Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Jock vs. nerd rivalry merits much attention

Blake Essig

Since the dawn of time, the sophisticated rivalry of predator versus prey has been in high order. Without this important relationship, and ones similar to it, our environmental, economic, political and especially social systems would crumble. Even God emphasized the importance of rivalry among men when he collapsed the tower of Babel, arguably to create competition and divergence among men instead of homogeneity. Throughout the expanses of history we've seen great rivalries both large and small, each of them important to the structure of universal life. On the political level, we've seen Hamilton versus Burr; ecologically, we've seen lion versus antelope. These rivalries must exist, however grand or insignificant, because of their ability to keep the delicate balance of nature and humanity in check. Good versus evil, communism versus capitalism, Miami University versus Ohio University, infant mortality versus Third World countries, cowboys versus Indians, club versus baby seal, Brown versus Board of Education and Diet Rite versus questioning your sexuality, all exist as part of a clockwork-like system that keep life as we understand it from certain destruction. However, none of these are as influential and vital to our intricately built society as the eternal struggle of jocks versus nerds.