Scenario #1: Ryan Smith is the star quarterback for the university’s football team. Everyone around campus knows him. He isn’t very focused in school but does enough to get by; his main focuses are football and social life. He stays single because he wants to have fun, but is respectful to any girl he dates. This Friday night after the game he is having a party at his house with all the other athletes, most his friends being athletes. He is the one at the party talking to everyone. He isn’t overly loud or obnoxious, but he is definitely “one of the boys.” They play drinking games, and he wins them all but isn’t loud about winning just like in football. He is respectful to everybody and is humble in all his different achievements, but everyone knows he is the best. He doesn’t mind sitting by himself to eat dinner with his quiet confidence or sit with strangers and make new friends.
Scenario #2: Shauna Smith is laid-back and enjoys hanging out on the lake and drinking beer with her friends. She likes hanging out with the guys sometimes, but normally she is with her group of girls. They do everything together, but they aren’t your typical group of girls. They like watching football, hiking, being on the lake, and just hanging out. They’re headed to camp on the river this weekend with the normal group and some new friends they met at their L Word watching party last Sunday. Shaunna is easy-going and the planner of the group who makes all the decisions and organizes weekends and Spring Breaks. She’s excited this weekend to be on the river with all the girls and just have a good time.
Scenario #3: Josh Smith is a local singer and acoustic guitar player. Tonight he’s playing at a local coffee shop. He writes laid back music and is easy to talk to. He’s good looking and writes music about past and current relationships. He’s good with the audience and a great people person. His songs are the kind you listen to in a coffee shop, people aren’t up and dancing, they’re listening to him play and cheering when he’s done, then waiting intently for the explanation of the next song. Josh loves what he does, singing is his passion; he loves his fans and playing at the coffee shop. He jokes with the audience and has fun.
Scenario #4: Stacie Smith is a soccer player in the Delta Zeta sorority. She is beautiful, fun, and extroverted. She is always looking to make new friends. She loves talking and learning about people. Her genuine personality makes her everyone’s best friend. Tonight she is going with the rest of her sorority sisters and some new friends to watch her boyfriend play baseball. After the game, they all go out to dinner and laugh and joke. Stacie is the center of attention, always making everyone smile and laugh.
Scenario #5: Carrie Smith is a pre-medicine major in the honors college, she is very smart and has a 4.0 GPA; at the same time, she is down to earth and easily able to relate to all sorts of people. She is very often studying in the library or at Starbucks with a group of people. If they aren’t studying, they are having intellectual conversations and debates. They are not overly intellectual though; any of the above people could easily jump into the conversations and fit right in. Today she’s sitting at Starbucks talking about Obama’s newest presidential action with strangers and old friends. It’s a fun, respectful conversation, and, although competitive, not uncomfortable.
Obviously, pretty much anyone can be cool today; it’s not so much about what you do or your credentials as much as your personality.
Talented family. These are all people that are popular and idolized by some.
ReplyDeleteAll of the people you mention seem very Americana, as if all taken from a John Melloncamp song. Was this deliberate? What kind of city do these kids live in?
I chose to stay very American because that's what I know of cool. I don't have much experience with cool outside of that. These kids could be from any urban setting around America from Denver to Austin to New York.
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