Volume 124 Issue 119
kansan.com
Friday, March 16, 2012
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East 7th St, feels more like the childhood bedroom of an eccentric teen than a place where die-hard fans come to stock up on new comics when they're released every Wednesday.
Having a store that makes geek culture accessible and appealing to people that might not have been willing to try it a few years ago is good for business, but the philosophy also appeals to Pfannenstiel on a personal level. He enjoys seeing people experiencing comics for the first time, even if it's because of the recent proliferation of superhero movies and comic books based on TV shows.
geek-lite
With a better understanding of the diehard geeks of the world and how geeks became chic, I move on to examining a more recent addition to the geek world, the moderate geek.
Gone are the days when a geek can be identified by sight, I discover as I search the mid-afternoon crowd of The Underground, looking for Kyle McRae, a senior from Iola who recently founded the University's Pokemon fan club. I don't know exactly who I'm looking for, maybe a sickly looking guy wearing a Pikachu t-shirt. I'm surprised when I finally find McRae. He looks like a southern frat boy in his
navy pullover, striped dress shirt and and cowboy boots.
Like many children of the '90s, McRae grew up loving Pokemon. The early exposure to Japanese culture led him to study it in college, which put him in the company of other Pokemon fans. Now every Thursday night, they get together to play the card game the TV show was based on.
He was surprised to find that almost 50 people have expressed interested in his club, proof that people are becoming more accepting of their inner-nerd, just like he has. "In college, I just don't care anymore what people think," he says. "I can go be nerdy."
Nerdy activities are becoming a more acceptable part of student's lives. Take, for example, Holden Beier-Green, a junior from Topeka who transforms from an amiable college student into a light-saber wielding Sith for a few hours each night.
Beier-Green isn't suffering from an identity crisis. He just plays Star Wars: The Old Republic, a recently released World of Warcraft-style multi-player online role playing game set in the Star Wars universe.
He's played video games, his favorite form of entertainment, for years, starting out with an Xbox playing Halo and Grand Theft Auto before moving on to PC gaming. Last month, he decided to start playing Old Republic with his friends.
Beier-Green says playing the game is a nice way to relax at the end of a stressful day of work and classes. It also gives him an opportunity to spend time with his friends without having to be in the same room as them.
What might have seemed like intensely geeky dedication a few decades ago is now a normal part of life for many male college students. A few weeks later, I ask a very tan, very blonde woman if she has any geeky tendencies.
"I don't know" says Casey Freeman, a junior from Hutchison. "I'm very intense about school. I never miss a class unless it's to study for another class. And I read academic articles for fun. Does that count?"
I say it does. In my exploration of the wide world of geek, I have realized that Genevieve Valentine was right. Forget the glasses, forget the expansive collection of comic book and superhero t-shirts. A geek is just somebody who really likes something; anything. Some geeks might be a little more intense than others, but we've all become part of a society that is more accepting of pure, unadulterated excitement, whether it's over the latest Apple product or the most recent episode of "Dr. Who." We're all geeks about something, and it's okay to admit it.
Two of Marvel Comic's famed avengers, Captain America and Iron Man, share a heated exchange about whose comics will sell more after "The Avengers" hits theaters May 14. Super heroes on the big screen have helped spread geek culture in recent years.
WHAT KIND OF GEEK ARE YOU?
Sixty-five percent of Americans think that everybody is a geek about something. What kind of geek are you?
Your favorite magazine is:
c. Pitchfork
b. Bon Appetit
d. Sports Illustrated
e. Vogue
Your favorite TV show is: Attack of the Show
your favorite TV show is:
a. Attack of the Show
b. The Next Food Network Star
c. You prefer music to tv
d. SportsCenter
e. Project Runway
Your celebrity crush is:
a. Olivia Munn/ Mark Zuckerberg
b. Padma Lakshmi/ Johnny Iuzzini
c. Carrie Brownstein/Alex Turner
d. Maria Sharapova/Tom Brady
e. Grace Kelly/George Clooney
Mostly As' TECH GEEK- You strongly identify with your computer operating system and defend it with your (battery) life.
Mostly B's: FOOD GEEK. You devour new episodes of Food Network shows with the same passion as homemade tomato and basil pizza. .
Mostly C's: MUSIC GEEK- You know how to navigate a music festival and operate a record player. Because really, everything does sound better on vinyl.
Mostly D's: SPORTS GEEK- Watching sporting events is both entertaining and painful since you have to constantly check up on your fantasy team.
Most E's: FASHION GEEK. Lifting the September issue of Vogue is your cardio. Shh, don't tell Anna Wintour you're a geek.
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A serial rapist's attacks in Lawrence and Manhattan during university breaks have prompted safety warnings to students in the past, but none have been issued this year.
Warnings told students to exercise caution and remain aware of sexual assaults. The city of Lawrence, University officials and the Kansas Attorney General issued the warnings after the attorney general announced in March 2009 that six Lawrence rapes, seven Manhattan rapes and an attempted rape in Manhattan may be related, with the last known rape occurring in Lawrence in December 2008.
The last warning issued to students about sexual assault was before the University's spring break last year.
Captain Paul Fellers of the Lawrence police department said the
during break periods but at all times of the year.
"Sexual assault is very serious. It can and does happen at many different times during the year." Fellers said. "We do want people to be aware, but we don't want people to let their guard down just because spring break is over."
The rapist is known to stalk his victims and is described as a white male between the age of 25 and 40. He is said to be between 5-foot-9 and six-feet tall and between 160 to 175 pounds. He covered his face during many of the attacks and had some sort of weapon at some of the attacks.
The first known rape occurred during the fall of 2000 in Manhattan, and the first attack in Lawrence was July 2004. All of the victims in Lawrence were University students at the time of the attacks.
No public suspects have been
"A lot of times I will call a friend when I walk alone, and I always lock all my doors," Tran said. "My parents have always taught me safety but being alone on campus and at home has definitely made me more aware of my surroundings."
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center cautions students to trust their instincts and to always alert someone if they are uncomfortable, even a building manager.
"The investigation remains open and law enforcement will follow up on all leads," Jeff Wagaman said, Deputy Chief of Staff for the attorney general.
Edited by Bre Roach
is still under investigation.
Theresa Tran, a junior from Liberty, Mo. said she heard about the case previously and always tried to follow safety tips.
Dec. 29, 2004 - a man entered an apartment inside Highpoint Apartments at 2001 W. Sixth Street and raped two female University students, ages 19 and 20.
June 13, 2006 - a 21-year-old sleeping University student was sexually assaulted in her apartment in Southwest Lawrence.
apartment in 3800 block of Clinton Parkway and raped a sleeping University student. She was in her twenties.
Index
March 22, 2008 - a man entered an apartment in Lormarin Townhouses at 3801 Clinton Parkway and raped a 20-year-old female University student.
Dec. 1, 2008 – a 19-year-old University student was raped in her home near Holcom Park.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
James Lamsdell, a graduate student from Iver, United Kingdom, said he was struggling to transition his look from grad school comfort to business casual. Taja Loren, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., who styled Lamsdell, said finding clothing for her client was a challenge because of the limited selection of men's clothing in Lawrence's stores. He walked the runway in basics he could wear several different ways.
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
all contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
The KU School of Music presents Imani Winds "Informance" in Murphy Hall from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Today's Weather
Overcast skies, light south wind with a 20 percent chance of precipitation.
Hot and ready for spring break