Junior Jonathan Dean stuffs his face with a typical Southern breakfast of biscuits and gravy in the cafeteria. Southern cuisine illustrated one of the differences between the North and the South. (Photo by Melissa Wilson) Jordan Smith-Tulsa, Okla. Management. Campaigns (Utah). Club Beau. International Studies (HUF). Titans. Justin Smith-Searcy, Ark. Management. Transfer (University of Arkansas). Dean's List. Pi Sigma Epsilon. Larissa Smith-Spring, Texas. Communication Disorders·Public School. Student Speech and Hearing Association. Dramatics. Regina. Paige Smith-Memphis, Tenn. Accounting. College Republicans. Accounting Society. International Studies (HUF). Dean's List. Ko Jo Kai. Stephen Smith-New Braunfels, Texas. Accounting. Accounting Society. Club Beau. College Republicans. Forensics Team. Titans. Nivia Snowden-w. Henrietta, N.Y. Nursing. Campaigns (Brazil). Omega Lambda Chi. Elizabeth SolanO-Sheridan, Ark. Accounting. Accounting Society. Dean's List. Omega Lambda Chi. Josh South-Gulf Shores, Ala. Political Science. Transfer (Faulkner State Community College). College Republicans. Campaigns. Chi Sigma Alpha. _ . 72 people II The U.S. Census Bureau defined "the South" as the 16-state region consisting of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Mis– sissippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Okla– homa, Arkansas and Texas. Resi– dents of these states were consid– ered by the government to be South– ern. However, Harding students found there was a lot more to being Southern than a government definition. " Fried food, cowboy ha ts and neighborly folks were a few of the noticeable differences students from areas outside the South noticed upon their arrival to Searcy. In the cafeteria, students found biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings and fried okra. In local stores, such as Wal-Mart, they no– ticed the camouflage selection.While crossing streets on the way to class, they stopped as large Z-71 Chevys roared by. Students not accustomed to the Southern way of life often had a small case of culture shock. "I met a guy once who had never seen biscuits and gravy," senior Marc Grey said. "Apparently he thought the gravy was some sort of icing." Some students found the change a little overwhelming. Sophomore Chrissie Martinez came to Harding from Brooklyn, N.Y. and quickly encountered a different culture. "One of the first things that I had to get used to was the pace of life here," Martinez said. "In New York City, the goal is to never stop walking." The difference in language also proved confuSing for students. Sophomore Katie Bohm, from Amherst, Wis., said the differences between the Northern and Southern dialects took her a while to figure out. "What I call a 'shopping cart' many people here call a 'buggy' and what I call a 'bag' many people call a 'sack,'" Bohm said. "In fact, I didn't even know what some things were, like okra." Culinary differences also required adjustment for students outside the south. Those from the South knew their cooking style was unique. Reared in Clarksville, Texas, se– nior Austin Cooper said Southern– ers have a type of food all their own. "The biggest difference I know of has to be the food," Cooper said. "Southerners definitely like to fry stuff. You can fry anything, fish, chicken, steak, even pickles." Although many students quickly realized the differences between stu– dents from different parts of America, somewere also quick to appreciate the diversity that brought a unique fel– lowship to Harding's campus. "We might all be very different by where we come from," Bohm said. "But we are the same in the fact that we are Christians that serve the same God." -Ryan Saul
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