Stress Free Saturdays

[Blue Dawg]

Is that what schools do, trick a gullible teenager into taking a loan? What about the gullible teenager's parents, are they culpable? Hey mom & dad, I'm off to college to major in basket-weaving and gullible teenage studies, and I'll be racking up debt out of my ying-yang! Okay, son (or daughter) we're so proud of you...

No one wants to be responsible for their own actions these days. It's always someone else's fault.

Yes. Parents should be setting their children up for success by laying up inheritance for them, not failure by sending them off to "bootstrap it" and then find out that basketweaving is not a high-demand industry.

Most people do not have the requisite intelligence to consent to financial decisions of this magnitude. The percentage is even higher in Louisiana.

Remove the "college for all" mindset and you remove a huge part of the problem.

I am not saying that no one should be responsible for their actions. I am saying that tricking someone stupid is wicked.

[Dawgpix]

The list also does not include Southeastern Louisiana University nor the University of New Orleans. Does this decrease its merit any more?

Looks like they're not in the "Top 10"

[sharky]

How's that "increased enrollment" crap working out for you and the sunshine pumpers so far? We've been fed this BS since D.R. was spewing his crap. It's consistently gone down since. We are a commuter school and there is no real loyalty from most who get a Tech degree. That's on our administration. Keep drinking the kool aide.

OK, we all understand that you think "increased enrollment" is not a desirable thing. Can we assume that you then think that declining enrollment would be an improvement? Could you please elaborate on what exactly BS D. R. was spewing? I am ignorant of precisely what you are referring to. Also, can you cite the source of data that led you to define Tech as a commuter school? If you choose to post for public consumption then I assume you can validate with actual facts.

As a charter member of the CCC Club I am surprised that your total dissatisfaction with almost everything TECH would not motivate you to seek a total divorce from TECH. If my memory serves me correctly, you have been known to frequently remind us all of your continued contributions to the LTAC. Why do you continue to support what appears to you to be the abject failure of everything TECH.

[techman05]

Yes. Parents should be setting their children up for success by laying up inheritance for them, not failure by sending them off to "bootstrap it" and then find out that basketweaving is not a high-demand industry.

Most people do not have the requisite intelligence to consent to financial decisions of this magnitude. The percentage is even higher in Louisiana.

Remove the "college for all" mindset and you remove a huge part of the problem.

I am not saying that no one should be responsible for their actions. I am saying that tricking someone stupid is wicked.

The concept of college as a must for success was really pushed in us in the last 90’s and early 2000’s. As much as I hate it, I may not push college on my kids. There are many certifications that will require a 4 year degree in something even if not specific to that certification. If my kids know what they want to do and college isn’t a requirement, then trade school is a viable and often perfect option. JuCo is a great option. Getting a job at a place like Louisiana Machinery that will pay for college/training. My beloved U may not have my kids come through, but I’ll get over it.

[PawDawg]

OK, we all understand that you think "increased enrollment" is not a desirable thing. Can we assume that you then think that declining enrollment would be an improvement? Could you please elaborate on what exactly BS D. R. was spewing? I am ignorant of precisely what you are referring to. Also, can you cite the source of data that led you to define Tech as a commuter school? If you choose to post for public consumption then I assume you can validate with actual facts.

As a charter member of the CCC Club I am surprised that your total dissatisfaction with almost everything TECH would not motivate you to seek a total divorce from TECH. If my memory serves me correctly, you have been known to frequently remind us all of your continued contributions to the LTAC. Why do you continue to support what appears to you to be the abject failure of everything TECH.

How does increased enrollment help? Answer: More free money for Tech. Not more prestige.

DR stated (when enrollement was close to 15K) that it would be 20K by 2015 (maybe not the right made up year)

Commuter schools don't cultivate fans. Tech hasn't raised (increased) the fan base since Crowton was coaching. It has steadily gone down due to dying off and not involving the student body. Prove me wrong. Also, just because students actually live in Ruston (off campus) does not mean they are not commuters. They go home every weekend or to lsu games. The "data" is logic and results.

We will likely stop our LTAC giving 1/1/24.

[Dawgonit]

Commuter schools don't cultivate fans. Tech hasn't raised (increased) the fan base since Crowton was coaching. It has steadily gone down due to dying off and not involving the student body. Prove me wrong.

I would say the peak of fan base was during Dykes time. We had some good 24/25,000 crowds a few times I think but yeah the point is still the same- the fan base has drastically fallen in the last decade.

Also, just because students actually live in Ruston (off campus) does not mean they are not commuters. They go home every weekend or to lsu games. The "data" is logic and results.

Tech and Ruston have done a good job collaborating to have a symbiotic relationship. I like the idea of Tech's campus and downtown Ruston meeting with the Enterprise campus plans. However the plan doesn't really create much more life between downtown Ruston and Tech. It's aesthetically much better and culturally a minor improvement.

