Dedicated to Colin, for clarification

This is totally irrelevant to what we talked about in class today, but I just wanted to explain this to Colin especially, who was baffled during the induction ceremony last night (Honor and Service Society)

So my official (Korean) name is Ji Hwan, and my English name is Joanne. Obviously, Joanne is so much easier to pronounce so I use my English name.

However, Colin, there is nothing to be confused about. Even though I can be called by both Ji Hwan and Joanne, remember, map is not the territory. That doesn't mean that I have two different identities depending on which name I use, because both of them are my names.

I think that names are symbols, not just words. Whatever people use to call me becomes my name. Therefore, names have more meanings on how they are used, not on what they are.

This can be also related to deciding what the official national anthem is. I think that the national anthem is important for its symbolic meaning, and not for its exact words and the melodies of the music. The modifying of the national anthem should not be prohibited by the government because, just like names, the national anthem has more meanings on its symbolic use than it has meanings on the words and the other components of the song.

-Joanne