"Nerd" and "Geek" Should Be Banned, Professor Says

I think the last sentence says it all:

He is an expert on the subject, and the reason I called him for the piece was that I had noticed the praise for his book, “Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them.”

So... he has no interest in "banning" these words, he wants attention and for more people to buy copies of his book.

Ah, Bennington. Pick up a copy of Randall Jarrell's novel _Pictures from an Institution_, where it figures as "Benton" College and see whether the place has changed.