Just because no one outside Vanderbilt knows them doesn’t mean they aren’t famous. Campus celebrities or characters can brighten one’s whole day — or maybe sometimes completely ruin it. They come from seemingly nowhere; my characters range from a first-semester Teaching Assistant to students I met at football games who managed to set themselves apart. When it comes to these special people, the key is that they really shouldn’t be that “famous” at all. Still, whether you actually know them or not, the roster seems to continue to multiply.
Sophomore Caroline Kaminski said seeing her campus celebrities often brings a smile to her face.
“I probably have eight to 10 campus celebrities,” Kaminski said. “Seeing them always makes me laugh to myself because I usually have some positive or funny association surrounding them.”
There’s something special about sharing the experience with friends as you focus on a certain individual. They exist on a spectrum: there are the personal characters, group celebrities and then the more campus-wide celebrities. One such celebrity, sophomore Joseph Alfred, found himself surprised last year as posts repeatedly mentioned him and his Razor scooter.
“I did not expect people to know me because of a scooter,” Alfred said. “The experience was funny in that people started calling me ‘scooter kid’ every time I went to Stevenson or Featheringill, which allowed me to make friends over the years.”
For so many students, though, the process of someone becoming a campus celebrity may not even make sense. On our fairly small campus, other people can become a character just by being around.
“Most of [my campus celebrities] became ‘celebrities’ because I just see them everywhere at random,” Kaminski said. “There’s one guy who I see during at least two-thirds of my meals a day no matter where I go. I have no clue what his name is, but he is my celebrity.”
Similar to the class crush, the campus celebrity could perhaps be another reason to get outside and be productive. The prospect of seeing them around has almost the same effect as seeing a real celebrity out on the street. Sophomore Mark Ciampa believes it provides extra excitement to the day.
“It breaks the monotony sometimes,” Ciampa said. “Sometimes when days start to blend together, it’s fun to recognize a campus celebrity.”
The layout of campus can sometimes serve to funnel these people right into students’ paths. The bridge between main campus and Peabody, for example, condenses the crowd in such a way that you cannot miss seeing who’s walking past. Junior Maddie Jones especially notices how unavoidable these characters are.
“They seem to just pop up everywhere once they’re in my mind,” Jones said. “I see them each four to five times a week and sometimes, more since they’re usually in something I’m involved in.”
These individuals often come with a name, too. Some are basic — like Alfred’s reference to himself as “scooter kid” — and some can be more specific to a certain event or interaction. Some of these nicknames may be spread on Fizz for the wider-audience characters.
One of the greatest mysteries of campus life is what these characters do when they’re out of sight. Or, when you see the same person everywhere you go while not sharing any classes in common, you have to wonder how unlikely it really is to be running into them — especially when you inevitably see them off campus, too.
It’s a strange type of fame, especially for those who may not be aware of their special status. If people talk about you on Fizz or in public, it would likely get back to you. Many of these characters, though, have no idea how often their name may come up. Sophomore Anne Daniel speculates that it would be impossible for one of her characters to know his own relevance.
“He absolutely doesn’t know [that he is a character],” Daniel said. “I don’t even know his name.”
It may seem mean at times when considering that these “celebrities” are, in fact, regular people and not characters from a Sims game. But, part of naming someone a campus character is that they’re usually not a person anyone holds malice toward, but instead it’s just a person who stands out a little extra. Arguably, the concept brings people together more than it divides, and friendships can be strengthened by sharing the backstories.
There’s nothing wrong with noticing and enjoying the constant sight of one’s characters — a natural symptom of being an observant person. When it comes to the ones who you don’t know or who are unaware of their status, it may be even better to talk to them and let them know what an impact they’re having on your conversations. Or, save yourself the embarrassment and just keep remarking from afar.
