It's really not that dangerous!

The biggest stereotype about Georgia Tech in my opinion is the safety issue. People always make it seem as if Tech's campus is extremely dangerous because it is located right in the heart of Atlanta. They also make it seem as if you are putting yourself in extreme danger the second you step off of campus. Although Atlanta is not the safest city, what city doesn't have crime? Robberies, shootings and stabbings sadly occur at many schools, even schools that are thought to have the most safety and prestige. When people are robbed on campus or at surrounding schools, it is always blown out of proportion. Many of these students that are robbed set themselves up. It is common sense that you should not walk all around campus and through dark pathways with your laptop, iphone and a wallet full of cash at 4 a.m. Situations such as these can be avoided by utilizing Tech's resources such as the Stingerette. In addition, the Georgia Tech police are always around. While there is only so much they can do, they are always pretty informed about instances that occur on campus. Also, certain neighborhoods around Tech's campus are known to be particularly dangerous. Certain precautions should be taken while in these neighborhoods. Tech's campus is pretty safe as long as you make wise decisions.
Every city has crime and there are always precautions that can be taken to avoid it to the best of your ability. I am from Baltimore, which is another city that is particularly known for its high crime rate. While the city does have this reputation and there are statistics to defend it, it is not as bad as it seems. There are things you can do to ensure your safety and you will never even have to worry about finding yourself in a bad situation. Word of mouth as well as the media make Atlanta seem so much more dangerous. The media adds to this stereotype and convinces people that the city is worse than it really is.
CBS News Clip

--DaNae

tech stereotypes

There are a lot of stereotypes I've noticed at college. i don't think too many of them had to do with the south or georgia tech in particular but they always stood out to me because they were so abnormal that i wanted to know what basis people had for them.
The most unusual question i received at FASET when i told them i lived in atlanta was whether or not i lived in a house. i didn't really know how to respond to such a question. for the record yes i do live in a house. Surprisingly most of these kids actually lived in Georgia. i don't know if it's just the fact that atlanta is a city and there doesn't seem to be many houses around, and because Georgia tech is a city college students aren't expecting to see lots of houses around.
I also take pleasure in showing friends around Atlanta and having them realize that there's more to Atlanta than tech campus and good fella's at 2 in the morning. the connotation Georgia tech gets is for begin a fairly dangerous college. there are headlines of student muggings and stabbings but that is not atlanta entirely. Atlanta really isn't a dangerous city during the day and is filled with great neighborhoods and parks.
the only serious southern stereotype i can think of at Gt is KA. KA is known for being one of the msot southern fraternities on campus with their plantation style house, pride in southern music and annual southern ball.

thuy

Polos, columns, boots, and the Southern Image

VS











GT Architecture
VT Architecture

I always believed that Roanoke was a Southern town as it is South of the Mason Dixon line and typically votes republican, however, from the moment that I stepped into Atlanta and onto Tech's campus it was clear that I had not grown up in the "true" South. Opening the car door and stepping onto the black pavement I was hit both by a wave of Summer heat as well as wave after wave of Southern images. While many of the stereotypes that exist about the South may be hugely exaggerated or just plain wrong, I found many held true as well.

The first thing that I noticed was the architecture and styles which were prevalent on Tech's campus. Walking down Techwood I was confronted on both sides by large Greek house with grand, colonnade facades mimicking plantation houses and Southern wealth. The Students walking on the streets also wore bright summer dresses, calf-length cowboy boots, cackie shorts, Ralph-Lauren polo t-shirts, and Chacos (my personal favorite). This image of students contrasted sharply with my impressions from Virginia Tech where students thought throwing on anything but a $5 t-shirt and some jeans for class was strange. I can't imagine Virginia Tech students showing up to a game in a tie or even a button-up! The idea of presenting oneself at all times and dressing relatively well whenever in the public is a clear aspect of Southern Culture and tradition.


VS







Virgina Tech Football Style

GT Football Style

To see Virginia Tech, please see our blog map!

The next thing that I really noticed in Atlanta that I felt fit the stereotypes I'd heard my whole life was certainly the politeness of the poeple. While I was first walking around the city and exploring the area around Tech square up through Peachtree and over to North Avenue, I stopped to talk to quite a few individuals and was surprised to find them very willing to talk to me. Many just greeted me as I passed by and one restaurant owner standing outside his restaurant even came out to talk about the weather and help me with some direction and suggestions of things to see in Atlanta. Back on campus I never had to stop and look for a map because without even asking students would recognize me and my family as visitors and ask if we needed any help. It is just small acts like these from which the idea of Southern hospitality has grown and what really makes all the difference.

