Lesley Weidenbener: Let’s help Jackson learn all about Indiana

I intended to write my column this week all about our newsroom’s efforts to learn more about how tariffs—or the potential of additional tariffs—are affecting Indiana businesses. And I’m still going to touch on that.

We’ve posted a survey atIBJ.com/tariff-and-trade-surveyto gather information about how President Donald Trump’s trade policies are affecting your companies and organizations. You can take the survey anonymously, but we’re also looking for executives we can talk to about anticipated impacts.

You can also email me at lweidenbener@ibj.com with story tips, ideas, letters to the editor, proposed columns and other comments about tariffs.

But the rest of this column is actually reserved for someone else—my new friend Jackson, a third-grade student from northern Virginia who wants to know more about Indiana.

I received a letter from Jackson in the mail that explains he is gathering information about Indiana for a class project. He asked if I would post his request as a letter to the editor. But I thought it would be more fun to put it here—and I encourage you to reply!

Here’s what he writes:

Dear People of the Great State of Indiana,

Hello! I am a third-grade student in Northern Virginia. Our class is learning about the United States, and I will be teaching our school about the state of Indiana. In late May, I will create a display for our State Fair that I hope will make you proud.

Although I have gathered facts about your state from books and websites, I think that I can receive the best information from the people who live there. This is why I am writing to you. I am hoping that you would be willing to send me some items to help me learn more about the best things in your state.

You might consider sending items such as postcards, pictures, souvenirs, this newspaper article, or any other unique items that would be useful or show your state’s pride. Here are a few questions:

◗ Why do you live in your state? What first brought your family there?

◗ How do you make money? What is your job?

◗ What does your state look like?

◗ What do people do for fun?

◗ What animals live there?

◗ What traditional food/recipes does your state have?

◗ What type of music is native to your state?

◗ Do you have a state athletic team?

◗ What geographic features are unique to your state?

I will need to gather all of my information by the second week of May. You can mail items to the address below. I really appreciate your help!

Sincerely, Jackson

Here’s the address:

Miss Campbell’s Class

The Langley School

1411 Balls Hill Road

McLean, Virginia 22101

I’m excited to respond—and I might even include my answers in a future column. It’s actually a great exercise to think about why we live here and what makes our state special. And I love the idea of pouring out our pride to a third grader in Virginia.

I hope you’ll write to Jackson, too.•

__________

Weidenbener is editor of IBJ and assistant publisher of IBJ and the Indiana Lawyer.