BNOCS Like-clout is the sort of clout bright-eyed first-years
BNOC:
crave as they drink a goonie at arts camp. It records a clout-relation wherein the clout conferrer wants to hang out with the clout-holder. Those with likeclout are, well, liked: people actively value and look forward to the time spent with them. The specific psychological character of the like-clout is hard to condense, but appears to be at least a function of one’s charisma, niceness, and, in some spaces, moral/political integrity. Note that like-clout is not a measurement of the authenticity of one’s ‘like’. Likeclout is hardest to come by.
A Big Name On Campus. To say that someone is a BNOC is to say that their clout level exceeds a given threshold. The greatest BNOCs command clout in more than one arena.
Clout:
A unit used to quantify and rank BNOCs. While one might possess solitary units of clout, the term is generally used to denote the possession of a clout cluster, leading some Swedish psycholinguists to propose the abandonment of the singular form altogether. To wield clout is to have a relation where the ‘clout-holder’ receives clout from the ‘clout-conferrer’.
LEGEND
Respect-clout is the sort of clout jaded fifth-years crave as they approach graduation. It records a cloutrelation wherein the clout-conferer not only knows the clout-holder, but admires their activities.
Notoriety-clout is the sort of clout people get accidentally. It refers to a clout-relation where the clout-conferer knows of the clout-holder, but does not know them well enough to be acquainted with anything but an impression of the clout-holder’s personality. The cloud-holder may be liked or disliked as a function of their notoriety. Those who wield notoriety-clout often have larger-than-life personalities, and generally it is the clout-relation easiest to come by because it does not require that other people value you.
Clout-mining:
The process of maximising clout within one or more arenas. Each arena has its own routes to clout-deposits.
Headline and underlying clout
Some clout-relations confer more power on the clout-holder, and are therefore a more desirous clout-relation to wield. We can analyse clout desirability in two ways, ‘headline’ and ‘underlying’ clout. Note that both intensities of clout can instantiate within each clout-kind. Headline clout refers to the type of clout it appears someone has. Perhaps they rake in the likes on their DP, or constantly find themselves stopped along Eastern Avenue for a “we should definitely catch up for coffee soon” style-yarn.
Underlying clout refers to the type of clout someone really has. It reflects the extent to which the clout-holder is able to use their clout, and the energy of their clout-conferrers, to get what they want. Formally, this means something like: “Clout-holder A is the beneficiary of a clout-relation with clout-conferer B if and only if B is willing to direct their energy towards getting A what A desires.”
For now, all that matters is that one sees that there is a distinction in kind and that people can be subject to clout-inflation. This is where the putative BNOC’s headline clout does not align with their underlying clout. Again, this does not necessarily mean that person is not a BNOC, but it does mean that they don’t wield the power they might think they do.
CHOOSE YOUR ARENA Arenas are of the nine main campus or campus-adjacent social clusters. Best thought of as networks, there are without doubt common nodes that ensure overlap between separate arenas. Though some arenas concentrate entirely around particular academic or co-curricular institutions, others are expressed more diffusely, and can therefore be harder to taxonomise. Note that the following list only considers primary arenas of power. Secondary arenas, incuding debating and revues/drama/comedy could not be fitted in.
THE CHRISTIANS
THE SCIENTISTS
THE ENGINEERS
Little is known to this reporter about the internal dynamics of USyd’s Christian groups. With some of the largest memberships of any club on campus, there is no doubt that their BNOCs wield an unparalleled amount of underlying clout when they choose to mobilise. Notoriety-clout is rare in this arena, as members are inherently committed to virtuous conduct, free from the vices that befall the heathen alternatives. Established routes to the clout-deposit: successful proselytising, a strong, confident Bible reading voice, or pressuring ignorant students into voting for Francis Tamer.
The scientists are an ambitious, inteligent bunch. Its BNOCs field heavy stats in the respect clout subtree, as fellow science students covet their dedication to the heavy contact hours and course load. Clout revolves almost entirely around university subjects. Notably, these contact hours leave science students very little time to mingle with other BNOCs on campus. Clout is therefore almost entirely centralised, with some transfer through to engineering students. Established routes to the clout deposit: publishing a scientific paper, sharing practice paper sample answers with other mortals in the same unit.
Ah, the engineers. How far they’ve come from the goon soaked revelries of first year, how far into insular debauchery they have sunk. Some of the brightest grace the arena of the engineers, as do some of the wildest. Respect-clout and notorietyclout reign supreme here, sometimes converging on one renaissance man (and they are so often men). The respected members wield underlying clout, mobilising their peers for group assignments and house parties alike. Established routes to the clout-deposit: trolling other cliques, leading group assignments, getting a Google internship.
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