To this day, the longest time I have ever spent anywhere is 4 years (1973-1977) at Troy State University (TSU). And talk about fun...I had a ball! A lot of the fun times were associated with my fraternity, Theta Chi, but the Troy State campus was also very special. At the time, Troy was (and maybe still is) the 3rd largest university in Alabama, after Auburn and Alabama. But it had that hometown feeling, and you were treated as a person rather than a number. The classes were small enough to where the professor knew your name (which, of course, wasn't ALWAYS good), and the students were friendly and easy to get to know. I've found a lot of southern folks are that way. And, it didn't hurt that Troy wasn't far from the Florida beaches...

The campus is nestled within Troy's city limits, and is in a gorgeous location. I had never even heard of Troy before my senior year in high school (since I really hadn't spent that much time in Alabama), when a buddy suggested it to me. We went down to the orientation together, and never looked back (although I did leave Troy for about a month during my first year, to be close to my high school sweetheart back in Huntsville. But that didn't work out, and I returned to Troy without missing any classes, since Troy's winter break was from Thanksgiving to New Years...).

When I first got to Troy, they didn't even have a McDonalds. There was a Jack's, and a neat little corner eatery called the Double Delight, but over the years more name brand restaurants moved into town (which was nice in a way...but sad in that it also ended the Double D's existence). Still, once you got off the US 231 bypass, Troy remained a small town, which contributed greatly to it's charm.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention TSU's marching band, the "Sound Of The South". They've had nationwide exposure, and are a great source of entertainment.

Why mention Troy State here? Well, I think it's a great school to go to, so why not? I may even throw in some stories later, like the night some of us built a small hot air balloon out of drinking straws, candles, and a plastic covering the laundry puts over freshly-laundered clothes, only to find out the next day that the Baptist Student Union was having a meeting in the Quad at the same time, and reported to the Troy newspaper that they saw a "UFO" flying over the campus!

I've been back to Troy numerous times since I graduated, and still find things pretty much the same. Hope it stays that way....

One final note: Because of this TSU page, I've been contacted by a few folks here in Huntsville interested in forming a TSU Alumni Chapter. I've already contacted the Alumni Affairs office, so the ball has started rolling... If you live in the Northern Alabama area, and are interested in being a part of this worthwhile organization, please send me a note.