CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 139

University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona,
recalled students giggling whenever the teacher
called her name. There would be comments
like ‘Deadra’ or ‘Battystan’ in an attempt to
mock her name.
“Because of the mispronunciations like ‘DeadGranny’ and ‘Dead-Dranne’, my teachers had
to resort to calling me Ms. Baston,” she said.
Othniel Williams, also a student at the UWI,
Mona, recalled similar reactions from his
classmates.
“At the first instance, some will show that they

like it. While for some, maybe because they’re
hungry, the first thing that comes to their mind
is oatmeal and them laugh out,” Williams said
as he made light of the experience.
Gibbon told CARIMAC Times that she believes
that children with uncommon names will find a
coping mechanism to deal with their situation.
“This mechanism might be to change their names,
so that they would feel more comfortable around
others or fit in with society,” Gibbon said.
Several people live the reality Gibbon referenced.

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