#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of A Raconteuse ("Liberal Arts" Helped Me Find Myself Again)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea. I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy

Something happens when we become adults, when responsibility and bills and the whole sobering reality of the world kicks in.  At least for me I always thought that the older I got the more I would grow into my true self.  And while that’s true, I’ve also found that in many ways I’ve strayed from the “me” that I used to be, and now I’m meeting her again.

I watched Josh Radnor’s film “Liberal Arts” the other night and it transformed a part of me that has been stuck for some time now. It’s felt like there was a vacancy inside of me that I didn’t know how to fill. Something that got lost inside my iphone, television…in the vortex of technology.  What was it? Well, in part…my relationship to paper. To the written word. To the me before social media and Hollywood and worrying about time running out, expectations not being met, debt being paid off, having savings in my bank account…

Sure, I’m an adult and I have real responsibilities: a mortgage, a career path, a job that pays the bills and allows me to pursue my passions.  But wait.  My passions.

I am passionate about so many things, but somehow I’ve really been tunnel visioned and looking at those passions as things that can be “branded” in this new corporate social media driven “klout” filled world, where our attention spans are seven seconds long and entertainment is often one giant commercial.

If I really strip things away to their very core and the center of my heart, what are my deepest loves?  What really truly feeds my soul and makes me the most happy? What are the things I love that at the end of the day, I could never do without?

Not surprisingly it’s the simple things that I loved when I was in the BFA Program at the University of British Columbia, my “Liberal Arts” world, at a time when I barely ever texted or emailed.  When my life wasn’t so hooked into the web of the inter-world…

I am an artist.  A true creative.  Pure and simple.  I’m also a connector.  I like to connect people together and create community that I am a part of.

I took time off this year from creating any new projects because I was so bloody exhausted from the rat race I’d been running, and focused more on myself, on #projecthelenna. But as each month has gone by I’ve been feeling more and more empty.  Until last night I couldn’t figure out what had been missing.

I’m a creative who hasn’t been creating, a connector who hasn’t been connecting.

Now the key for me is that the things that I’d been creating and doing in the past were things that I genuinely liked, but I didn’t love.  They weren’t fulfilling me artistically.

Now granted, the hardest part for an artist is finding joy in the marketing of the thing you created, because the reality is that, that is a huge portion of what being a creative is all about in today’s world.  At least, if you want to gain notoriety for your work either monetarily or in accolades.

But, watching “Liberal Arts” brought me back to the things I really love, and what I really want to focus on going into 2013.  The things that really truly make me a happy well rounded person.

There are so many things that I have shared about myself in this blog and online in my day to day, but there are a lot of things I haven’t shared that are big part of who I am.

I’m a poet.  I have been since I was little.  I need to write, and not just blog.  I need to get a pen and paper and let words and thoughts and ideas just start flowing.

I’ve also been wanting to write a coming of age story for forever.  I kept thinking I had nothing to write, nothing to say.  And then last night, I remembered that I have a novel that I started working on in Creative Writing 401 in university that is the seed of an idea, something that I can develop into a screenplay or a novel or both.

I am a lover of the “art house film.”  I think I’ve watched Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Stealing Beauty” at least a hundred times.  I used to play it repeatedly on VHS. “The Dreamers” as well is a gorgeous piece of his brilliance.

I love really obscure theater, performance art, anything that really really challenges the viewer and makes you feel emotions so intensely that you feel like your body has been invaded.  This is one of the reasons I became in an actor.  I wanted to be in the middle of that emotion, or at least be the one that helps the viewer find that emotion within him or herself.

I love art for arts sake.

I am not one thing. I am multifaceted. I have many loves.  But what is important is that I don’t lose the core of who I am when in the middle of the pursuit, and of this great journey.

I am an artist and I need to feed that in myself.  Sometimes I really don’t need to think about branding, or marketing, or the industry, or other people’s expectations of me.  I just need to allow myself to be and breathe and feel.

I had an old boyfriend who once told me “your life isn’t a movie Helenna.”  I think he said this because I always felt emotions so deeply, and he made fun of me for talking like I was in film that you’d see at Sundance, or at the art house on the corner with only 3 people in the darkened audience.

But you know what? It is.  All our lives are.

