Our theme for the month of October is “states.”

To whom it may concern,

For many years I have stood silently by and even encouraged and participated in the perpetuation of negative jokes at the expense of the state of Ohio. This was wrong, and hurt people close to me and, to a lesser extent, the reputation of Ohio.

Ohio was one of the first states I was aware of, as a location to travel through on the twelve-hour road trip to Michigan to visit family every winter and summer. Ohio was exciting; one step closer to our destination, a landmark to be celebrated, even if I didn’t see much outside along the highway to get me excited. I was exposed to anti-Ohio sentiment in my schooling, along with my peers. The Toledo War was taught without bias from what I remember, though that was in elementary school and my memories from them are quite faded. The most striking example of this deplorable sentiment came in sixth grade, when a classmate who wore an Ohio State hat every day got mock upset in the middle of a presentation and threw his hat on the ground. The teacher of that class, who we all had an informal relationship with, sneakily ran to the hat and swiftly moved it into the trash can, which I found hysterical. I now know the truth: such behavior is deplorable. 

The turning point for me was when I attended a live podcast recording earlier this year. One of the hosts, an Ohioan, called out the name of the state, and was met by immediate boos from the Michigan audience. The hosts of the show clearly didn’t expect this, and attempted to riff their way out of it, though it was clear they were uncomfortable. This discomfort was also experienced by one of the friends I was attending the show with, herself an Ohio native. The hosts quickly went to intermission to diffuse the tension, and the rest of the show was enjoyable, though I was left disquieted. 

There are a number of great things to appreciate about Ohio. Of all the states I’ve driven through on road trips, I haven’t found a state with better rest stops. They are consistently clean, and feature a unique circular design I haven’t found anywhere else. Ohio also is home to Cedar Point, and though I’ve only been once, I certainly enjoyed my time there. Ohio also shares with Michigan access to the Great Lakes, which is certainly a feature and not a bug. Unfortunately it only has access to the worst one, Lake Erie, but that’s not Ohio’s fault, just the hand it was dealt.

I know I can’t speak for all residents of Michigan, but I do speak for myself. I’m listening and learning, and I pledge to do my best to grow out of my hate. 

Sincerely,

A Michigander Trying to do Better

Sam Tuit

Sam Tuit graduated from Calvin in 2021 with a degree in film and media. He lives in Grand Rapids and works as an event coordinator. In his free time, he loves trying new things, cooking for others, and having nuanced conversations about the stories our society is telling.