The Nynasty symbol is back. Last year, current seniors Nathan Ma and Mark Reid created the concept of the “Nynasty symbol” to unify their class of 2009. The sign, formed by the index fingers and thumbs of both hands adjoining as a diamond, was displayed during a variety of events ranging from Homecoming Week to sports events as a way of both showing class and school pride. “It had a huge effect because we [had] a symbol to represent ourselves,” Ma said.

After labeling the symbol as offensive following complaints of the appropriateness of the sign, however, the administration banned the token of ’09 pride from Gunn campus last year. Yet after much discussion of the symbol from both the administration and students, the ban has been lifted. “I met with some staff and with [seniors] Emmiliese [von Clemm] and Gordy [Lanza] and we have agreed that seniors may use the symbol, correctly displayed, on t-shirts and signs and that the hand signal may be used as long as it is not abused in way that could upset others,” Principal Noreen Likins said. “The senior class officers have agreed to communicate this to students in all classes.”

Ma and Reid adopted the concept from different sources such as television and sports. “We got it from Roc-A-Fella records, the [MTV] show ‘Two-A-Days,’ and from a lot of athletes,” Ma said. Rapper Jay-Z’s album “The Dynasty: Roc La Familia,” which has the symbol featured on the cover, started the “Dynasty” idea, and the students simply combined their class’ graduating year of 2009 with Dynasty to create the idea of “Nynasty.” Both the original concept and the sign, also known as “the Roc,” have pervaded popular culture with numerous artists and athletes such as rapper Kanye West and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rashad McCants displaying the sign during concerts and games.

The administration decided to prohibit the Nynasty symbol Nov. 2007 after both parents and staff members questioned the connotation of the sign. There was also speculation regarding the shape of the symbol, which the graduated class of 2008 and others felt resembled an upside- down vagina.

Contrary to popular belief, the previous senior class’ interpretation had no influence on the administration’s decision. The issue arose when an upset staff member brought the problem to the attention of Principal Noreen Likins. “I had no idea until a staff member was in tears saying the misuse of the symbol was offensive,” she said.

Likins first heard of the controversy after last year’s Night Rally, when a member of the staff told her that parent complaints about the sign had been frustrating because of lack of control. “It was abused and misused, and the mob mentality caused people to start doing it in mass numbers,” she said. The situation prompted the administration to ban the symbol because many were flipping the sign over and extending it, the American sign-language symbol for ‘vagina.’

However, Technology Coordinator Lettie Weinman and the administration did not feel this was the original intent of the sign. “I don’t think there is anybody in [the senior class] who actually wanted to offend anyone,” Weinman said.

Holding articles about the symbol in pop culture at the time of interview, Daines has also thoroughly researched the origin of the “dynasty” sign to further prove that its adoption had no intention of offending anyone. “I’m just trying to say that it’s an actual legitimate symbol that people use,” he said.

Many current seniors feel that the ban was unnecessary and failed to fulfill its purpose. “All that banning the Nynasty does is show how influential it is,” senior James Barrett said. Others also feel that the reason behind the new policy was not convoluted and unjustified. “The thing is, I didn’t even notice that it looked a vagina until they said it,” senior Charles Chisom said.

However, the administration was willing to discuss the matter and hear the points of the senior class. With Homecoming Week fast approaching, senior Emmiliese von Clemm decided that a meeting with the administration regarding the use of the sign during the school event was necessary. “We’re seeing a pretty big problem with it, and we wanted to see whether we can hopefully come up with a compromise because most of the class just thinks its ridiculous,” von Clemm said at the meeting a few weeks ago. The idea to change the symbol completely was brought up, yet neither the student representatives nor Likins thought it was a viable and desirable option. “It’s harder to unify people with a new symbol,” Dance Commissioner Tyler Knapp, who was also at the meeting, said. “We’re too far along now to back up the truck and change the symbol,” Likins added.

