Polos, columns, boots, and the Southern Image

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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.


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Virgina Tech Football Style

GT Football Style

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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