Campus of the Nerds Members
By Kristen Griffith (Whetstone staff writer)
Emily Fiore did not realize her new friends were called nerds and band geeks until half-way through her freshmen year of college. She did not see herself hanging out with those kind of people.
Two years later, she and those same friends have started a new club called Campus of the Nerds.
Club President Alainna-Caitlyn Earl and a group of her friends, including Fiore, who is the secretary, came up with the idea. Earl first heard of something similar from a different school. It was called “Campus of Nerds†but Earl thought “Campus of the Nerds†sounded better.
Their first meeting, Sept. 11, was spent brainstorming ideas. Ideas included picnics, video game and dodge ball tournaments, trivia nights and movie nights. Some of the movies suggested include “Lord of the Rings†and “Harry Potterâ€.
“I am looking forward to doing so many activities with the group because we have so many new nerds this semester,†Fiore said.
The club has high hopes to attend a renaissance fair. Another plan on their agenda is “larping,†when they dress up and act like their favorite characters.
Members of the club do not mind the term “nerds.â€
“It is like taking back a derogatory term and making it better,†Earl said.
Earl and Fiore have no problem embracing the stereotype.
“I am not insulted because I am proud to call myself a nerd and I am content with who I am,†Fiore said. “What you see is what you get.â€
Earl defined “nerd†as a person who has a passion for a certain thing.
“You do not have to just like stuff about superheroes or video games,†Earl said. “You can have a real love for a TV show or a movie, it could be anything.â€
Freshman Sterling Hinton said a nerd can like common or uncommon things.
“A nerd is between a geek and a hipster in my opinion,†he said.
Freshman Sullivan Lynch is a nerd when it comes to comic books. There is a comic book store close to his house.
“People can be history nerds, car nerds, gun nerds, or just a nerd on any subject,†Lynch said.
He found out about the club from sophomore Terrance Olivo and other friends who are also in the Hoopla club.
“I am a nerd because I adore ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy or any fantasy movies for that matter,†Fiore said.
She also loves school, knitting, and playing video games.
“I am a nerd when it comes to motors and cars,†Hinton said.
He spent the summer buying broken cars, fixing them, and then reselling them. His other nerd quality is watching anime.
The title of the club was an attention-grabber for both Hinton and Lynch. They both thought it was a good way to make new friends.
“It’s kind of awkward meeting new people so I figured I join a club,†he said.
Fiore loves the club because there is no one there to judge others.
“By looking at me, no one would know I was a nerd on the inside, but I am proud to be one,†she said.
