UL? USL? Signs You’re a Ragin’ Cajun Alum

More years ago than I care to count, I wrapped up my college career at our beloved university in Lafayette and became a Ragin' Cajun alum. I enjoy visiting with folks who attended USL/UL at the same time I did because they get it. We laugh at the same memories for the same reasons, we remember all the different building before they were renovated, we share confusion over the buildings that are missing when we walk on campus, and we get nostalgic over how Dupuis Library once looked before they put those big balls in front of it.

Since 2013, at least 15 new buildings have been constructed on campus, and Martin Hall has been renovated. The old student dorms, Denbo and Bancroft, have been demolished and replaced. They built a brand-spanking new student union where the one we fondly remember once stood. The new one is beautiful, but lacks the warmth and character of that building with all its brown wood and 60's decor.

Be that as it may, alumni who have walked those halls still remember the funky smell of buildings like the aforementioned student union, FG Mouton, Wharton, and Burke Halls. We remember when Fletcher Hall and Bourgeois were new.

We remember when students had to pay $15 a semester for the privilege of parking at Cajun Field and taking the bus. We also remember when we weren't charged fees that totaled more than the actual tuition.

Check out these memories and share any you can think of so we can get misty-eyed together and say, like some old geezers, "I remember back in my day...."