Cape Girl and That Little Girl That Dresses Funky in this video are everyday reminders that standing apart from the crowd takes effort and true individuality.

Everyone has a distinguishing quality, but that does not make you out of the norm. Simply taking a picture of yourself making a funny face and typing “weirdo <3” on it does not truly classify you as weird.

In agreement to the title quote by Margaret Mead, you all have a quirk or so, but that quirk does not classify you as out of the ordinary, it classifies you as any other person in the world.

There isn’t a problem with people who don’t choose to be outside the box. The problem is when those people think they are outside of the box just because they pulled their pants up high and pretended to be a nerd.

As upperclassmen, we instinctively look down on freshmen, but these two, Lauren Kress and Abigail Weinberg are truly table-turning.

Both are freshman looking to make a statement and show that they don’t care what others think. Many people claim to be “sooo freaking weird like omg”  and give weird looks to these people who they are actually trying to pose as.

Most of you shake off one or both of these girls as odd and make unjust assumptions about them. I bet you didn’t even know their names even though you have talked about them to your friends before.

There is no symbolic or sentimental reason behind their choice of appearance, just that it’s fun and expressive of their proud sense of self.

If stepping outside your comfort zone is not something you are completely willing to do, take small steps. Don’t be embarrassed when an aspect of your life is out of the ordinary, don’t hide your true feelings or thoughts because you are afraid of rejection, and DO NOT settle for the average definition of weird.

If you can achieve all of the above, you will be rewarded with not only confidence, but the privilege of actually being apart from the crowd.

We hear everyday to be ourselves and rise above the norm, but if everyone does it the same way, that is the norm. The best way to be able to cope with who you are and become in the real world is to explore possibilities and establish guidelines for who you want to be now.

High school is a place of reputation, cliques, and acceptance, but that teaches you to be dependent on what others think. I say don’t claim to be something you’re not, and if you really want to be against the odds then don’t hesitate!