By TANGELA JOHNSON

Staff Writer

Want to know where one of the Meccas of shopping is located?

If you are asking Tashaunda Dixon, a sophomore accounting major, her hometown is the place to be.

Dixon hails from Minneapolis, Minn., where she was born and raised, and she said her city has a lot to offer if you want to stop by for a visit.

Dixon came to Tech to get a new experience with a new environment.

She reflects often on her hometown, though.

"We're known for the Mall of America," Dixon said of the largest and most famous mall in the United States.

If the mall is not your thing because you are the outdoors type, the bodies of water have their own activities to offer, Dixon said.

"Minnesota is also known as the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes,'" Dixon said.

One of her greatest memories was a fascinating and educational ride down the Mississippi River she took as a small child with her family.

"We have a boat that goes down the Mississippi that gives a tour of where all the water mills are," Dixon said. "You get to see more facets of what the river has to offer."

Another more recent experience Dixon had was in downtown Minnesota, where she was fortunate enough to go to a Murphy Lee concert and had front row seats.

"It was a lot of fun, especially because of the club setting," Dixon said.

"Being in the front row at a club is better than being in the front row at in a stadium."

Her cousin even got a chance to chill with him in his tour bus for a little while after the show.

Dixon said all of these experiences have made her a city girl at heart.

"I think I miss the opportunity most," Dixon said. "There's more to do, and you can meet a whole lot of people."

She also said being in a small town like Ruston does, however, have its perks.

"People are more intimate with you," Dixon said.

"You get to have a different level of relationship than in the city."