High school students are known to create original nicknames for fellow classmates based on characteristics they possess, a creative abbreviation of their name, or a trait that they are known for. Some people have multiple nicknames, while others have no nicknames to speak of.  However, nicknames are a creative and effective way of establishing yourself and your individuality.

Those kids without nicknames can feel an odd pang of jealousy for those that have both a nickname and an unspoken sense of individuality as a result. Some try to convince friends to call them by a self-chosen name, but these rarely have a strong enough impact to catch on in this trendy era of nicknames.

There are also the simpler nicknames that are very common in America in an effort to modernize more traditional names. For example, “Jonathon” might be “Jon,” and “Katherine” could be “Kate.” Another transformation of birth names is the frequent switch of first and middle names. This switch can stem from the child’s dislike of the given birth name early on. It could also be a planned change made by the parents at birth, and a decision to refer to the child by their middle name, even as a baby.

Generally, creative nicknames are made-up by friends or family and rarely self-imposed. Senior Brendan O’Neil’s nickname, “Bo” came from his grandfather. O’Neil said, “My family called me Boo” but his grandfather was the first one to switch to “Bo.”

Plenty of kids at Scituate High have nicknames, but it is sometimes unknown who in this school has a nickname that is acceptable for school-wide usage. So the question comes, what nicknames are appropriate only for friends to use? When referring to a peer with a well-known nickname, how do you know when this nickname is okay to use if you are only acquaintances with the person? Some refer to that person by their nickname when they are not there and then, feeling awkward when they are around, switch back to their traditional name.

For O’Neil, his nickname rapidly caught on, and now everyone can refer to him as “Bo.” O’Neil said, “When they’re serious, boys call me Bo. They only call me Brendan as a joke. But girls can call me Brendan and it sounds okay.”

Since nicknames are generally reserved for friends, how should adults act in response? Some teachers refer to these nicknamed students by their student-made name, while others stick to what is written down on the attendance.

O’Neil said that he would only allow a select group of teachers to call him by his nickname, and not “high up authorities.” This thin line that adults are faced with appears too daunting to mess with.

Sometimes a nicknamed student can be offended when being referred to by their nickname, but the usage has become so frequent that they cannot escape it. A nickname that started off as an inside joke can turn into a school-wide phenomenon. The tragic reality is that children can be cruel, so if an undesirable name has been enforced without consent, it becomes a battle to put an end to the nickname’s madness.

Then there are people like senior Madison Hannon that are trying to shed the influence of their nickname, but cannot do so effectively. Hannon’s nickname, “Mad Dawg” started from Marylou’s co-worker and 2010 Scituate High graduate, Kiki McDonnell. Hannon said, “The name started off only in Marylou’s but now people at school call me Mad Dawg too. I think it should just be reserved for work, if at all.” Hannon has given up on losing the nickname at work because everyone knows her by this pretend alias. “It doesn’t have to be my name at school too,” Hannon said. Since it has apparently become too difficult to make the transition back into referring to her as Madison at work, she is trying to prevent the same from happening at school.

Other students like senior Dylan Ward and senior Tyler Nielson have popular nicknames that they encourage everyone to refer to them as. Ward’s two nicknames, “D-Dubs” and “Wardo” were invented by his group of friends long ago and now everyone at school can feel comfortable with these names. Nielson’s nickname, “Skinny T” has caught on with the same effect.

Although these nicknames may seem rational now, at what age is it appropriate to graduate from the high school nickname that you have acquired: on the date of high school graduation, or long after? Many high school students experience failed attempts, and inevitably give up the quest and accept to keep their nickname until they move out of town. When people leave Scituate and proceed to shed their old life and old nicknames, should they expect new nicknames in the future? Maybe someday nicknames will just be a trend of the past, an old memory to tell your grandchildren.