50 States for 50 Students: Iowa

What’s your name? 

Josh Thomas. 

Which state are you from? 

Iowa. 

Have you lived there your whole life? 

No, I’ve also lived in Costa Rica, Nebraska, and Ecuador. 

Describe your state in three words. 

Safe, calm, and corn. 

Describe the people in your state in three words. 

Kind, red-neck, and polite.  

Are you proud of being from your home state? Why or why not? 

Sure, why not? It’s just where I’m from.  

How did growing up in your state affect your childhood? 

Iowa is super boring so it made me more fun because if you can have fun in Iowa you can have fun anywhere.  

We went tree jumping.  

What kind of local traditions did your town have? 

A lot. We had a bunch of fairs and festivals. There’s a big Fair called the Mississippi Valley Fair. At that fair there are a bunch of concerts. You get a Fun Card and you get to go every night to see different concerts.  

What was the culture like in your home state / town? 

There’s a lot of community and everyone knows everyone. There’s good and bad that comes with that.  

What kind of relationship did you have with your neighbors? 

We lived in the country so we didn’t really have any neighbors.  

What was your favorite thing to do in your home state / town? 

We went tree jumping. We didn’t have cliffs so we would climb trees around a pond and tree jump. We also went dirt-biking a lot. 

Are there any foods that your state is famous for? 

Sweet corn is phenomenal.  

There’s nothing surprising about Iowa. 

Is there any slang from your home state that you use frequently? 

Nope.   

Do you have any local celebrities? 

Heinz Ketchup.  

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your home state? 

My favorite part is that everybody knows everybody. My least favorite part is that everybody knows everybody. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of Colorado? 

My favorite part is all the adventures. My least favorite part is the drivers and the traffic. 

What drew you to CCU / Colorado? 

Snowboarding. 

How has living in Colorado changed your lifestyle? 

I don’t have to try as hard to have fun. I can just go snowboarding every weekend.  

If you can have fun in Iowa you can have fun anywhere.  

If someone were to visit your home state, what would you recommend they do? 

Drive around at 3am on the country roads and listen to music. Go to the Walmart.  

After graduation, do you plan on staying in Colorado, returning to your home state, or going somewhere else? 

Probably staying in Colorado.  

What are the most common stereotypes about your state and are they true? 

That everyone is red-neck Republican farmers and for the most part that’s true.  

What is the most common reaction you get when you tell people where you’re from? 

An apology. It’s not as bad as most people think though.  

What is something surprising about your state that most people don’t know? 

There’s nothing surprising about Iowa. There is not too much to it.