Appalachia...
What is it? Who lives there? Why is Ohio University tucked in the midst of it and what does that mean to OU students? Nobody at OU seems to know for certain how to simply define Appalachia, but everyone has very different thoughts. Here’s what some OU students had to say…

“When I hear "Appalachia," I have two trains of thought. I either think of run down mountainside shacks with cars up on concrete blocks outside, or I think of really awesome scenery and forests and mountain views,” Connor Morris said. Coming from Marietta, Ohio, Morris said that he could consider himself to be Appalachian. “I’m used to seeing the hills and valleys and certain types of people,” he explained. “It's definitely important to learn at least a little bit about Appalachian culture, because a great deal of the people that live in the Appalachian area aren't ignorant hilljacks, and there's actually some pretty cool music, festivals, local legends, and history that come out of it,” Morris said.

“Poverty line and high unemployment ratings,” Mike Scholze

“I kinda feel like protective of the area, because my grandma grew up here and its a sentimental place for me. I feel really attached to this school and the area, so I feel like if they are going to down talk it I want to be defensive,” Alexis Carder On the other hand, although she said it may seem hypocritical, she does not consider herself to be Appalachian even though he ancestry is tied to the culture. She said that she may even be a little bit offended if someone called her Appalachian likely because of the reputation the culture has gained.

"We are a university surrounded by an underprivileged area, it is important that we know and understand what the area of Appalachia means,"Marissa McDaid

"Whenever I hear people talk about Appalachia, I imagine a very rural setting with people that are living on the borderline of poverty. I picture dirt paths winding around the Appalachian hills where most families live in farmhouses. The way it is described reminds me a bit of the Amish communities near my hometown, but much more modern,” Elyse Freeman

Although Appalachia means something different to everyone, it is still important that Ohio University students surrounded by the area are consciously thinking about what it means and attempting to gain a better understanding of the area they temporarily live in.