I am the director, the producer, the gaffer, the grip, the lead actress, and the extras, and I decide what the story is I’m telling. And right now, that film is cinematically stunning and intricately scored, full of complex beautifully written characters.  And most of all, it is about an artist finding her way back to herself. Finding her way home.

#xoxo hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

#NerdsUnite: Nerdy Thoughts on Bravo's Start-Ups Silicon Valley

Helloooooo from SF nerderinos! 

I'm currently chilling at the Villa with Hermione and Ben Way which is the house at the center of tonight's premier episode of the brand spanking new Bravo series, Start-Ups Silicon Valley. 

How did all of this go down? 

As usual there's a story. Gather round ... 

So, I genuinely don't remember how Hermione and I initially connected, but she and I have been social media friends for at least a few years. (Everyone in tech knows each other - ESPECIALLY the marketing/ PR new media peeps. We're one big happy carpel tunnel ridden family.) 

Either way ... I totally have a crush on her brother. It's pretty redic actually, he's just so damn adorably dreamy. 

Look at that face!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! 

Massive crush and serious oversight in not knowing who he was until I started seeing ads for their new show. 

This past Thursday, I then tweeted Hermione asking if I could be her sister in law. ::cough cough shameless:: 

She of course said yes, and then Ben and I connected on Facebook and twitter. 

Come to the premier, she then tweeted. 

I thought about it ... and quickly realized, sure! If I can just figure out a place to crash I can figure out the rest. 

I then tweeted my friends over at @lyft asking for some credits in exchange for documenting my experience.

<tangent> I'm obsessed obsessed OBSESSED with using them, btw. Every.single.driver. is so freaking rad, and always has an amazing story to tell. I'm not quite sure if it's what they put in the job description, or people that are willing to be a driver in general - but holy hell Batman, those dudes are LEGIT rockstars. </tangent> 

Lyft then credited me with $50 and between that and my Greyhound bus ticket I was locked and loaded ready to go. 

The ride up to SF was a bit shaky. Between the bus being PACKED and me ending up directly next to the bathroom and sitting directly in front of a rapper that for SIX hours would not shut up - I was on sensory OVERLOAD. 

Smells like shit, sounds like shit. Good times, Friel! This was a GREAT idea!! 

Either way, half way up I get a text from Ben letting me know that they are leaving for the premier party promptly at 6:15. 

(Bravo was throwing a private, super fancy pants watching party for friends and cast members.) 

You have to be here by 6:15 Ben pressed. 

My bus was scheduled to arrive somewhere between 5:45 and 6 and after a quick google map search I realized making it by 6:15 was just not going to happen. 

Shit, shit, shit. 

My brain then went into hyper overdrive as I wished, once again, that I just had a jet pack. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH EASIER MY LIFE WOULD BE WITH A JET PACK!?!?! COME ON!!?!?! 

The driver then came on the intercom and announced that we were 30 minutes outside of San Jose. 

San Jose ... San Jose ... who do I know in San Jose, I thought? Maybe if I could just get a ride from San Jose into the city it would streamline the process and be faster so I could make it before my 6:15 deadline. 

I then hit up my buddy @moids and BEGGED for a ride. 

(He and I met for the first time when I was speaking at the WITI conference back in June.) 

Omid being the AH-MAZING human being that he is, completely agreed and 30 minutes later he met me at the San Jose greyhound station. 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! I shouted giving him the biggest hug upon greeting. 

If I don't make it by 6:15 they're going to leave. I need to see Ben, I pressed. 

He smiled. 

Not a problem!! 

We then talked about life, love, and all things not TNTML related. 

Omid is a true friend, he constantly reminds me to be less of a humanoid and more of a human. 

Who is the 27 year old from Connecticut, he asked in the car?

Can I speak to her and not the CEO. 

I started laughing. 

Thank you for the reminder, I said. 

He then dropped me off at the house Ben gave me the address for. 

I walk in ... and it's massive. 

You guys live ... here? I asked staring at the Villa. 

They laugh. 

Great to meet you finally, I say giving Hermione a big hug. 

Ben then walked out. 

Swoon. He's so freaking yummy. 

I was then introduced and come to find out a few of the people in the house read TNTML. 

Fuck yeah, I said doling out high fives. Thanks so much for reading!! 

