The first thought of many Kent State students at the mention of Canada might be hockey, hockey and Wayne Gretzky, but some students have different ideas.
“As sad as it is to admit, I think everyone has these stereotypes of Canadians, such as a Mountie drinking syrup while riding a moose.”
“Maple syrup,” says sophomore advertising major Bridget Regan. “As sad as it is to admit, I think everyone has these stereotypes of Canadians, such as a Mountie drinking syrup while riding a moose.”
Regan says she also noticed a cleaner country than her native United States during her trips to Canada in high school.
Junior art education major Tiffany Sericola thinks of Canada as a peaceful place, with significantly less crime and stress than American life. “Actually, I’d like to move to Canada one of these days,” she says, “because I don’t want to deal with stress.”
Many people are thinking about moving to Canada, sophomore music education major Taylor Belling says. “It seems like a place where a lot of hippies want to go now that George W. Bush is in office,” he says.
A native Canadian walks by a section of Sears in Eaton Centre designed to pull in tourist dollars.
But that’s not why Belling makes the trip.
Other things come to mind when he thinks of Canada — namely cheap, duty-free booze and cigarettes. “It’s one of the few places where you can buy Kentucky-made moonshine,” he says. “It’s like your liquor store here, except everything is cheaper, and there’s no tax. It’s also the only place where you can get a three liter of Jack Daniels.”
Some students, such as senior political science major Adrianne Brakefield, travel north for simpler reasons.
“It seems like the stereotypical Canadian just seems very nice,” she says.
— Ryan Loew
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