<p>P.S.</p>
<p>And freedom of speech is of upmost importance. If someone feels like saying: "I hate all brown immigrants!!!" geez it's their right to say it and to believe it. I probably wouldn't take offense though. But that's just me.</p>
<p>Like I said, I don't care if you hate gay people or not. The whole " it was horrible there were gay ppl everywhere and I was shocked that there were churches" is horrible of you to say. Like I said, wouldn't you be ****ed if someone used that same phrase but replaced the word gay with the word black?
Can you help being black? no.
Is it a bad thing that you're black? absolutely not.
Do black people deserve to be looked down upon? um NO! </p>
<p>Well guess what?
Can gay people help being gay? no.
Is it a bad thing that gay people are gay? absolutely not.
Do gay people deserve to be looked down upon? um No!</p>
<p>Get the picture.</p>
<p>MetdethGNR: Sorry if my post was confusing, but basically I'm just trying to say what I think every Kindergartener has learned: treat other how you'd want to be treated.</p>
<p>Oh, and also, I agree with the whole freedom of speech thing, I'm just speeking what I feel just like you and Dbate are doing.</p>
<p>I live in Arkansas, and out of the eight schools I'm applying two, only two aren't in the north.</p>
<p>I am a bit worried about the transition, but I feel weird in the South as well. I do not identify myself with any kind of political party (I think it's useless; I'm more into specific ideas), but I usually do not agree with the conservative/Republican mindset. I was lucky to go to a high school that is pretty open-minded. We're notorious for having 'a lot of gay people', and being 'liberal'. </p>
<p>When I stopped being religious, it was pretty awful down here. The first person I dated was white (I'm black), and that turned out to be a pretty awful experience at the beginning.</p>
<p>I hope that up North, I'll get a little more freedom..</p>
<p>Well guess what?
"Can gay people help being gay? no.
Is it a bad thing that gay people are gay? absolutely not.
Do gay people deserve to be looked down upon? um No!</p>
<p>Get the picture."</p>
<p>Jsmall, I think that what most non-religious (meaning non-fundamentalist Christian) people fail to truly understand is that most Christian conservatives believe with all their heart that homosexuality IS a choice. They do NOT view homosexuality in the same way as they view being born black or a woman. They believe what the bible appears to be saying about homosexuality: that it is "an abomination" in the sight of God, etc. Until experience, or overwhelming science convinces them that homosexuals are actually born with that preference encoded in their DNA, they will continue to believe that homosexuality is a major moral failing. That's where are the "hate the sin, love the sinner" mentality comes from.</p>
<p>P.S. I personally don't fall under that category, religiously speaking. But I did grow up with it, and I can tell you that many religious black people would be deeply offended if you suggested that discrimination, whether based on race or gender preference, is the same thing.</p>
<p>Poetsheart, I was just about to post the same thing. Even though we believe that being gay is the way you're born, here in the Southeast my kids get a TON of pushback from their (private school and well-off upscale) classmates that gays have some sort of moral failing. As my 11 yr. old daughter's classmate said to her, "Adam and Eve didn't behave that way." True, they didn't. I tell them to just respect what others think but I have to say alot of these people get very aggressive on the topic and won't leave it alone. Tolerance goes both ways. Sorry I'm off topic but I had to just reinforce what you wrote.</p>
<p>My d attends school in NYC (we are in Atlanta). As you can probably deduce from my screen name, we are a family that attends church (I work there!). </p>
<p>We moved to GA 17 years ago and have found it to be a great place to raise a family. Yes there are people who try to convince you that their beliefs are the only correct ones, but don't those people also exist in the NE? I equate those who try to tell me that my faith is a result of ignorance or that my political stances are stupid (how dare I in any way support the President?!!!) right up there with any obnoxious evangelist you could encounter (and I do really loathe those folks' actions). </p>
<p>Our family is quite close-knit and my d has found that to be unique among many of her friends in NYC. Her brothers are very interested in her life and would love to see her come back this way for grad school. </p>
<p>In short, she loves being in school in NYC and has leared more than just her academics. She would be happy living there some day but does think that coming back here (perhaps to Emory) for grad school would be nice.</p>
<p>My d is from Chicago and her first year went to NYU-not a good match since the city was her campus(no culture shock just lacking traditional college campus) so she transfered to Middlebury in Vermont-the culture shock came when she returned home for Thanksgiving! Middlebury is a "bubble" where the cold and snow don't matter because the 2000+enrollment becomes your new community and the closeness that brings to the students is remarkable. Being from the midwest she was not particularly a snow or winter person but at Middleburt she is embracing the winter-boots, hats, snowshoes, hiking,etc and it has been such a wonderful experience to get out of her personal comfort zone.</p>
<p>As an Oklahoman raised by parents from the northwest who is well travelled in the northeast, I have to disagree with a lot of people on here. The midwest and the south isn't filled with bible-pushing conservatives and the NE isn't a mecca for diversity and liberalism. I've lived in the midwest all my life, and a common thought is that while we lack diversity in some areas; not an abundance of jewish people, etc. the people in the midwest are nicer. It is true that a common question here is where do you go to church? but, i must disagree with the idea that if you reply "I don't go to church, or " I'm half-jewish", etc. that you will be looked at in disgust, and shunned, knowing from experience since I, personally, don't go to church. Furthermore in my travels of the northeast i saw just as a great of number of wasps as you would here.
I do plan on attending college in the NE, in fact thats the only region I'm applying to, but not because I've found the people less than accepting.
