Centennials Table Topics

Table Topic questions are meant to stimulate family and classroom discussion. Use the questions below after reading,"Local color."

Today's Centennial page gives an impressionistic view of one writer's sense of the city and its personality. After reading it, could you sum up in a few words or a statement what Seattle is all about? What things on the list really struck you as essential and what as more obscure? If there are references you're unfamiliar with, how would you find out what they mean? Now define Seattle style with your own list.
The food, the weather, the music, the architecture, the slang--these are just a few elements of a city's local color. What are the really essential qualities of a city's identity? What makes one region distinct from the next?
In addition to Seattle, in-city neighborhoods and surrounding towns and suburbs have their own personalities. What defines your image of Ballard, Pioneer Square, Tacoma, Kent, Bellevue, Redmond, White Center, etc.? Are these impressions stereotypes or essentially correct? What characterizes the style of your neighborhood?
Many people have moved to the Pacific Northwest from somewhere else. How do they become aware of its regional style? What part do the media play in creating "style" or common identity? If you came here from somewhere else, define the style of your former town. What things do you miss? And what is your favorite thing about the PNW? What makes New York New York or Taos,Taos?
Style changes over time. Hopefully, the Centennial pages have given you a strong sense of Seattle's personality from the turn of the century to the brink of the next millennium. How has Seattle style evolved during your residence here? Who or what are the local trendsetters? Do they tend to be ordinary people or influential personalities? What are the elements of your own personal style and are they typical for a Seattleite?