Still, I do miss that "academic arrogance" in one regard. During the 80's (up to about 1986 when I left) almost everyone you met (including semi-literate furniture factory workers) held college graduates and even college students in high regard. At least down there then, having a post-secondary education mattered to almost everyone. Being transplanted up here to Indiana, I miss that. Almost everyone here has an almost palpable contempt for anyone with a college degree (we consistently rank 47th or 48th in the nation of "percentage of population with a four year degree or higher").

The vast majority of locals, apparently, are proud of that and want to keep it that way. :-(