Moving from Indiana to MS (Gulfport, Biloxi: 2013, crime, new home)

[Farky]

Hello everyone,

So I am in process in getting to one of the colleges (Southwest in Summit and MS Gulf in Perkiston) never heard about these places and have no idea what to expect. I am an half Asian/Eastern European guy who lived in Indiana for last 5 years, so what should I expect ? Any advices or comments ? How does locals interact with foreigners ? Here in Indiana there are a lot of them (Notre Dame/Fort Wayne) but I bet its not that common in MS.

If you want to txt me here its ok, or just leave a comment

Thans !

[GrandviewGloria]

Why would someone come all the way from Indiana, in order to attend JUNIOR COLLEGE , in a middle-of-Nowhere place in Mississippi?

Did a Voluntary Agency send you to Mississippi? Which one?

And by 'Asian', do you mean 'Asian' as in Yemeni? Or do you mean 'Asian' as in Chinese? Because your experiences will differ vastly, depending upon which kind of 'Asian' you are.

Also, your religion will have a rather extreme impact upon your experiences in Mississippi.

Or, are you secular? Do you have a car? And who is sending foreigners cross-country, to out-of-the-way Junior colleges?

Yes, there are foreign communities in those places. But they're rather insular, and unless you share the race/nationality/religion/caste of those foreigners, their presence will not help you very much.

Even the wealthier, more cosmopolitan cities in Mississippi have sharp dichotomies between 'haves' and 'have-nots'. You can have a pretty good life in Mississippi, if you have a great car, and plenty of money, for driving, daily, the considerable distances between the things worth doing (all of which cost money). If you're without a car, you're basically STRANDED ON CAMPUS.

Hanging around with carless locals, off-campus, is likely to get you into big trouble, one way or another. The 'community centers' will tend to be gas stations with convenience stores: (the following is a Rap video, filmed at a typical Mississippi convenience store/gas station. Expect typical Rap language and situations) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bOM_ygfxSo This is the sort of social life you can expect, if you do not have a good car. Will you belong?

No, you won't be attacked by men who look like the Dukes of Hazzard (https://lofidelitybicycleclub.files....rd_480x360.jpg), for being different (it's the ones who DON'T look like the Dukes, who tend to do the attacking), as long as you don't venture too far into the countryside, where there are goings-on that you are not supposed to see, and if the local predators/criminals do not see you as being vulnerable because you are a foreigner.

Tiny towns in Mississippi are not good places for the young and poor. I just 'drove around', via Google, and Perkinston seems astonishingly nice. In Mississippi, that's really as nice as a tiny community is going to get (Except, for 'Designer Communities' like Livingston and Lost Rabbit, which are Faux-Rustique stage sets for the wealthy http://eatjackson.com/wp-content/upl...ersMarket2.jpg). Perkinston looks like a bit of New Hampshire dropped into the South Mississippi rain forest (I hope you love heat and humidity, and don't mind tornadoes). But unless you are a Southern Baptist, I can't imagine there being ANYTHING there for you, besides the immaculately-maintained school.

Southwest, in Summit, is dangerously close to McComb, a town with a crime problem. But again, If you stay on-campus, you'll be fine. And occasionally, you may get a ride to McComb's mall, which is not too bad. Even Britney Spears goes there, from time to time: http://www.angelfire.com/pop2/britpi...s/mccomb11.jpg

[brickpatio]

Farky,

MS Gulf Coast Community College is, obviously, on the Coast. There are lots of different races and ethnicities there, in part due to large number of military bases in the region. All you have to do is walk along the beach in Biloxi to see the wide-ranging diversity. The overall feel of this region is middle class. There are some rich and some poor but the preponderance seem like regular middle class Americans. It's a fairly populated area with roughly 350,000 people.

Perkinston itself, however, is in a very rural area on the outskirts of Gulfport... but you are less than 15 minutes from an urban area. I would say for a young person looking for an area large enough to have things to do and easy to blend into...this is a good area of you. There is tons to do, from trips to the coastal islands, to water sports, walking along the beach, fishing, boating, drives to New Orleans and Florida, casinos, and enjoying the perfect weather.

Summit is quite different. It's part of McComb area, which is an area of around 20,000 people. McComb is a traditional small town in Mississippi. McComb is in southwest Mississippi, an area of gentle rolling hills and pine forests, about 2 hours north of New Orleans. In terms race and ethnicity, usa.com shows the county to be almost precisely 50/50 Caucasian and African-American.

The town itself was originally a railroad town and as a result, it has a traditional street grid, and with lots of modest cottages and bungalows (which are literally perfect for a college student). The area is perfect for those huge, draping live oak trees that personify the deep south, along with magnolias, camelias, and other lush plants.

While the town has a historic feel, it's still a regular modern town with a fresh new Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Walgreens, chain steak restaurants, etc. There is definitely money in McComb (and the neighboring towns of Brookhaven and Natchez which are full of elegant southern mansions), which is seen across the interstate with big homes set among lush pine forests and gentle hills.

I absolutely love the McComb area, one of my favorites in Mississippi, because of the trees, hills, location on the way to New Orleans, lush moist climate with lush greenery, and charming historic street grid. And for a college student that likes the idea of being in a true small town, you could envision yourself living in a modest but charming bungalow with some roommates and live a happy life with your friends and professors, etc. On the other hand, if you are the type that likes a city with lots of things to do, you might find it to be a boring small town and hate it here. Also, this area is ethnically diverse particularly with Caucasians and African-Americans, which could be a plus for some and a negative for others. That's for you to decide.

In summary, the Coast is a much bigger area with a great climate, great location and lots of things to do. It's a bit more middle class and definitely more ethnically diverse beyond just regular Caucasian and African-American populations. On the other hand, Summit and McComb area is a traditional small town with primarily Caucasians and African-Americans, and not very much to do but loaded with small-town charm and a sense of community in a pretty area and easy drive to New Orleans, if that kind of thing brings happiness to you.