Article about changes in Ruston

[Rossp917]

Ruston's renovations have to include campus, no matter what. I look at towns such as Oxford, MS that are funded almost purely by the students and the alumni of that school and think that Tech/Ruston aren't that different in size/age/etc... The main two differences are the SEC (which does play a big role) and community attitude (which to me plays the biggest role). I don't believe that Ruston has a hatred for the school or vice versa but a long held apathy for one another. The students are given no insight/interest into the community history and the town's people look at the university as Ruston's extended high school.

That being said, the new chain restaurants understand their bread and butter and will play to the college aged students as well as the community as a whole. If the local establishements do not brace themselves and take preemptive measures they to will go the way of the mom-and-pop shops that Walmart took out years ago. If Ruston and it's businesses do not begin to court the university soon they will miss their opportunity.

[aubunique]

Good thread, guys.
I was born in Ruston but my parents had to move to Shreveport because my mother was totally paralyzed by polio when I was only a few months old. I went to Allendale, Lakeshore and Fair Park before Tech. But there were annual New Year's Eve trips to Ruston for fox and rabbit hunts with Felix and Bessie Simonton before George Simonton became Sheriff.
I love the memory of smalltown Ruston surrrounded by wildlife habitat, but I also know that improvement, refurbishment of historic houses and buildings and NEW BLOOD and NEW MONEY could help a lot.
I, too, would love to be close to Tech in my final years.
Trouble is that that I will need a PAYING job in my late 60s and 70s because I can't depend on LBJ's promises any more!
Toss this to the political board if you want to comment on that final sentence!