Ivy Leaguers Are Metalheads Too

Posted by Bram Teitelman on Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Discrimination

princetonBlabbermouth pointed out a precious little story from Princeton University’s newspaper The Daily Princetonian. It seems that there are actually 20 students out of the 7,400 enrolled at the school that, get this – like heavy metal! Four students have started “Headbangers Inc.,” the first student group at any of the eight Ivy League schools dedicated to metal. While plenty of smart metalheads exist, it’s gotta be tough to proudly stand up for your metal beliefs in a sea of discriminating, over-privileged elitist douchebags.

On the sunday of Lawnparties this fall, Michele Tyler ’12 and Lola Aceves ’11 passed on the usual Princeton garb of sundresses and sandals, instead donning very different outfits: knee-high black boots with studs, heavy black eye makeup, short black skirts and Misfits T-shirts. As the two heavy metal fans entered Cap & Gown Club, a bouncer inspected their proxes, let them in and then respectfully asked them about the reception they were getting on campus. Further down the Street, Tyler and Aceves heard some students considering asking the bouncers to kick them out of Cloister Inn. And later, two female students outside Campus Club asked them with skepticism, “Do you guys go to this school? Where do you guys hang out?”

And it’s not just the reception the group gets from other students. Even the article feels the need to explain what headbanging is, describing “There are different personal styles of headbanging, including spinning one’s head around in a circle as opposed to moving one’s head up and down.” Really Princeton? Really? The article makes it sound like metal is a curiosity, a primitive culture to be disapprovingly puzzled about on the way to polo matches. There are also comments on the story from other Princeton students condemning Headbangers Inc. members for dressing the way they do and calling metal generic.

It seems like the Headbangers Inc. kids have a decent understanding of metal, as well as a sense of humor about it. Which is way more than can be said for the remainder of Princeton students. In addition to having a forum for like-minded metalheads to hang out, the group is also booking concerts, and is hoping to get Sharon and/or Ozzy Osbourne to speak at the University.

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  • http://dancontogiannis.wordpress.com Dan Contogiannis

    “Headbanging, he explained, is usually done just at concerts and not while metal fans are simply walking down the street listening to music on their iPods -”unless a song really possesses us,” he added with a laugh”

    Hahahahahaha.

    …and the bands they mentioned – Korn? Cradle of Filth? Woulda pegged Ivy Leaguers to listen to more, uh, intellectual metal.

  • redd

    the group is also booking concerts, and is hoping to get Sharon and/or Ozzy Osbourne to speak at the University.

    Seems even some Ivy Leagers are fucking idiots.

  • Greywhind

    Count me in as a metalhead at an ivy league school (though not Princeton).

    I’m actually surprised at the lack of fellow metalheads here – it’s one of the most musically interesting and most genuine genres, and the lyrics of many metal songs are extremely well crafted. I really think that people just never bother to look past their initial impression of growled vocals, failing to notice the artful musicality that they can have when done properly.

    I have found a few other metalheads here, of course. It’s just not quite as common.

  • Gray Lantern

    I don’t know if anyone should be surprised that Princeton has at least a few metalheads. The state, in general is a hotbed for musical development – look at what the New Brunswick basement scene has done, what WSOU has done up at Seton Hall, and even the rap and hip hop roots that were first laid down in that state.

    Princeton is floating in the equivalent of a foreclosed home’s backyard swimming pool – music is growing all over like untamed algae. Awesome that they’ve got a metal club.

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