What is it really?

[Andreal]

So at work, we've been having this on going debate.

You see, everyone is from the deep south, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, etc.
Another guy is from Virginia. He claims its a part of the South, but everyone else disagrees with him.

Forget about the civil war. I mean during modern times, as in its culture. Is it really the South?

[GSLady17]

Hmm, I thought it was the South but didn't want to post and be TOTALLY wrong...so I looked around the web and saw that most people will agree with it being considered south.

However, you could always put everyone through a loop and say it's on the East coast.

[GSLady17]

Oh... well, reading an article, maybe it is in the north....

And although our skin can make vitamin D from being in sunshine, most Americans don't get enough sun (even Virginia is considered too far north to provide adequate sun for most people during wintertime).


Here this site might give you some good arguements....

http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/topic/100917-1.html

It's people fighting over "Where is "The South " ??"



Here is also an interesting article.

Not quite north or south
What the middle states think of both
Tomeka Steele, Senior Writer

January 20, 2005

Maryland, D.C., Virginia: one thing all these states have in common is that they're not quite considered the north or the south. So what is it that they think about both? Here at ECU there are tons of people from these states who can answer that question.

For those who don't know much about the Civil War here's a quick overview. Back in the day the northern states and the southern states were divided. The North formed the Union and the South formed the Confederate army.

The Confederates supported slavery, made their living from farms and plantations, and wanted to lower taxes on goods. The Union was opposed to slavery, made their living from factories and trade and wanted higher taxes on European goods so southerners would buy Northern products.

The Confederacy was made up of states from Virginia and below and the Union was made up of all states north of Virginia. Since the civil war there has always been that separation of so called Yankees and slow Southerners.

"I am originally from Pennsylvania but I now live in Maryland. I like the north because people from the north have a better advantage than people from the south. We get the latest fashions first, we hear the news, albums and music first and everything just moves at a faster pace," said Tierra Kelly, junior business management major and communication studies minor.

As far as fashion goes, everyone knows New York is the fashion capital of America. With many of the top designers based out of the north they do indeed get much of the hottest clothes before shipping begins to other states.

Another factor that distinguishes the north and south is the cost of living, minimum wage and the difficulty of getting into a good northern college. It is this reason that many northerners go to school in the south.

"It's extremely hard to get into the top schools in the north such as Columbia University or the University of Maryland. It's hard because so many people from all over are trying to get into those schools. But down here in the south it's easy to get accepted to almost any school. I think it's also weird that the minimum wage here is so low. I get paid way more in Maryland than I would if I got a job here and I guess that has a lot to do with the cost of living being higher in Maryland," said Simone Baptiste junior speech language pathology major.

For a lot of students who come from the semi-north to ECU it can be life altering. Many students come to the south and find that here it isn't as bad as they thought it would be. Some like it in the south.

"I am from the Maryland area and being a city girl coming to the south was a big culture shock. However I do enjoy the south and plan on spending my rest of my life here to my surprise. The people in the south are way friendlier than northerners. The only thing that I don't like and can't really get used to is how slow and country everything is but I absolutely love southern men," said Sarah Berluche. junior criminal justice major.

When it comes down to it many students don't have a have a preference for either the north or the south. Many think that both places have certain positive and negative aspects and that no one is better than the other.

"I don't necessarily think that the north is superior to the south or vice versa. Both places have good qualities. The north has really good universities as far as education is concerned. The north is known for all the great places one can shop and is also very rich in diversity because it's just a melting pot of all types of people. The south is a great area to raise families, have quiet time and enjoy clean air," said Tieren Evans, junior child development and family relations major.

The way the north and the south are viewed is pretty much the same for everyone. The north is fast. The south is slow. But still no consensus on one as being the head honcho.

"I moved to the Outer Banks about 10 years ago. Up north, we move a lot faster. I have mixed feelings about which I like better. On one hand, I like New York better because there's always something to do, and you don't have to be too creative to find it. Down south is better in the sense that the air is cleaner and it's just much more peaceful. You don't have to lock your front door all the time, or your car door in fear that your vehicle will be stolen. There's just less people, so less chances that something bad will happen," said Maureen McNamara, a rehabilitation major.

It seems living in the north is good for some people and living in the south is good for others; it really just depends what type of person you are. If you can't decide, maybe the middle of the road is the place for you so there is the best of both worlds.






Yeah, well anyways, I hope this helps you with your debate.

It made me interested in finding out what it was considered hehe.

[Wezas]

As a Virginian who has spent lots of time in different parts of the state (Live in Nova, long visits to Richmond, Fredericksburg, Va Beach, Petersberg, South Hill, etc) I can say the state is divided.

