Columbia and Lexington as Communities

I was born in Columbia and moved to the suburb of Lexington when I was six. Lexington is a great place to raise a family. It may be overwhelmingly conservative, has its share of country-club-going PTA-frenzied parents, but it also has a kind of sweet subculture of great, down-to-earth people. One of the same things that makes me mad about the school system also greatly added to my experience growing up there: it is STOCKED with money, at least in the Lexington One school district. Our high school and technology center were overflowing with superfluous spending. I would get so mad when I would walk down the hall and see flat screens on the hallway walls for no other purpose than to show slide shows of our students... to our students. We also had a tacky vase bigger than any person that cost about $5000 (according to my teacher). But I didn't complain when my technology center Advertising Design course had a lab full of brand-new Macs with leather chairs and state-of-the-art software and printers.

Lexington is fondly known as Rednexington to our rivals. Yes, we do have our fair share of Rednecks, but (my friend and I were talking about this the other day) our community has this uncanny ability to produce utterly unique, talented, smart individuals at a higher rate than most. Every school has their interesting personalities, but my class (granted, it consisted of 600 or so people), had so many of them it was staggering. The difference between our valedictorian and #40 in the GPA standings was .2... bully for me because I was the #33, which was the absolute last ranking where I could get the highest state scholarship. Beside the point.

I recently read an article in Columbia's free times where so-called 'young progressives' talked about the 'brain drain' of Columbia, where all of our intelligent folk move away after college. I was slightly offended by some of their statements, though I agree with a few too. It is true that Columbia and surrounding areas are majority conservative, but the arts are still given their due here. Our downtown has flourished recently in festivals and celebration of art and music and dance. The renovation of main street is particularly exciting because it promises a kind-of condensed edgy/hip scene. Five Points is very popular, even with visiting artists. At my previous job, I had to pick up singer/entertainer Andrew WK from his hotel and we talked about what he remembered of Columbia from previous visits. He said he really liked our New Brookland Tavern and five points, two places which many residents think of as sketchy dives.

I am not a member of South Carolina's majority ideology, but I feel so blessed to have been raised here. Granted, I got the #1 schooling in a state known for its terrible schooling, and the rehaul of Columbia should probably trickle into other towns as well, but I still feel happy to be here. It's too bad the country has this warped idea of us from Mark Sanford, Caite Upton (Miss Teen SC 2007, coincidentally in my graduating class and unfortunately in several of my high school classes), Alvin Greene, and Joe Wilson, because we have so much to offer. I look very much forward to see Columbia blossom in the future.