1. Title: Maryland Club Team “Fight Song”

2. Informant: Catherine (Katie) Harmon (19) has just completed her freshman year while swimming for the club team at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD.  UMD does not have a varsity collegiate team so they receive some preferential treatment as far as facilities useage when compared to other club teams.  Katie has swum competitively in MD for most of her life starting on a local neighborhood summer team, then a small local club team, eventually a high school team, and now the UMD club team.

3. Customary: Ritual

4. Language: English

5. Country of Origin: United States

6. Social / Cultural Context: Katie stated that every team at UMD does the same fight song to emphasize unity among the athletic teams at UMD.  Usually club teams do not have to participate in this tradition but since there is no varsity swim team, their team is encouraged to do so.

7. No audio, transcribed Skype interview.

8. Transcript:

“Maryland, we’re all behind you

Raise high the black and gold

for there is nothing half so glorious

as to see our team victorious

we’ve got the team boys

we’ve got the steam boys

so keep on fighting don’t give in

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D maryland will win!

(and then three rounds of GO MARYLAND! with fake drum noises)”

9. Informant’s comments: Every varsity team and Katie’s club team perform this distinctive fight song

10. Collector’s comments: I have seen the Maryland football team perform this fight song when watching games on TV.

11. Tags/Keywords: Pre-Meet, Ritual, Fight Song