By Georgia Tankard
Lane is a microcosm of the diversity of this nation and one of the most undiscovered demographics is the cowboy boot wearin’, red solo cup totin’, country sensations.
In the face of Chicago’s urban lifestyle, some Lane students take pride in their love for the country and the serenity that accompanies it.
Take George Zima, Div. 354, for instance. Having spent much of his childhood in Wisconsin, Zima grew up and was automatically drawn to the country lifestyle, and so he continues to make a statement about his bond for the country with his style choices and attitude. On a given day Zima typically wears large cowboy boots, thick denim jeans, a unique belt buckle, a flannel shirt tucked in and a hat or a carhartt jacket.
As some farmers chew on wheat, George chews toothpicks.
“I have seen kids as I walk down the hallway give me weird looks,” said Zima, who gets criticism for his style and has been called a redneck on various occasions, yet he continues to walk down the halls proud to wear what he feels comfortable in.
“As you get older you really don’t care what people think of you,” said Zima.
Zima is also an avid hunter; when an opportunity to go hunt arises he seizes it.
“I’ve met some people who have been scared of me because I hunt deer, ” said Zima.
People automatically relate hunting to violence, but Zima sees it as a hobby. He typically hunts upland birds including grouse, and pheasant with his family or neighborhood friends. When all the day’s catch have been collected, they are eaten.
“I hunt one deer a year and about five birds every month or so, I smoke the birds on the smoker or make soup and the deer is made into stew, steak, burgers, brats, jerky, and chili,” said Zima.
Zima is a hands on country boy who has a love for cars, fishin’, huntin’ and muddin’.
“People in the city are just like, ‘oh hey, let’s go to this fancy new restaurant that’s byob.’ I’m just like, ‘you’re crazy. Let’s go muddin’ or fishin’,” said Zima.
No doubt, Zima’s love of the simpler country life is strong.
Skye Berger also spends quality time in Wisconsin throughout the year. You can often spot Berger wearing cowboy boots and she will not hesitate to share her love for the packers, or bring up how she wished she lived in Wisconsin.
“Wearing [country style clothes] makes me feel closer to there than I actually am,” said Berger.
In the city she often feels out of place, yet the country makes her feel welcome.
“Wisconsin is like my second home and I wish it was my first home,” said Berger, “People there are generally nicer and more respectable than people here.”
Berger feels that the influences of the city have not touched upon her, and thus she doesn’t share strong ties with it.
“I don’t feel like part of the city, “ said Berger.
As a result she tries to surround herself with people with similar ties to nature and the country, but regardless she still feels a little out of place.
In the country Berger finds something special.
“It’s very calm and not busy; its more open. I feel like there’s more to do there than there is here,” said Berger.
In Wisconsin, Berger goes snowmobiling, snowboarding, and sledding. She grew up listening to country music and when she goes to Wisconsin she embraces her country side fully.
Hope Basil, Div. 354, also has strong ties to the country.
“My parents always listened to country music when I was little but I used to not like it and said, ‘okay, this awful can we turn on backstreet boys or something,’” said Basil.
Eventually she started to listen to Rascall Flats, and then dug into the hardcore country, falling in love with it. The main turning point for her was when Basil spent a lot of time in rural areas during the summer of her eighth grade. This sparked her inner country.
Basil’s parents were grateful that one of their kids listened to country music. She met the criteria for a real country girl.
She has found a profound connection with country music.
“A country song is timeless and its not just a fad,” said Basil.
She is also considering moving to the country one day.
“I am so fortunate to have grown up in the city but there’s something about country living that’s so simple; something about having a field to run around in whenever, but I also like the southern cities. I’d do anything to live in Nashville one day,” said Basil.
Basil’s love for severe weather also draws her to the country.
“I’ve been weather obsessed for a while and the worst weather happens in the country,” said Basil.
She finds that when she visits her family in the South there is a genuine welcoming spirit like no other.
“Southern hospitality, you may think its a joke but it’s not,” said Basil.
Peter Tuttle, Div. 261, is without a doubt a country boy.
“If it can’t be fixed with duct tape it’s not worth fixing,” said Tuttle.
Tuttle is an off road vehicle in the mud type.
“Out of the 10 radio stations that I can save in my car, 10 of them are country music stations,” said Tuttle.
He has even turned some of his friends on to country music.
“I’d like to think I’m unique among my friends, all of them hate me because I’ve convinced them to listen to country music,” said Tuttle.
Having spent quality time in Wisconsin the country has had a large impact on his life.
“My uncle has a house in Wisconsin and it’s [on] 40 acres of woods, and we all have tractors and off road vehicles. I spend a lot of my time there; it has made me who I am,” said Tuttle, who is not afraid to criticize the city.
“The city is terrible,” said Tuttle, “There’s too many people around; I’d like to be secluded,” he said.
Tuttle is fulfilling his dream of moving out of the city by attending Illinois State University in the fall located in Normal, Illinois and the name says it all. Normal has a population of less than 60,000.
“On Mondays there’s Muddy Truck Mondays. They hose down a cornfield and you go out there with your truck and you drive around in the mud,” said Tuttle.
This is his idea of a good time.
“There’s more pressure [in the city] because there’s more people and more mainstream media and tv that influences you; you don’t have to worry about that in the country,” said Tuttle.
These Lane students find a sense of peace in the country.
