Sunday column: College memories

Hard at work in my office in the spring of 2002, when I was editor of The Tech Talk. That office is much nicer than my current cubicle. Now that I'm a professional journalist, I don't even have an office — go figure.

Caddy "helped" me with my research paper during my senior year in 2003. She's a very helpful pet. Remember this post?

Louisiana Tech's campus awoke from its summer slumber this week as faculty, staff and students returned for another fall quarter.
I admit to being a bit envious of the students who are getting back into the swing of classes. As a self-professed school nerd, I've always loved everything about going to school, starting with kindergarten and lasting all the way through college. From the school supplies to the syllabi, I was into every second of it.
This week, I quizzed the Tech student I know best (my husband) all about the new school year. What was campus like? How busy was the bookstore? What are your professors like? Where did you sit in the classroom? You get the idea. Not being a school nerd himself, he was bewildered by my intense need to know what his first days back were like.
"It was fine," was the only answer he could manage, with a shrug.
Frustrated by the complete lack of detail I was able to coax out of him, I applied myself to getting our home office ready for a new year. Desks had piled up with random junk, our "priority stacking" system had toppled and dust had gathered on every visible surface.
I started doing what I do best: organizing. It felt great. Although I know I'm not the one who will enjoy the fruits of my labor, I was inspired by that back-to-school spirit. By the time I was finished, school supplies were neatly arranged, desk surfaces were cleared and study-friendly and the dust was gone.
Even my husband was impressed with the end result. Mission accomplished.
As I try to relive my days on campus vicariously through current students, there are certain memories that stand out in my mind. Here's a top five list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite things about Tech.

1. The Quad at night
By day, the hub of campus is alive with people crossing back and forth, whizzing by on bikes and hollering at each other from opposite sides. It's a gold mine for people-watchers and procrastinators. But at night, it's a different scene entirely. The lights flicker on, and the splashing of the Lady of the Mist finally can be distinguished. It's as if the Quad breathes a sigh of relief as the traffic slows and the sun goes down.

2. The Bookstore
The hustle and bustle of the Bookstore during the first weeks of class can be overwhelming, I know. It can also be painful for students as they watch their bank account balances sucked away by the cost of textbooks and other necessities. But there's still something about discovering the texts for an upcoming class and scoping out the supplies. I imagine this fall's Bookstore offerings must be even more exciting thanks to all the new gear available with Tech's brand new logos. I need to get myself down there so I can pick out something new. I'd hate to be caught wearing an "outdated" Tech T-shirt.

3. The professors
I was lucky enough to make it through four years of college with only a handful of not-so-great professors. The vast majority of the professors I had at Tech were inspiring, smart and challenging. Their personalities were as diverse as the subjects they taught, and I'll even admit to one or two "crushes" on professors during my college career. But, I'll never tell who.

4. Prescott Memorial Library
Like many liberal arts students, I spent a lot of time at the library — the third floor, to be specific. I remember devoting entire Saturdays to researching sources for English papers in the periodicals archives. I developed a fondness for the microfilm machine, where I'd zip through past editions of newspapers and magazines scanning for something — anything — related to whatever topic I'd devoted myself to that quarter. Writing a good research paper is an art I was determined to conquer by the time I graduated. I'm proud to say I think I got pretty close.

5. Tech Talk Thursdays
For myself and my fellow student journalists, there was nothing sweeter than walking into a classroom and seeing rows of students sitting in desks reading The Tech Talk. The newspaper was a labor of love for us each week, and just that sight was enough to make it all worth it. I hope today's journalism students still see it when they show up for class on Thursdays.