While to some, the Midwest are just flyover states, many call it home. Beyond the rows of corn and the Great Lakes, Midwest culture is defined by its close-knit communities, core values and go-to comfort foods.
Iowa State University’s student body is made up of people from all across the country and the world, but the culture of the Midwest still runs strong on campus.
Taylor Ajax, a sophomore in electrical engineering, shared his thoughts on the Midwest as someone from Iowa City.
“I think people are generally pretty nice and pretty open. I think it’s kind of a very basic place, but there’s beauty in the simplicity,” Ajax said.
A common stereotype associated with people from the Heartlands is something widely regarded as “Midwest nice.” This refers to the belief that Midwestern people are typically quite polite and neighborly compared to other regions in the U.S.
Some Midwestern residents agree with this characterization.
“People in other parts of this country and other parts of the world tend to be much more reserved,” Lucas Moorhead, a junior in aerospace engineering, said. “I went to Germany a few months ago and everyone just had this dead stare, dead pan, there’s no smile on their face.”
However, not all Midwesterners agree.
“Some people say being in the Midwest people are nicer but I don’t think so. I think going [outside the Midwest] people are more open and willing to talk or willing to interact,” Julia Graham, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, said.
Graham, who is from Illinois, further explained why she feels that the stereotype doesn’t always apply.
“People are like there’s ‘Iowa hospitality’ or there’s ‘Illinois hospitality’, I’m just like… no, there’s not,” Graham said. “I feel like people here are raised to be tougher or have more stricter households, like, ‘don’t talk to strangers’ type thing.”
One thing reigns true above all, though. The Midwest definitely is known for its corn.
“Corn,” Moorhead said. “That’s the big thing. I can’t point out anything that’s like directly Midwest — besides corn. That’s one defining feature.”
