An exclusive private prep school in Massachusetts is working on changing its name. The students who attend the school have been ridiculed and bothered by the snide comments that people have made. Parents and the board of directors feel it's time for a change. What's the name of the school? Governor Dummer Academy.
Back in my elementary school heyday, I too wanted to do away with my name. I found a baby book that had what people think about the name instead of its origin. Erin reminded people of an old Irish grandmother. Not something that went well with my stirrup pants and neon T-shirts. So, I set about changing it.
I decided the best thing to do wouldn't be to throw away my name entirely-but to alter it. I sat down and wrote my name over and over again. I wrote it in Pig Latin, I wrote it backwards, I even considered going by just a letter.
After fiddling for a while I cracked the code on the perfect nickname. I thundered downstairs to the family room and skidded onto the couch to tell my parents, \From now on, I want to be called Rinny."" For some reason, they played along. I didn't even have to explain to them that I loved Lenny on ""Ghostwriter"" so Rinny was the next logical step. They started using it right away. ""Rinny, set the table,"" and ""Rinny, empty the dishwasher."" With a hip new urban name, I kind of figured that new and glamorous tasks would come with it. Something like ""Rinny, go eat ice cream with Ace of Base,"" or ""Rinny, go and get your folders signed by Lisa Frank."" Disappointed in the lack of grandeur my new name had, I threw Rinny by the wayside in just 25 minutes.
Middle school came quickly and with scientific calculators, I ushered in my era of efficiency. I started writing Erin on papers, but doing it without the ""i"" to save time. I would then dot the ""n"" to show my wit and creativity. My teachers saw my new signature and started calling me Ern, pronounced like the vessel to hold ashes in. Other kids started ripping on me, and I knew it had gone too far. I took the extra second to put the ""i"" back in my name and I have been Erin ever since.
Names are tough. You don't get to decide your own and your parents pick one out for you after people, family or values that they cherish. They named you something they cared about, and when you have kids or at least an exceptional pet, you can name them something that you like. That's how special things and names get passed on. Now, I can see the merits of the name Erin, but it took me several years and a few days of ridicule to do so. Governor Dummer established a school for those kids, and he deserves some credit. I know the kids are fed up with being teased, but they should get over themselves. If they can muster some self-confidence and have pride in the education they are receiving, it won't matter what people call them, or the school.
And hey, just be glad he wasn't Governor Dumbass.
Erin is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Her column runs every Monday in The Daily Cardinal. She can be reached at erincanty8285@hotmail.com.