Everyone then started taking pictures, as Ben handed me a glass of champagne. 

I've been here all of 5 minutes and I not only feel completely at ease with these people but they just welcomed me into their world with open arms and a glass of champagne. No questions asked - nothing. These are good people, I thought. Really really good people. 

We then got in the limos and headed over to the premier party. 

Within seconds of walking in the door I ran into a bunch of social media friends. 

More hugs, more high fives. I love this town, I thought!!! 

Ben and all my new friends had to stay on the red carpet giving interviews, so I just mingled and worked the room as per my usual. 

So many amazing conversations, and so many articulate people. To discuss the future of new media and digital advertising so intensely and philosophically was incredible. 

After a few glasses of wine, Randi Zuckerberg (the show's EP and Mark's sister) then came out and introduced everyone. 

The show then began. 

Now, obvi, my personal interest in these people aside I was REALLY excited to see how Bravo was going to edit everything together. Per the trailer you could tell that they were more focused on their extra cirricular activities but I was genuinely curious to see how it was going to be presented.

The result? 

I cringed. 

I found Dwight, Kim, Ben, and Hermione to be presented very well and interesting in general - but Sarah Austin? Wow. Where to begin. 

Sarah and I did a TV show together last year, and I actually see her face every day as I have the poster for it on the wall in my bedroom. 

She and I had met at a dinner for the show, and I have seen her a bunch of times at various events - but the words that came out of her mouth made me want to absolutely vomit. 

Dude, she sold her soul to the devil. 

As she was getting her hair and makeup done for a party she proclaimed that it takes her 3-4 hours to get ready. 

BITCH PLEASE!!!!! You are beautiful, yes, but 3-4 fucking hours?!?!?!?!!? I sat on a bus for 8 hours next to a shitter, ran a comb through my hair, did my make up in less than 10 minutes in a greyhound bus station and STILL rocked the shit out of that party. 

She then continued on explaining how she gets 10K per tweet. 

BITCH, PLEASE!!!!!!! To your followers? Are you fucking kidding me?!! You don't even tweet every day!!! 

I've received as much as four figures for a sponsored tweet but to get the kind of cash she is talking about, you have to be a bigger deal. She grossly, grossly, grossly exaggerated. 

I couldn't stop cringing. Everything that came out of her mouth made me want to slap her fucking face. 

What happened to you, Sarah? Obvi we weren't good enough friends to begin with so I don't know maybe you've always been this way ... but wow. bad bad bad. 

It's embarassing, and I'm embarassed that she calls herself a lifecaster. Do you even know what the fuck one is?!?! How can you call yourself a "lifecaster" when you don't even update your site every day. 

COME ON SARAH!!! I want to root for you girl!!!!!!!! We need to be able to unite not tear each other apart like this. 

So wrong. So. So. Wrong. 

All in all, I think the show is diluted enough for middle america. I can't imagine any of my nerdy friends watching it based on the fact that all of the establishing shots of the characters included them being half naked. Intellects need to be teased, come on Bravo!! Wait til AT LEAST the second episode for that kinda thing. 

Being a reality TV junkie in general, I'll definitely watch and I suggest you guys should too just to formulate your own opinion. 

I can say on an extremely personal level, Ben and Hermione are UNBELIEVABLY welcoming and their group of friends are so spectacular. I am incredibly humbled they have welcomed me into their world. I give them all an ENORMOUS amount of credit as well for being brave enough to go on a show like this and be fed to the lions. They are handling themselves expertly in the press which only speaks to their character. 

Now ... I gotta jet to a few more meetings but I'll be at the premier tonight. I just hope I don't bump into Sarah. That would be awwwkkkwwwwaarrrrrddd. 

Team Hermione, FTW!!! 

Rock on nerds and thanks again for all the love San Francisco!!!! 

#xoxo

click the screenshot to comment on Facebook

#Adventures in Randomness and Rock & Roll w @leah_cevoli (an identity crisis)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Leah. She's pretty rad and has an INCREDIBLY random life. Like, no - for reals ... did you know she has an obsession with vampires, psychics, and tarot card readers ... and she had more sex as a teenager than in her 30s ... anddddd she even had two ex boyfriends die violently - one from a heroin overdose, and the other was murdered. Holy moly roli poli oli - that shit be cray cray. Either way, she's now here to write about her life, love, and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LEAH!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Leah_Cevoli

For some time now, I’ve been feeling like I’m having an Identity Crisis. Like, I don’t know where I belong, or who my friends are, or what groups I should join. I know that must sound really strange coming from a 30-something year old woman, who is “supposed” to know exactly who she is by now.

