Foothill junior Nick Alexander’s nickname is “Birdman.” How did he obtain such a quirky nickname from ‘Nick’?
“I was sitting in Biology freshman year,” Alexander said, “and somebody asked me, ‘Do you have a bird?’ and I said no. He asked, ‘Do you like birds?’ And I said no, again. Then he said, ‘Well you look like a birdman.’ And within a week, almost everyone was calling me that.”
Alexander, also known as Birdman, has a unique sense of taste. This very individualistic student is not your average dresser; he likes to wear kilts. Birdman believes that dressing to express yourself and being comfortable is important.
“I like kilts because they’re different and comfortable,” he said.
Birdman describes the way he dresses as original and unique.
“I don’t really take any inspiration from anyone else. Like I saw some shorts with cats all over them in a store and I said to myself ‘Well, I’m not leaving the store without those,’ and I didn’t,” Birdman said.
Birdman is an “ordained Pastafarian reverend.” Founded in 2005, Pastafarianism is a satirical religion often described as a parody religion. The religion stresses to find humor and live life to its fullest. Birdman recently started the Pastafarian Club on the Foothill campus.
When visiting the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Birdman encountered people with signs bearing messages that denounced people not believing in God. This scene is what convinced him to be a Pastafarian. He particularly admired the religion for its peculiarity and uniqueness.
Birdman has been a Pastafarian reverend since last October. Last year, he performed at Mr. Foothill where he delivered a sermon.
“I was a Pastafarian, then I learned that I could become a reverend. It just felt like something I had to do. It’s a cool conversation starter,” Birdman said.
Besides being a passionate Pastafarian, Birdman admires Sweden and its culture. When asked what country he would visit, he immediately said without hesitation, “Sweden!”
“It’s a cool place and I like the cold weather. Plus, Sweden has a lot of blondes. That’s okay I guess, everything’s nice,” he said.
Birdman’s friend, Joseph Perez admires him for his uniqueness.
“He definitely sparks some of the best conversations I’ve ever heard,” Perez said.
Foothill Mathematics and AVID teacher Anthony Villa admires Birdman as well.
“I would describe Birdman as a man who is confident to be who he is and to never disappoint in everything he does,” Villa said.
