What’s My Name?

By: Dennise Camacho, Opinion Reporter

If you didn’t like your name and wanted to change your name, would you do it?

Kids often don’t like the name they were given by their parents, and as of recently, people have been changing their names.

The only problem with changing your name, if you are younger than 18, is your parents. If a student wants to change their name because they refer to themselves as a different gender but their parents don’t agree, they should still be able to. 

According to the New York City Department of Education website, “Students are able to put their name, or gender on permanent school’s records without legal documentation.”

If you are called by a different name in school, the place where you go for eight hours a day, then you should be able to change your name even if your parents don’t see eye to eye.

WJPS senior, Anthony Cina, said, “Students can think for themselves, so they should be able to change their names for school.”

WJPS guidance counselor Mrs. Paplow stated, “The DOE does say that students can change their names to whatever they want, and us staff have to call them by their preferred name. I agree because some kids don’t have a safe space at home, so they should be able to on school grounds.”

If students are allowed to change their names, then with the help of the DOE it will make going to school better. It would also make students feel comfortable in a place where they spend the same amount of time as they do at home.