what’s in a name

2009-05-04 08:42:38.000 – ‘Stakey’,  Observer and Meteorologist

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‘What’s in name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.’

The distressed Juliet Capulet utters this famous line as she deliberates over the conflict between her heart and her family’s desires. A name is merely a word; it doesn’t change the character of the being. I bring this up because names are simply assigned to variables (or people). It is the way we distinguish others by more than just, ‘that dude with red hair’ or ‘that girl with the green eyes’. However, nicknames are a whole new ball park.

A nickname is the same variable, given a new, personal assignment. Nicknames run rampant on the summit. My first summit nickname was iStacey, because I would randomly burst into off-key song. Since then, I’ve also been called EWW (short for Extreme Weather Woman, thanks ABC), Staceyeski (courtesy of Ken Rancourt), and most recently, Stakey. Current nicknames are as follows:

Steve = The Foreigner, Papa Steve, and his mug is known as ‘Clive’

Mike C = The Professor, or Carmon

Mike F = Finn, or Finnegan

Brian = Hollywood Brian (and another, though disclosure to the public might not be the best idea)

Ryan = Knapper.

There is something wonderfully intimate in receiving a nick-name. It marks a new level of familiarity between you and your colleagues. As one can imagine, the lifestyle of a summit employee is quite conducive to nicknames. I’m slightly nostalgic thinking of the nicknames because they bring to the surface fond memories of observers and interns past. Pretty soon we’ll be coming up with new nicknames with four new interns on the way!

 

‘Stakey’,  Observer and Meteorologist