Alex Rutt, a first-year student at Miami, would describe himself as “a white male, 18 years old, currently in business, with high hopes of pursuing entrepreneurship.”
Based on that introduction, Rutt said he thinks people would assume he is nice, wears a T-shirt and shorts every day, and listens to alternative music.
There are a million different assumptions people could make about Rutt based on the way he introduces himself. Some may put him into the “frat bro” archetype, describing him as someone with not many academic commitments who is more interested in bars and drinking. Some may assume he is more studious than average, aspiring to join a business fraternity and get to the infamous 500 LinkedIn connections as fast as possible.
But truly, Rutt is a much more complex person than any of those could capture. So am I. So are we all.
“I have nearly 100 coasters in my collection,” Rutt said. “I like to travel and collect coasters everywhere I go.”
That’s not something he shared initially, and not something one would know unless they asked a deeper question about his hobbies. It is a significant part of his life and shows his commitment to remembering his travels tangibly.
As for his actual music taste, Rutt wouldn’t describe it as “alternative.” Instead, Michael Jackson sticks out as one of his favorite artists.
Similarly, Oren Hurwitz, a biracial first-year public health major looking to enter finance, said people assume he’s also interested in fraternity life.
“People think I’m just this regular, frat type of guy. I’m not a finance bro. Yes, I may have some aspects of being a finance bro,” Hurwitz said. “But I’m more complex than that. You wouldn’t expect a frat guy to be listening to DMV rap.”
Hurwitz describes his hometown as more diverse than the student body here, which contributes to his taste being more complex than most would guess.
“In Miami, it’s much different; it’s less diverse,” Hurwitz said. “I have different vibes with different people at home. Here, it’s just one version of me.”
Billions of people in the world can relate to these feelings. Rutt and Hurwitz are just two.
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Then there’s me. I am a multiracial, bilingual male, 19 years old, majoring in media and communications with a co-major in fashion, and I aspire to be a staff writer for a fashion publication. I could even throw in one musical group I enjoy: Deftones.
What could someone assume about me?
With that information, I imagine someone would guess I dress in all black most of the time, listen only to rock and metal, and have a pessimistic view of the world. In reality, I love making my outfits pop with intentional color choices; I like house music, rock, rap and salsa; and I consider myself in good spirits (most of the time).
It would be tiring to list all the assumptions people have about me based on first impressions. Between my physical appearance, speaking Spanish and enjoying Latin American music, I am sure I will never stop being asked, “Wait, you’re not Hispanic at all?”
To be compressed into an assumption of who we are based on a few interests is flattening for us all, yet we find ourselves victims and perpetrators every day. We look at a person’s outfit, for example, and believe we can instinctively decipher other parts of their taste. Perhaps the worst way this plays out is when we do it to ourselves, assuming we must act a certain way because of what we like or dislike.
Other people restrict us enough, yet we seldom give ourselves the grace to let parts of ourselves clash daily. If we first play a rap song on our car ride, we may skip the next song if it’s pop. If we put on a dark outfit, we may find it strange to wear lighter shoes for contrast. If we feel pressure to fit a mold formed by others every day, why not let go and allow ourselves to be just who we are?
That’s exactly what we need to start doing.
Listen to heavy metal while you’re dressed in a suit or dress waiting for your interview for a business fraternity, if you’d like. Play chess with your best friend while you listen to your favorite rap song in the background, even if they comment on it. Let your playlist shuffle and transition from Kendrick Lamar to Britney Spears while walking down the street with your headphones on.
Nothing can sum it up better than a line often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Anthony Caprara is a sophomore student majoring in media and communications with a co-major in fashion. He is a writer for the Opinion section of The Miami Student. He is also involved with Redhawk TV, UP Magazine and Miami University Fashion & Design.
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