I think that the term "nerd" is so misunderstood and misrepresented in our society. I saw an excellent quote by John Green the other day (author of The Fault in Our Stars and one of my new favorite people):
"... because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically
enthusiastic about stuff... Nerds are allowed to love stuff,
like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it.
Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what
they're saying is "you like stuff." Which is just not a
good insult at all. Like, "you are too enthusiastic
about the miracle of human consciousness."
And boy, do I get excited about things. Anyone who has had the misfortune of getting me started on Latin or Classics or Lord of the Rings has experienced that part of me. But I love how John Green's definition encompasses the heart of what it means to be a "nerd", and the idea that it doesn't matter what the subject matter is, only the passion and excitement that is exerted towards it.
For example, by that definition, I would consider most athletes to be "nerds". They spend countless hours pouring over strategies and fine-tuning their skills, just as any "nerd" who loved a particular class would. I experienced this when I played softball my whole life, and I guess that that's one of the main reasons why I never understood high school stereotypes. It is so incredibly possible to have passions for things that are vastly different in nature. My senior year of high school I was an athlete on my school's varsity softball team, but I was also taking 4 AP classes and was enthusiastic about participating in science bowl. I loved it all and that was the only thing that mattered.
In college, I have found that these stereotype lines have been blurred significantly, yet I have thrown myself into one of the most enigmatic stereotypes there is - sorority life. Many people were surprised when I joined AOII last fall, and in some ways, so was I. I mean, who would have ever expected a mellow, "nerdy" girl like me to join a sorority - especially when most people in my hometown think of the Greek system, they think of Legally Blonde. But the truth is, the girls that I have come to know in AOII are so filled with passion for their respective fields of study, and moreover, we all share a love of community and investment in those around us. We all have a passion for serving others and for trying to make the world a better place.
So in conclusion, I believe that the answer of tackling stereotype barriers lies in the classic cliché "it's what's on the inside that counts." It is for this reason that I didn't mention any of my physical or physiological characteristics in my "Who Do You Think You Are?" list yesterday, because they are simply irrelevant. Sure, I own a couple of fancy dresses and it's fun to dress formally every once in a while, but my favorite articles of clothing by far are baseball shirts [I have three and am always on the look-out for more]. I also own a t-shirt that has the periodic table on it front-and-center and one that displays all the college crests of Oxford University. And yes, when I go back to school I will be participating with my AOII gals in Berkeley's Fall Formal Recruitment, and I will be wearing dresses and heels and my hair and make-up will all be done carefully and neatly. However, when I talk with the girls who are rushing throughout that week, I will be sure to focus on their eyes rather than their clothing, because there is nothing more beautiful or telling about a person than when their eyes light up as they talk excitedly about the things they're passionate about. And that in turn makes me so unbelievably excited in return. How nerdy of me :).
Sincerely,
Olivia
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