As students from across the UK flock to universities, many from the North of England are finding themselves surrounded by peers from the South, leading to a sense of “culture shock.” At the University of York, students like Lucy Morville, from Burnley, have decided to take action, reviving the university’s Northern Society to celebrate their regional identity.
Morville, who was surprised to find herself living with 16 students, only one of whom was from the North, realised that many of her peers had never before encountered people from her part of the country. “I hadn’t travelled much down South before university, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge.’ It was such a shock to me,” she said.
Determined to fight back against the stereotypes and misconceptions, Morville and her friends set out to organise events that would showcase Northern culture. This included a northern-themed fancy dress pub crawl featuring iconic Northern figures like Wallace and Gromit and the Gallagher brothers, as well as a “Yorkshire Olympics” featuring events like black pudding throwing.
The society’s efforts have been welcomed by students from across the North, who are using the platform to learn more about each other’s regional identities. “The North is not homogenous,” explains novelist and journalist Adelle Stripe, who was born in York. “Politically and culturally, it carries many shades. It is not just pit villages, back-to-back and post-industrial wastelands. It is also a place of wealth, verdant landscapes and architectural beauty.”
While some southern students have attempted to infiltrate the society, Morville is adamant that it is a safe space for Northern students. “I feel like we go to university and get fun made of our accents, so it’s time to fight back,” she said. “Southerners always ask if they can come to the society, and I say: ‘Not really, because it’s not really the point, it’s not the space we want it to be if there’s people from the South there.'”
The University of York’s Northern Society is just one example of a growing trend across UK universities, as students from the North seek to celebrate their regional identity and challenge the dominance of their southern counterparts. As Stripe notes, “if this fosters a sense of community for students who are experiencing isolation, then it’s to be encouraged.”