The sorority girl is a dumb blonde who can’t get enough of fraternity guys. The fraternity guy is a drunkard who can’t keep his eyes or his hands to himself. The engineering major is smarter than life and has a 4.00 GPA. And the theater major is different.

Life is full of stereotypes, and I’ve finally opened my eyes enough to see how present stereotypes are in everyday life.

My reflection of stereotypes began the other day when an acquaintance tried to explain someone to a group of friends by identifying her as a “theater major.”

Faces were made after the words “theater major” were said, and people chuckled to themselves.

And for some reason, I don’t understand why.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in love with a “theater major.” I know love can make people blind, but I don’t think Jonathan is that different from the average person.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve worked in the theater for the past three years. I have become comfortable in the theater office and don’t give a second thought to the “normality” of the people who enter and exit the office on a regular basis.

Or maybe it’s the fact that some of the best friends I have made are or were students in the theater department.

These theater students are the people who have never failed to extend invitations to me, people who always make me feel comfortable and welcome. What’s wrong with that?

It doesn’t make sense to classify people by one group or one organization they are involved in. People are complex, and there is no way one word can adequately define a person.

And who defines what is normal and what is different? What is normal to one person may be different to another. What gives someone the right to decide that he or she is superior enough to decide the meaning of normal or different?

Stereotypes don’t work. You see, I am the president of my sorority. Does that mean I am a ditzy blonde who parties all of the time? I hate to break it to you, but I am brunette, and partying is not at the top of my list.

I have a 4.00 GPA. Does that mean I am a nerd or a bookworm who spends all of my time nestled in my books? I do study, but my life does not revolve around making good grades. I make sure to reserve time for my fiancé, my friends and the organizations in which I am involved.

And what does the fact that I work in the theater mean?

Well, I guess that makes me different. It’s hard to speculate whether or not I’m different; I’ll leave that one for you to decide. 

The problem is that all of these stereotypes contradict each other. Maybe I am the only person in the world who can’t be stereotyped. Or maybe, just maybe, I am one of millions of people who can’t be defined by one word.

Just think, the person you sit by in class, whether in Greek letters or embedded in books, may not be as obvious as he or she appears. Maybe he or she can’t be defined by one word either.

 

Amanda James is a junior journalism major from Ruston and serves as a news editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to aaj006@latech.edu.