Coasties

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Contents 1 History 2 Other Uses 3 Other Images of Coasties 4 External links

[edit] History

The term coastie or coasty (more often heard and seen as the plural coasties) is used in Midwestern U.S. universities such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison to denote students who come from either the east coast or west coast of the continental U.S.. The term is also more loosely applied to out-of-state students from other areas, particularly the Chicago area. Although the most general use of the term denotes only the origin of these students, there are often implicit or explicit associations that use of the term can evoke. One is that coasties do not pay their own tuition because they come from socioeconomically privileged families. Other associations include living in private residence halls (i.e. not dorms) and membership in a fraternity or a sorority. Other associations are fashion-related and are therefore more ephemeral. As of 2005, fashions deemed to be coastie are Ugg boots, The North Face jackets, plain spandex and over-sized sunglasses. The same fashions persist throughout 2007, much to the dismay of native midwesterners. Although used as early as 1999, the term has become increasingly widespread since the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did a story concerning the differences and tensions between coasties and students from the Midwest. [1] An op-ed defending "coasties" soon followed in the conservative Mendota Beacon

[edit] Other Uses

"Coasties" can be used in reference to the United States Coast Guard, or any member who has served or is serving.

"Coasties" can also be used as a mildly-pejorative reference to persons from or living in the western parts of the states of Oregon and Washington by persons in the eastern parts of those states. It is generally a reference to the lifestyles, cultures, and attitudes -- real or perceived -- that prevail in the more urban/suburban Seattle-Portland corridor, as compared with the more rural and conservative social environment that dominates east of the Cascade Mountains.

[edit] Other Images of Coasties

A first encounter with snow	A display of North Face attire	Typical coastie sunglasses	Sunglasses removed
Pica, a disturbing commonality across Coastie populations	A coastie and a "Moastie" - thought to be a distant relative of the Chupacabra

[edit] External links

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article The great 'Coastie' divide:Ugg boots, private dorms make out-of-state UW students target of teasing