Where's the beef?

I was never aware of any antipathy toward East Coasters until I came here. And even then, for awhile I thought it was a joke.\nBut, as it's apparently a very real (if not ridiculous) problem, it's worth addressing.\nIt seems to me that this East Coast/Midwest rift has three causes.\nThe first is that here on campus, there is a substantial East Coast population. If there were a lot of people from Mississippi (or any other state), we might hate them just as much. As it is now, there are enough people from both the Midwest and the East Coast that each has a sizeable subpopulation willing to continue this argument. \nThe second is probably latent anti-Semitism, as the specific areas of the East Coast we supposedly dislike are New York and New Jersey. Not surprisingly, these areas also have a larger Jewish population than most of the Midwest.\nFinally, the third cause is probably pure jealousy. Some Midwesterners complain about the East Coast "rich kids." I'd be willing to bet those same Midwesterners wouldn't turn down some extra cash if it were offered to them. \nCoupled with the fact that East Coasters are from places that seem more exciting than where we're from--the reason for jealousy is obvious. \nBut whatever the cause, this little fight does a huge disservice to our community and prevents a lot of people from making new friends that they might just (gasp) have a good time with.