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“Creativity is the capital of the 21st century.” may 19 dustin baird

When Robert Bluestone shared this insight during his inspirational keynote for the 2010 Arts Advocacy Day in Des Moines, he was on target.

Back then, tying arts to economy and education as an integral part of a comprehensive learning process was still in a formative stage.

Arts and science intersect at Science Center of Iowa’s Innovation Lab workshops. Courtesy of Science Center of Iowa

One path in providing a holistic approach to education, which should always include the arts, is adopting its inclusion in the areas where America has increasingly lagged. In short, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) must complete its evolution to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math).

The roots of STEM can be traced to the Morrill Act of 1862 which granted states land to establish colleges that could promote agricultural science. After the act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in July of 1862, Iowa became the first state legislature to accept the provisions of the act, leading directly to the creation of Iowa State University.

Officially opened in 1869 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, the institution became known as the Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts in 1898, then Iowa State University of Science and Technology in 1959 ( which shortens to its popular name, Iowa State University).

In the early 2000s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) wanted an educational term for four educational subject disciplines; Science, Math, Engineering and Technology. A national consensus emerged that U.S. students’ achievements in these key subjects were lagging behind students in other industrialized countries. The NSF coined their focus SMET.

Thankfully, Judith Ramaley—NSF director of education and human resources—moved some words around to reach the now familiar acronym (and, arguably, better sounding), STEM.

Later, a set of NSF sponsored workshops in 2010 and 2011 led to the creation of the SEAD (Sciences, Engineering, Arts and Design) Network. This network is “a community of advocates for the importance and value of research and creative work across the arts and sciences.” The Washington may 21 dan medeiros may 26 kracklin may 28 del saxman jones & keith owens june 2 chris falcon june 4 orphan annie june 9 nothing special june 11 brad seidenfeld june 16 mike aceto june 18 del saxman jones & keith owens june 23 get off my lawn june 25 david watson june 30 tank anthony

Naughtea, a Korean corn dog and bubble tea shop located in a strip mall in quintessential suburbia, smells of fresh, high-class corn dog breading.

Rabbit imagery hangs on the walls of this Ankeny business, which debuted at the end of 2022, including bunny versions of the Mona Lisa and Girl with a Pearl Earring. A bright pink neon sign lights up the white interior, and K-pop videos play on the lone TV as customers come and go. On a Friday afternoon, it was so busy I had to wait for a booth.

The K-Dog, Naughtea’s mouth-watering take on a corn dog ($5.48-5.88), was worth the wait. Though the hot dogs inside are pretty standard for quality corn dogs, K-Dog breading is less crispy and more substantial, dressed with a range of flavors and textures (and even more add-on options for 10 cents each).

The first one I ordered was the Potato Fries K-Dog with half and half, meaning it was half filled with hot dog, half mozzarella cheese. The cheese was perfectly melted and very stringy. My Pizza Ranch palate was too weak for a sriracha dip, but after dribbling ketchup on my K-Dog, the heavens opened. The fries, breading, hot dog and ketchup fused to make a delectable delight—like a high-class county fair corn dog.

Next up was the Hot Cheetos K-Dog, leaner than the first but still massive. The Cheetos flakes added a nice crunch to the breading, and their hot kick is sure to entice more spice-tolerant eaters. If you plan to try multiple K-Dogs, bring a friend; one K-Dog is plenty to fill the stomach.

In addition to the K-Dogs, Naughtea lives up to its name with a variety of iced teas—boba, milk, brown sugar, smoothies, slushies—with 15 topping options ranging from lychee to strawberry cheese foam. I ordered the Cookies and Cream smoothie with aloe vera jelly. It was a delicious surprise, lighter and fresher-tasting than a typical shake, and provided a perfect complement to the K-Dogs’ heaviness.

Naughtea is the only Korean corn dog joint in the state, and a bright spot in the land of similar-looking houses. At the end of the day, all their menu items and flavor combos are worth a try.

There are plenty of burger joints, fine dining restaurants and fast-food places to find in Ankeny and throughout the Metro, but there is no food establishment like Naughtea. —Sean Dengler