Why I Love UL

[UL Ragin Jason]

Coming from Monroe to Lafayette. It has got to be the people and the culture. Never would have experienced so much had I not gone south!

[Boomer]

_ Men's dorms

Caffery Hall was completed as a men's dorm in 1957. It was named for Charles D. Caffery, one of the first to donate money to the university. Caffery was a member of UL Lafayette's Board of Trustees from 1905-1909 and was related to Ambassador Jefferson Caffery. Caffery Hall was demolished in 2002 to make way for a new student residence complex: Legacy Park.

McCullough Hall was a men's dorm completed in 1957. It was named in honor of Rexford C. McCullough, former dean of men and director of publicity. He was also a state senator and vice president of the SLI Alumni Association. McCullough graduated from UL Lafayette in 1931. McCulough Hall was demolished in 2003 to make way for a new student residence complex: Legacy Park.

Roy Hall was named for J. Arthur Roy, former member of the executive committee of UL Lafayette. It was constructed as a men's dorm in 1957. Roy Hall was demolished in 2002 to make way for a new student residence complex: Legacy Park.

Voorhies Hall, built in 1965 as a men's dormitory, was named in honor of Edward G. Voorhies. He was an original donor of money to UL Lafayette so it could be located in Lafayette. Voorhies Hall was demolished in 2003 to make way for the new Child Development Center.

Stokes Hall, named for William Bee "Daddy" Stokes, was constructed in 1968 as a men's dorm. Stokes was head of the Mathematics Department in the 1920s and 1930s _

I think that I may have been the first to sleep in McCullough---It was so hot in Roy and McC wasn't open but they were running the AC and they were putting in the matresses---took my bedding and alarm clock and made it through 2 a days!!!

[Hooj_Cajun_Fan]

What I miss the most, aside from the family, food, and friendships, is the "scenery."

UL is home to the highest concentration of beautiful women I've seen anywhere I've been. I may be a little bias...but I'm just saying.

Quality is definitely not sacrificed in our quantity lol.

[moorecajun]

_ I think that I may have been the first to sleep in McCullough---It was so hot in Roy and McC wasn't open but they were running the AC and they were putting in the matresses---took my bedding and alarm clock and made it through 2 a days!!! _

You know, what is funny is I remember Roy and Voohries not having AC, but I don't remember it being a problem! I lived in each one for a semester.

[Sonsissymia]

_ You know, what is funny is I remember Roy and Voohries not having AC, but I don't remember it being a problem! I lived in each one for a semester. _

this is an odd phenomenon---until i was 8, all my house had was an attic fan. sleeping in a bedroom w/o a/c in south la.! now i can barely stand it to be in bed with it at 72---what happened?

[DaddyCajun]

_ I don't believe they do this anymore with the "official" change in drinking age to 21. I met my bride many years ago on Langiappe Day. _

I met my wife of 21 years at UL also. Met her in Dr. Herbi Gaudet's psych class..........memories!

The tug of wars on the blvd for lanappe day and eating a cup of the banana split out of the canou at Cypress Lake!

[moorecajun]

_ I met my wife of 21 years at UL also. Met her in Dr. Herbi Gaudet's psych class..........memories!

The tug of wars on the blvd for lanappe day and eating a cup of the banana split out of the canou at Cypress Lake! _

1975 must have been the first Lagniappe Day (remember it was started because we didn't have basketball). It progressed well over the years as all I remember is crawfish (and beer)in Blackham - don't get me wrong, it was great, but I know a lot has been added over the years.

Actually, now that I think about it, it may have been the spring of 1976 for the crawfish in Blackham. I remember 5 cent beer in the Student Union Ballroom with highlights of USL basketball being shown off a projector. I have always wondered, if we had those highlights on video, was a dvd ever made and distributed for sale?

[CajunFun]

_ This is a great thread anytime of year, but doubly so during recruiting season. igeaux.mobi _

I'm going to add to this thread by inviting people to relate their stories.

One of my favorites: The hardest course I ever took was not in med school or graduate school, but it was U(S)L Invertebrate Biology taught by eventual Biology Dept Head Darrell Felder. He told us the first day not to ask questions because he didn't have time to answer: at most colleges, Invertebrate was two 3 hour lectures and two 2 hour labs; at UL, it was 1 3 hour lecture and 1 1 hour lab.

At the end of each class by butt hurt because I was taking notes so fast I didn't have time to shift my weight.

The morning of the final, my phone rings. Felder is calling me up, wanting to know where I was, I had overslept. I race over and bomb the test. When I talk to to him after, it turns out that I had misunderstood what the final would cover and studied the wrong stuff, so he LET ME TAKE IT AGAIN. Entirely essay of course, much harder exam, but it saved my 'B'.

Now, where else do profs care enough to call someone who has missed the final, and then let him re-take it?

This is a special place.

[cajunsjmt]

Spent many of afternoons at the Bulldog, especially for $1.00 burgers on Wednesday. Planning many of UL events for UPC especially Homecoming and Lagniappe Day and now attending them as an employee. They do still have Lagniappe Day and you can't beat a day where you get boiled crawfish and beer. Getting to tailgate with my husband and our friends, since I wasn't able to during my years at UL since I was a member of the Pride of Acadiana. Ragin' Cajuns athletics! Being named as one of the Ragin' Cajuns Spirit Award winners since being an employee!