If we want students to stay over weekends and we want a college-town feel then we need downtown to become a destination for people to go out. They don't now because there aren't many options to go out downtown and it's easier to drive and park in other locations in Ruston. It needs to be easier to go out in downtown for students and other residents. Ruston should be trying to build more mixed use buildings downtown so people may not need cars to go out. Tech should have built more campus housing between campus and downtown. They built so much housing on the opposite side of campus that of course students are not going to want to walk to go out, they will have to drive. If they drive, then they will drive to places that are easier to park which is not downtown or they may just drive home.

[PawDawg]

I would say the peak of fan base was during Dykes time. We had some good 24/25,000 crowds a few times I think but yeah the point is still the same- the fan base has drastically fallen in the last decade.




Tech and Ruston have done a good job collaborating to have a symbiotic relationship. I like the idea of Tech's campus and downtown Ruston meeting with the Enterprise campus plans. However the plan doesn't really create much more life between downtown Ruston and Tech. It's aesthetically much better and culturally a minor improvement.

If we want students to stay over weekends and we want a college-town feel then we need downtown to become a destination for people to go out. They don't now because there aren't many options to go out downtown and it's easier to drive and park in other locations in Ruston. It needs to be easier to go out in downtown for students and other residents. Ruston should be trying to build more mixed use buildings downtown so people may not need cars to go out. Tech should have built more campus housing between campus and downtown. They built so much housing on the opposite side of campus that of course students are not going to want to walk to go out, they will have to drive. If they drive, then they will drive to places that are easier to park which is not downtown or they may just drive home.

No doubt we had some great crowds during the Dykes years. I don't really count the two largest though. The A&M game because #1 we lost, and #2 random fans were there to watch "Johnny Football". The Utah State game was EVERYTHING we ever dreamed of. The largest crown of Tech fans and potential Tech fans I can recall with the Orange Bowl on the line. Again, we lost, but to make it worse we hit what I consider the lowest point of Tech football when the Indy Bowl pulled their crap. Still we had some great wins, but I never felt like we capitalized on that great stretch...mostly because of what happened in 2012 followed by Holtz first year in 2013. As you know, even with the bowl game stretch during the Holtz years the fan base dwindled. I blame McClelland for that because he and Guice insisted on changing the game day atmosphere that didn't need fixing.

I think Ronny Walker and the city of Ruston have done all they can do to help Tech. Unfortunately our President, ADs, and other leadership have not done their part.

[Blue Dawg]

I would say the peak of fan base was during Dykes time. We had some good 24/25,000 crowds a few times I think but yeah the point is still the same- the fan base has drastically fallen in the last decade.




Tech and Ruston have done a good job collaborating to have a symbiotic relationship. I like the idea of Tech's campus and downtown Ruston meeting with the Enterprise campus plans. However the plan doesn't really create much more life between downtown Ruston and Tech. It's aesthetically much better and culturally a minor improvement.

If we want students to stay over weekends and we want a college-town feel then we need downtown to become a destination for people to go out. They don't now because there aren't many options to go out downtown and it's easier to drive and park in other locations in Ruston. It needs to be easier to go out in downtown for students and other residents. Ruston should be trying to build more mixed use buildings downtown so people may not need cars to go out. Tech should have built more campus housing between campus and downtown. They built so much housing on the opposite side of campus that of course students are not going to want to walk to go out, they will have to drive. If they drive, then they will drive to places that are easier to park which is not downtown or they may just drive home.

There are a few apartments on the downtown side. And I don't know what the long term plans for that space are, there is still a lot of parking lot to fill if necessary.

[sharky]

Some of the best attendance examples being mentioned were prior to the proliferation of the ability to view almost every football game, both home and away, on television. The advent of streaming TV and smart TVS has made this possible. I am in my eighties and unable to physically attend games. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to see the games on TV. Many of my friends are in the same boat. A short few years ago we would all have been in the Joe for every game. Not so anymore.

My grandson played high school football in Missouri. A local Christian radio station streamed all of his games and enabled me to sit in front of my computer and watch him play. He is now an assistant coach at a high school in Arkansas in the Greers Ferry area. All of his high school games are streamed, and I get to view them also.

It appears to me that with so much TV coverage, attendance has to suffer.

[dawg80]

No doubt we had some great crowds during the Dykes years. I don't really count the two largest though. The A&M game because #1 we lost, and #2 random fans were there to watch "Johnny Football". The Utah State game was EVERYTHING we ever dreamed of. The largest crown of Tech fans and potential Tech fans I can recall with the Orange Bowl on the line. Again, we lost, but to make it worse we hit what I consider the lowest point of Tech football when the Indy Bowl pulled their crap. Still we had some great wins, but I never felt like we capitalized on that great stretch...mostly because of what happened in 2012 followed by Holtz first year in 2013. As you know, even with the bowl game stretch during the Holtz years the fan base dwindled. I blame McClelland for that because he and Guice insisted on changing the game day atmosphere that didn't need fixing.

