Campus Celebrities

For anyone, either at Fordham, another college, or just people who find themselves in the same areas enough to pass the same people, it's fun to make secret celebrities out of people. There are people who stand out sometimes because they are very outward with how they dress or look or act. Then there are those people who are not as incredibly obvious, but something about them, whether it be something they do or wear that makes you take notice of them.

There have been several people like this on our campus over the years. Most recently, there was the obsession with Rick Astley. This guy could absolutely be a stand in for the man behind the Rick-Roll. The way he walks, dresses, wears his hair, everything. For awhile, before we realized he acknowledged the comparison people would make note of his comings and goings around campus - telling each other when we might see him at some point in the day or pointing him out to others.

These celebrity students do not have to resemble an actual celebrity although there are a few others. In a few of my classes in sophomore year there was a guy in the room who was referred to as Kanye. We knew of him Freshman year, from a distance. He rocked Kanye style clothes, and shades, inside too. But one year later, I had a class with him. And we found out, when he spoke, he was far from Kanye. Kanye speaks with a cool, almost cocky sense of confidence. Our Kanye, not so much. Still, from a far - he was Kanye.

Another celebrity look-a-like campus celebrity would be Michelle Branch. First spotted in the caf, I think, she once again looked exactly like the singer/songwriter. And once again, would get pointed out from a far whenever she was around. I have not seen her in awhile and wonder what happened to her. We still always wondered if she liked the actual Michelle Branch, or if she played the guitar.

The reason I decided to make this post was because of the last celebrity. This next person was actually the first celebrity among our friends. She was remembered and recognizable, not because she looked like anyone or acted like anyone famous. Instead, our first Fordham Celebrity was simply known as: Knitting Girl.

Day 2 of Freshman Orientation, we were invited to the Fordham Prep theater for some sort of presentation. As most of these things go, no one wants to be there, no one is sure if they even have to be there, but they are there, and quickly trying to find ways to not fall asleep (maybe, some might just give in). What do you do when you are bored with the presenter? You look around at all of the strangers nearby, you people watch.

I don't remember who it was who first saw her, but dead center of the auditorium on the second level there was a girl who was not only not paying attention, and keeping herself busy with something else, but that something else happened to be knitting. This girl had brought her needles and string with her and was going at it in sight of plenty of people and without a care. It was strange, and it was bold, and that was all it took for her to become a celebrity amongst us. For the next year or more, anyone who passed her would let the rest of us know later on. We were so fascinated by this girl. It's pretty funny how little she had to do to get all of our attention for the next year of college. I only saw her knitting a few other times after that, despite spotting her constantly on campus. I never learned her name or anything else about her and so she will always be remembered as Knitting Girl.