So far from my time in Atlanta I've noticed that some Southern stereotypes may be just an "image" of the South, but some others certainly hold true. For me, some of the first ones a noticed were the physical images of the architecture and styles in the South as well as the hospitality of the Southern poeple. It is these traits and others that characterize this region and perpetuate the Southern identity, both true and exaggerated.

Just because I was curious about how Google would handle a search for "Southern Outfits," I tried it out. Of the top ten results from 1,830,000 returns, six centered on the Southern Belle outfit, two were general clothing companies, one was a gymnastics company, and the final was a native American dance outfitter. I found this mix of returns for "Southern Outfits" to be humorous. Now being in a rather comical mood, I took it upon myself to find a montage of the "many faces and dresses of Scarlett O'Hara" featuring epic music. I think its well worth a minute or two of your time to see what Google 6/10 Google results consider to be the definition of southern style...

Parker



Virginia Tech fans: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/467563962_22ad0d4a37.jpg
Georgia Tech fans: blog.mattroe.net/?cat=6
Georgia Tech Greeks house: rwhdesign.com
Virgina Tech Greek house: http://zetahouses.blogspot.com/2009/05/virginia-tech.html

The "New" Atlanta

Atlanta, GA is certainly no new city to me. I was born and raised around Atlanta, so I have been exposed to most of the stereotypes that Atlantans face nowadays. For many, Atlanta is not just a commercialized center of the South, but it is home to the majority of crime rates in the state of Georgia. Having lived at Tech for almost a year now, I have viewed more crime alerts sent out by Tech's campus police than I do receiving spam. Focusing primarily on Atlanta, I believe one of the southern stereotypes frequently observed is how people view Atlanta as a dangerous area, home to gangs, robberies, and thieves. However, that is a common stereotype seen in most downtown areas. Consider New York City or even Los Angeles where the number of crimes committed climb each day and are interminable.


On the other hand, Georgia Tech is a prominent university located inside the city of Atlanta, surrounded by crimes everywhere, but inside the campus, the surroundings are different. There is an abundance of diversity seen on campus; students come from all around, both domestically and internationally. It definitely contradicts the point of view most people have on the South--that Southerners are uneducated. Georgia Tech is oftentimes considered the "Ivy League" of the South and ranks as one of the top ten public schools in the nation. There are students majoring from management to electrical engineering, and even to polymer/ textile engineering. The food here also hints a little bit of Southern culture. In the dining halls, fried food is ALWAYS on the menu. It includes everything from fried chicken to fried potatoes all the way to fried peanut butter and jelly. Additionally, stereotypes continue to exist here. Also, many see African-American students simply enrolled here on athletic scholarships, but I have seen African-American students that are majoring in one of the hardest majors offered here, Computer Science. There are dozens of diverse fraternities and sororities offered here. I have seen a Confederate flag hung outside one of the fraternities once, and I had so many interpretations--does it symbolize their pride? Or is there are a sense of racism hidden behind its meaning? Even more amusing is that they were playing hip-hop music in the background. Discrimination continues to be inevitable, but Georgia Tech brings out the diversity in Atlanta. What else does Georgia Tech have to show about its Southern culture? FOOTBALL!!! Yes, attending football games is more than just cheering for your team, but it has become a hobby for Tech students, like for a majority of Southern schools. GO JACKETS!



--
Agnes Ho

Please see map for Georgia Tech's location.
Sources:
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9pQWdwkLEE
Picture: http://www.gatech.edu/images/splashSports.jpg

Uneducated in the South

A common stereotype that I have seen portrayed about the South is that the South is full of people who are uneducated with a lack of manners. One thing that convinces people of this stereotype is the fact that Southerners may talk differently. This is not because of a lack of education but because the dialect will always vary from region to region. There are several nationally ranked schools in the South in which many students who are originally from the South attend. Classifying an entire region as uneducated because of the characters in movies and commericals is simply ignorant.

Along with being uneducated, some people also tend to associate Southerners with having a lack of manners or showing proper social etiquette. This does apply to some people but that is everywhere. People that lack proper manners can be found in every single state within this country. One key characteristic of the South is Southern hospitality. This would not be so well known if Southerners had no manners.