[cajunhawk]

_ I met my wife of 21 years at UL also. Met her in Dr. Herbi Gaudet's psych class..........memories!

The tug of wars on the blvd for lanappe day and eating a cup of the banana split out of the canou at Cypress Lake! _

Ahh Dr. Gaudet. One of the best teachers I ever had. In the old football length class in Girard. First day of class he came in and said...."If anyone will get offended by any 4 letter words, might as well walk out right now." During a discussion about negative reinforcement he stared at some girl and screamed "______ You!!!!" That's negative reinforcement.

[Just1More]

_ Ahh Dr. Gaudet. One of the best teachers I ever had. In the old football length class in Girard. First day of class he came in and said...."If anyone will get offended by any 4 letter words, might as well walk out right now." During a discussion about negative reinforcement he stared at some girl and screamed "______ You!!!!" That's negative reinforcement. _

That's a hilarious memory. Engineers and nurses had to take some senior psych class... if I recall correctly the textbook was "Abnormal Human Psychology". Dr. Gaudet walks into class and immediately starts asking guys and girls what sex positions they preferred... and went off with some serious choice language. He said, "I am one of only 3 people on this campus that can talk about any subject and use any language I want to describe it... if you can't handle that... you can drop this class". Two nursing students got up and left and never came back. That dude was a trip. He turned out to teach a pretty good class but I never understood why his introduction was so over the top. Those two nursing students were babes.

[NewsCopy]

I am relatively new to this board, and so far it has been educational and even entertaining (snarkiness aside). I have found some like-minded Cajuns fans, and even those of a disagreeable mind often find common ground in the premise that LSU&A&MC is the source of all that is evil.

Reflecting on all of this made me start to think of the reasons I love this University so much. So, here are my reasons in no particular order. Feel free to chime in.

• One of the most beautiful campuses in America. I'll match our Cypress Lake and Century Oaks against the Grove at Ole' Miss or anywhere else. I don't care what anyone says. UL has a beautiful campus that will only get better.

• Best tailgating in the world. Bar none. We have better food. Better people and none of the ugliness that LSU seems to be so proud of. Good for single men because the women are HOT, good for families and fun for all. I'll match our tailgating against anyone anywhere.

• The NEW Cajun Field. I was against the turf. I played on the grass and I loved the old Cajun Field. But honestly, the NEW field is beautiful. I love the statement made in the end zones as well.

• It brought me to know BJ Landry. Those of you who knew BJ know what I mean by this. If you did not have the privilege, then I am sorry to say that you are worse off for it. "Beej" was a "superfan" before there was such a thing. Not just loyal, but put his efforts where his heart was. Out at every practice, at every game, at every event, with nary a complaint or even a frown (except after a loss). I am lucky to have known him and I have UL to thank for that.

• Our traditions. World's largest Louisiana flag. UL hand sign. Diving into the swamp at homecoming. Our traditions get into your blood.

• We are unique. Thee is no place else on the planet like UL or like Acadiana for that matter. Who else has something better than Cypress Lake? Who can claim a Francophile heritage? Who has our engineering and computer science credentials? Where else can you hear "poo-yie," "mais yeah" and "coullion" in a single afternoon walking around campus? Who else has our music, our food and our joie de vivre?

• Acadiana. UL is located in the most fun loving place on the planet. 'Nuff said.

• UL will always be home. Man, the memories when I walk on campus. Seriously, there are few other places I can go where I feel more at home.

• It taught me to pronounce words that no one else can say. Where else can you go to learn to say Richard (the right way), boudin, Boudreaux, Naquin, Hebert, etc.?

• The berms. Cajun field has those berms in the end zones. Watching kids play and families sit together out there gives our games a special atmosphere. Perhaps the days of the berms are numbered, but we still have them now and even when they are gone, we had them at one time.

• UL removed the scales from my eyes. Until I attended the U (back in 1983 when the legislature did it's little dipsy doodle with the name), I had no idea of the climate I lived in. Living through that, learning about the way that our university is funded and how there is no equal treatment under the law, I saw that LSU is in fact the source of all evil. I owe UL for opening my eyes to that.

• Ardent athletic supporters. Heh heh, you guys know what I mean. We want to get better and we are willing to put that desire into action. Y'all are the best, man.

• The RCAF. See above.

• Our history. Not the same as our traditions. I mean that UL is and has been for a very long time a stable contributing part of our state and our country. From WWII officer training to Vets Village, from SLI to UL, we have led the way in engineering, computers, nursing, business, CAD/CAM, robotics, etc.

• Diversity on campus. Students from all over the state and all over the world. Class room learning wasn't the half of it.

• Our rugby team KICKS ___.

• Mostly it is the people though. The people at UL were some of the sweetest, kindest and most sincere people I have met in my life. There is a love of laughter and life there I doubt exists elsewhere to the same degree.

J'aime mon école. Allons Louisiane.

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