a good thing.).
I still see a lot of really fun aspects for Tech students in the summer and incoming freshmen. Orientation is an even bigger party now and includes activities with the city of Ruston, such as the Dog Days of Summer in Railroad Park. Students don’t have to depend on the Nat anymore – no, the Lambright has those pools done right, and there’s even rock climbing too. College Judith would have been so excited about rock climbing. We don’t have Java City anymore, but that Starbucks on campus is pretty amazing.
Summer is way too fun in Ruston to let the “ghost town” cliche keep us from having a good time.
