The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [173]
Chapter 13
THE RISE OF THE CAFETERIA FRINGE
It would be misleading to assert that group identities and exclusions disappear immediately when students go to college. Certainly, many outsiders love college right away. other college students told me that, at first, they sensed divisions that didn’t seem all that different from high school: drinkers vs. non-drinkers, Greeks vs. independents, partiers vs. studiers. Some students encounter new labels; a college freshman in Iowa learned the term “narnian,” used to refer to students who don’t often leave their dorm rooms. Students who look forward to a sea change in atmosphere the second they arrive on campus may be disappointed at first. But it gets better. Give it time.
Granted, it is a lot to ask a teen to wait. Geoffrey, a “smart kid” eighth grader in Indiana, said, “I’m always single, so it’s tough. Never can get a girl. The smart thing repels girls. I like being smart because I breeze through school and can get a good job and make good money. That’s the good thing, but the girl thing is killing me.” One of Geoffrey’s thirteen-year-old classmates, who was labeled a “ditz,” told me, “I’m near the bottom of the food chain and I have to live with that for the rest of my life.” No! You don’t! Adolescence is a formative time, but it should not, as Eli worried to me once, comprise the best years of your existence.
Eventually, it passes, and, whether in college or as young adults, many individuals will come to experience quirk theory. Blue began to understand a glimmer of quirk theory when the first-round UAP interviewer told him that he was different from anyone else she had interviewed—and she passed him to the final round of admissions because of that. He experienced a hint of this phenomenon again when his new friends, especially Michael, admired him for some of the same reasons for which his old friends had mocked him.
The main characters and several of the other students discussed in this book exemplify quirk theory. To begin with, many of them already exhibit the attributes described in chapter 5 as some of the most appreciated qualities among adults. Each of them also displays additional traits that others will respect outside of school.
• Blue, creative and curious, is a freethinker with the ability to see around corners. His discipline may have been shaky, but his integrity is solid, both in his character and in his refusal to gossip. His longing to connect, diverse talents, and yearning to share them, and openness to multiple perspectives—all of which his old friends made fun of—have already begun to serve him well.
• Danielle’s vow to be her own person following a shattering social blow keeps her grounded and committed to the matters she prioritizes, such as learning about global, environmental, and social justice issues. Her wealth of interests, rich literary exposure, and fearlessness to engage in activities she enjoys, even if she must participate alone, will make her a standout whether she pursues medicine, archaeology, or any of the other fields that currently captivate her.
• Noah’s self-awareness and receptiveness to his emotions make him the kind of forthright, empathetic individual whom others will appreciate. He continued to grow his hair long to donate it to charity even though it made him a target for teasing. Noah’s sense of devotion and willingness to shoulder more than his share of responsibility—of the band, of his brother—are qualities that are highly valued outside of the school setting. And how many other students would keep running for class office because, even if they lose, year after year, the experience will help them grow?
• Joy’s ability to find the positive in even the most harrowing of experiences demonstrates resilience far more pronounced than that of many people twice her age. Her maturity, eloquence, and undaunted willingness