Stereotypes are often wrong but supported because they are repeatedly shown in social media. While some stereotypes are true when pertaining to certain individuals, I do not feel that an entire region can be classified under one category.

Below is a video of a male who recently voted and posted this video to prove that all Southerners are not "stupid" and that they actually keep up with this issues pertaining to this country. The video is entitled "Voting: Not All Southerners Are Idiots" and can be found on youtube.com

--DaNae

down on the bayou

The worst and commonly used southern stereotype that bothers me the most is the idea of the southern swamp dwellers. the image that movies of the people living in the south is that they living in small shacks on the swamp bank with the other animals dwelling the swamp. It shows the image of a more destitute community living off of the swamp land. this combined with the twang of the southern dialect gives this group of people stereotype of begin less intellectual. The movie "Water Boy" displays all aspects this stereotype. The main character lives on the swamp with his mother and she cooks squirrel for dessert. He has a harsh stutter that he gets picked on for, is home schooled by his religious mother who things that even the women are the devil, and drives a lawn motor to College. Aside from that the town he lives in also gives the same uneducated, swamp community feeling. The professor he has looks like Colonel Sanders, his football coach has an incredibly incompressible dialect, and there's a town idiot who drops in for tangents throughout the film.
I'm not sure where this image of the south has derived from, but i do think it' an awful misconception. The people that live by the bayou in the South are not ignorant hicks they just grew up in an area where they were more exsposed to the natural environment they live in.

thuy

The Ruralism of the South

RURALISM?

Image from: ruralsociology.org

One of the stereotypes of the South which really bothers me is the world's perception of the "ruralism" of the American South. When I receive e-mails from my friends abroad or was meeting new people during college visits up North and West, everyone seemed to think that I lived in a podunk little town stuck up in the Mountains. I am very proud of living in a relatively "small" town (~250,000 poeple) which was tightly integrated with the beauty of nature in the Virginia Mountains, however, I feel the South sometimes gets a bad stereotype of being un-industrialized and almost "third world."

The South has probably been giving this stereotype due to its history. Up until the Civil War the south was a pretty much purely agricultural area which relied on cotton, tobacco, and a few other crops. Following the Civil, war this areas few industrial areas had been destroyed and were slow to recover under reconstruction policy. While this was occurring, the North and the rest of the world began to view the South as uncultured, poor, and almost as uncivilized farmers.

However, since the Civil War the South has developed and is as technologically advanced and modern as any other region in the world. Especially coming down to Atlanta, anybody looking at this city would consider it one of the largest and fastest growing cities in the country. Certainly looking at the major companies based in the city it is clear that it is also a business hub! Take a look at my map link to the heartsfield international airport and the surrounding area in Atlanta. The sheer size of this airport attests to the industrialization of the south.

While I am pleased that poeple recognize the history of the South and the unique blend of natural beauty and industrialized living which are both present, I wish that the stereotype that every southerner lived in a shack or on a plantation and milked the cows at five in the morning was not so wide spread. The South really is a unique and lovely place to love.

Parker

Not everyone in the South lives on a farm and gets up at 5 to milk the cows or spends the afternoons running tractors. There is also an industrialized, white-collar side to the South.



Image from:
http://database.ytel.net/dbphotos/2005-07-31008farm1.jpg

Y'all Just a Bunch of Conservative Rednecks!

To some Northerners, Southerners are probably the most redneck bunch out there. This is probably one of the worst stereotypes I've heard about the South. Those people generally get this idea from movies that depict the South as an uneducated group of hillbillies or shirtless people who drive pickup trucks. However, this is certainly not the case. The South today is one of the most diverse regions in the continental USA. With thriving businesses and industries in populated city areas as well as suburban regions, it has contradicted that stereotype. Consider Atlanta, one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Although certain areas of the South may still remain relatively agrarian, that does not mean that farmers or country folks are necessarily rednecks. In fact, agriculture is the backbone to society and produces a majority of the foods we eat today.
Whenever I think hear the word "redneck", I typically find that offensive to whomever it is targeted towards. To me, it seems racist in a way, as most people label redneck as white people, or people of really light skin color with a burnt face. With regards to racism, the South is composed of people of all races.
What may also normally come to mind when Northerners speak of Southerners is some "bad" politics--that Southerners are stubborn in their conservative, Republican views. While most of the South is still predominantly conservative in its views, the 2000 presidential election shows a democratic Florida and Kentucky. Also, the majority of democrats are increasing in the South.



