In recent years, the University of Alabama has expanded unlike any other. As more and more students come to Tuscaloosa, the town and campus are adapting to the changing conditions. It’s crazy to think about how much has changed in just the past four years alone, but there are so many things this year’s UA freshmen just won’t understand our references to.
1. We used to have to support Lane Kiffin
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OK, everyone knows this, but try being on campus with this guy. He’s a piece of work, to say the least. And he’s our coach so we had to pretend we liked him, for the time being.
2. There used to be a fraternity right there on the stadium lawn
First off, talk about prime tailgating location. Rumor has it Nick Saban paid these boys a few million to move off the front lawn of the stadium and into a massive, newly built fraternity house further down University Boulevard. I don’t think Phi Psi was complaining too much...
3. Riverside had a pool in between all of the buildings
I remember my freshman year, a bunch of my friends wanted to live in Riverside specifically for the pool that sat in between all of the buildings. Supposedly, over the spring break of 2014, students came back to a demolished pool. The housing website seemingly forgot to remove these pictures when the Class of 2018 was looking through housing options.
4. When we would get our goods for move-in, we would have to send our Bed Bath and Beyond pack and hold’s to Birmingham
There was no Bed Bath and Beyond in Tuscaloosa until 2015. Out of state students that utilized the Bed Bath and Beyond pack and hold would have to go to Birmingham to pick up everything they needed, and then lug their huge load back to Tuscaloosa. Needless to say, there were lots of minivans and SUVs as rental cars for an era.
5. T-Burger was the best
3000 Bar now takes the place of T-Burger, but T-Burger was so good. They always had events to support philanthropies and they had some pretty delicious food. It was a great spot to sit out on the back patio with friends and enjoy some away games for Alabama football.
6. Snowpocalypse
Snow huh? A major blizzard essentially shut down campus. For a few days, students had nothing to do but enjoy the snow with their friends. While everything was shut down, all of the mems from this time seem to be some of the Class of 2017’s favorites.
7. Rounders used to be near impossible to get into if you weren’t legitimately 21
No one used to go to Rounders back in the day. While their rooftop seemed to have good music 24/7, no one knew what the Boom Boom Room was. Rounders used to never be a suggestion when everyone would go to the bars. It was full of grown men watching sports, not ragers and Luke Bryan.
SEE ALSO:Which T-Town Bar Are You?
8. The Strip used to have pizza
Back in the day, Hungry Howie’s was the BEST. Some of the best pizza a student could get. One day, Hungry Howie’s closed, but was replaced with sweet, sweet Pieology. Poor Pieology hardly lasted a year, and once again, the Strip is without some fine pizza (except Little Italy. But that’s next to the Strip technically, right?)
9. Bumping
So at swaps (other schools may call them “exchanges”), people used to do this thing called bumping. It was intended to be chivalrous but of course, times have changed. If you know, you know, you know?
10. Ye Ole Fresh Foods and the New Ferguson Center
Fresh Foods dining hall is universally known as the dining hall on campus where you’re going to get the best food. Prior to its current location, it was located in the Ferg, rather conveniently located. The Ferg had some add-ons, a dining hall was built, and Fresh Foods got the boot.
11. Somerville existed
Somerville was like a real life haunted mansion. I’ve heard rumors that students were allowed to draw and paint on the walls because the university knew that building would be coming down any day. You could smell the musk and history in there, but the individual “wells” were even worse.
12. University House was South 10
Sometimes when University House residents refer to their home apartment complex, they call it South 10, the original name of the apartment complex and a name that lasted just a few brief months. Whenever I would invite underclassmen over, they always got confused about where I was talking about. The names are now often used synonymously, but in the next year or two, that will certainly be gone.
13. High Tide was the BOMB
Everyone went to High Tide. That used to be one of the best places to be. Nowadays, I don’t know anyone that goes there, especially after they were temporarily shut down last year.
14. Tut’s was the next power move
Tut’s was a hidden gem on the Strip with some dank food. Again, if you know, you know, you know?
15. Arthur Pendragon was the WOAT
Rumors swirled in the fall of 2014 that suggested a wide array of terrifying events were happening on campus, based on an old social media post regarding terror crimes directed toward greek-involved students. Needless to say, campus freaked out — students left town, classes were canceled and many people didn’t leave their rooms. Nothing ever actually happened, but what did happen was pure chaos.
16. 4th and 23rd for Penny Pitchers was where you needed to be
A fabulous bar known as 4th and 23rd was located at the corner of, you guessed it, 4th and 23rd. On Wednesday, the bar had penny pitchers and almost everyone went. It was like the Boom Boom Room for those that had enough time to go out in the middle of the week. It was unmissable.
17. We really did play “Dixieland Delight” at football games
And those were the best days of my life.
