The Enlightened Nerd is a column designed to enlighten the inner nerd in all of us through local whimsical and intellectual events, people, and places. Know a nerdy person, event, place, or thing in Vancouver? Send it in here or tweet it to @karolinakay_ (#theenlightenednerd)!
Sam Tyson shot by Philip Moussavi
I have known Sam Tyson for nearly a decade and can affirm that he is a quintessential enlightened nerd. Whenever I am in his company I feel five steps behind his knowledge and eloquence but he is delightful to be around because of the wisdom and positivity he radiates, whilst being unabashedly modest. Spending time with him I can be sure to leave the-wiser, whether it be with a new Super Smash Bros. move that will leave my opponent weeping, on how metal music is modern Romanticism, or a new word to add to my repertoire (“asinine” this time). I decided to interview him over bubble tea and find out more about what makes him nerdy, and therefore, awesome.
Q: Do you consider yourself an “enlightened nerd”?
A: If someone else would find me enlightening, I would accept it. And I’m definitely a nerd. I will admit that.
Q: Tell me about the romance between you and Super Smash Bros.
A: I wanted to be really good at Super Smash Bros. Melee to beat my friends so I studied the game a lot and fell in love with it. I’d watch several hours every day and play all the time. I bussed out all the way to SFU for my first tournament when I was sixteen. I was the only person who wasn’t in my twenties. I was a terrible player but the thing is everyone was a terrible player back then. The game has progressed so much since then.
Q: Do you still play now?
A: At my peak… I would say I was top 25 within 500 competitive players in BC. That was practicing three hours a day. I don’t have the time to put in anymore, plus, it was really detrimental on my hands. Now I would say I would be a contender for 50th not because I’ve gotten worse but because everyone else has gotten better. I’m not competing anymore and I do consider myself retired but I’ll play for fun. I’m planning on co-hosting a local tournament in North Vancouver.
Q: You’re a bit of a motley dude because you're also passionate about metal. Tell me about it.
A: It wasn’t until grade ten or eleven when I first heard about In Flames and Opeth from some classmates. That was the tipping point and since then, I find new metal bands on my own. There was a time where I felt like I had to legitimize metal and people had to realize how complex it is but I’m fine now with saying it is its own niche. Metal is like beer and a burger from a nice bar. It’s solid and there’s no reason to be ashamed that you like beer and burgers. It’s salt-of-the-earth stuff.
Sam Tyson shot by Philip Moussavi
Q: What’s your favourite metal band at the moment?
A: At the moment, it’s Obsequiae. They have a medieval tinge to their music and their songs feel much like a journey. The band addresses a lot of my metal critiques at large.
Q: Besides being a computer-engineering student at UBC, I know that you also enjoy reading. What do you like?
A: I like horror; it’s like metal in literature form. I love all of the works of HP Lovecraft. I’ve recently been reading the Conan the Barbarian stories, which are really fun. I expected them to be really dorky but they’re very gory, sexy, and masculine to the point where I have to tilt my screen away on the bus.
Q: Do you prefer animated shows to live action?
A: Since I was a kid I preferred cartoons. Adventure Time is my favourite show, by far, and I would put the old Simpsons two times below, then Rick and Morty.
Q: If you had to be a cartoon character, who would you be?
A: I would be Finn the Human from Adventure Time, because we both have long hair. I like how Finn is very chivalrous, morally good, and his enthusiasm for life and adventure such as when he says to Jake: “Come on bro, taking pain is easy, just imagine every bruise is a hickey from the universe and everybody wants to get with the universe.”
Q: Any last words for enlightened nerds?
A: Part of being a nerd is remaining true to yourself so I just want to say thank you to my family, friends, and people I don’t know, for appreciating me for me.
