On Nov. 24, people around the world start rolling their tongues, juggling swords and contorting their bodies in extraordinary positions. On National Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day, these oddities are commended as the norm.
This day was established to honor people striving to push the boundaries of the human body and mind, like creating masterpieces to discovering elements on the periodic table. The individuals achieving these feats are able to express their knowledge in ways that are appreciated by their fellow human beings indefinitely.
One of those special skills can be found in GT Humanities and AP Government teacher Christopher Hammer, once a contestant on the popular knowledge-based game show Jeopardy! He has been able to easily absorb information since he was a child, and that strength of his is improving every day.
“I’ve always had a thing for trivia,” Hammer said. “I think people who are into history and the same kinds of areas that I like [such as] sports and entertainment just have a lot of random knowledge in the backs of our heads.”
Hammer enjoys seeking out opportunities, such as spelling bees, geography bees and intramural sports trivia to test the limits of his hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.
“I think the average person would be impressed by how well they can actually recall things that are important to them,” Hammer said.
All of his prior knowledge enabled him to not only pass the Jeopardy! entry test but also keep succeeding until he landed a spot on the show. Once accepted, he continued studying by using memory devices to examine new perspectives of the content he aimed to retain. In particular, ordering events chronologically allows him to recollect his knowledge for future use, just in case it ends up in one of the trivia questions.
“Making things make sense opens you up to a lot of ideas,” Hammer said.
Although Hammer has become somewhat of a local celebrity, the real reward for him is taking pride in his accomplishments, knowing that he is a trusted source who gets to pass on information to his students.
“The fact… that I can remember that stuff [impresses me],” Hammer said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I am a history teacher is because of that type of content.”
National Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day allows people to appreciate creativity and diversity that build lasting memories and bonds. These individual traits shape personalities and how different people experience life. Breaking away from society’s constricting expectations shines a light on the quirky traits and unique characteristics people around the world have to offer.