I think it really started to come to light for me last fall. I was gearing up for a lead role in a Star Wars fan film web-series, I was featured as a “Geek of The Week” in the very popular, Geekadelphia Blog, and then I was invited to speak on a panel at Comikaze Expo.

At first, the theme was women who produce their own web-content, but as the group formed, it became very Geek Girl oriented, and I started to wonder, wait, how did I end up here? Everyone knows I’m a rocker-hippie chick, do I really fit in with these girls? What if they start quizzing each other on Lord of the Rings and Joss Whedon knowledge?! I tossed and turned all night before that first panel, and even brought it up the next day on the panel how do I, Leah Cevoli, this hippie-rocker-wild-child fit into this world of Geekdom?

The freakin’ wonderful actress/producer Stephanie Thorpe (who I was meeting for the first time), put it this way… she said “Leah, do you geek out over your 80s rockers” and well, we all know the answer to that, “Yes, of course”, I gushed, and excitedly started ranting about rock n rollers… The way Steph, and the rest of the girls on that panel, whom I got to know pretty well over the course of the next few months and other speaking engagements, put it was that the world of Geekdom revolved around having SUPER INTENSE passions about specific things.

Okay, I guess I am a little geeky. And, well I did work on the first 4 episodes of Robot Chicken, and that’s definitely geeky.

And then in January, I began writing for Jen Friel’s very popular blog, Talk Nerdy To Me, Lover and my first assignment was to write a blog about what makes me a Nerd. I struggled with that for a minute, but being someone that had straight A’s all through school, loves trivia and mental challenges, loves to read, loves to write, and corny or not wore glasses all her life, that blog, once I embraced all of those facets, came easy.

Wow, okay, I guess I am kinda a nerd.

And yeah, I’m definitely a dork. Always have been, always will be.

I soon discovered that I do have more passions that I’ve forgotten about like old school video games, dressing up in costumes, amusement parks, roller skating, old school cartoons… and the Geek Community to me, is more about embracing your inner child and retaining those passions…. Okay great, sign me up!

So I began spending more time with the geek crowd, and the nerd crowd, after all, rock n roll has led me down many roads of hell and heartbreak, and lately I’m not resonating with my favorite song lyrics, and the messages that most rock songs have. I’m not resonating with the bars and the drinking and the drugs that, unfortunately are an intrinsic part of the rock and roll scene, and maybe I wasn’t being true to myself all along and here I should have been spending more time with the Geeky folk… who knows?

I started to feel like I had found my tribe. That I had found a great group of new friends, and a support system but that feeling only lasted for a few months.

I soon found myself having to explain to random people what my “geek cred?” was. Weird I thought, I’ve never had to explain my rock n roll cred? And then suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of a few girls who decided I was no longer welcome in their geek circle, and began “competing” for friends, name-calling, and gossiping, and one of these girls actually, physically, emailed mutual friends, and even a guy I was dating at the time, basically just to make sure that they all knew I no longer had her stamp of approval. A press release if you will, alerting them to this breaking news. I have no idea how many of these emails were sent of course, because only a few people shared this info with me. And believe it or not, she’s in her 30’s too.

The email to the dude I was dating, really hurt. As many of you know, I’ve been single for a LONG time, and I finally met a guy who I liked and who seemed to like me back, and for someone, a “friend” even, to try to cause drama with a brand new relationship, yeah, I cried.

Now, I’m in NO WAY saying that everyone in the geek community behaves like that, because they DON’T. I have made amazing, life-long friends in that community. I’m also NOT saying that everyone in rock n roll is an alcoholic or a drug addict, because they’re NOT, and my heart will always be filled with rock n roll. BUT as much as I LOVE me a good rock n roll concert, you’ll rarely find me at a local sunset rock bar getting wasted. And as much as I LOVE me a good comic con, you’ll rarely find me blogging about Dr. Who or Star Trek.

