Thank you to all of the alumni who have sent in their stories and photographs so far! And remember to tell your friends and family to submit their stories too—they can submit online at www.lsualumnibook.com or via e-mail at lsu@thebooksmithgroup.com. The more stories we have, the better the book will be.
Geaux, Tigers!
—Your LSU Alumni Association
I met my spouse, Kendal Land (’99) at LSU - he was a Lambda Chi Alpha and I was a Kappa Delta and we were set up by our best friends in our respective Greek chapters who are also now married (Mike and Amy Sawyer). Our first date was dinner at the Chimes then out to Rotolo’s in Tigerland. Today, Kendal is a presbyterian minister (his college friends still can’t believe it!) and we’ve lived in Georgia, Kentucky and now Arkansas . . . . {We} have 10-month old twins Carlisle and Jackson Camper –we are confident their first word will be “tiger!”
-Lauren Land, ‘00
In 2001 after a most pleasant family holiday, [my brother Barret and I] were returning to California the day after Christmas and had to change planes in Houston. Barret, boarding first, saw my seat between two ladies and then his seat just ahead in the middle of a couple of gentlemen. Turning back to me he held up his “you owe me one” finger and proceeded to his assigned seat.
It ended up that I owe him a million. I met the love of my life, now my wife, after we started talking about attending LSU at different times. We began dating, joined the Alumni Association and made it official in May of 2007 with a ceremony in New Orleans. Meeting Sarah has allowed me to work on big art projects again like I did when I was a sculpture student and to volunteer my time in service to the the local chapter, Bay Area Tigers. We are both proud graduates and quite grateful to the University that brought us together and keeps us close.
–Denny North, ‘93
I lived in Nora Neil Power Hall my freshman year, 1974-75. We had a wild and crazy group of girls on our hall and I formed friendships that carry on to this day. I could tell MANY funny stories of our life in Power Hall but one of the funniest had to do with good old fashioned panty raids. We made a shopping trip to the T,G&Y that used to be in the A&P shopping center on Highland Road to purchase appropriate garments for the occasion. Of course we went for the largest size we could find to reward the boys who were sure to come calling. As usual, you could hear them before you could see them and we were all armed with huge ladies undergarments to toss down to the boys. We were upstairs in a second floor room that night and as the boys swarmed below the window chanting for panties, we tossed out our offerings. They did not take kindly to this and one actually climbed up to the second story. Of course we ran out of the room and slammed the door on our way out, frantic and laughing. It was a real hoot for me as I had heard about these traditions long before I arrived at LSU.
-Donna Rafferty Ruggles, ‘78
My favorite football game was one year when the Tigers needed to win in order to receive an invitation to the Orange Bowl. Of course the Tigers blew out whoever it was they played that night (Florida State?) and with each Tiger touchdown, the field was completely pelted with oranges. It was really fun to watch.
–Dan Duet, ‘85
Aimee Simon calls herself an ABC – Alumni By Choice – of LSU. For the past twelve years, she’s been the president of the Bengal Belles, a group created to support athletes in all areas of their campus life.
She realized the power of the Belles one year when LSU was set to play Vanderbilt. LSU traditionally wears white jerseys in Tiger Stadium, but the Commodores objected since they were the visiting team and they wanted to wear white. Well, that was a battle cry to Aimee and the Belles.
They challenged LSU fans through local radio stations to wear white to the game to show support for the players and coaches. And, wouldn’t you know it, everyone showed up at Tiger Stadium in white. The Belles called it the LSU “white out.”
I remember my first day moving to LSU from Sulphur, LA . . . my hometown was smaller than LSU’s student population. I was one scared puppy realizing I’d moved from the comforts of a small town to the big ol’ city of LSU. My first class in biology included about 250 scared freshmen. Dr. Luke told us to look to our left and then to the right. He commented, “One of you will not be here next semester.” His comment was never forgotten as I remembered those words each semester as I studied for exams.
