VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 10 THE BLUE PAGE Pillow fighters descend on I-Div lounge ‘MISCONCEPTION OF COMMON PERCEPTIONS Everyday, people use stereotypes to quickly process perceived information to forma fast perception When you see something that fits the requirements of one, itis easy to simply stamp down the preset ideas and thoughts about that object and label it For instance, in UCC if I see someone who is older than a student, I can safely assume that they are part of the faculty and in an instant they suddenly have all of the weight of my past experiences and knowledge of the faculty put onto them. This widely held, and oversimplified image lets me process information quickly about that person but also assumes a great deal (like they will probably ask me to tuck my shirt in). For mundane processes, stereotyping is fine and even useful, but when it comes to more complex subjects, such as race, semuality or gender, it becomes an issue The most common stereotype that I experience is from my preference of music. If you have seen me around the school, ‘you will notice that my hair is not down to my waist, I do not wear eyeliner or combat boots to school, nor do I have any pierc- ings or tattoos. You might wonder how it is possible that I enjoy listening to heavy metal bands like Gwar and Rammstein if do not look like I do? On the other hand, if you go to any metal concert then you will believe the stereotype. Everyone, and I really mean everyone, there looks like the quintessential metal-head, leather jacket, spiles and all. Like Schrodinger's cat, a stereotype can be both true and false; it depends on how you look at it. A good example isa mosh pit. These are large clear areas formed during rock concerts, where people run in, jump and stam in to each other. With the average mosh-er beinga six- foot shirtless Vilking-esque guy, it can be intimidating Though when I triedit, I felt an odd sense of camaraderie. Whenever I fell down, or was knocked off my feet, instantly five people would pick me up and we would continue as if nothing happened. ‘What seemed like a violence driven activity, tumed out to bea kind of group effort to have some fun through physical contact, much like rugby. A stereotype can bean accurate initial depiction, but as you leam more about the subject it tends to differ greatly, My problem lies with the attitude of the school and the student body to complex issues. Stereotypes are by nature widely held and asa school we have many, such as’ if you do not go to the SAS you do not work out, if you are in math society you are a nerd and Lax bros in general. These stereotypes all sound bad but they do have truth to them. Chances are if you are in math society, you enjoy math. Its a logical assumption. The problem arises when you take the stereotype of the universal and apply ‘THE SWEATER MANIFESTO (RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK’S ‘DRESS CODE?) Under our administration’s totalitarian regime, we diligent students have suffered many injustices. In certain extreme situations, we have been pushed so far as to provoke an uprising — think of the 2008 boarding catastrophe Though revolutions such as these are often successful, they are superficial, and the tyrants soon reassert their iron grip on our daily lives and quietly resume their suppression of any potential dissidents am not writing to incite another insurrection. But we have a problem which needs to be resolved. Currently, sophistication is forbidden by our overlords - and by sophistication I mean the time-honoured tradition of wearing sweaters. Hypocritical sweater-donning disciplinarians float through our halls, scanning students for that unacceptable garment with their hawkish eyes. The classy among us live in constant fear that the despots wall suddenly tum a comer and spot them wearing a sweater. Like free thinkers during the Inquisition, they risk their very lives to stay true to their beliefs, even ifit requires they commit thet most deadly of sins These recent crackdowns on sweaters need to be resisted, if only peacefully at frst. It is no consolation that “school-commissioned” sweaters may be worn, for that merely shaves ridiculous Sports Shop prices down our collec- tive throats. Moreover, the ability to buy a sweater at any time in the day is a fundamental right of any human being, and the Shop is only open for half the day. This most heinous of cruelties is part of an emerging trend. The shady FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012THE BLUE PAGE VOLUME XVIL NUMBER 10 STERIOEOTYPES CONTINUED .. it to the particular, such as if you ignore someone in science club, because you believe them to bea nerd. The school can also support this stereotypical thinking. Thefirst example that comesto mind isyear | civics, when I was taught about Aboriginal people and early explorers. The general message, and modem day consensus, is that early European explorers exploited and murdered the indigenous people. Yes, this did happen, but there were many other events of marmiage, trade, and coop- eration between the two, which I ended up leaming in year 2 history. While Aboriginals were exploited, being taught the stereotype could lead a student into believing that this vwas the only case, which formsa skewed opinion of the is- sue. The point of this article is to tell you to THINK, Sometimes the school does end up communicating stereo- types to us, such as stereotypes always being bad. This is understandable, as stereotypes, due to their simple nature, are much easier, and faster, to process. It is your job to try to look at the other side of the issue if you really wish to comprehend it, or even question why the stereotype ex- ists. As Mr. Kawasoe would say, be an open-minded criti- cal thinker. This way, you can have a more informed, and more valuable opinion. The use of stereotypes is a tool we use to aid our thought process and improve our cognitive efficiency. The tool is not the problem, it is how we use it Fully believing stereotypes leads to a lack of thinking, ‘while not using them at all will lead you to wonder if some- one dressed as Darth Vader is a Star Wars fan. Stereotypes have their advantages and disadvantages, the message is to recognize when you are using one, and to understand what information it is giving to you. Use stereotypes appropri- ately and they can become force for good. Craig Loewen MAYHEM HAIKU Grad prank, assembly, Anarchy breaks out this week Williams is soft Mr. E. Man SWEATERS CONTINUED... oligarchs of our small so- ciety have made several decisions in the past few years intended to reduce us to docile livestock Distracting us with advanced technology like smart- boards and laptops, segregating us into Senior and Lower divisions, depriving us of sleep by inventing various mandatory events during our sleep-ins - it all points towards a larger scheme to mold us into compla- cent, unquestioning little robots. We cannot stand idly by lest we be reduced into soulless automata, cogs in this academic machine ‘Though off campus it is generally the reverse, within these walls we are the 99%, So it is time we joined the rest of the world in protest and announced the official beginning of the Occupy Colbome Room movement. As the proletariat in industrial society are slaves to the capital- ist bourgeois, we are slaves to the rubrics of our invigila- tors. Sadly, itis unlikely this will ever change. But we can resist when we are pushed too far, and if outlawing sweat- ers isn’t too far, god knows what is Bric Tweei THE BLUE PAGE is, e Colin Fweel, Editor Justin Elise, Editor THE BLUE PAGE accepts all articles in good faith Howev- x, the editors will make the offre to ensue fictual accwary Arti- cles may alo be edited for legth THE BLUE PAGE is your vice an the UCC community. Email your articles to Huepage@ue on ca FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012