Abigail Trammel didn’t always know she would attend LSU. Trammel, a psychology and criminology freshman, is from Raleigh, North Carolina, where her parents both work at North Carolina State University.
“I always personally thought I would go in-state, I’d known that my whole life,” Trammel said. “My parents both went to the same college, they met in college, they both currently still work at that college they both attended… I was kind of expected to go there.”
Trammel visited LSU after showing interest in the Tiger Girls Dance Team, and immediately fell in love with the campus.
“After I toured the campus I was like, I want to go here. Just because of how amazing the tour was and how amazing the programs were there,” Trammel said.
Once she made the dance team, Trammel was set on LSU.
“I’m excited to meet new people and kind of get in a new world. I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life,” Trammel said.
Natural resource ecology and management freshman Eli Thomas is moving to LSU from Dayton, Ohio. Thomas was drawn to the school for its band program and academics.
“I chose LSU because it had a great band program… and it had really great opportunities within my major. And it was warm. I like the warmth,” Thomas said.
Thomas plays the saxophone and plans to try out for the Tiger Marching Band at the end of band camp. While the band was a big factor in his college decision, his campus visit was the ultimate reason he chose LSU.
“My deciding factor was getting to do a tour on the inside of my major’s facilities, so I got to really do a little bit of hands-on work with one of the professors and just see what the major was all about,” Thomas said. “It seemed like it would have a lot of opportunities for career development on top of that.”
Mass communication freshman Maia Townsend is coming from Birmingham, Alabama to play for LSU’s softball team. Townsend’s mom was a college coach who played in a softball tournament at the new Alex Box Stadium in 2009. At five years old, Townsend was already in love with the campus.
“[My mom] is excited for me, and she knows the coaching staff and feels I’m in the best place,” Townsend said.
LSU fit all the factors Townsend was looking for in a school, including the right temperature.
“I always wanted to go out-of-state and LSU offers a mass communication major with an outstanding reputation,” Townsend said. “I always said I would not go north of Tennessee due to cold winters.”
While Townsend is apprehensive about the crime in Baton Rouge, she plans to take precautions on campus.
“I know there is a history of crime in certain areas of Baton Rouge and will always have someone with me,” Townsend said.
Criminal justice freshman Trisha Corasis isn’t as worried about the crime in Baton Rouge. Corasis is from Glenview, Illinois, right outside of Chicago.
“Chicago also has lots of crime, so I feel like it’s not something new,” Corasis said.
Corasis has no family in Baton Rouge, which worried her parents at first.
“[My parents] were really excited for me, but they’re also nervous for me to be alone there,” Corasis said.
Corasis applied later than most freshmen and was accepted in June. She committed to LSU before visiting the campus.
“[LSU] was actually the only school I applied to, because I knew what I wanted,” Corasis said. But my dad, ever since I was little, his favorite football team was LSU, so we would always watch it… In middle school I started doing research on [LSU] and I just knew I wanted to go there.”
Political science freshman Bella Vargas is moving to LSU from Dallas, Texas. Vargas has lived in Texas, California and Georgia and wanted to attend a school outside of the states she’s already lived in.
“It was important to me that I go to a school that provided a completely new experience and had basically no one I already knew,” Vargas said.
Vargas wanted a high-energy school with lots of spirit, which is why she narrowed her options down to the SEC.
“I knew I wanted to attend an SEC school… There’s a certain atmosphere and spirit that goes along with the [SEC]” Vargas said.
Vargas is excited to be on campus for the upcoming semester and experience life in Baton Rouge.
“I think the campus is amazing. I love that it’s walkable, has great open areas like the Parade Grounds and seemingly endless activities to get involved in.”
While Vargas knows living in a new place can be hard, she’s ready to adapt to any obstacles she may face.
“Every place has its own difficulties. Going to college is about independence and solution-seeking when it comes to things like that,” Vargas said.
Trisha Corasis is moving to LSU from Glenview, IL.
