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BNOC who?

Honestly have hardly any idea who they are


BNOC nominations create a lot of hype that is very easy to get wrapped up in. I might have not nominated but was excited to see who had come out on top. My friends and I had speculated about who we knew would be on there, there were people I thought would definitely be given a place. But when the list finally came out, we were shocked and appalled – who were any of these people?

Coming down with a crash I realised that many of people who appear to be BNOCs were in fact not, they were merely big names in college. The list had the usual suspects of course with the head of CUSU and those from the ADC but it made me realise how out of the loop with the wider Cambridge world you can be. After all, I didn't even realise the union had a president let alone who they are. There were also so many people who friends insist that you must had heard of or at least have mutual friends with on facebook. It turns out, the world of many Cambridge BNOCs can pass you by.

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Promise I have one of them on Facebook!! (desperate plea to look like I'm in the loop)

Realising you're out of this BNOC loop is initially a shock, if not a bit sad. Does it mean you're out of the social loop in general? Are you one of those people who live inside the 4 walls of their college and never leave? Do you even go to Cambridge?

You then try to grab for a way to be relatable with the few you do know. The two big names on college, who manage to surpass the collegiate systems bounds. The CUSU president who added posted a lot on he freshers page. That one name from the ADC who was talked about when you did the freshers plays. At this point it can get pretty desperate. Expect a lot of 'oooh I think I know that name from somewhere.'

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Me realising that none of this really matters

But then, the clouds part and the sun shines through as you realise that in fact it does not matter you have hardly idea what is going on. If you're a fresher, like me, I assume BNOC knowledge improves over time and that each year the number of people you know on the list grows through experience. Of course, if you really care about being in the know then this is the perfect opportunity for you to do some digging and find out. After all the names of the top 100 BNOCs are there for you to research (stalk) to your hearts content.

After all, the BNOC list helps us see Cambridge as one big whole instead of lots of individual colleges that do there own thing. It's kind of pointless but definitely a fun a way of feeling university pride without turning to varsity sports. So I'll get behind this BNOC list and probably find it funny this time next year that right now I have no idea what's going on.