Pointlife
Photo courtesy of Niah Finch
Niah Finch is an avid Spiderman fan and has let it be known through her life.
Red and blue make purple: a student profile on Niah Finch
Pointer Contributor
sgant581@uwsp.edu
If you wanted to know something about Spiderman, consider asking super-fan freshman, Niah Finch.
Finch, who has been infatuated with the hero since the age of three, can be seen walking around the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point wearing Spiderman apparel and toting a Spiderman backpack, but her obsession with the hero is far from the geek heroism admired by Spiderman’s standard fans.
“I love the color red. Red and blue actually, because together they make purple which is my ultimate favorite color,” said Finch.
With a collection consisting of backpacks, stickers, computer accessories, a comforter, and a full spandex costume with inflatable muscles, Finch recalls begging her parents for her very first Spiderman item, a Spiderman umbrella.
Although traditional Spiderman fans would scoff at Finch’s dedication to the icon, her intrigue with the character dates back to a playful rivalry with her older brother. Growing up in Southern California, Finch said her and her brother shared a close childhood bond until their parents divorce.
“Growing up my brother liked Batman [and] I liked Spiderman,” said Finch
After her parents divorced, Finch and her brother were placed in the custody of their mother, and she recalls spending the majority of her time playing with her brother’s toys.
“[My parents] thought something was wrong with me. I didn’t like normal girl toys. I hated Barbie. I played with G.I. Joe and little cars,” said Finch.
Playing with her brother’s toys gave the two a way to close their age gap and remain close. However, as time passed and the bond with her brother grew more distant, Finch never let go of her childhood attachment to the red and blue hero. And by doing so she found different ways for it to remain relevant.
“In Torrance, California, the trend in high school and elementary school [was that] we always had cartoon backpacks and sneakers all geared toward a superhero,” said Finch.
Finch now sees her connection to the comic book legend as a way to relate to the past while creating an image for the future.
“I just like being different, and it’s cool because it sets me apart from every other female,” Finch said.
Currently undecided at UWSP, Finch is certain of one thing: If she could have superpowers they would certainly be those of Spiderman.
“I would love the ability to shoot webs and climb up walls,” said Finch.
