Scott Garrabrant, a junior at Advance Technologies Academy, is rarely seen not wearing one of his skirts. Photo by Casey Goodwin/R-Jeneration

Many people blend in with the crowd. Others stand out. A select few seem to belong to a crowd all their own.

In a world where male students seldom wear skirts to school, Scott Garrabrant, a junior at Advanced Technologies Academy, is a perfect example of a person who belongs in a category of his own. Maybe it's the combination of a flowing skirt (sometimes pink, or even polka-dot), khaki vest and bright red-rimmed glasses that he wears to school on any given day. More likely it's the combination of mathematical whiz, Rubik's Cube fanatic and other assorted traits that make Garrabrant who he is.

"If he went to any other school, he would be toast," said Cory Anderlohr, a senior at A-Tech. "The trashcan would be his best friend."

Luckily for Garrabrant, A-Tech students don't tend toward dumping each other in trashcans, possibly because at A-Tech, being called a geek or a nerd is taken as a compliment more often than not. And, aside from his fairly unique clothing, Garrabrant clearly fits classic geek-and-nerd stereotypes.

While most teenagers his age spend their spare time watching television and hanging with friends, Garrabrant chooses a more cubical pastime. On average, Garrabrant claims, it takes him about 45 seconds to solve a Rubik's Cube puzzle, though his record is a mere 29.63 seconds.

"There's lots of group theory behind it," Garrabrant said, tying cubing into his other passion, math.

Garrabrant was one of three Nevada students who qualified to participate last year in the United States of America Mathematics Olympiad, which its Web site said is a six-question, two-day, nine-hour essay/proof exam.

His interest in math started even before kindergarten, when his parents taught him to love the subject. Now that he's a junior, Garrabrant takes six math classes and a computer class, which he claims make the day pass quickly.

"Stuff at school isn't challenging at all," he said.

Garrabrant adds to the challenges of his Rubik's Cubes, math and computers with a made-up language he speaks with his friends. The language, called "Food Tongue," was invented at math camp two years ago, and entails "pretty much associating ideas with foods," he said. While he refuses to explain what various words in Food Tongue mean ("I don't translate for anyone," Garrabrant said), he is happy to give hints:

"Banana," he said, nodding his head in what can only be an indication of "yes." Shaking his head while saying "spinach" indicates "no." When friends pass him in the hallway, they tend to say, "Yogurt!"

Garrabrant's goals fit his passions. His dream job is to work on an artificial intelligence program; he said he'd like to program a computer such as Deep Blue, which beat chess world champion Gary Kasparov at his own game in 1997.

Despite his positive traits and goals, Garrabrant tends to attract attention mainly for the way he dresses at school. He wears skirts for comfort and a vest for convenience (it's great for holding Rubik's Cubes), and believes that other people do not have the right to tell him what to wear. But some A-Tech students speculate that Garrabrant dresses the way he does for other reasons.

"Attention," said junior Lauren Beisner. While other students agree, that hasn't stopped Garrabrant from displaying his individuality. He said he's not sure if he is a hippie, as some students claim, but having read a definition of "one who lives and/or dresses differently from society," he decided that perhaps he is.

Whatever the label, Scott Garrabrant does not blend in with your average crowd.