The Story
We Need Not Be Confined By Uniformity
According to one of my good friends, putting stickers on laptops is “not classy.” In fact, he believes it is the most incriminating evidence of tastelessness and vulgarity. But I am writing this article on my IBM ThinkPad that sports three Finding Nemo stickers and one, dare I say classy, sticker of a finch. In a campus full of identical laptops, we should not be confined to uniformity.
For those of us who do not have sleek iBooks or multicolored Dells, distinguishing our computer from the four other computers on a desk at Swem often comes down to opening the screen to see the background. Stickers offer students a way to find their computer quickly and express their identity. Students mark their computers with stickers ranging from the political to the entertaining, from musical preference to sports allegiance. Some cover their laptops while others have one or two choice stickers. They can create solidarity and spark conversation between people with similar interests. Our ThinkPads are durable, but decidedly not attractive. Stickers distract the eye from the harsh lines and matte black of our computers.
Stickers can even be a form of activism. Ariel Fox founded her company Sticker Sisters in order to create a strong community between teenaged girls. In an article she wrote for “We Don’t Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists,” she said, “Stickers aren’t going to change the world on their own, but when girls feel strong and connected with each other, they’ll make improvements and demand respect.” With slogans like “A Feminist Was Here” and “Girl Pride,” Fox’s stickers encourage girls to share their ideas and speak up for themselves. Political stickers raise awareness of issues or campaigns, which may have a profound effect in our community. Stickers on laptops can be more than mere decoration; they can be important tools in starting conversations and building communities.
If nothing else, stickers are nostalgic; as children of the ‘90s, many of us had sticker books filled with pages of Disney stickers, fuzzy animal stickers and gel stickers. When closing your laptop after finishing a 15-page paper, it is calming to think back to the careless days of elementary school sticker trading. Even if, after a couple of years with the same stickers on your computer, you barely notice them, it is just as exciting to find that perfect sticker to add to the collection as it was 10 years ago.
Maybe individualism, entertainment, activism and decoration are not classy, but stickering is certainly a valid form of self-expression. Students should not be hindered from uniqueness simply because the College recommends one computer. Having a ThinkPad gives students the benefits of IT and of an unbelievably resilient computer, and putting stickers on it allows room for creativity and empowerment.
Emilie Rafal is a staff columnist for The DSJ. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.