Geography can be a pretty dry subject in a classroom. But it seems geography is actually more important in social interactions than one would think, as many University students have found.
A geographical tour of the United States reveals that students deal with a variety of stereotypes. These stereotypes might not be so significant in a larger setting, but when put in a smaller setting like a university campus, they are magnified. Almost every area in the country is saddled with some kind of stereotype that's often hard to shake off. There are typecasts about everything from the accents of certain areas to the food in others.
Consider, for instance, the people from Northern Virginia, also known as "NoVa." Most University students are not surprised to hear a peer say he or she is from Northern Virginia, because most of them are. What's beneath the surface are the immediate assumptions made about these people.
"If someone finds out that I'm from Northern Virginia, I usually just get a 'Surprise, surprise,'" second-year College student Rebecca Woolson said. "Sometimes if you tell people that you're from Northern Virginia, they assume that you're very stuck-up because we don't consider ourselves Southern. None of us heard that term used about our hometowns until we came to U.Va. Real Northern Virginians don't call it 'NoVa' because NOVA is the community college."
Other in-state students suffer from stereotypes, too. For example, students from Southern Virginia are frequently described as rednecks who drive tractors and live in the country.
"Other people stereotype people from Southern Virginia because of our accents," second-year College student Nikki Walters said. "Everything I say I have to watch how I say it or fear being categorized based on that. People in general tend to think we aren't as intelligent just because we come from Southwest Virginia. Even your friends tend to say things and assume that we got in based on where we're from and the need to fill a quota."
Moving outside of Virginia reveals some interesting opinions as well.
A large portion of University student hail from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions -- New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, which were the four states besides Virginia best represented in the first-year student body during the fall of 2004, according to the Office of Admission Web site.
Some people consider Maryland to be pretty neutral, meaning that there usually aren't that many stereotypes that go along with Maryland.
"Most of the students at the University from Maryland are usually just asked why they didn't just go to the University of Maryland," second-year Architecture student Kristin Krebbel said.
Yet there is at least one negative stereotype some students from Maryland said they have experienced here.
"Apparently, a lot of kids that come from Maryland are spoiled and whiny and they like to talk about what their daddy has," second-year Engineering school student Adrienne Lalle said. "I think that since that stereotype is so similar to the overall U.Va stereotype, I'm not really accused of it within the school but definitely outside of college."
Students from Connecticut deal with a similar stereotype.
"If I ever tell someone that I'm from Connecticut, they automatically assume that I'm from Greenwich and that I went to a private boarding school," third-year College student Mariah Underhill said. "They're always really surprised to hear that I actually went to public school. Also, people always assume that since Connecticut is so small that I know everyone in the University that is also from Connecticut. That's not true, either."
Native New Jerseyans said they have harsher stereotypes to contend with than many other students. New Jersey has been called the "Armpit of the United States," which doesn't necessarily lead to the best initial impression of students who live there.
"I think most people everywhere have the same petty and unfounded stereotypes of people from New Jersey," fourth-year College student Katie Hearns said. "We're trashy, crass, loud and live on top of pizzerias next to nuclear power plants. I think because of the frequency of such vapid prejudices, people from New Jersey tend to have a lot of pride in the Garden State. Because we usually expect the lame jokes and stereotyping, most of us have a humble sense of humor, too."
Students from New York said others make strong assumptions about them as well.
"People think that we're rude, loud and arrogant and we're Yankee fans," second-year College student Warren Waterman said. "People just don't like New Yorkers."
Next are Midwestern states, where soda is "pop" and a water fountain is a "bubbler." Differences in semantics aren't the only stereotypes Midwesterners deal with.
"People say you talk weird," second-year College student Stephanie Amateis said. "They think you love cheese and beer. They also think that you love cold weather and that you like to live in the woods. People think no one lives in Wisconsin and that it's all farmland. That's not true at all."
Moving even further west takes a traveler out to the West Coast. Here at the University, the West Coast is best represented by California and Texas, according to the Office of Admission.
"People think that California is just full of pot-smoking, liberal hippies," second-year College student Katie Vanderhoff said. "Also, when people hear that I'm from California, they think right off the bat that I know how to surf and that I'm laidback. And, they assume that the only music I listen to is punk or emo."
Traveling south of Virginia takes one to the Carolinas and then Georgia and Alabama. It's what most people would call the "Deep South." So, how does Florida fit in? It's not possible to travel any farther southeast, but is it really the South? And what geographic stereotypes affect Floridians?
"Floridians, apparently, don't know how to vote properly," fourth-year College student Matthew Childs said. "Sometimes people assume all Floridians are unsophisticated Southerners, but that one is less prevalent at U.Va. since some people here 'think' they are Southern. People don't realize that the whole state is not a swamp, so they think alligators live in everyone's backyard."
Yet Texas is "Southern" by anyone's definition.
"People are always disappointed that I don't have more of an accent," second-year College student Will Hasley said. "The guys here think that Texas high school football is crazy. I also got a couple of people to believe that I rode a horse to high school."
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