Nametags for every day, not just family reunions

Infotainment by LUKE MORITZ / The Collegian

You walk through the free speech area heading toward your next class; you are focused on the test you have later today that kept you up all night studying, when all of a sudden a random person approaches you from a group of people standing off to the side.

To your dismay, the person is not random at all, and in fact strikes up a conversationwith you, using your name. This would be wonderful because you enjoy chatting with friends; the problem is you cannot remember even once seeing this person around campus, let alone ever meeting him or her.

Awkwardness ensues, at least on your part, and you pull out a reason to get going from your bag of excuses. As you part ways from this ‘stranger,’ you think to yourself, “If only I were better with names, I could avoid situations like that.”

We have all encountered at least one chance meeting similar to this. At the very least, we have met someone and within seconds forgot his or her name. Forgetting names is inevitable...or is it?

If you, like me, do not have a photographic memory, there is at least one ingenious invention aimed at correcting this problem.

The nametag is by far one of the most useful social tools in existence. It is simple, elegant, and, in certain circumstances, utterly invaluable.

I wear a nametag everyday, and I am consistently surprised at how many people actually remember my name. It would be a whole lot easier for me to remember someone else’s name if that person also wore a nametag, but I have found that I have more of an incentive to remember someone’s name if they definitely know mine.

Another great thing about nametags is their cost. I bought my pack of 100 from the bookstore for a few dollars. Plus, each nametag, if taken care of, lasts for at least three or four days.

Let us imagine now our original situation. A person comes up to you and strikes up a conversation like you have been friends for years. One glance at the nametag he or she is wearing will do one of two things: You will see his or her name and remember how you know the person, or, if you still draw a blank, you can courteously continue the conversation using the person’s name, then politely excuse yourself when the time is right. It is a win-win situation either way.

The biggest question now is whether people actually know you or are just talking to you because you are wearing a nametag.