I think Ronny Walker and the city of Ruston have done all they can do to help Tech. Unfortunately our President, ADs, and other leadership have not done their part.

Jim Henderson has his "town and gown" concept of the university working closely with the city. I don't think he actually did a thing to augment that when he was at NSU. Yes, NSU and the City of Natchitoches have always enjoyed a measure of cooperation for the betterment of both, but there were some blatant gaps in that relationship that appeared under President Webb but were never repaired under Henderson. It's true he was not at NSU very long and I think he had his eye on the ULS position, plus a desire to be chancellor at LSU-BR. So, maybe he never really implemented his plan, but might now if he sees himself staying at Tech long enough to reach retirement, close to 10 years I believe he'll need. We'll see.

One thing is certain, if he really wants to do a good job at Tech, Henderson is coming in at a very good time, given how crappy everything has become. He can't be blamed for the present conditions and any improvements made he can claim credit.

[techman05]

More mixed use properties will be born out of 2 things. Growing student population and growing Ruston population separate from students. If our city was more agreeable to business development that was not giving up the farm like they did with Monster Moto and Bucee’s that would be a great start. Small business needs more cooperation from Ruston.

[PawDawg]

It appears to me that with so much TV coverage, attendance has to suffer.

TV is not the reason people are not attending games (I'm not paying to watch this crap). Lack of tailgating is the primary reason fans stopped coming. The lack of students goes along with the poor decisions our leaders made under McLelland/Guice/Wood.

[Dawgonit]

More mixed use properties will be born out of 2 things. Growing student population and growing Ruston population separate from students. If our city was more agreeable to business development that was not giving up the farm like they did with Monster Moto and Bucee’s that would be a great start. Small business needs more cooperation from Ruston.

I’m going to disagree on this, at least on needing to grow the population to have it. How many apartment complexes have been built or single family homes in the last two decades? There apparently was some demand for housing in Ruston but it doesn’t seem like the city pushed for any more downtown. More mixed use properties will come if the city decides to focus on getting them built. It needs city planning and leadership to push that initiative forward.

By having a more populated and denser city center, you incentivize people to walk and that’s the best way to create more patrons for businesses downtown. Why drive to some chain restaurant when you can walk five or ten minutes to a local place? You create more local culture and a better local economy by choosing to focus on developing downtown to be denser and more mixed use. Tech could have helped create that by putting more student housing near downtown thus creating more foot traffic for those local businesses downtown.

Not only that, but the city would actually do better financially by focusing on building that way in the future but I digress. Look up Strong Towns if you’re curious more about that topic.

[Blue Dawg]

I’m going to disagree on this, at least on needing to grow the population to have it. How many apartment complexes have been built or single family homes in the last two decades? There apparently was some demand for housing in Ruston but it doesn’t seem like the city pushed for any more downtown. More mixed use properties will come if the city decides to focus on getting them built. It needs city planning and leadership to push that initiative forward.

By having a more populated and denser city center, you incentivize people to walk and that’s the best way to create more patrons for businesses downtown. Why drive to some chain restaurant when you can walk five or ten minutes to a local place? You create more local culture and a better local economy by choosing to focus on developing downtown to be denser and more mixed use. Tech could have helped create that by putting more student housing near downtown thus creating more foot traffic for those local businesses downtown.

Not only that, but the city would actually do better financially by focusing on building that way in the future but I digress. Look up Strong Towns if you’re curious more about that topic.

Strong Towns is very interesting. Some of those principles would be plug-and-play in downtown Ruston.

[SicemDawgz]

Some of the best attendance examples being mentioned were prior to the proliferation of the ability to view almost every football game, both home and away, on television. The advent of streaming TV and smart TVS has made this possible. I am in my eighties and unable to physically attend games. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to see the games on TV. Many of my friends are in the same boat. A short few years ago we would all have been in the Joe for every game. Not so anymore.

My grandson played high school football in Missouri. A local Christian radio station streamed all of his games and enabled me to sit in front of my computer and watch him play. He is now an assistant coach at a high school in Arkansas in the Greers Ferry area. All of his high school games are streamed, and I get to view them also.

It appears to me that with so much TV coverage, attendance has to suffer.

Your point is well taken, but it only serves to reinforce what's already been said. We are not replacing the older diehard fans with new fans, and the numbers show that. At the current rate, we won't have 5K in Ruston in 15 years unless the product gets a lot better, the game day atmosphere gets better, tickets get a lot cheaper, etc. We have to do something to replace the diehards that aren't able to come anymore for whatever reason.