Somebody alert the authorities! A bunch of coasties are running rampant on campus. Ugg boots, aviators, and jackets with fur trim abound. Oh, the horror!

On the University of Wisconsin campus, there seems to be hostility between people from the coasts of the United States and everyone that hails from in between. But does having a pair of Ugg boots really make coasties bad people? Is wearing big sunglasses seriously that offensive? Why can't people be judged by the type of person they are and not by the location of their hometown?

Stereotypes exist all over the world. People are judged before they say a word to anyone else. Here at UW, if you are from the East or West Coast, the stereotype is that you're an obnoxious snoot who doesn't care to give anyone the time of day. I find a stereotype like this quite offensive. I am from the East coast. I am even from New York. There, I said it. But that doesn't mean I am a bad person. Before people even get to have a conversation with me, they are sizing me up. I am judged because of where I grew up, my accent and my clothes. Why does it have to be this way?

The negative view of "coasties" only fuels the stereotype. If UW students from different parts of this country were to actually get together and talk, then maybe this stereotype would be broken down.

Also, the bashing of people from either coast leads them to have a negative view of people from other parts of the country. Think: if someone has a negative view about you, you're probably going to have a negative view about him or her, too.

A couple of days ago, I was in lecture when a teacher asked if there was anyone from Los Angeles in the class. After several students confirmed that they were from the L.A. area, the professor made a comment. Upon hearing one student's reply, the professor stated, "If anyone needs money, go to this guy … or his parents." After another student said she came from Beverly Hills, the professor called her a "rich bitch." I was not specifically called out, but I was offended just witnessing this event. If students as well as professors fuel this negative stereotype of coasties, the walls between the people of the coasts and other parts of the country will only continue to build. Should professors who are supposed to be expanding our minds teach us to view our peers negatively? It will only stimulate the harsh feelings people have toward coasties.

What can be done to stop this antagonism? Private dorms play a big part in coastie isolation. Coasties are accused of hiding in the world of the private dorms where other kids similar to them reside. I have to say, there really isn't much integration at UW, and having the private dorms certainly doesn't help that. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of housing for freshmen at UW, so private dorms have become somewhat of a novelty on our campus. I believe the university should hold mandatory social events for all freshman students. Why deny yourself meeting thousands of people from all over this country? Why stick to your stereotype when you can break it down? Our generation should be the one to dissolve this animosity.

I am asking all UW students to judge a person not by where they came from, but by who they are. It shouldn't matter what people wear or how they speak. Meeting new people and encountering new cultures is a part of the college experience. Why deny yourself this opportunity because of a stupid worthless stereotype?

Skye Kalkstein ([email protected]) is a freshman.