What I AM saying is that I don’t know where I fit in. I don’t feel like I’ve truly found my tribe yet.

That’s not to say that I don’t ADORE and have amazing friends in both the rock and the geek communities… or that I don’t adore hosting a rock concert, or working on geeky film and tv projects, because I absolutely DO… but something inside me is saying, there’s something else, there’s some other identity that’s trying to come forth.

And I think it’s great that I’ve gotten in touch with my inner geek and my inner nerdy girl, but there’s more, there’s more, there’s another calling, there’s people out there who I will feel at home with, who will want to support and lift me up, and travel the road together. Not as competition but as a team.

And it all goes back to this.

When I was a little girl, the thing I wanted to be most in the world was a PRIEST.

Yes, a freakin Roman Catholic Priest.

We lived on the same city block as the Catholic School and Church, so as a child I would sometimes go and sit thru two and three masses at a time. I sang in the church choir, I had a solo during my first Holy Communion, and get this, in first grade I was so curious as to what the Communion line was, I got in it, and the priest gave me a wafer when I was 6yrs old. (For those of you non-never were Catholics, that’s like an mortal sin, you’re not allowed to taste the “body of Christ” until you make your first communion, which is a big ceremony that happens in the 3rd Grade).

My very first speaking engagement was in the first grade. The school was having a large celebration and our assignment was to write a paper on a Saint of our choosing. My essay was chosen, I was to read it out loud in front of the school, my speech was about St. Maria Goretti who believe it or not, I’ve remembered her name all these years, but only now, like right this second, did I look her up to see what her story was and holy hell…Maria is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, girls, youth, teenage girls, poverty, purity and forgiveness. And was murdered at age 11 by her neighbor because she fought back against his attempted raping.

Wow wow wow, all these years, I’ve known the name of the Saint I gave a speech on, but never once have I researched her again, and at age 6, I have a feeling the children’s book of Saints described her a bit different then that wiki description. If I had to answer I would have never said she was the patron saint of kids and animals not on rape, poverty, and forgiveness.

This is so on target with how I’m feeling and what I’m about to say next…

I am a performer. I am a public speaker, an actress, and a host. These things I know. I know how my heart fills up when I’m doing any one of these things, BUT, I am here to do more than that, and that’s where the Identity Crisis starts to get really noisy.

Somehow, I want to incorporate the “performer life” with the giving back and being of service and particularly working with young teens, runaways, abuse, depression, suicide, and even rape. I want to be able to give hope and inspiration to everyone of course, but particularly this group of teenagers.

I’ve been saddened by the news lately, the suicide of young Amanda Todd after posting a video cry for help on Youtube and then taking her life a month later, and 15 year old Felicia Garcia who threw herself onto train tracks in front of classmates after being bullied by the football team.

These things MAKE ME WANT TO HELP! And I will, my good friend Denise Vasquez and I are already planning a fundraiser in the Spring to bring awareness to bullying and suicide prevention. But I want to do more.

And that brings me to the Power Group.

Mastin Kipp, Gabby Bernstein, Christina Morassi, Marie Forleo, Laura Hollick

I first became aware of Laura Hollick through Dallas Travers, In 2010/2011 Laura launched Soul Art TV where she interviewed many of these new age speakers and mentors, and though them I’ve found the others, I’ve been reading their blogs and watching their videos for about a year or so now, and I want to be in that circle. I want to travel and inspire people everywhere I go. I want to hang out with Oprah and not just dream about making changes in the world, but really truly BE THE CHANGE.

Mastin Kipp wrote this incredible blog recently and after reading it, I shouted out loud, I WANT TO WRITE BLOGS LIKE THIS! I want to be that passionate and inspired about my life and career.

Okay so now what?

I’m tuning in. I’m paying attention. I’m actively focused on meditating regularly, getting my yoga and my fitness in. Studying what these people are doing. Absorbing their work and their message, in order to fully realize my message cause I’m not exactly sure what I need to do next.

But damn, if Googling Maria Goretti wasn’t a sign… whew..

