Published: August 30, 2009 06:02 pm      

VASICEK: Back home again in Indiana

Brushing up on the Hoosier State

This summer, I made a trip to Washington, D.C., and several trips to Chicago. I usually cannot wait to see the sign that reads “Welcome to Indiana.” Nothing quite like being “back home again in Indiana.”

Despite the fact that many of us love our Hoosier State, some of us are a little weak on our Hoosier statistics. I am embarrassed to admit that I can be classified as “a bit shaky on the Hoosier facts.” The stats simply elude me. Let me share results from my personal research with you (I offer a special thanks to Wikipedia and other Internet sites for this information).

The capital and largest city in our state is Indianapolis. In many states, the capital city is not necessarily the largest city. In Illinois, for example, the capital is Springfield (and Illinois students often make an eighth-grade pilgrimage to that Mecca). A number of states look for a central city to establish as their capital. In the case of Indiana, Indianapolis happens to be quite central, thank you. Its population is 795,458, the 13th largest city in the U.S.

As far as area goes, Indiana is a bit on the small side: we are ranked No. 38 from among our Fifty Nifty United States. Indiana is about 140 miles wide, which means you can drive across the state in less than three hours; we are 270 miles long, which explains why Hoosiers from northwest Indiana sound very different from their fellow Hoosiers who reside near Covington, Ky.

Population-wise, Indiana comes in No. 16 with an estimated population of well over 6 million. Racially, Indiana is definitely tilted toward a white majority — close to 90 percent. Less than 4 percent of the population is foreign born (compared to the national average of 12.5 percent). Thus, for many travelers, Indiana seems reminiscent of a bygone era, an American demographic that used to be. Although times are changing, Indiana has not experienced the degree of diversity many other states have.

Indiana is recognized as a religious state — and a predominantly Protestant one. According to Wikipedia, “a study by the Graduate Center found that 20 percent are Roman Catholic, 14 percent belong to different Baptist churches, 10 percent are other Christians, 9 percent are Methodist, and 6 percent are Lutheran. The study also found that 16 percent are secular.”

Politically, Indiana is divided. We have one Democratic Senator (Bayh) and one Republican Senator (Lugar). As far as U.S. Congressmen go, we boast four Republicans and five Democrats. In most presidential elections, Hoosiers tend to favor Republican candidates, but not always (as seen in the last election).

Although not well publicized, “Indiana is known as the ‘Brain Bank of the Midwest’ as Indiana’s colleges and universities attract the fourth-largest number of out-of-state students in the nation and the largest out-of-state student population in the Midwest. … Indiana universities lead the nation in the attraction of international students with Purdue University and Indiana University ranked No. 3 and No. 17 respectively in the total international student enrollment of all universities in the United States.”

Temperature wise, Indiana’s seasonal average is about 49 degrees in the northern part of the state, 59 in southern regions; our highest recorded temperature was 116 degrees F on July 14, 1936, at Collegeville. The record low was during my time here in the Hoosier State: January 19, 1994. In New Whiteland, the mercury sank to -36 degrees F! If I had my handlebar mustache back then, I fear it would have shattered like peanut brittle!

When it comes to energy, Indiana consumes more energy (oil, hydro-plants, etc.) than it produces. The one exception is coal; we actually export a surplus. With the advent of the wind farm, Indiana may find its production/consumption gap narrowing.

Two sports – and the enthusiasm that surround them — make Indiana unique: auto racing (especially the Indianapolis 500) and basketball. Although basketball was invented in Massachusetts, Indiana was the first state to offer basketball on a high school level.

But what makes Indiana feel like “home” more than anything else are Hoosiers themselves – the down-to-earth, friendly residents of our fine state.

• Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.