The Observer, September 15, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 3
A Fresh Perspective: Case embodies nerd school: don't mock
I'm sure that I am far from the only freshman who, at some point, has been ridiculed for choosing to go to such an academic university as opposed to one of the party schools like Wisconsin-Madison or OSU. But even after putting up with such harassment, for some reason it never occurred to me just how many geeks make up the Case student body. Even throughout orientation and Welcome Days, I never realized how much Case is the embodiment of a "nerd school."
However, now that the reality of being a Case student is truly sinking in – the knowledge that I am done with college visits, that I have completed all of the stress inducing applications and have survived the nerve wracking decision time – I realized just how much of a "nerd school" Case is. My personal epiphany occurred somewhere between my fifth trip to KSL to finish my homework away from my noisy floor and realizing that I actually do laugh at calculus jokes.
Now, with my own realization, I was sure that I was not alone in discovering the true nerdiness of Case during my first weeks here. And, miraculously, I was right! So, aided by the contributions to the white board questionnaire from Storrs second floor, I have complied a short list of experiences from other freshman in which they came to that startling realization: "Yes, I go to Case."
You know you're at Case when:
1. The person sitting next to you in math class is looking up phone numbers in his calculator.
2. Large groups of people are watching Mythbusters at 3 a.m. on a Saturday.
3. You explain what a bong is and how it operates to a floormate by using principles from physics aided by a diagram.
4. Even the English majors can calculate the parabolic path of a Nerf projectile being fired across the common room.
5. The guy scooping ice cream in front of you at Leutner laments about the excess number of joules he is expending for removing x volume of ice-cream.
6. Upon encountering an identifiable piece of calamari; your tablemate feels the urge to dissect it.
This is a very brief sampling from the ongoing list, and I am sure that anyone reading this can recall their own epiphany in discovering that they truly were Case students. And I encourage you to share and embrace the type of school we attend. But I offer one word of caution. Be careful when you decide to mock Case in general, because, one day while you attempt to mock the stereotypical Case student by pretending to push up your glasses, you may come to the sad realization that you actually do it too.
