'Pahk Your Cah' at the Beantown Accent Table

Plenty of "pahking" spaces are guaranteed for tonight's premiere of the Boston Accent Table at North House.

But you won't need a "cah" to get there, and you don't even need to be from Bahston to join the table, which will feature a group of Beantown natives delving into the mysteries of their curious dialect.

David C. Finn '86, organizer of the table, is hailing the table as an opportunity for Harvard students with pronounced Boston accents to share a meal "without feeling ostracized for their odd pronunciation and grammar."

Finn, a native of North Carolina, said he has many friends from the Boston area, and added that he has lost most of his once lilting southern accent, trading it in for a more nasal New England twang.

"I want to learn to deal with the loss of my southern accent, and not be ashamed of the way I speak," he said.

Finn's invited guests for the 6 p.m. table include North House residents Laureen A. Mulkern '87, Dickie M. McEvoy '86-'87, and Allen H. Bourbeau '87-'88, possessor of what Finn calls "a prototypical Boston accent."

"We just want to provide a more comfortable environment for these people," he said.

Finn said that Jeffrey S. Hull '86, another invitee, declined to appear at the table because he simply isn't ready to come to grips with his accent.

The table's founder added that he sees its purpose as twofold. "A lot of people are afraid of the Boston accent. I'd like to expose more people to the phenomenon, as well as teach people how to aquire an accent--that is, if they want one," he said.

Finn also stressed a more serious side to the evening, pointing out that many of tonight's scheduled guests plan to discuss "traumatic experiences" that have been the result of their Beantown dialect.

"Some of the evening's guests will be coming out of the closet for the first time," said Finn. "It will be like a Boston Accents Anonymous, except, of course, it won't be anonymous since we all know each other."

Finn also sees an educational purpose to the evening. "We'll discuss famous people who had Boston accents, like John Kennedy." The group also plans to explore the variations and nuances of the accent, examining the popular Falmouth, North Reading, and Brookline strains.

Despite the advanced level of some of the participants, Finn stressed that all levels of experience in Boston accent are welcome. In closing he added, "It'll be a wicked good time.