The Last Great Civic Square in America

For all its faults, college athletics are what make a university into a community. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. I vividly remember being 7 years old when my grandma Mimi and I trekked from her little town of about 6,000 people in south-central Louisiana—Cajun country, for those who know it—to attend my first Louisiana State University game. She dressed me in a fluffy tiger-print skirt and matching jacket with pink trim, accessorized with a gaudy matching hat. Victoria Kiper is a graduate student at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and works at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. She lives in Northern Virginia, where she can usually be found taking a long walk, reading, or wandering through farmers’ markets. More We Think You’d Like