The Daily Toreador - Student Newspaper of Texas Tech

Before entering school at Texas Tech, students could have heard rumor Lubbock has a tendency to stink, and there is nothing fun to do.

Image is everything, and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, along with other organizations and residents in the Hub City, are beginning a new initiative to let people of the city, region and state understand what the city has to offer.

Officials from the city of Lubbock and Tech met at the Science Spectrum Thursday afternoon for the unveiling of the new image campaign. Brad Moran, general manager of Ramar Communications and the head of the committee for the upcoming lubbocktexas.com Web Site, said it is time residents took more pride in the city they call home.

"How many times have you been around people that apologize about being from Lubbock?" Moran said.

The program would be an inward-focused campaign directed at the people of Lubbock, Moran said, to give them the permission to brag about the Hub City.

Mayor Marc McDougal said Lubbock has a little of everything to offer the population. Although Lubbock contains the Cactus Theater, the United Spirit Arena and Tech athletics, he said people should not forget about activities outside the city limits, such as Lake Alan Henry.

The people, weather and the stress-free atmosphere were three of the main points Moran said as to why he stayed in Lubbock after graduating from Tech.

Since March, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce has been working on the image campaign, "Lubbock - the Giant Side of Texas," and, Moran said, after the unveiling, would begin to initiate the program with the support of a variety of Lubbock organizations.

Officials from the Chamber of Commerce could not be reached.

Essentially, McDougal said the program would arm Lubbock residents with information that could be used to inform others of the activities and opportunities of the city.

The largest aspect of the initiative involves advertising from papers, radio, television stations and billboards, he said. In total, Lubbock media outlets have provided $1 million for promotions in the next year, for a program that would have an initial start of three years.

However, the program also would use a variety of technologies to present the image campaign to Hub City residents, Moran said. Later in the year, lubbocktexas.com will provide information on the history and heritage of the city. Also, he said, the Web site would contain a calendar of events to let residents know of upcoming activities.

Aside from the Web site, Moran said videos would be displayed on local television station during the week to start the initiative. Before displaying their findings, however, the city needed to know what residents thought of the Hub City.

During the chamber's Community Image and Promotions Divisions focus groups, Moran said Lubbock residents complained the entertainment offerings provided by the city were slim. Although many residents may agree, he said the initiative would let residents be aware of the things available here that may not be anywhere else in the state.

This also is a common complaint with Tech students, as well. LeAnne Gibson, a junior communications studies major from Ruidoso, N.M., said during her tenure at Tech, it has been difficult to find activities on any particular evening.

"As for Lubbock, I've never been aware of much to do," she said.

Usually, Gibson spends her spare time involved in activities with her church or at the Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theater, she said.

However, Moran said, as the initiative gets underway, Tech students and Lubbock residents should be able to find a number of activities available throughout the city, including music, business and recreational activities.

"The big part is to let the people know we have [entertainment offerings]," he said, "and to let them know where they are."

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