My columns the past three semesters have traveled a continuum both of topic and of seriousness. Today, because I’d like a break from difficult thinking — and you might, too — I thought we might veer toward the lighter end of the “serious” spectrum. I recently traveled to Atlanta, and while spending time in the city, met a couple who had moved there from California within the past two years. We talked about their move and a few things they had observed about their new region. On that note, here are a few light-hearted reflections on life in the South:

1.    Weather: The wife of that Californian couple said that, before moving, there was one thing she had seen on television shows set in the South that she just hadn’t understood: Everyone was always dripping with sweat. After the move, she said, she understood it.

I myself love the heat, and though the current change in seasons is certainly welcome after this record-breaking hot summer, I have friends in schools up north, where the high tomorrow is 55 degrees. I cry like a baby when the LOW gets down to 55. A little sweat never hurt anyone, but have you seen pictures of frostbite victims? I like my toes. On that note, raise your hand if you buy canned goods if the temperature drops below freezing or if your school used to cancel classes when snow was predicted “possible.”

2.    SEC football: Let’s take a moment and rejoice that our mascots are Davy Crockett and Smokey the dog, not Smokey the black bear. Now, people across the country become heavily invested in college sports. I don’t think the South is unique in this. There is, however, a certain level of dedication required to stand in 95-degree heat in a sports coat or a dress and heels. I’ve never understood why more pledges don’t pass out during games early in the season.

3.    Appearances: Whatever negative things you can say about the region, the South has an overwhelmingly high number of attractive people living in it, which I appreciate. Freshman year, I spent part of Spring Break in D.C. with some friends. Then, one of my friends — we’ll call her “L” — and I drove together to UNC to visit another friend of ours.

When we arrived in Chapel Hill, “L,” who goes to college in the Northeast, got out of the car and literally fell to the ground on her knees and kept repeating how nice it was to see attractive men around. We are quite lucky. The corollary to that, though, is that some people don’t want to be seen without their hair done or a Polo shirt on. How some people find the time (and patience) for that I’ve never understood …

4.    Food: Just about anything can be — and will be — fried. I personally love french fries, fried pickles and fried green tomatoes, but I’ve never had fried ice cream before, or a fried Snickers bar, so I guess I haven’t really embraced this tradition. I’d like to think that the great variety of fried food isn’t gluttony but rather imaginative minds at work, making the most out of whatever happens to be on hand when that fryer is heated up.

While we’re talking about food, let’s mention “comfort food.” This aspect of “Southern hospitality” — a seemingly endless supply of wonderful food when I go visit friends and family — is absolutely lovely. And let’s not forget about the ubiquitous sweet tea. Just try asking for that in a non-Southern state. And grits (which I don’t like).

5.    Accents and Vocabulary: I personally don’t have too strong a Southern accent, but my long “I”s tend to be very long. A friend of mine has family in Mississippi, and we can always tell when she comes back from a weekend with her grandparents — her “I”s are long, and her vowels are drawn out. Time for some audience participation: Try pronouncing “pin” and “pen.” Is there a difference? Technically, there ought to be, but mine sound the same. And how do you say “oil”? I say it more like “ohl” instead of “o-yul.” Po-ta-to, po-tah-to, I say! What do “y’all” think?

I have to end here, but I have so many more entertaining suggestions from friends and family I might do another column on the same topic. I hope you’re not offended by my generalizations and stereotypes: They are meant good-naturedly. Though I used to feel differently, there is nothing wrong with enjoying and celebrating the culture you grew up in — as long as you aren’t demeaning others’ cultures in the process.

Good luck to the team Saturday, and here’s hoping we beat ’Bama.

—Leigh Dickey is a senior in global studies and Latin. She can be reached at [email protected].