Source of picture: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/diary/US_map_2008_election.png
Source of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBocef6iQps

Ohhhhhhhh!

A good song that represents the South in my opinion is "Oh" by Ciara ft. Ludacris. In this song, she mentions places in the South such as Adamsville, Bankhead, College Park and Carver Holmes. The song also describes cars and the way some people ride around in the South. A stereotype she uses is "dubs on the Cadillac." This car with special rims is something that would more likely be associated with the South. Ciara also mentions the nightlife (clubs) and southern cooking in the song. Both of these are important characterisitics concerning the South, especially in Atlanta. Southern cooking as well as nightlife are two things that draw tourists to the South. Certain foods are cooked in the South in a way that just can't be replicated anywhere else. Nightlife in the South, well in the cities is also different from the North. Being from Baltimore, the party and club scene is definitely different and more lively in the South. In addition, Ciara mentions a common stereotype in the song. Women in the South are often thought to be more shapely and she incorporates this into her song by saying, "light-skinned thick chicks, fellas call 'em redbones." Numerous southern African American stereotypes are incorporated into this song, some of them actually being true. This may not be a typical song to represent the South but it definitely represents the South from another point of view. The music video is below.

--DaNae

Ramblin' Man by The Allman Brothers Band

I thought that this song did a good job talking about the "Ramblin' Man" of the South. This song portrays a different image of Southern men than those characterized in Gone With the Wind. Notice the words that are used in this song: ramblin', gamblin', bayou, Delta, etc. These words are referring to the Mississippi delta area. Some of these words should sound familiar to Georgia Tech students and alumni. I can't talk in detail about this song, so I would just listen to it. The song is by The Allman Brothers Band, a well respected band in the South.

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can

And when it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand

That I was born a ramblin' man

Well my father was a gambler down in Georgia

And he wound up on the wrong end of a gun

And I was born in the back seat of a ... Greyhound bus

Rollin' down Highway 41

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can

And when it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand

That I was born a ramblin' man

Aw-right!

I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin'

Leavin' out of Nashville, Tennessee

They're always havin' a good time down on the bayou

Lord, them Delta women think the world of me

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can

And when it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand

That I was born a ramblin' man

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

-Rajeev

That's Right, I'm Thinking "Georgia on my Mind"

I'm sure most people have heard of this song at least sometime in his/ her life, especially Georgians. This song, official version by Ray Charles, is so popular that it is even carried as a slogan on Georgia license plates.

And, of course, the song (lyrics) has come to represent the South through depictions of Georgia's beauty, Ray Charles himself, and as the state song of a southern state. First off, the song mentions Georgia, a southern state who had a prominent history and is probably most noted for its involvement in the Civil War and Sherman's March to the Sea. The song's lyrics mentions the finding of no peace, possibly because Georgia has its many wars that makes allows Charles to think of Georgia on his mind. Furthermore, Ray Charles himself, is a blind, African-American man who is able to view the south the same way other people may view it. The song was recorded relatively during the Civil Rights Movement, but the fact that it gained so much recognition and pride in the state of Georgia illustrates the relevance of the song. Plus, Charles essentially brought along soul music into the R&B world of the South, where jazz, the blues, and gospel were still popular.

--
Agnes Ho

I know it may be expected, but....

The theme for this weeks blog posts is to post and discuss and song that discusses one aspect of the South.



Now i certainly know that when people think of the South they probably think Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Sweet Home Alabama," but I this song certainly was written describing Southern culture and has become and icon of our heritage. Even though we've sang this song a million times driving down the back-roads with the windows down, I went ahead and posted the lyrics so you can actually read through them...

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer

Reading through this song myself I get a little different feeling than when I listen to it. As you can see the lyrics reference many some serious historical moments that have defined the South such as Governor George Wallace's support segregation and his actions to block integration at the University of Alabama in 1963. The last line also references the city of Montgomery which is well know for the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights Marches and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Additionally, the song references some much more local and less known things such as the recording studios and unique culture of the Muscle Shoals in Alabama. One of the main things which the band supports is simply they pride which they have to live in the South and the love which they have for their area. The lines about Neil Young are in response to some attacks he had made on the South in his own songs describing the racism of the region. "Sweet Home Alabama" seeks to brush these aside and rather shows the love Southern's have for their home and the comfort they receive from it.