And I guess the whole point is that each one of us are so much more than just a label. A rocker chick. A geek girl. A hippie. A goth. A nerd. These are labels that maybe others give us or we give ourselves, and it’s a great thing to EMBRACE the parts of your soul that resonate with each of those “archetypes”… but we as humans are so much more than one or two labels. We are souls, having a human experience. We have so much power inside of us.

I’ve got a lot of work to do… but in my heart, I know I’ve got what it takes.

Live Love. Love Life.

#xoxo

click here to follow Leah on twitter!

#Tonight: @TNTML's 3rd birthday party. Dillons Hollywood 9pm

ARRGHHH!!! We're just a few hours away from our THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

I can absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not believe we are three already. This entire experience has been bittersweet in so many ways - but I wouldn't change it for the WORRLLLDDD!!!! 

Come kick it with some of your favorite writers and grab some beers, man. Dude!! $3 beers at Dillons?!?! How freaking baller is that?!! 

Remember too that this party is going to be a 90s flash mob. We are all going to arrive dressed in 90s clothing and pretend like it is the most normal thing ever and make randoms uncomfortable. (click here for costume ideas)

WINNING!!! 

See you guys tonight!! Please tweet me with any questions!! xoxoxo @JenFriel 

What: 3rd birthday

Where: Dillons Irish Pub - Hollywood, CA 

When: TONIGHT

Time: 9pm

#nerdsunite

#NerdsUnite: @DateMySchool 's Dating Guide to Help Scholars Book Dates

<editorsnote> We interrupt your regularly scheduled Talking Nerdy to bring you a message from one of our sponsors, Date My School. They're here today to not only highlight the awesome that is them (and for reals, they have the NICEST UX I think I've ever seen on a dating site) but also provide some tips and tricks on helping scholars score. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT DMS!! </editorsnote>

Midterms are over which means students can finally get back to studying for the real semester-test: how to court their campus crush. 

Lucky for them, the collegiate online dating platform, datemyschool announces the release of their 2012 Dating Guide, featuring their top ten dating tips to help singles cram for romance in a heartbeat:

1. Date efficiently. If you're too busy typing up notes in the library but hoping to score a date fast, then sign up for datemyschool. It's free for students and many of our users land dates within 30 minutes. 

2. Commit to your needs first. If you're looking for a relationship, then hooking up with that emotionally unavailable flirt from your dorm may not fulfill your romantic desires… 

3. In fact, try not to date someone from your dorm. The convenience is awesome until you're ditched for your neighbor.

4. But do date in your budget. It's cool, lots of students are broke! Take advantage of any free food on campus, snag the snacks and prepare a picnic near the quad.

5. And go easy on the booze. Beating your boo at beer pong is super fun, but puking all over the person? Eh, not so much. 

6.  Oh, and perhaps take a shower? You're beautiful, but since you may or may not have been wearing those jeans for the past seven days and don’t really plan on doing laundry for another three weeks, then at least wash your hair.

7. Manage your time. If you’re hoping to hang out with that hottie, but have yet to start on your 20-page paper due tomorrow, then bust out your 50’s grooves and compromise with a study date.

8. Date outside your department or even your college to branch out of your social circle and expand your intellectual horizons. On datemyschool, users filter through schools, departments, age range, and other groups to discover new people.

9. Date effectively. If you're sick of hearing the misguided preconception that "it's so easy to meet people in college" (especially when you have yet to meet someone), then try an effective approach to dating: datemyschool is responsible for more than 50% of the dates at campuses, including Columbia University and NYU.

10. But most of all, date safely: if you're considering online dating, join a site that you can trust: datemyschool verifies every user (students must register with their .edu email addresses), protects against fake profiles, and provides its members with total control over who can and cannot see them on the site.

#nerdsunite

About datemyschool:

Winner of About.com's 2012 Readers' Choice Awards for Best College Dating Site, datemyschool is the largest online dating platform for students and alumni nationwide, and has received accolades for its safety and privacy features. 

Columbia University MBA classmates, Balazs Alexa and Jean Meyer, co-founded datemyschool in November 2010 to help students and alumni safely and easily discover new people across departments and nearby campuses. 

Datemyschool is:

• Anonymous: Members may restrict schools, departments, and individuals from accessing their profiles, and they cannot be searched on Google
• Safe: Members are all verified and given extensive privacy control
• Exclusive: Only verified students and alumni may join