Instead of inventing an entirely new sign, Likins suggested modifying the sign. However, upon discovering that the focal issue of the original symbol was unclear, Likins suggested holding another meeting. A compromise was reached a few days later when Likins, von Clemm and senior vice-president Gordy Lanza met to discuss the symbol. However, one new condition was added—the hand formation must resemble a triangle, not a diamond. It is up to the senior class officers to enforce this new rule. “I am willing to take the risk with students who think they can handle the situation,” Likins said. “They have agreed to communicate this to the rest of the senior class, and I am willing to trust them on that.”

Though the senior class might have thought otherwise, the administration is not adamantly against the symbol or the “Nynasty” concept. “We don’t enjoy having to not allow it because it’s very hard to pick out the few people creating problems, and it detracts away from the events of Homecoming,” Likins said. She believes that this solution will be more beneficial than banning it completely. “I think there will be less problems with more self-policing,” she said.

While the appropriate form of the symbol is now allowed, it is considered a privilege that will be taken away if misused. “If it continues to be abused, we’re going to have to say ‘we tried, we gave you a chance, but clearly this is beyond you,’” Likins said.

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on the administration’s decision. The issue arose when an upset staff member brought the problem to the attention of Principal Noreen Likins. “I had no idea until a staff member was in tears saying the misuse of the symbol was offensive,” she said.

Likins first heard of the controversy after last year’s Night Rally, when a member of the staff told her that there were many parent complaints about the sign. “It was abused and misused, and the mob mentality caused people to start doing it in mass numbers,” she said. The situation prompted the administration to ban the symbol because many were flipping the sign over and extending it, the American Sign Language symbol for ‘vagina.’

However, Technology Coordinator Lettie Weinman and the administration did not feel this was the original intent of the sign. “I don’t think there is anybody in [the senior class] who actually wanted to offend anyone,” Weinman said.

Daines also researched the origin of the “Dynasty” sign to prove that its adoption had no intention of offending anyone. “I’m just trying to say that it’s an actual legitimate symbol that people use,” he said.

Many current seniors feel that the ban was unnecessary and failed to fulfill its purpose. “All that banning the Nynasty does is show how influential it is,” senior James Barrett said. Others also feel that the reason behind the new policy was unjustified. “The thing is, I didn’t even notice that it looked a vagina until they said it,” senior Charles Chisom said.

However, the administration was willing to discuss the matter and hear the points of the senior class. With Homecoming Week approaching, senior Emmiliese von Clemm decided that a meeting with the administration regarding the use of the sign during the school event was necessary. “We’re seeing a pretty big problem with it, and we wanted to see whether we can hopefully come up with a compromise because most of the class just thinks its ridiculous,” she said at the meeting a few weeks ago.

The idea to change the symbol completely was brought up, yet neither the student representatives nor Likins thought it was a desirable option. “It’s harder to unify people with a new symbol,” Dance Commissioner Tyler Knapp said. “We’re too far along now to back up the truck and change the symbol,” Likins added.

Instead of inventing an entirely new sign, Likins suggested modifying the sign. However, upon discovering that the focal issue of the original symbol was unclear, she suggested holding another meeting.

A compromise was reached a few days later when Likins, von Clemm and senior Vice President Gordy Lanza met to discuss the symbol. One new condition was added—the hand formation must resemble a triangle, not a diamond. It is up to the senior class officers to enforce this new rule. “I am willing to take the risk with students who think they can handle the situation,” Likins said. “They have agreed to communicate this to the rest of the senior class, and I am willing to trust them on that.”

Though the senior class might have thought otherwise, the administration is not adamantly against the symbol or the “Nynasty” concept. “We don’t enjoy having to not allow it because it’s very hard to pick out the few people creating problems, and it detracts away from the events of Homecoming,” Likins said. She believes that this solution will be more beneficial than banning the whole symbol completely. “I think there will be less problems with more self-policing,” she said.

While the appropriate form of the symbol is now allowed, it is considered a privilege that will be taken away if misused. “If it continues to be abused, we’re going to have to say ‘we tried, we gave you a chance, but clearly this is beyond you,’” Likins said.