The northeast may have a greater representation of minorities, but college campuses for the most part do not. This country is still dominated by those of anglican origin. It's sad but true that when i see someone pulled over at the side of the road, I can almost bet that they belong to a minority. This same thing exists in nyc, boston, and any other ne metroplex. Just as an example, Harvard is located in cambridge, mass. Cambridge is very nice immediately around the campus, but as you move farther away, it is apparent that a majority of cambridge's residents, minorities, never got the opprotunity to go to college, let alone an ivy league institution. Furthermore, even at college's in the NE that have recruited URM's the majority of the students are at least in the middle class. What colleges in the NE have in racial and religious diversity they lack in economic. The cost of living in the midwest and the south is significantly lower than that of the ne, so much that many people on salaries that wouldn't buy you squat in the ne ( and wc) can afford to send there kids to college.
Now, back to the question. While there is nothing wrong with attending State U, especially since it usually comes at a cheaper price, it is better to go to college where none of your classmates are going. Not only will you meet new people, but having your beliefs challenged is a good thing. Staying in a part of the country that is overwhelmingly just like you in its beliefs only leads to narrow-mindedness. I'm a hardcore liberal, at least for oklahoma, but I'm excited to go to college where there are people more liberal than me and people who call themselves conservative. In addition, I do have something valuable to offer in that I do know where most people with conservative viewpoints are coming from. In essence, I have perspective.</p>
<p>yousonofatree, as a born and raised Northern CA girl going to school in MA, I can't agree with your statement. Yes, it's anecdotal evidence, but I know plenty of people who go elsewhere for college and no, I didn't go to some elite, college prep private school.</p>
<p>I have lived in the northern midwest for my entire life, and practically grew up on a few of the campuses here. I spent some time out east during the summer, and some of the things I noticed were:</p>
<p>1.) People looking at me funny when I held the door for them
2.) People looking at me funny for saying hello to them as I walked by in the street
3.) Much more openly liberal politics
4.) Higher cost of living
5.) Less religion
6.) A little more "academic polish" (though not necessarily ability or anything)</p>
<p>I'm sure that college next year is going to be a huge adjustment, as I will be living on the east coast. I personally know only one person who describes themself as homosexual, and I am a pretty staunch conservative. I am determined to keep an open mind, though, and I think it will be rewarding.</p>
<p>I'm personally really excited to be going to college in the midwest. I've lived on Long Island all my life, and have extremely easy access to NYC and all of its resources - maybe this is why I get so many funny looks when people find out that I'll be spending four years in Gambier, Ohio. I think it's a choice that a student has to make - whether its worth it or not to take the risk and adjust to somewhere that you think you'll fit. If I had fallen in love with a southern school, I would accept the fact that it will be different and that I will have to get used to it. If someone doesn't want to experience anything besides what he or she has grown up with, then whatever. I think he or she would be missing out on a lot of opportunities, but that's what local schools are for, I guess.</p>
<p>NE cultural diversity?
NE generally very conservative - do not want to change status quo; love to say that the way you think and what you value should be challenged (in order to pressure toward conformance).
The south also bears this condemnation.</p>
<p>LOL! Open minds, indeed! We are open minded people who accept all who will conform to our norms. We are so open minded and "liberal" we embrace anyone who does not disagree with us.</p>
<p>^^^ yeah</p>
<p>I go to Brown and we're SO open minded...of fellow liberals. </p>
<p>I don't really mind it, fundamentally, because I too am liberal and do enjoy being around like-minded people. But going around in a classroom and agreeing with everyone around you over and over gets annoying. </p>
<p>I live the very friendly, laid back, non-competitive Brown Bubble, so I haven't gotten a lot of NE culture shock coming form the hippie northwest. The main differences I have experienced are an emphasis on social decorum (like..."manners" (e.g. not eating till everyone is served at a restaurant (BUT YOUR FOOD GETS COLD!!)), being more reserved with personal information, etc, and the high cost of living. $5 for deodorant? COME ON NOW!</p>
<p>And the only rare occurence of wool socks and birkis.</p>
<p>This topic has definitely given me some laughs. I'm from Massachusetts and go to school in Colorado and absolutely love it! People are not that different between the two locations and I've never seen anyone wear religion on their sleeve.</p>
<p>^^^ many "conservatives" are acutely quite aware of the similarity you have confirmed.</p>
<p>Wow. This thread got ugly fast. ;)</p>
<p>One thing that should be cleared up is that the word liberal does not mean open-minded. That's never what the word was intended to mean. </p>
<p>By US political definitions, being liberal means that you are socially permissive and believe in a more controlled economy. One can be close-minded and still liberal, it's not an oxymoron. The two qualities are entirely separate.</p>
<p>
[quote]
One thing that should be cleared up is that the word liberal does not mean open-minded. That's never what the word was intended to mean.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>On the contrary, "liberal" in the truest sense of the word does mean open-minded. It has over time been skewed to be a descriptor for what is left-wing political thought.</p>
<p>I'm talking about political definitions, as that's the topic everyone's on right now. Being politically liberal and being open-minded have little correlation. That's what I'm getting at.</p>
<p>I had culture shock when I moved from Ohio/Indiana to Florida before my freshman year of HS. The heat was (and is still) unbearable at times. The work ethic here is considerably weaker than it is up north. Much more diversity than I'm used to (over half my HS was a minority and kids still considered our suburban HS "white"). Less attention also seems to be given to athletics than usual and also to community affairs. There's differences in regional dialect (pop vs. soda, vacuum vs. sweeper, never heard of grits, etc.) And there's some smaller food differences. Overall, I still can't see myself living here for the rest of my life and would like to move back to Ohio.</p>
<p>I'm in college in FL and half the student population is northern. I'd say most of them like it here though, but we're kind of in our own little social enclave so maybe there's somewhat of a buffer zone protecting them from everything except for the heat.</p>