The &quot;Star Wars&quot; reference is really just an insinuation that geek culture signals social suicide to conformist high schoolers. But geek culture also signals <i>passion</i>.<p>My objection is really that mandating bland décor in the name of some &quot;ambient sense of belonging&quot; discourages passionate teachers, however their offbeat classroom decorating may or may not relate absolutely to the field. And the system already discourages passionate teachers in countless ways. We don&#x27;t need one more nail in the coffin for love of learning and those who encourage it.