Country Culture Taking Over the Town by keelin davis Staying true to their roots.
look flashy. It is more like a ‘hey, look at this,’ or a ‘I have this,’ kinda deal. I don’t mean that in a bad way but I want to make it unique to me,” Jones said. In a way, these vehicles are forms of expression for many students.
As Mount Washington has urbanized and the population has grown, some people continue to maintain their own country lifestyle.
These trucks and the culture itself have brought tons of groups of people together. A group of kids from the Autumn Glen neighborhood in Mount Washington have been able to bond over their trucks and use them for fun. Junior Alex Allen said, “Sometimes we just like to drive up to a pond at night and just listen to our music and talk for hours. I think what we have is really cool and I think it made us all closer.” These groups have been popularized a ton and it has caused people to begin meeting up in places all around the town to socialize and enjoy their vehicles.
The country lifestyle is still very prominent in Mount Washington and has grown in high schoolers over the years. Whether people grew up around the culture or they have recently been introduced to it, it brings people together to socialize and have fun. Many people feel that Mount Washington is the place for them and they feel very welcomed. Over the past decade, Mount Washington has seen its biggest population increase yet. With tons of homes and neighborhoods being built, a lot of the farmland has been replaced and culture has seen a bit of a shift. Alongside that, a new wave of pop culture has followed with new trends and lifestyles that come with them. In response, the country culture has seen a bit of a fade in the town.
Many believe that the popularization of these trucks and this culture is from the lack of things to do in Mount Washington but people are content with what they have. “I used to really get bored and complain about living here but since we have been able to drive, it has been completely different,” junior Ethan Haddaway said. Because it is so important to these students, lots tend to pour a lot of money into their truck. “We all work pretty hard to make our trucks look how we want them to. It is part of us now I feel like,” Haddaway said. From the outside, these trucks may look flashy but looking in, they have deeper meaning to those who own them.
In ways, the country culture of the town has taken advantage of the “express yourself” trends and there has been a large spike of this culture in schools. Whether it involves driving a big truck, changing the way you dress or more, it remains a key part of the identity of Mount Washington.
Some students, like junior Jakob Jones, were born and raised in Mount Washington and were always surrounded by the country culture. “I was always around that kinda Although it may be one of the Junior Jakob Jones poses with his work truck. Throughout his life, Jones has lived around stuff. I don’t think I ever grew up most recognizable parts of and constantly rode with his dad in his truck. “Those memories of me and my dad on without having a truck around me or farms the culture, trucks are not the the farm… they are definitely some of the happiest memories I have in my life,” Jones said. Photo: Jakob Jones going to the farm on weekends and only thing that represent the hanging out with my family. They people who proudly take on the had the biggest impact on me,” Jones “country” title. For some, just said. Always having that family influence and lifestyle growing living a simpler lifestyle on a farm is just meant for them. Jones up has been the largest influence in Jones’ life and he is very is just one example of someone who appreciates the simpler thankful for what he has grown up around. life he was raised in. “It was always fun. We would always go hunting, shoot guns, just drive around and look at land. We always had cookouts together. It always meant so much,” Jones For many, the most identical part of this culture in Mount said. He believes that these memories were a big part of what Washington is the big trucks driving the streets. Like Jones, shaped him to be the person he is today. many students take pride in their vehicles and feel like it truly represents a piece of them. He said, “The truck I have right now Along with those born and raised in Mount Washington, is what I like to call my ‘backup truck.’ I have still spent a lot of there are those who have moved here and adjusted to the money on this truck and I do take it really seriously.” With the lifestyle. Sophomore cheerleader Mackenzie Hogue moved to popularization of trucks over the past few years, many people Mount Washington six years ago and now lives on a farm. She seem to view it as a competition or a show-off contest. “For me, loves keeping up with it and spending time with her relatives I use my truck for work and on the other hand, I like to make it outdoors. “We work with horses a ton and in free time, we love 27
