Does AU Have Enough Passion to be Wonks?

By: Rebecca Friedman

Washington, D.C.- -There are two bowls of food, one placed on either side of a line. One bowl is an exotic new dish, made up of unlikely ingredients. It could taste great, but on the other hand it might not. The other bowl holds an American standard. Everyone has tried it a least once it their lives. I stand in between these two choices, wondering which one would best suit my hunger.

I am indecisive on whether American University’s Wonk campaign is a good fit for me or even if the word wonk fits within who I am.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the word wonk is “a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field, broadly: nerd.” That is not how American University is using the word. AU is using the word to mean:

1. An intellectually curious person; expert in a field
2. A knowledgeable Washington insider
3. Someone focused on an issue and passionate about creating meaningful change
4. American University person in the know

I just am not sure if I fit into the part of a wonk.

As a senior, I feel distanced from the actual wonk campaign. How can I feel something for a campaign that is not going to impact my life and understanding of AU? I feel more like an AU Eagle than anything else. Being an Eagle is all I have known, and part of me does not wish to just dismiss these last four years for some new kind of brand.

My brother Jordan Friedman is a high school senior and is making his rounds through college campuses. I asked him if branding has an affect on his choices and he told me “it doesn’t matter to me. It’s more important that I like it [the school].”

When I explained to him about AU’s Wonk campaign and what it means, I asked him if it would have any affect on his decision. This time he said, “it would definitely be something I would take into consideration.” This may have something to do with the fact that my brother’s top priority for looking for schools, is if they have a good program for what he wants to study (acting in this case). Maybe the future generations of AU students have enough passion to be wonks. Maybe the day where the eagle reigns supreme is gone.

This new campaign is focusing on the passion AU students have for their preferred subject matter. I know that I feel passion for my subject matter, but do I feel it enough to be considered a Wonk?

“I don’t feel that spring out of bed and go to class feeling, that’s wonk,” says Maddie Cusick, 19, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. Cusick explains that she may not have the passion for her subject matter but “you know I do like it. That’s why you pick the major your in.”

I stand divided between the old and the new. I like being an Eagle, I always felt connected to the phrase “once an eagle always an eagle. Yet, there is something about the term wonk that just won’t leave me alone.

Throughout its definition it states that a wonk has a particular passion for a subject or an expert in a field. I feel passion for so many things, why does my intellect have to be narrowed down to one subject? Maybe instead of not having enough passion, I have too much. So I offer up this definition, in hopes that I can come to terms with the word.

Wonk: Someone who is intellectually curious and who is filled with endless passion for the world around them.

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