I have argued, back and forth, with some of my friends about the nerd association with watching anime or participating in card games, and I feel that this is something that really needs to be addressed.

For those who don’t know, “Yu-Gi-Oh” is a Japanese manga that was reproduced as an anime, and eventually turned into an actual card game for fans to play.

The series follows a group of kids who are attempting to solve an ancient Millennium Puzzle. On their journey to solving the puzzle, they duel opponents with game cards that actually transform into the monsters depicted on the cards. The winner of the duel is whoever gets the other’s life points from 8,000 to zero.

The characters don’t actually die if their life points are reduced to zero, but there are instances throughout the series when characters are dueling for their life, or even their souls. One might assume that the show is just dark, but the show fosters love and friendship.

The reason why I’m bringing up “Yu-Gi-Oh” is because I participate in the card game with other “Yu-Gi-Oh” players at the Game Shop located in the Memorial Union behind the big televisions. And yes, I have my own deck, which means that yes, I duel.

When I tell my friends that I duel or they walk by the Game Shop and see me in the middle of a duel, sometimes they just chuckle. Sometimes they inquire about why I play, which is rare, but most of the time, they laugh at me and say, “You are such a nerd.”

Crazy, right?

I actually don’t have a problem with being called a nerd (though some do), but I do have a problem with being called a nerd in a condescending manner. I don’t appreciate being looked down upon just because I participate in a card game and I know that I’m not the only person that feels this way. Most of the other people who duel don’t pay much attention to the people who look at us with great disdain, but these behaviors must be addressed.

The idea of wizardry, magic and fantasy was once heavily associated with this negative idea of a nerd, but after movies like “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings,” that association has slowly been diminished.

There is nothing wrong about dueling with “Yu-Gi-Oh” cards, and for me there is nothing wrong with being a nerd. But to the people who aren’t involved or don’t know the world of “Yu-Gi-Oh,” just stop it with the condescending attitude, and try starting your own deck.

It may be liberating.