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Old 03-01-2013, 06:48 PM
 
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Hi, guys. I'm a 24-year-old black male moving from Atlanta to Marshfield for a year-long academic program at the clinic. Could anyone give me an idea of what to expect from the city? Thanks!
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Old 03-05-2013, 09:16 AM
 
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Hmm.. Maybe I should elaborate a bit. I have dreadlocks; would I be able to find someone to do my hair? I love music; are there any good local venues or record stores? If any of you've been to or lived in Atlanta, what are the biggest differences between it and Marshfield?
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Old 03-05-2013, 12:48 PM
 
164 posts, read 559,282 times
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Originally Posted by VelvetyVibes View Post
If any of you've been to or lived in Atlanta, what are the biggest differences between it and Marshfield?
If one more person asks me that today...

Is this an internship? If so, you won't have much time outside the hospital anyway for a life. Marshfield is nothing like Atlanta...some of the folks I have talked to from there make the drive to Madison for cultural events, dining, even grocery shopping (that person had an unhealthy love for Trader Joes.)
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Old 03-06-2013, 07:53 PM
 
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Originally Posted by VelvetyVibes View Post
Hi, guys. I'm a 24-year-old black male moving from Atlanta to Marshfield for a year-long academic program at the clinic. Could anyone give me an idea of what to expect from the city? Thanks!
Find a place in Stevens Point or Wausau, instead. You will be much happier. With the four-lane now available from Point, you can do that drive in a half an hour. It will be well worth it. Just trust me on this. I can't tell you the night-and-day difference between Point and Wausau from the other two central Wisconsin cities, Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids.
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Old 03-09-2013, 11:53 AM
 
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@BadgerGrl thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

@cometclear that's some really good info. I'll look more into it!
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Old 03-10-2013, 09:25 PM
 
Location: 2016 Clown Car...fka: Wisconsin
738 posts, read 998,998 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VelvetyVibes View Post
Hi, guys. I'm a 24-year-old black male moving from Atlanta to Marshfield for a year-long academic program at the clinic. Could anyone give me an idea of what to expect from the city? Thanks!
Well...if you're looking for diversity, you will not find it in Marshfield.

I travel to the Marshfield Clinic for annual visits and while the medical center is excellent, Marshfield itself is a very conservative, rural, mostly 'white', country music loving, farming community in the middle of 'BF Nowhere'. Sidewalks are routinely rolled up around 9 PM. Sorry...but there is just no other way to put it.

Stevens Point would be your best bet for a better home base. It's more of a true college town; a bit more progressive and (as much as it can be) more diverse.

Make sure you plan for snowy, cold winters with LOTS of cloudy days. For example, it's March 10th today and there's still at least a foot of snow on the ground with another storm on its way that is expected to dump about 5 more inches...yes 5 more inches!

Conversely, summers here are probably going to be more humid than you're used to and the heat can be tremendously oppressive. Make sure any place you rent has air conditioning.

As far as finding someone to do your dreads...Madison would probably be the closest place with a good variety of competent stylists. And while you're in Madison, make sure you enjoy all the music and food venues you can; Marshfield is pretty much a wasteland for those things.

I apologize if this review seems 'harsh' but I've lived in various parts of Wisconsin for most of my life and am all too familiar with the good, bad and downright ugly parts of it. Obviously, I'm not sugar-coating things so just please take it for what it's worth. If you've never visited Marshfield before (which I HIGHLY suggest you do before you begin your job), you are in for a bit of culture shock. Just tellin' it like it is...

I wish you all the very best with your new position.

RVcook
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Old 03-10-2013, 11:44 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,138,905 times
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Originally Posted by RVcook View Post
Well...if you're looking for diversity, you will not find it in Marshfield.
Or anywhere else in central Wisconsin for that matter. It's just a very "white" part of the country up there. Yeah there are some Hmong enclaves scattered about and a couple small Indian reservations up that way, but count on the percentage of your day-to-day interactions being with white people to be in the mid-90s. Coming from Atlanta... be prepared for a huge culture shock.

Black hair care? MAYBE you'll find something over in Green Bay... but you may want to budget some travel time for an occasional trip to Milwaukee.
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Old 03-11-2013, 07:15 AM
 
Location: 2016 Clown Car...fka: Wisconsin
738 posts, read 998,998 times
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Originally Posted by Drover View Post
Or anywhere else in central Wisconsin for that matter. It's just a very "white" part of the country up there. Yeah there are some Hmong enclaves scattered about and a couple small Indian reservations up that way, but count on the percentage of your day-to-day interactions being with white people to be in the mid-90s. Coming from Atlanta... be prepared for a huge culture shock.

Black hair care? MAYBE you'll find something over in Green Bay... but you may want to budget some travel time for an occasional trip to Milwaukee.
Agree with everything you said...especially the 90+% white.

RVcook
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Old 03-12-2013, 12:05 PM
 
11 posts, read 26,813 times
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@RVcook Talk about a wake-up call! Thanks for a very informative reply.

@Drover Thanks for the heads-up!
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Old 03-12-2013, 05:23 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,138,905 times
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Originally Posted by RVcook View Post
Conversely, summers here are probably going to be more humid than you're used to and the heat can be tremendously oppressive. Make sure any place you rent has air conditioning.
Heh. I just caught this part. It's true that we can get some hot humid summer days up this way... but I don't think an Atlantan has much to be scared of where Wisconsin summers are concerned. If anything he's likely to be like "WTF? It's the first day of June, why is it only 68 degrees out??"
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