What’s it like to grow up in Fort Collins?

Logan McConnell wants the ladies all to himself.

“A lot of the (high school) ladies were hanging out with the

college guys,” said McConnell, 22.

McConnell also used to live in Eugene, Ore., the home of the

University of Oregon Beavers and later attended Rocky Mountain High

School during his last two years of high school after moving from

Oregon.

The lack of ladies isn’t the only thing McConnell associates

with growing up in a college town.

“If you live close to the school, parking really sucks,” said

McConnell, a senior wildlife biology major.

However, growing up in a college town also has its

advantages.

“(College towns) always have good deals on food and stuff,”

McConnell said.

McConnell works at Old Chicago, 147 S. College Avenue, and

enjoys serving the college students the most.

“College kids always tip the best,” McConnell said. “They are

all laid back. They are my favorite.”

Others feel the diversity associated with a college town is the

prime advantage for living here.

“The cultural awareness from the university in town pushes you

to want to go to school here,” said Stephanie Bunker, an English

major from Loveland.

Bunker, 28, said she came up to Fort Collins for social aspects

and feels that she might as well have grown up here.

Chris MacQuiddy, 20, enjoys the multiethnic aspects to the

town.

“If (CSU) wasn’t here I don’t think I would see as many Asians

(like myself) as I do,” MacQuiddy said. MacQuiddy used to attend

Fort Collins High School.

MacQuiddy, a student at Front Range Community College, likes the

summers in Fort Collins the best.

“It’s nice to go down College without it taking five days,”

MacQuiddy said.

According to the Budget of Institutional Analysis Web site,

during the fall and spring semesters, approximately 23,000 to

26,000 students were enrolled at CSU. The Web site also showed that

during the summer term, approximately 7,500 students took classes

at the university.

This decrease in students lowers the population of Fort Collins,

causing a downtime during the summer and a boom of population

during the school year.

“The traffic is really bad,” said Charlie Hallenbeck, a

sophomore business management and landscape design double major.

“There are too many people in cars.”

Hallenbeck, 20, also identifies the positives of living in Fort

Collins.

“There is more stuff to do here,” said Hallenbeck, a RMHS

alumnus. “There are a lot of businesses and organizations that come

here because of CSU and all the students.”

Some students enjoy visiting home when campus life gets too

tough.

“It’s nice being able to go home,” said Stefanie Ruffolo, a

senior restaurant/resort management major. “It’s nice to do

laundry, have a nice home cooked meal, or to just escape the

madness of campus.”

Ruffolo, 21 and a FCHS alumna, also notices the downtime of

summer.

“During the summer Fort Collins is very boring,” Ruffolo said.

“This town is geared towards college students.”

Living close to home isn’t always as convenient as it

sounds.

“Since my mom knows I am here she always wants to stop by

unexpectedly,” Ruffolo said.

Ruffolo chose to stay in Fort Collins when choosing a college

because she lacked the confidence to start somewhere new.

“I wasn’t very outgoing (in high school),” Ruffolo said. “I

didn’t want to branch out. Plus it was cheaper to stay in

state.”

Some Fort Collins residents not only chose to go to college here

but they chose to stay and build a life.

“I like Fort Collins because it is generally smaller,” said

Janie Davidson, a CSU and FCHS alumna. “The growth isn’t out of

control.”

A younger population still doesn’t persuade Davidson to change

towns.

“There is an increase in a younger population,” Davidson said.

“Generally, some young people aren’t quite as responsible as they

might eventually be.”

Davidson, 30, also enjoys the distinct four seasons of Colorado

and quiet summers of Fort Collins.

“The summers here are awesome,” Davidson said. “Everything slows

down.”

Familiarity and loved ones keep Davidson tied down to the town

she has spent the last 30 years in.

“I have been here so long that I am comfortable,” Davidson said.

“My family and friends are here.”

Maggie Lilyblade, 21, grew up attending CSU events and games.

Her father, a CSU alumnus, raised her to love the Rams and the town

of Fort Collins. Lilyblade wanted to stay close to her family

instead of moving far away.

“I never thought of college as getting away from my family,”

Lilyblade said. “I am very close to my family.”

In the future Lilyblade might move out of Fort Collins and

experience the quirks of another town but she knows she wants to

end up here.

“I like the small town feel,” Lilyblade said. “This is

definitely the place I want to raise my family.”

Fort Collins might be home to over 25,000 students but Lilyblade

couldn’t tell.

“I never thought of Fort Collins as a college town,” said

Lilyblade, a senior interior design major. “It was something that

had to be pointed out to me.”