Spring Break
Into a movie
Olivia Vivian
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Sports
In Australia, when we see stereotypes like 'frats,' sororities, jocks, nerds and what not in movies we think of them more like overly exaggerated myths. But then I came here and I feel like I've stepped straight into an American teen movie.
In our colleges, we don't have sports or fraternities. Nor do we have dorms or dining halls. We go to university purely to study the degree we are interested in. Bacc Core does not exist down under. You go to your classes, and then go home. But here, college is a society in itself.
From the impression that I've been given, athletes and fraternity members are the top two statuses to have. I could be wrong, but as I said, this is my view as a foreigner. And it seems to me, that both these groups think they're better than the other.
Each group's pro is the other's con. We as athletes get free gear and get to travel to different places. Fraternities are a little more free to do as they wish, and aren't under the eye all the time meaning they can get away with a lot more. But even as I write this out, and my judgment could be biased, athletes seem to be in a better position.
Both groups have a sense of cockiness that they carry around with them. Athletes tend to wear their athletic sweats around as often as fraternities will wear their clothing with the Greek lettering. And we both have pride knowing that we are a part of a group that many people want to be in.
Pride is a well-known American trait. Australians tease Americans about their pride as often as Americans tease Australians about being lazy. And I have to clear one saying up. "Shrimp on the barbie." OK, we do not put shrimp on the barbie. I have never eaten shrimp from the barbie. Just so you know, because when you say this to an Australian, you just make fools out of yourself!
But as I was saying, pride is a big part of everything here. And I have adapted to that. When I go home to visit, I'm likely to get laughed out for wearing my Beaver gear. Orange is definitely not a color that you see worn down under. But that's OK. I'm proud to be a Beaver and I wear the school colors with pride.
Olivia Vivian, OSU gymnastics
sports@dailybarometer.com
In our colleges, we don't have sports or fraternities. Nor do we have dorms or dining halls. We go to university purely to study the degree we are interested in. Bacc Core does not exist down under. You go to your classes, and then go home. But here, college is a society in itself.
From the impression that I've been given, athletes and fraternity members are the top two statuses to have. I could be wrong, but as I said, this is my view as a foreigner. And it seems to me, that both these groups think they're better than the other.
Each group's pro is the other's con. We as athletes get free gear and get to travel to different places. Fraternities are a little more free to do as they wish, and aren't under the eye all the time meaning they can get away with a lot more. But even as I write this out, and my judgment could be biased, athletes seem to be in a better position.
Both groups have a sense of cockiness that they carry around with them. Athletes tend to wear their athletic sweats around as often as fraternities will wear their clothing with the Greek lettering. And we both have pride knowing that we are a part of a group that many people want to be in.
Pride is a well-known American trait. Australians tease Americans about their pride as often as Americans tease Australians about being lazy. And I have to clear one saying up. "Shrimp on the barbie." OK, we do not put shrimp on the barbie. I have never eaten shrimp from the barbie. Just so you know, because when you say this to an Australian, you just make fools out of yourself!
But as I was saying, pride is a big part of everything here. And I have adapted to that. When I go home to visit, I'm likely to get laughed out for wearing my Beaver gear. Orange is definitely not a color that you see worn down under. But that's OK. I'm proud to be a Beaver and I wear the school colors with pride.
Olivia Vivian, OSU gymnastics
sports@dailybarometer.com
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