Between humorous nicknames and awkward mix-ups, the twelve “Jacks” of the 2014 BSM senior class finally get the chance to reveal their stories. With two “Jacksons”, three “Jackies”, and seven “Jacks”, this group of students has gained a sense of patience as the confusion leads teachers, friends, and even parents to mix them up.

Knight Errant: How many “Jacks” do you think there are in your grade?
Jack Youngblut: An unnecessary number.
Jack Johnston: Like a ton. Want me to count them?
KE: Just throw out a guess.
Jack Sims: Eight
Jackson Durand: Forty-five
Jack Jablonski: Maybe ten
Jack Goldstein: Seven? Durand, Sims, Guettler, Johnston… eight?
Johnston: Jack J, Jack J, Jack Y, Jack D, Jack S, Jack H,….
KE: Are you making this up?
Youngblut: He’s unfortunately not. Welcome to our lives.
KE: Actually there are twelve.
Guettler: No way! That’s what I was gonna say.

KE: Who decided on your name?
Jacqueline Bieter: I was named after my aunt.
Jacklyn Cooney: I was named after my mom’s father, that’s why it’s a weird spelling.
Johnston: Um, my parents?
Jack Hathaway: Parents… except it is actually my middle name.
Sims: My mom.
Durand: I did.
Jablonski: Parents.
Johnston: My parents?

KE: Is there any meaning behind your name being “Jack”?
Johnston: I was named after John F. Kennedy whose nickname was Jack. I can’t be named “John Johnson.” Who would do that to their kid?
Youngblut: I think my mom said she had a doll named “Jack” when she was growing up. I don’t think that has anything to do with my name.
Jackson Guettler: I think my siblings really liked the name Jackson. I don’t really know where it came from.
Jacqueline Hays: My parents thought it sounded like a runner name. I don’t run, so it didn’t work as planned.

KE: Do you have a nickname? What is it?
Sims: Yes, Simmer, Sim, Simba.
Durand: Birdman.
Jablonski: Jabby, Jabs, Jabib, Jablonik, Jick.
Bieter: I like my name, it’s unique. My nickname is Jack.
Guettler: My family called me “Stone” for a while. Jackson, Jackstone, I don’t know. I get a lot of nicknames actually. Action Jackson.
Johnston: It’s really hard to shorten Jack to anything because Jack is already a nickname.
Youngblut: Jack-A-Tack, Jack-in-the-box, Jackathaurous. My last name, also, creates a lot of great puns.
Hays: Mine are mostly Jackie or Jack-O-Lantern.
Goldstein: People call me Goldy.
Jack Johnson: JJ.
Hathaway: Do I? Hathaway? That’s about it.

KE: What makes you a unique “Jack”?
Cooney: Mine is spelled weird.
Bieter: Well, girl power obviously. “Jacqueline” is awesome. Boys are boring.
Johnson: I don’t know why I would be unique. I’m just Jack.
Hathaway: That’s kind of unique that you’re just Jack!
Johnson: Just Jack… sure, that’s why I’m unique.
Sims: I’m the tallest of all the Jacks.
Durand: I have a long neck.
Hathaway: Wow, you guys aren’t unique at all!
Jablonski: I’m the coolest one and have the most followers on Twitter.

KE: Why do you think you’re the best “Jack” in the grade?
Hathaway: Are we still on the “unique?” These are tough questions.
Johnson: I’m pretty sure we took a vote, and I won.
Sims: I would like to leave that for my fellow classmates to decide.
Johnston: I mean I’ve never said that. I’m a king. I run these streets.
Youngblut: I would have to go through the “Jacks” and decide what’s wrong with all the others.

KE: Other than yourself, who do you think is the best “Jack”? Why?
Bieter: Obviously the girls rock; probably Jack Hathaway.
Cooney: [He’s] such a sweetheart: “the iconic Jack.” Or, Jack Johnston. [He’s] so funny.
Guettler: Everyone’s my favorite. That’s just a mean question.
Sims: Goldstein, because the kid is smart, good looking and athletic. He’s the complete package. [He’s] a keeper.
Durand: Sims, because he’s huge.
Goldstein: Wait, no, Jack Durand is the best Jack.
KE: Why?
Johnson: He just puts so much effort into everything he does.
Hathaway: He really has got his life figured out.
Durand: Because I have the best hair.

KE: Do you have a class where there are multiple “Jacks?” Funny stories? Mix-ups?
Bieter: We never knew who Ms. Brew was talking to; my mom would step in like, “No, it’s Jacqueline.”
Cooney: [In] 9th grade honors English with [Ms.] Brew, [we sat] alphabetically, all the “Jack’s” sat in a row. It was very confusing.
Hathaway: Whenever you’re talking in a group and someone calls out “Jack” and you all just turn and look.
Johnson: It’s a popular joke.
Johnston: Freshman year I had homeroom with Ms. Bartels, and in front of me was Jack Johnson. My mom’s name is Molly, and his mom’s name is Dolly. That’s pretty crazy. At conferences the teachers would always confuse Johnson and me since our names were so similar.
Youngblut: Freshman year, when everyone figured out how many “Jacks” there were. Everyone kind of deviated from the name.
Hays: When teachers hand things back in class and begin to say “Jack.” I always hesitate, but it’s usually not for me.
Durand: Sports and Entertainment with Jack Sims, Jack Jablonski, and me. Good times.
Jablonski: I think in every class I’m in there happens to be another “Jack.”

KE: Do you like your name “Jack” or would you prefer some other name?
Youngblut: I like my name, but I have always had a lot of “Jacks” around me, and I do like the idea of changing one’s name, but I am not sure what I would change it to. I would rather change my last name because that gets more attention.
Sims: I like my name. It’s sexy.
Jablonski: I like it, but I always wanted to be named “Nick.”
KE: What would you name yourself if you had a choice?
Johnson: Xavier.
Goldstein: Jamarkas
Hathaway: Huh, if I had a choice…maybe Liam.
Bieter: I’ve always loved my name. Something cool, [maybe a] celebrity kid name. I was going to Grace or Alyssa, maybe Juanita.
Cooney: This is pressure. Moses, Alabama, [it] has to start with a “J.” Jen or Jill, I don’t like those though. I would want to be “Jagger.”
Guettler: Stirling
Johnston: Juantabonia
Sims: Kane
Durand: Alfonso