Freshman Identifies as Being “From Dallas”

For many, the terms “hometown” and “where you’re from” are used interchangeably, and thus incorrectly. This correlation has become so common, particularly in college towns and universities, that it is rarely questioned. Despite the commonality of this practice, however, Ben Tattlebon, Freshman Accounting major from Plano Texas, has openly identified himself as being “from Dallas.”

“I find it a little offensive when people ask if I’m from ‘Dallas Dallas.’ I’ve made a decision and I want others to respect it,” said Tattlebon.

At birth, Tattlebon was assigned a zip code, but his internal sense of hometown was conflicted. Confronting this conflict openly is common in the college-aged population, especially among freshmen. Often, students view residency as a binary concept; either you are from Dallas or you are not. Some make the distinction, though, that while zip codes are pretty clear, residency exists on a spectrum. Amy Strecker comments on Tattlebon’s hometown identification.

“At first, being from Highland Park, it really bothered me that Ben was introducing himself as being ‘from Dallas.’ I had overheard his earlier conversation where he admitted to actually being ‘just north of DFW.’ But then, I realized it doesn’t really matter to me —it’s his life, not mine.”

For most, zip code and hometown identity match. For others, the question of hometown is a little more complicated of an answer.

 

—5K for Yell