I’ve also kept those words close to me in my profession, knowing that those who prepare and work hard will ultimately be successful. I also kept those words close to my heart in my first job following graduation from LSU, serving as a platoon leader in the US Army in Germany. I will count my experience at LSU as foundational to any success that I have encountered since my graduation.
–Alan Rivers, ‘78
Year Graduated: 1993
Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture
Occupation: Artist
Hobbies: Hortisculpture, golf, construction toys
Worst Display of Procrastination: Didn’t get my hair cut until graduation
The Most Bizarre Place You’ve Met LSU Alums? I met my wife seated next to her on a plane the day after Christmas and also the day before her birthday. We got to talking about going to LSU at different times.
Achievement: 2007 Guinness world record holder for the largest chess set
Little-known fact: Some of my old student artwork can be seen on the internet here.
The Third Row Tailgaters has to be one of the most recognizable groups at LSU. To find them, all you need to do is look for the 80-foot portable flagpole, two purple-and-gold striped Tiger vans and the group’s motto: “Run like you stole something.”
The group was formed in 1997 by freshmen and sophomore students but it’s grown over the years to include family and friends of LSU students as well. They set up about 6 a.m. on game days in front of the Natatorium. They have their own BBQ pit, their own generator and a massive sound system.
My favorite overall experience was living in the South Stadium dorm. On game day there was a certain electricity in the air that permeated the walls separating the dorm from the stadium seating. Plus it was fun telling my friends who attended other universities that I lived in Death Valley.
–Dan Duet, ‘85
How many schools can say that their cheering section is so loud it registers on a seismograph?
That’s what happened in 1988. LSU was trailing Auburn 6-0 late in the fourth quarter. With just 1:47 to go, quarterback Tommy Hodson threw a touchdown pass to tailback Eddie Fuller on fourth down. When Fuller caught the ball the crowed erupted and the result set off the seismograph at LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Center.
The “earthquake” play was featured in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not and the play is now a huge part of LSU folklore.
I was a golden Girl! Being at LSU was amazing and the best place to be. I remember one night after a big win we were in Tigerland and we had these Bama fans trying to decorate our buses and cars with Bama Magnets and such. We all saw them so we called the team over (the whole team). We all came up behind the Bama fans and just stood there until they turned around. The look on their face was priceless. We chased them down and gave them a LSU make-over. It was awesome!
-Victoria , ‘99
Year Graduated: 1981
Major: Political Science
Occupation: Insurance fraud investigator and army reservist
Favorite Extra-Curricular Memory: ROTC Bengal Raiders annual Actives vs. Trainees tackle football game in the mud of the Parade Grounds to raise funds for Jerry’s Kids.
Favorite Job Since College: Working disaster relief in El Salvador after Hurricane Mitch.
The Most Bizarre Place You’ve Met LSU Alums: Baghdad
Best Bookstore: You’re kidding, right?
There were no sorority houses in our era, so we all lived together in the dorms where life was quite strict by today’s standards: no room visitation, very early hours, no Bermuda shorts, no alcohol (my Pat O’Brien souvenir glasses were confiscated,) and many other–in retrospect–foolish rules. However, we managed to have a wonderful time being Tigers, where “stately broads and old magnolias shade inspiring halls.”
My wonderful roommate, the late Mary Jo Monsour Naus, was responsible for LSU celebrating the Mardi Gras holiday. She went to President Middleton and pleaded our case, saying that people from all over the world come to Louisiana for Mardi Gras and that LSU students couldn’t participate because of classes. She won her case and in 1955 we had a Mardi Gras holiday. And we went! Too many memories to have a favorite but Mary Jo was a part of most of them.
–Anna Moseley Osborn, ‘56
It’s not really a tradition, but one of LSU’s proudest moments was during Hurricane Katrina when the PMAC became the largest field hospital in the United States. After the hurricane hit, Baton Rouge instantly became the largest city in the state and thousands of injured people were either flown in (the helicopters landed on the track field) or brought by ambulance from New Orleans.
Students and faculty manned a 24-hour volunteer hotline that helped relatives of victims find their loved ones and organized donations of food and clothing. It was one of LSU’s proudest moments.