Food. What tribe? Bill fold!

For this week we thought it was a good idea to talk about experiences that a tour of the South would be incomplete without. First, you haven't eaten stereotypical Southern food if the name of the dish doesn't start with "Fried." Southerners fry EVERYTHING! Fried Chicken is probably one of the dishes that most people like, no matter where they are from. However, there are some fried foods that some people might find "interesting." These include the following: fried Oreos, fried Snickers, fried Twinkies, fried onions, fried pickles (my favorite), and I'm sure there are more. These are what I like to call, "Heart Attack on a Plate!" Apart from fried foods, the South is also known for grits. Not all Southerners like grits, but most do. Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite "grits 'n' things" combo. After having all that, be sure to finish the meal with pecan pie in vanilla ice cream.

Fried Pickles

The next part of the tour is unique to Indian people; the ones from Asia. It was my first day in an American school and this little, 11-year-old, redneck boy asked me what I was. I was confused and I thought to myself, "human?" I asked him, "What do you mean?" He said, "You know. What country are you from?" "I'm Indian." "Really? That's awesome! What tribe do you belong to? Do you know that I'm one fourth Cherokee?" "No, I did not know that. I'm one hundred percent Indian." It took him a while to understand that I was talking about the country, India, and not the Native Americans. Anyway, that was just a warning to people who are from India, the country in Asia, to be really, really specific when taking about where you are from, with some Southern folk.

This is a "bill fold."

The final part of this unique tour ends with my experience with the term "bill fold." When you are ever in a situation, in the South, when someone asks for your bill fold, first of all, do not give it to them. When a Southerner is referring to a bill fold, he is referring to something that normal folk call a "wallet." That is all that I have to say about that. See y'all later!

-Rajeev

Image source: http://www.mupolice.com/cp/images/Wallet-002.gif => Wallet
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/45964088_48cd624e6e.jpg => Fried Pickles

Waffles Anyone?

Waffle House is extremely well known in the South and there are so many of them. Being from Baltimore, I was never able to eat at a Waffle House unless my family was down South vacationing or visiting family. Everyone needs to eat at a Waffle House at least once in their lifetime. They serve great breakfast but their menu is not limited to just that. They also serve lunch/ dinner food. A great advantage to Waffle House is that it is inexpensive making it a convenient place to eat for everyone including families and college students. In addition, Waffle House is open for 24 hours, 365 days a year. They have ensured that eating there will be effortless and hassle free considering that it is always open and you can eat for a great price. Since moving to Altanta for school, it has become a great late night spot for my friends and I when we are hungry at three in the morning. Whenever I have friends that do not live in the South or attend school down here visit Atlanta, they always end up at a Waffle House before they leave. They serve Southern classics such as biscuits and gravy and country ham. You are not as likely to find this at a diner in the North. Waffle Houses are so common yet they definitely add character to Southern cuisine. Waffles anyone?

Waffle House

"Fat Kids Unite at Waffle House!!!11"

--DaNae

image: http://e-lacrosse.com/blogs/lifeinthepros/files/2009/03/wafflehouse.jpg

video: youtube.com

Welcome to Charleston Harbor, SC

My most vivid southern experience happened about four years ago when my family and I decided to take a trip up to Charleston, South Carolina. There, we visited Patriots Patriot, a naval museum atop the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, a legendary ship that landed in Charleston Harbor. Dozens of war planes were set out for tourists to observe, take pictures in, and view its historical facts. USS Yorktown is the signature piece of the whole museum. It participated and held services in the Battle of Midway, World War II, as well as the Vietnam War. Nearby, in downtown Charleston, we noticed ferry boats that offered to take people across Charleston Harbor to the renowned Fort Sumter National Monument, where the Battle of Fort Sumter took place (in 1861) and is the site most known for the first shots being fired that initiated the Civil War. We proceeded to dock, and the ferry ride was a relaxing half an hour ride. Astonishingly, we even sighted a few flipping dolphins. After landing at Fort Sumter, the view was incredible. It was literally this small piece of land with deteriorated concrete walls and barriers; it's amazing to think that a battle was fought here! Fort Sumter was THE place that started the division of America into the Union North and Confederate South, and it all started out with a few single shots fired from the Confederate soldiers that triggered a massive and bloody war. At the fort, I still remember taking pictures of the non-activated, antique cannons and cannonballs leftover from the war. Today, it is a National Park open to all by boat. There was certainly much to be learned about the area, and the experience was worthwhile. I called this my southern experience because this was the start of the Civil War, an iconic representation of the South and its history.

