With the announcement that the American Legion and Troy State University have finalized a three-year contract to keep Girls State on campus, Troy's visibility and image has been improved.

Girls from throughout Alabama - and their families - come to Troy for the week-long event.

The exposure to our campus these high school juniors get is really unparallel and serves as an outstanding recruitment tool for the university.

The city's exposure is also heightened. We get to play host to these girls, who may eventually call Troy home, if it's only for a few years while in school.

We applaud the university's willingness to so aggressively seek out such opportunities.

Their successes on campus translate very quickly into successes for Troy and Pike County.

This contract is yet another example of how the university and the city are so closely intertwined. When Troy State wins, we all win.