<p>Of course there is an ongoing debate about what constitutes a "geek" versus a "nerd", but for the sake of this thread, I am going to define a geek as someone who is particularly interested in things like anime/manga, comic books, film, cosplay/dressing up, sci-fi, and similar interests, while a "nerd" is someone who is extremely academically oriented. </p>
<p>So while Hollins University may be a great school for geeks, seeing as they have their own Otaku Hall whose "purpose is to create a community in which everyone feels at home and to expose others to the creative and imaginative appeal of fantasy, anime, and science fiction" and several different groups that dress up for zany traditions, it wouldn't necessarily be a school for nerds (not saying there aren't nerdy kids there, of course there -are-, but probably no more than other schools). </p>
<p>There is often crossover, naturally. UChicago comes to mind as a school for both geeks and nerds.</p>
<p>What other colleges would you put on the list and why?</p>
<p>Ha, I never said I was looking for a school based on its anime club! Geez. This is just a fun thread about which colleges have the biggest communities of geeks! </p>
<p>Just like some people prefer colleges that are big in football or have the best Greek life or the best newspapers to write for, having a community of people with similar interests can be ONE great factor about college. :)</p>
<p>UCSD (Come on, Comic Con is in SD)
Oxford/Emory (We have a League of Legends team. My friends and I used to get together every Saturday night and watch Toonami, during which time they debated about aspects of the show that no one should care about. Also, Dragoncon is in Atlanta.)
University of Oklahoma (my roommate does cosplay and can talk for hours about the minutia of various obscure anime shows)
UCI (I once spent hours there cutting out printed out Pokemon cards so my friend could have a more complete deck)
Berkeley (It’s Berkeley…)</p>
<p>Coincidentally, this weekend at WPI, the Science Fiction Society is sponsoring its Gaming Weekend. They take over the student center for 48 hours straight of board games, tabletop games and role playing (not video games, that it is a different student organization, The Game Development Club which has its own events).
<p>^I agree; I think there will be a fairly large “geek” community at most schools. I go to UNC Chapel Hill and am pretty geeky (Magic: the Gathering, was into anime as a teenager [outgrew most of it a bit], JRPGs, Doctor Who/various SF&F etc.) and I went to one anime club meeting and was frightened by the raging 40-years-old-in-mom’s-basement-forever vibe (also a distinct odeur of sweaty man sans deodorant) and never went back. There is a gaming club which branches off the anime club and is slightly less terrifying where you can go on Saturday nights if you want your ass handed to you in Magic or Settlers of Catan or what have you.</p>
<p>Even though students at college campuses were protesting everything back in the 60s, I heard the only protest involving Caltech students was when they went to the NBC studios in Burbank to protest the cancellation of “Star Trek.”</p>
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This is just a fun thread about which colleges have the biggest communities of geeks! </p>