The Observer, April 18, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 25
Top 10: Awkward moments at Case
A few days ago, I had a typically awkward moment on the Case campus. I saw someone whom I knew from my class of six people, waved, and watched horrified as they looked the other way and shielded their face from me with their hand. Luckily, this slight of hand did not burst my cool due to the practice I have dealing with the unnaturally socially inept at Case. However, it did inspire a stream of other potential train-wreck situations that students here may face. Here are the top ten awkward moments a Case student may encounter.
10. Being a non-science major. I am a proud English major here at Case. It is no secret that Case is made up mostly of engineers, but after two years of practice, I no longer feel awkward telling people my major when they ask me. However, there will always be the occasional person who looks at me with bewilderment after my response.
9. Party Acquaintances. You meet some random person at a party. You two become best friends. You may or may not even remember their name. You see them in your class Monday morning at 9 a.m. Neither of you say hi.
8. Political offenders. Just because you and your best friend have the same party affiliation does not ensure you will support the same candidate. Unfortunately, it is rare that you discover this until after having badmouthed their ideal politician.
7. Library cell phones. It is always, without a doubt, the loudest, most gossip-filled person whose cell phone goes off in the library. It isn't the person's banter that makes the moment uncomfortable, but the dirty looks that the person is receiving from bystanders.
6. Inappropriate professors. Just because they have a PhD does not mean that professors avoid topics of discussion that do not seem classroom worthy. They say English literature always becomes a lesson on sex for a reason.
5. Public acts of humiliation. It's the classic case of waving to someone you know, maybe introducing yourself to someone who you think you are supposed to meet, or just saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
4. Seeing that certain person. You are bound to break up with someone, or get into a fight with someone. Sooner or later, since we all live in this little college bubble of a campus, you will run into that person, and it will be weird.
3. Leutner. It is somewhat strange that we all eat together in one big room, but it is the inevitable fact that you will always run into someone you know looking awful. Don't even get me started on the campus-wide obsession with playing the "Macarena" on the jukebox. Which do you choose? So many awkward moments to be had.
2. Celebrity slip ups. It seems that every moment of every day, some celebrity is making a very public mistake. While we can all cringe as they slip up repeatedly, we can secretly get great pleasure out of knowing how close to impossible it is for us to do the same that they do.
1. Case Western Reserve University. Despite these moments that happen almost daily, you have to love Case for its quirks. Before applying here as a senior in high school, I read reviews by professionals and college students alike. In most every review, academics and national rankings were considered highly selective and excellent. However, in these same reviews, social life received a failing grade. All Case students are aware of this aspect, but they came here anyway. It is a sense of pride that while the classes are exceptional, human interaction is often lacking. It is important to embrace these eccentricities with pride, and to be able to say, "I am a nerd."
