Appalachia what?

While making the big transition from high school to college life, many do not consider where they are actually going. Students that attend Ohio University are not always aware that they are moving to Appalachia. This term can be described as a cultural region that encompasses the southern part of New York through the northern parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. After talking to three freshman students who just started attending Ohio University, we found that all three came up from different backgrounds. Coming from Pittsburgh, Celina, and Cincinnati all three of the students have different opinions on what they think Appalachia is.

Interview One

Cody Powell: Cincinnati, Ohio

1) What does living in Appalachia mean to you?

It means I live near the Appalachian mountains.

2) Do you consider yourself an Appalachian?

No I do not because I didn't know I lived there until about 20 minutes ago.

3) Should there be more interaction, communication, or connection between the university and the surrounding area?

I think it is fine the way it is because my high school lacked diversity so not having major diversity at my university is not very important to me and is not something I would want to pursue.

Interview Two

Lauren Lippert: Pittsburgh

1) What does living in Appalachia mean to you?

Is this multiple choice? .... Even though I know I live in Appalachia, I have never really thought about this before so it doesn't mean all that much to me.

2) Do you consider yourself Appalachian?

I do not consider myself Appalachian because I live in a city atmosphere.

3) Should there be more interaction, connection, or communication between the university and the surrounding area?

I think it would be great to get to know people who consider themselves Appalachian because it is always good to get to know people who view things differently than you do.

Interview Three

Taylor Brandon: Celina

1) What does living in Appalachia mean to you?

It means getting used to all of the hills that I was not used to before moving to Athens.

2) Do you consider yourself Appalachian?

Yes because now I am living in a different environment than I did before.

3) Should there be more interaction, connection, or communication between the university and the surrounding area?

No because I am not used to the lifestyle so changing very quickly is hard for me to adjust to.

Overall, most people who live in Appalachia do not even know they live in the area. Part of the problem with this is because people do not want a connection to Appalachia. It is unfamiliar to them and many people are not even aware they live in the area. Hearing the three different points of view shows how little people know about this culture.

(Cody Powell, Taylor Brandon, and Lauren Lippert)