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The School Newspaper of Texas High School

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For name’s sake

Success Blevins

Success Blevins–a name given with hope. Hope that he would be successful in everything he did. Hope that he would go further in schooling than his father did. Yet some people don’t look at his name from the same standpoint that his parents did.

“When I was a kid, people used to say stuff like, ‘It’s funny that your name is Success and you’re such a failure’,” Blevins, a freshman, said.

His mother made it to college; unfortunately, his father did not. For this reason, his parents gave him a name to not only signify a bright outlook for the future, but also serve as a reminder that he was meant for success.

“Just having my name gives me a positive way to look [at the future] and a goal to strive for,” Blevins said. “I’ve always loved [my name] because it is unique, but it also shows people what I’m going to be.” Successful.

Autumn Jennings

It was a tragedy that inspired sophomore Autumn Jenning’s name.

When a drunk driver killed a teenage girl in 1991, Jenning’s dad couldn’t forget about her.

A broken-down car left some girls stranded on the side of the road. Among them was freshman Autumn Nicole Daniel. As they waited on the side of the road, a set of bright lights came swerving their way, gliding from side-to-side on the road. All the girls, except Daniel managed to get out of the way.

“The truck crashed into the ditch Autumn [Daniel] was in, and it hit her and threw her a couple meters,”Jennings said. “My dad and his sergeant were on call that night. They got [to the scene] first and held her until the ambulance came.”

Jenning’s first name came from Daniel’s, who died that night.

“Her grave is on highway 67,” Jennings said. “She had a funeral at Saint Edwards in September of 1991.”

It wasn’t until she was 10 years old that Jennings found out she was named after Daniel. She found out she was named after someone when she was 10, but she didn’t know the whole story. She has never seen a picture of Daniel or talked to her family.

“I never knew the whole story until I was 13,” Jennings said. “People tell me they like my name and my dad tells people about my name, they think it’s cool. I feel special.”

Roshni Patel

Sophomore Roshni Patel’s first name is in one of three different languages: Hindu, Sanskrit or Gujurati. Patel isn’t completely sure which language it’s in, but they are all languages native to India, where her family is from. Most likely it’s Gujurati, the language her family speaks at home.

Even though her name is uncommon in Texarkana, she has met another Roshni before.

“[I met someone] at an Indian wedding,” she said. “The most common name is Krishna, a Hindi god. Mine is semi-common.”

Her name, meaning sunlight, was taken from the time and day she was born.

“I think [people] can make their name have meaning,” Patel said. “Each person gives a different characteristic to a name. Every word has a meaning and every person should feel unique in their own way.”

Her middle name Prakash, which means light, is also unique.

“That’s my dad’s name,” Patel said. “Your middle name you always take from your father’s name or your grandfather’s name.”

It’s a Hindi tradition to be named after your father or grandfather. It’s common for families, like Roshni’s, to continue the tradition. Because of the origin of her name, Roshni is often mispronounced.

“People say Runisha, Rooshni and Rochni,” Patel said. “[When they first hear my name], they give me a confused look.”

Patel’s favorite name, other then her own, is also Indian. However, if she had the opportunity, she wouldn’t change her name.

“My favorite name is Payal,” Patal said. “I’ve never thought about having an English name because I like Indian names. I think [having a unique name] is awesome because people are always asking what it means, and it’s great knowing that I’m the only Roshni in this school.”

Bass Deese

Senior John Deese goes by the name Bass.

“It’s from an old John Wayne Movie called the Sons of Katie elder,” Deese said, “One of the characters are named Bass. My dad’s a big John Wayne fan.”

Deese in named after the character Bass Elder. The movie is about four brothers who are trying to get their family estate after their dad, Bass Elder, is killed.

He doesn’t plan on changing his name and enjoys the name Bass.

“I do like my name,” Deese said, “It’s really unique.”

Hannah Spell Wren

“She’s a witch! Run away!” squealed the kids on the playground. Freshman Hannah Spell Wren was never sure about her name. On November 16, 2009, she had the guts to change it.

As a kid, things like monsters under the bed, the Boogie Man in the closet, or in this case, a witch on the playground, can frighten some beyond belief. For Wren, kindergarten was a witch hunt.

When Wren was born, a friends maiden name was given in place of a middle name. The name “Spell” was given with good intentions, but turned into an embarrassment.

“When people would ask what my middle name was, I was embarrassed to say it,” Wren said. “They would always give me a hard time about it.”

The teasing slowed down when Wren reached the fourth grade, but never fully stopped until she asked her parents for permission to change it.

“My mom didn’t know that I didn’t like it that much, so she was surprised that I asked,” Wren said. “She had to think about it for awhile, but she said that she wanted me to be happy.”

Wren’s parents agreed to the name change and even helped her choose a new name. Wren’s mom suggested the name Kate.

“I’ve always liked the name Kate,” Wren said. “Whenever I was a kid and played house, I always wanted to be named Kate.”

Six months later, the Spell faded to make room for Kate.

“I finally had a name that was normal,” Wren said, “a name I could say without being self-conscious.”

Clete Norton

“Clete? Like the shoe? Woah!” This was a phrase Freshman Clete Norton heard often.

Athletic director Barry Norton had just begun his job coaching. At the time, Norton was dating his soon-to-be wife. Their newlywed friends had just found out that they were pregnant. They decided that if their child was a boy, they would name him Clete. However, when Norton’s friend had a girl, the name Clete was up for grabs.

The thought of a boy named Clete stuck with Norton and when his wife became pregnant he realized that it would be sensible to name a coach’s son Clete.

Walking through the halls hand in hand with his father as a kid, Alexander Clete Norton felt important. Alex, as his parents called him, eventually was around so many football fans that called him Clete, that the nickname stuck and is now called Clete by everyone he knows.

“Sometimes I was made fun of, not only because my name was Clete,” he said, “but also because it’s kind of ironic that my dad is a coach.”

Being a Coach’s son paid off for Clete, he was able to play tons of sports starting around an early age.

“I’ve always been around sports, so I naturally loved them,” Clete said. “But on the other hand, I sometimes felt pressured to play sports because of my name.”

However, Clete thinks his name fits.

“My name suits me because I’m a jock,” he said. “I am an athletic type of guy.”

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The School Newspaper of Texas High School
For name’s sake