Yet Berger asserts that "nerds should be grateful to their persecutors" because it is this persecution that makes them turn to books. Even if this may be a correct explanation of the "causes" of nerdiness in some people, Berger's normative assertion is surely ridiculous, if not dangerous. By the same token, he would claim that European Jews should be grateful to anti-Semitism for having helped to produce Einstein, Freud, or Marx.

At SONG, we think that our society should strive to stimulate the love of learning via a carrot, not a stick. We should encourage kids who learn by praising them, not by ostracizing them from their peers and into the libraries.

Moreover, there is no necessary connection between striving for knowledge and being a social misfit. In many cultures where intellect is valued more highly than it is here, academic achievement and social success go hand in hand.

MANY have accused SONG of publicity-seeking. We plead guilty. Yes, we do seek media attention. If our goal is to change cultural attitudes, delivering the message by way of popular media seems a rather efficient, if not indispensable, means to that end.

In our activities, such as our weekly Saturday dinner meetings in Mather House, SONG is trying to show that the pursuit of knowledge can be both cool and fun. Come out of the closet and join SONG! Even though SONG may not be able to change the world, we stand a realistic chance of helping to focus national attention on education.

Leonid Fridman '85, a fourth-year graduate student, is a founding member of the Harvard Society of Nerd and Greeks (SONG).