How Others See Us

            There are only about 22 students studying here at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, the majority of which attend Duke University. I talked to two Duke students who are both from the west coast to see what their views are of people from the northeast. I wasn’t very surprised by their answers.

           

            Lauren, from Oregon, said that when she talks to family or friends from back home, she usually refers north eastern people as “you know, New York [City] style.” Not only that, but she typically thinks of the northeast as more traditional and less progressive when compared to the western United States. She also believes that it’s harder to make friends in the north east, but once you do, your friends are much closer and much more like family, whereas it’s easier to make friends on the west coast, but they aren’t as close. Lauren continued by saying that people from the north east have a little bit of an accent and that the west coast doesn’t really have accents– more so just differences in lingo depending on where you go. She ended by saying she definitely sees me as someone from the northeast– a traditional, confident, “go-getter.”

           

            The other student I spoke with was Cristina. She lives outside of Los Angeles, California and seemed to have comparable opinions. When I began to ask her what she thought about the north east, she immediately said “…cold!” Afterwards, she continued by saying that she believes the north east is not as laid back and lacks cultural diversity in comparison to the west. Cristina also said that people from the north east are more reserved, but then added “…although, that could just be people from New York.” After I asked her what she thinks people do for fun, she said that all of her friends from the north east seem to go skiing all the time, which leads her to believe that everyone in the north east is very outdoorsy and nature-oriented. When I asked her if she believes I fit the north east image she has in her mind, she said it’s hard for her to see people as a stereotype. Instead, she sees everybody she meets as an individual.

Some of us from the Marine Lab that drove 4 hours to go
to the Duke vs. Notre Dame men's basketball game

            It’s interesting to see how cultures can differ, even within the same country. I know that for me, I even noticed a difference between the language and lingo people used when we first arrived here at the marine lab. Although, it wasn’t long before we all adapted to each other’s style and way of conduct. Now, we all seem to speak quite similarly and use the same phrases. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when I go back home during spring break, my family and friends are confused with some of the words and phrases that I’ve picked up since I left.