IU featured in Wall Street Journal article

Students have long known, and even joked about, the cultural differences between native Hoosiers and East Coast students at IU. Now, the whole country knows.

The Wall Street Journal chronicled the Midwest-East Coast rift in an article published Friday. It caught the eye of many in the IU and Bloomington community.

The story, “From Bloomingdale’s to Bloomington,” focused on the big increase of IU students from the East Coast; there are 12.5 percent more than last year, according to the article.

Students and their parents were quoted by reporter Hannah Karp. Apartment complex Smallwood and Kilroy’s Sports Bar were mentioned as well.

One professor agreed with The Wall Street Journal’s description of Bloomington as a student-friendly town. Munirpallam Venkataramanan, professor of business administration and the chairperson of Kelley’s undergraduate program, said in a college town – especially one that caters to a college like Bloomington does for IU – there is almost no reason not to have lively and joyous students.

“This is probably the most happy time of these students’ lives,” he said. “IU is like the Disney World of education.”

While students and faculty agreed with The Wall Street Journal’s portrayal of Bloomington’s environment, students said the article didn’t get it all right.

While the article cites IU’s nationally ranked programs as a major factor in attracting people from outside of Indiana, students said it has more to do with the friendliness and hospitable nature of Bloomington residents that is discussed.

“It almost feels like something’s not right here,” Steven Glassman, whose son is an IU student, told The Wall Street Journal. “Everyone is so friendly,”

Glassman is from East Hanover, NJ.

Sophomore Dannie Belter said people at IU are less friendly than in her hometown of Batesville, Ind., but compared with a bigger city such as New York, Bloomingtonians are definitely friendlier. 

Sophomore Brian Elias said IU’s campus is basically the same as back in St. Louis, his hometown.

“It’s pretty consistent,” Elias said. “It’s still the Midwest, after all.” 

But some thought the negative stereotypes of East-Coasters and Midwesterners presented in the article were over the top.

“I talked to both an East-Coast student and a Midwest student, each of whom thought the article was a bit offensive,” Venkataramanan said.

Elias said either way, he thinks it’s a good thing new students are coming and experiencing IU. 

“They get a different perspective.” he said. “Plus, it’s good to have someone other than Cubs fans to hate on.”