Northern Virginia (I'd say anything north of Fredericksburg/Stafford) should be considered north. We primarily vote democratic (though the rest of the state usually outvotes us). Fairfax County has the best schools in the nation (I haven't checked this past year, but it's been that way for many years). And people in Northern Virginia sometimes are hesitant in confirming they're part of the South.

As for the rest of the state. Primarily republican, wish spots here and there where democrats may win an area. Quite a bit of rural area, though of course everything is developing and there are exceptions (major cities like Richmond, VA Beach, etc).

VA Part of the south? Yep, fraid so. But some of us are hoping to Turn Virginia Blue (http://www.democratsabroad.org/announcements/archives/2005/09/15/002163.php)

[Janarth]

I wanna echo Wezas. I think Virginia is straddling the line, with parts of it North aligned and the rest South aligned.

[Showal]

South of the mason-dixon, it's south to me.

[Warriorbird]

I grew up in Virginia. NOVA is definitely North. Rest is South.

[Jorddyn]

If anyone cares, us Iowegians consider it part of the south.

Of course, people from southwest Iowa seem to think they're part of the south, too, so we may just be confused...

Jorddyn :D

[Wezas]

Originally posted by Showal
South of the mason-dixon, it's south to me.

It's either black or white, no gray area, eh?

I'm willing to bet you're a conservative.

:saint:

Yeah, a Yankee, you are all Confedarate bastards. Sry!!!11

- Arkans

[Showal]

Originally posted by Wezas

Originally posted by Showal
South of the mason-dixon, it's south to me.

It's either black or white, no gray area, eh?

I'm willing to bet you're a conservative.

:saint:

nope! not a conservative. I'm a civil war buff though.

[SayGoodbye]

Being from Massachusetts, I've always viewed Virginia as the south.

[xtc]

Originally posted by Showal
South of the mason-dixon, it's south to me.

:yeahthat:

[Showal]

And what's the grey area of the mason dixon line anyways? I guess anyone who lives on the exact border of maryland on the Penn or delaware side can decide what they want. There. Liberal enough for you weeeeezas?

[Wezas]

Yes, thank you.

It just seems obvious by some of the responses of people who actually live in or have lived in Virginia that there is a definite disagreement with being labeled "the south". Technically, it's true.

But I guess I'm getting into Xcalibur "I'm not a canadian, I'm in Quebec" territory. I'll stop.

[Back]

NoVa has Starbucks, Nieman Marcus and art galleries.

The rest of the state has Waffle House, Walmarts and tractors.

[Showal]

hahahaah great analysis, backlash

[peam]

Virginia is the crown jewel of the South.

[Andreal]

I wouldn't say its the crown jewel. When the states left the Union, there was no West Virginia. There were enough people in that area to create their own state, and so the Union accepted them. Say we have the same scenario again, would there then be a North and South Virginia? Or is most of Virginia northernized? (Did I just invent that word?)

I admit, the only place I've ever been in Virginia is within 100 miles of D.C., and it was completely different from anywhere I've been in the South. Just the way the people are, the weather, etc.

Oh, and Backlash, Wal-Mart doesn't contitute the South really anymore.. They are everywhere, even in Hawaii. And I know my grandparents in Ohio love going there.

Waffle House.... Yeah.

Tractors, they have those all over middle America.

Louisiana also has Starbucks though, Washingtonians are breaking in everywhere. I went there after being away for a few years, I had I just come from the D.C. area.. It looked like a mini-DC, except all the foreigners and the better food there.

[Edited on 10-7-2005 by Andreal]

[Wezas]

Backlash finally takes a stab at humor and Andreal just totally pwns him. So mean.

[Soulpieced]

Once you get south of Woodbridge and are out of Northern Virginia, you are most definitely in the country, and would be classified as "the South".

[Wezas]

Originally posted by Soulpieced
Once you get south of Woodbridge and are out of Northern Virginia, you are most definitely in the country, and would be classified as "the South".

Agreed.

[DeV]

Virginia is like the Ohio of the Midwest.

[Killer Kitten]

Mike and I have a good friend from GS who lives in the southernmost part of Va.

He considers himself a southerner, and his wife will only refer to Mike and me as 'those Yankees of yours'.

[Snapp]

Originally posted by Showal
South of the mason-dixon, it's south to me.
That's usually how I view it too. Although some parts of Lower Delaware seem to think they're part of the south too. They even have southern accents.

[Artha]

He claims its a part of the South, but everyone else disagrees with him.
Maybe south/western Virginia. From around Petersburg on north is pretty yankee-ish.