--Agnes

Please see map.

Sources: http://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm
http://www.patriotspoint.org/

What will you have, sweetheart?

No tour of the south would be complete without a stop for breakfast at a southern diner. The diner is a casual environment and often a hotspot for families have sunday morning breakfast after church or weekday sit-down lunch. Its a simple way to get a plethora of good homestyle cooking in a homy environment.
One of my favorite places in atlanta is the Silver Skillet. Once a month my mentors and I would go out diner hunting for good atlanta breakfast. The Silver Skillet quickly became one of our favorites for it's southern hospitality and great breakfast plates. The Silver Skillet is an Atlanta landmark that has been around since 1956 and it still has the same 50's atmosphere. the walls are full of faded pictures of celebrities who have stopped, hand painted menus, and humorous signs that depict the attitude of the a simple, casual restaurant.
The menu is covers two pages front and back of southern classics. some of the most popular breakfast options include country ham, grits, biscuits and gravy, however it's not only the food that makes people coming back for more, but also the service. there is something to be said about being called sweetie or dear by a complete stranger. it makes you feel as if you're back at home in your mother's kitchen.
the southern diner experience is important to the Southern identity because it is surrounded by the warming, filling southern flavors but also the southern personality. It identifies a place that is warming casual and motherly.



~thuy

The Battle of Fort McAllister

The subject of the blog for the week of 2/1 - 2/6 is to "describe a southern experiences you've had or an experience you think a tour of the south would be incomplete without."


Perhaps my most intimate Southern experience occurred over this past winter break from school when I went with a friend to Savannah to participate in a Civil War re-enactment. I had never participated in a re-enactment before and beyond what I had seen in The Patriot and the stories I'd heard from my friend I really didn't know what to expect.

So, the Friday after exams we jumped on a Grayhound in Atlanta and headed down to Savannah (an experience in itself) and had his parents take us to Fort McAllister. This fort of one of the best presereved Confederate sites in the South located on the banks of the Ogeechee River. The fort was one of the last lines of defense for the city of Savannah preventing Union supply ships from bringing food and ammunition to Sherman's Army. Before Sherman could lay seige to Atlanta on and complete his campaign ("Sherman's march to the Sea"), he first had to take the fort manned by some 300 odd Confederate soldiers. The battle occurred on December 13, 1864.



The re-enactment turned out to be an incredible learning experience and really introduced me to a side of southern culture I had not experienced. The event was full immersion and we, the defending Confederate garrison, spent the night in the fort sleeping in the underground bombproof shelter. In the morning training and activities began about 8:00. One of my first experiences as a re-enactor was to be placed on the Western wall of the fort one guard duty for two hours. Standing in full uniform at this time and watching for union soldiers, hearing skirmishes in the background, and enduring a light drizzle made it feel like I was really in the time period and made me think what it must have really felt like back then and how young men my age were literally anticipating their own death as the massive Union army descended upon them.

As the day progressed I was involved in a series of skirmishes and attacks during which time I found it peculiar how exciting and exhilarating a battle could be. Crouching down behind the earthworks and firing by command, and then muzzle-loading the muskets was a heart pounding experience, especially as thirty men around you were hurrying to do the same thing and a just as many union soldiers were hiding behind trees and firing back. Everything that I found exciting about the re-enactment however must have been horrifying for the men in the battle a hundred and fifty years earlier.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the re-enactment was getting to meet the other re-enactors, to see what types of backgrounds they came from and what connections they had to the Civil War. Many had long Southern family lines and could name all their family who fought in the war and felt a special link to their heritage by participating in the battle. At night we would play guitar and sing songs in the bunker and through the whole event was made real by the passion with which they lived and upheld their roles.

There is so much to be discussed about this experience but it certainly was a defining experience in my introduction to Southern Culture. I personally learned a lot from it and think that I am better able to understand the South's pride in its history as well as the link which Southerner's feel to their heritage.

Parker