As you all know, Coastal has a high percentage of out-of-state students. The result is a campus with a wide variety of regional differences. I am from the center of Virginia so here is my middle of the line opinion on some of the Northern versus Southern ways.
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1. Slang
There are some weird regional dialects and sayings on both ends. I am now learning that “I’m hip” is more of a DMV thing because whenever I say it people never seem to understand what I mean. A strange Southern one is “might could” which Urban dictionary even calls “redneck dialect”.
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2. Holding the Door
Everyone here holds the door open for you, unless it’s a Northern student. I have now mastered the awkward run/walk you do to try and hurry to the door when someone holds it open for you. On a cold day someone even shut the door, waited by it, and then opened it to hold it open for me. I have to say I love the Southern Hospitality.
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3. Weather Complaints
Both groups can be a little extreme on both sides when it comes to complaining about the weather. The Northern students always seem to have to tell you about how their hometown is covered in snow and how they’ve survived some horrendous blizzard, anytime anyone mentions being cold. In comparison the Southerners will announce its sweatshirt season when its seventy something degrees outside.
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4. Vehicles
There are big trucks and tricked out cars everywhere, but what is the deal with all of the lights in the south. They have colorful interior and exterior lights from giant decked out trucks to two-door Honda civics. Another prominent car decor item here in the south, is a sticker with your instagram username on it plastered onto the back window of your vehicle.
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5. Money
The difference in minimum wage and gas prices is insane. It is pretty entertaining to watch the Northern kids realize how much smaller a paycheck here is though. However, driving down the interstate to school and watching the gas prices drop is a joyous sight.
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6. The “Where does the South start?” Debate
Everyone has a different opinion on this one, literally everyone. Some of the Southern students don’t claim Virginia as part of the South, others say it depends on what part of Virginia. People from the North generally associate Virginia as the border, or atleast anywhere under NOVA is assumed part of the South. There are a few Northerners who argue with the Mason-Dixon line, saying parts of Maryland even count as the South.
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7. Food
The big question of Starbucks versus Dunkin comes to play here. While there are of course different opinions no matter where you live, a lot of the Northern students prefer Dunkin. There is also so much gravy and sweet tea here it’s insane and amazing.
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8. Everyone Agrees
One universal thing we can all agree on though, is that New England has the most annoying sports fans.