A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right?
Recently much to my amazement, but not that of my friends, I was accepted into Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. My application process was complicated by the fact that I actually attended Temple in 1984. I was a Music Major in the College of Liberal Arts. (No, not the School of Music, I didn’t pass the audition, but they figured they could put me somewhere.)
But it only took one semester for me to realize I wasn’t cutting it as a music major. Aural Theory was the killer actually. I tried again the following semester at Bucks County Community College as their only Tuba major and came to the same conclusion before digging into their jewelry courses to continue on the road I started in high school. And that’s the road I’m still on.
But I digress.
When I attended Temple in 1984, I was still called Barbara Mullen. I applied as Barbara Mullen in the Spring of 84, married in June and changed my name. But I didn’t get that changed at Temple in the Fall. I was too busy trying to figure out how to do Do, Re, Mi. When I attended Bucks it was as Barb Baur and I never looked back.
Even after divorcing, I decided to keep the name of Barb Baur. It’s my daughter’s last name, it’s been my professional name for a couple of decades and I already owned the domain name.
I’ve been trying for a couple of weeks now to get the name changed on the main records at Temple. My financial aid and Tyler information is in my Baur name. My university records are in Mullen. Before I can get anywhere with this stuff, they must match.
So I’m having to back up 27 years to prove my name change. I’m dealing with the Registrar’s Office now and I think I may finally be in the right place.
So there it is…Barbara Mullen, Barbara Baur…a student by any other name will still create.