Have you ever taken one glance at someone and decided that you don't like him or her? You don't have any idea who they are, but instantly you're struck with this uncomfortable pit of hate in your stomach. Why don't you like that person? It doesn't matter - he or she is different from you and you don't like it.
How about this scenario: you're sitting in the Union or you're hanging around The Steer and your friend leans over and says: "See that girl over there? She's a total slut." You glance over to where your friend motions and think: "Yeah, I could totally see that girl getting around."
Maybe the odd feeling you have about that complete stranger is right; maybe your friend is spot on and that girl is easy.
But how can you decide that with one look?
I'm not saying that I've never looked at someone and automatically made judgments -everyone does it. But at some point, you realize people are most likely doing the same to you. They look at you and just assume they have you pegged. They place you in a category, and that's it. You're no longer a person - you're a label.
College is supposed to be a place filled with educated people - a place where people can shed whatever stereotype their high school stuck on them and become their own individuals.
In high school, I was a closet nerd. I played World of Warcraft and spent half of my childhood virtually hanging out with my brothers at the Crossroads (Warcraft reference for those of you who don't get it). Ever heard of the first-person shooter Counterstrike? Yeah, I was on a Cal-O team, and I was pretty good with an AK-47.
I was also a cheerleader and a dancer. I cheered for an all-star team called Cheer Jamz and traveled the East Coast - from Myrtle Beach to Providence, R.I. - in a cute little uniform with a big obnoxious bow on top of my head. I rocked a pair of tights and a leotard over five times a week and did pirouettes and grand jetes - basically splits in the air - across a hardwood floor.
I did all of these things, but I kept them separate because I was terrified that I would be labeled a nerdy loser or a ditzy cheerleader. High school was brutal, and I wanted to get out with as little interaction with my classmates as possible.
Then college came and I was beyond excited - a fresh start where no one knew about my past, my family problems, or fabricated rumors that had circulated about me. I was leaving it all behind.
At first when someone mentioned Zelda, it took all my energy to bite my tongue and not rave about how Link to the Past was my favorite Super Nintendo game. When people asked me what sports I played in high school, I would say cheerleading, followed by a quick explanation that it was competitive cheerleading, not just screaming on the sidelines of football games.
"You were a cheerleader? You were a dancer? I would have never thought that," my friends would tell me because truthfully, my looks don't fit either stereotype.
That's when I started to realize that people shouldn't get placed into categories - we're not Operation pieces.
Just because someone likes to play video games, it doesn't mean that defines his or her entire existence. Just because someone is open about his or her sexuality, it doesn't mean he or she goes around giving it up to whoever asks for it.
It's easy to judge someone at first glance, but the thing is, you don't know anything about him or her.
After working with a group of people completely different from myself - people from different economic and cultural backgrounds - I finally understand the phrase: "You can't judge a book by its cover."
People I would have never even attempted to have a conversation with have become some of my good friends, because instead of writing them off, I had the opportunity to talk with them and understand where they were coming from.
We might not agree on politics or morals but we respect each other's opinions and our lifestyles.
This is how I see it: life is your choice.
Your lifestyle will not be something everyone agrees with, but that doesn't mean you should have to pretend you're someone you're not to satisfy other people. Unfortunately, in the society we live in there will always be someone judging you. Don't forget, though, that at the end of the day the only opinion that matters is your own.
Email: lyzi.white@ubspectrum.com
