The way we (Katie Loughran, Annie Conover, Thom Behrens, and I) decided to approach this project was a little different. Since Annie and I are both Electrical Engineers and Thom and Katie are Computer Science, we decided that our manifestos and portraits would be rather different. So instead of making one unified one, we made a manifesto for the computer scientist and one for the electrical engineer, and one portrait for the Computer Science majors at Notre Dame, and one for the Electrical Engineers.
I think that we all had a very interesting take on each part. The manifestos we’re very fun to write and read from my perspective. The goal with those was one word: angst. And I think the perspective that they were written from embodies that. They embody how unless you are a computer scientist or an engineer, it is very hard to relate to our issues and our quirks. Because it is true, we are weird and nerdy and don’t always fit the social norm—we want to know the how and why behind the technology we use daily, rather than just taking them at face value.
Each paragraph in the manifesto ended with a punch that really epitomizes the angst we were trying to get across: “Fuckin’ white boys, in it for the $$$.” We don’t do this because we want the money, we do it because we like it, we’re passionate about it, and we care about making the world better through it, and not everyone gets that. And that is because they’re “fuckin white boys, in it for the $$$.”
I think that the manifesto is a more purposeful way to fight against stereotypes. To me, the manifesto is explaining the stereotypes to the people who use them. I think the manifesto of the Computer Scientist does this well. It says: “They tell me I’m not a “people person” because I’d rather spend time trying to improve society than get trashed at a party. They tell me I’m shallow because I believe the future lies in the elite few that can manipulate technology to do their will.” I love what this says—it takes these stereotypes that people associate with computer programers and hackers and says “Though that may be true, there is a reason we do it, and it’s actually very noble and respectable,” and I love the way the manifestos do that.
The portrait epitomizes Notre Dame kids. While writing it, it was interesting to try and differentiate the engineers from the other majors in the sense of beliefs and education (obviously), dress, and even personality. But there are the differences that we wanted to highlight—we’re the only ones who will ever enter “Fitzpleasure,” and we’re the kids that can’t go to Feve every week, because we actually have assignments due on a weekly basis. We also are rather cliquey—we bunch together if we’re in the same major, but that might just be because we can’t really do our homework/study without collaborating with others….
I think that the portrait is attempting to fit engineers/computer scientists into a stereotype—pretty much epitomizing why everyone is the same, and how they fit into the mold that the world sees them in. The portrait is almost a way though to bring truth to the stereotypes by setting the standards. Stereotypes are almost always based off truth, and I think the portrait allows the engineers to set the standards they want people to see them as, and to change the mold.
Ultimately an engaging and interesting project to take part in, and I’m very proud of how our portrait/manifesto came out.