Say Goodbye, Hello

Because the Bo' is an adorable small liberal arts college, we have things like The Bo' Hello Day, where every student gets a name tag in their mailbox and chances to enter raffles, enjoy popcorn and free pizza, all for wearing the name tag and trying to make campus a friendlier place. And because on top of an absolute geekoid and resident awkardity, I'm also a dork (mostly, I felt bad for the student gov kids that put this together), I actually participated in the day and wore a name tag all day, thus setting me up as an easy target... for professors.

So there we sat, Rege, Mac, and I, all in a row with our name tags on. Apparently, in our class of thirty, only one other kid had a name tag on.

(Professor) BSketch: (reading name tag) Hello, my name is- Why, hello Anthony (Rege). Why do you have that on? Oh hey, you have one, too. And Mike, too! What's this for? Why isn't anyone else wearing one?

Moi: (Feeling the scrutiny and silent snickering of an entire class) It's name tag day.

BSketch: What's name tag day? Why, what's the day supposed to accomplish?

Moi: We don't really know. This is the first one we've ever had.

(someone says something about bring back "the Bo' Hello," and getting to know each other.)

BSketch: That sounds wonderful. Now, who doesn't know Anthony? Raise your hand. (Awkward pause. Someone reluctantly raises a palm.)

BSketch: Ok, now Mike, you two switch seats so they can get to know each other. (BSketch then calls me out, as well as the two Mikes, by name, asking who in the class didn't know us and switching all of us around, so we can have ten minutes to get to know each other. V. cute.)

---- That was one sociologist's approach to name tag day. A chance for a social experiment, and a chance to raise the question of "what does knowing each other really mean," as well as a neat chance to students to interact. Contrast that with Band Man...---

Band Man: How's everyone doing? Again, I don't really care, just obligated to ask.

Class: (mumbles responses)

Band Man: Big Thanksgiving plans?

Moi: Do you care?

Band Man: With Thanksgiving? A little.

(At this point, Pritch gives the Band Man a name tag he made in the Union, where there were stations for name tag decoration. Also attached was a sticker of a globe, because the class is Globalization and Social Change. Band Man asks what the deal is, puts on the name tag, and we explain it...)

Band Man: So you're being bribed to socialize? That's great.

---Then, there was Riley... ---

Riley: Ah. You're one of those kids.

Moi: ?

Riley: The ones with the name tag. Who's putting this together?

Moi: Student government.

Riley: So you're a student government kid.

Moi: No, no, I'm just wearing the tag.

Riley: One of those kids, huh?

Moi: Um...

One day, they will see me as semi-intelligent, articulate, and respectable. One day.