Schema is a word not often heard outside of a psychology classroom, but it’s something used every day. The definition of the word “schema” according to merriam-webster.com reads, “a mental codification of experience that

includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli”. In other words, it is the grouping of things based on similarities done subconsciously. Schemata help to interpret information and organize it in a way that provides easy access. Schemata also differs from person to person. The word “jock” or “cheerleader” may have different connotations to different people because the kind of experience a person has had with a “jock” or a “cheerleader” is different. Cheerleaders themselves may associate themselves with school spirit and pep, but if for instance you are someone who was punched in the face by a cheerleader, your perception of a cheerleader is probably not as nice.

The problem with these preconceived ideas is that they don’t apply to everyone. Just because you were bullied in fourth grade by someone who played basketball doesn’t mean all basketball players are jerks who want nothing more than to make other people’s lives miserable. It’s only by getting to know the person behind the stereotype that these misconceptions are proved wrong. Having a bad experience with a cheerleader doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with another. That is the beauty of individuality and where our schemata fail us most often: in reference to people and who they really are.

The Cheerleader

Just hearing the word “cheerleader,” it’s hard to keep Hollywood images from coming to mind. The short skirt-wearing girls from Bring It On probably come to mind, followed closely by a few more cinematic portrayals of popular girls with no ambitions in life besides wanting to be at the top of the pyramid. It doesn’t take much to figure out that this stereotype isn’t necessarily true.

“Everyone sees movies and sees the captain of the cheer squad. She’s usually not nice to people. I think some people just look at me like that. I’m very approachable and I’m not mean at all. I don’t try to be,” said senior and varsity cheerleading captain Megan Donnelly.

While Donnelly may be the captain of the cheer squad, she maintains that she doesn’t fit the mean girl stereotype. Much like Donnelly, senior Cody Matthews agrees that cheerleading is more than just an attitude or personality.

“If I was younger and knew my life ahead of me, I would have never thought I would have been a cheerleader. I would have never guessed it. But then I tried out and I made it and I fell in love with the sport. Not the girls or the attention,” said Matthews, who is also a part of the varsity cheer squad. “I try to stay away from as much of the drama and the stereotype [as possible].”

Both girls firmly believe that cheerleading is much more than the stereotype. It’s a sport and hobby, something they both dedicate hours of their life to. Being a cheerleader doesn’t make them any less human than anyone else. On the contrary, both girls want to make it clear that their sport does not necessarily reflect who they are as a person.

“Sometimes I think people look at me and they think ‘Wow, she’s such a bitch. I would never want to talk to her.’,” Donnelly said. “But I’m insecure about what people think of me. I have a lot of insecurities and I don’t think people see that.”

Matthews also believes that there is more to someone than what a stereotype might suggest.

“If I have one thing to say, it’s get to know them before you judge them. Walk in their shoes before you just say something about them.”

The Bookworm

Everyone has that moment in some point during their high school career when the assigned seats are rearranged and you end up sitting next to someone you never realized was even in the class. After a few days of observation, you finally come to the conclusion that the reason for this is because the person beside you is actually extremely smart and not very sociable.

This is not always the case.

“They think that I’m really smart and the smartest person they know. In real life, I’m not,” junior Rachel Sutcliffe said. “I’m not that smart; I just study. I have a life and I hang out with friends and procrastinate just like everyone else.”

It may be hard to come to this conclusion by observing people like Sutcliffe in a classroom environment, but these girls do not dedicate their entire life to school work. Sutcliffe is adamant when she says not to equate studying and working hard to inherent intelligence. On the contrary, she insists that she’s not an encyclopedia of answers for whomever asks for her help on homework.

Girls who sit quietly in the corner of the class may seem unapproachable, but the reason behind their silence is probably something extremely practical, like not having any close friends in the class. This, for example, explains sophomore Ginny Friedrich.

“Part of the reason I’m quiet is because most people don’t have the same interests as I do, so I don’t really have anyone to talk to about that,” Friedrich said. “In some of my classes I talk a lot. But in some of them, when I don’t have any friends, I’m very quiet.”

Putting labels on girls like this takes away the chance to get to know them as a person. At first glance, they may seem timid, but it’s only by delving deeper into their lives that you get to know the true girls behind the books.

The Gay Guy

N’T MATTER

“[Some people think] we’re just kind of sexual leeches that latch on to anything abnormal,” senior Kirby O’Neal said, referring to the degrading gay label. The stereotype O’Neal described was exactly what you would expect: rainbow flags, leather clothing and Lady Gaga obsessions.

“I definitely fit the label of gay, and I’m proud to say that, but I definitely don’t fit the label of what people think interests me and what I live my life doing. Because even though I may be gay, I live my life as a human and not as a gay person,” O’Neal said.

While some go about expressing their sexuality in flamboyant ways, not all do. In fact, there is a majority of homosexual men who don’t live what would be considered “the gay lifestyle,” often in fear of ridicule or lack of acceptance. O’Neal wants to make sure that any misconceptions about himself and the gay stereotype are cleared up.

“Almost all of my friends are straight guys,” O’Neal said. “I think the biggest misconception is that every gay guy comes on to every guy in the world, especially straight [ones]. The thing is, if you’re a [straight] guy, you’re not going to be attracted to every girl you see. I’m not going to be attracted to every single guy in the world. And we’re not as conceited as some people think. We have respect for other people’s space and other people’s priorities in life.”

One thing that may be true for homosexuals, however, is the fear many of them have to tell others about their lifestyle. Acceptance from loved ones like friends, older family members, and even siblings can be stressful and sometimes hard to obtain.

“This is the family that’s known you since you were born and you were young. They have memories of you from when you were just a little kid and not a grown adult, living this lifestyle,” O’Neal said.

Acceptance is something everyone wants, but is hard to accomplish due to such harsh stereotypes. When it comes down to it, a person should be judged not by sexual orientation, race, religion or gender. They’re a human being, and that’s all that really matters in the end.

The Jock

A big, burly boy sits in the back row, shoulders slumped and head on the desk. Automatically, many minds will turn to a jock, exhausted after too many sprints at football practice. This cliché that all “jocks” care about is sports and girls isn’t hard to disprove. In fact, many of the boys who would be considered “jocks” at school are more involved than playing basketball or football.

“I think that at Shawnee Mission South, [we are] really good about having a mixed group of kids, and I think nobody in South really meets a specific standard,” Gabe Guild, a junior football player, said.

Guild feels that the “jock” label doesn’t fit his team members at all, especially when it comes to schoolwork and other activities. The boys on the football and other sports teams are just as dedicated to their class work as any other student, and sometimes more so to stay eligible to play.

“I know there are a lot of guys on the football team who are really dedicated to school work and are really good at what they do, and that will probably get them farther than anyone at South with [just] football,” Guild said.

Although being considered a football jock isn’t what Guild would necessarily want to be viewed as, he feels content with himself and wouldn’t want to fit any type of label.

“I feel like any actions that you take as far as involvement and what you’re doing, people will stereotype you and make assumptions before actually knowing you. I think just involving yourself in something will contribute to that,” Guild said.

Although he admits it’s hard not to group people into a certain group or stereotype, he encourages getting to know someone before making quick assumptions based off of first impressions.