The 8Asians Writers Talk About: Being Giant Nerds

Our internal e-mail lists have us discussing all kinds of stuff: Asian American identity, representation in the media, the experiences of activism in an academia setting and its progression as we transition to the working, adult world. And sometimes, we like to out-nerd each other, especially when someone forwards an news article about three South Bay students heading to the 2010 China Girls Math Olympiad in Shijiazhuang.

John: I’m glad I didn’t go to high school in the Bay Area…

Jeff: Really?  Why not?  I’ll admit that there is some ferocious competition and really brilliant types in local high schools here – I see some when I do college admissions interviewing.

Btw, math olympiad competitors are really really good.  I used to think I was really good at math, and I got a scholarship to spend one summer during high school at a Georgetown University math camp.   I did pretty well there and felt really confident about my math abilities until one of our instructors gave us some problems from the math olympiad that was held there this year, and I couldn’t solve a single one.

Moye: Math camp?? JEFF’S A NERD!!!!

Jeff: That’s right!  I was also a proud member of the chess club!

Efren: Wow, I was on a math team in junior high too but was really bad at it.

Tim: Me too! And I didn’t even grow up on the West Coast.  I was a math team co-captain!

Moye: Oh my god, we’re surrounded by nerds.

Joz: I rule you all! For several years, I was captain of our Academic Decathlon -AND- Quiz Bowl teams.  I am sure there were more but I can’t remember now.  I killed too many brain cells cramming for these types of events in junior high and high school.

Edward: I failed math in my senior year of high school…My most proud accomplishment of my high school years was starting a philosophy club to which I had 5 members. We talked about feelings and love.

John: I was captain of the chess team! I was also involved in Key Club (volunteer organization) and A/V club / public access cable television.

Joz: No one at 8Asians beats me when it comes to Key Club.  I was not just Club President my junior year, but also California-Nevada-Hawaii District officer (District Bulletin Editor) my senior year.

John: I did get the “Matthew & Todd White Key Club Service Award” my senior year, since the president and the other officers were caught drinking at the regional conference. Also, I won the “Rensselaer Medal” my junior year for best science & math student. I think I also was voted best at computers for my high school class.

Joz: I played Badminton for my school’s team.  And I was also in ASB (Senior Class Secretary).  Although I was also the first person to get disqualified from my high school spelling bee– on purpose.  I had a Key Club event up in Big Bear where I had to be on a bus at a certain time and the Spelling Bee was taking too long to start/finish.  I tried to leave before it started, but the faculty person in charge wouldn’t let me.  So in the first round of words, I was given “vacuum,” which I promptly said, “V-A-C-U-M. Bye I’m leaving” and walked out the auditorium door to get on the bus.  My Mom was mad when she found out I did this.

Tim: Okay now you’ve done it, I guess I’ll have to fill out my card too. My high school was 4 years, so I’ve broken it down by years of participation in each group

• 4 years of math team (2 years as co-captain), competed against all the local schools
• 4 years of science club (2 years as president, one as secretary, 1 as vice-president)
• 4 years of participation in the school Science Fair, every year in the regional competition
• 2 years participation in the Westinghouse Science Olympiads (the only years my school participated)
• I founded my school’s chapter of the history club (called the “Yorkers”, part of the statewide group) president all 4 years
• 4 years participation in the school literary magazine, “Dimensions”, editor for 2 years
• 4 years in the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, Treasurer one year, VP another
• 4 years participation in the school newspaper, editor for 2 years
• Worked junior year and senior year summer as an intern for Brookhaven National Laboratory in the High Energy Physics department
• 4 years in the school orchestra (violin).

John: Tim reminded me that I…

• 3 years – was in orchestra and played the violin
• 3 or 4 years yearbook  – computer index editor
• 2 years – National Honors Society member, only reserved for upper classmen
• I took 5 AP courses/exams.

Jee: Reading this is making me have an identity crisis.

Ernie: *sighs, shakes head at entire thread, turns off the computer and plays some non-overachieving video games*

So there you go, kiddies. Stay in school, don’t do drugs and join the math club! Then when you grow up, you can blog with us. Yay.