Monthly Archives: November 2016

Ahsan Azim Transcript

Interview with Ahsan Azim Transcript

  1. What is your name?
    1. Ahsan Azim
  2. Where are you from in Pakistan?
    1. Lahore
  3. Did you grow up in Pakistan? How long have you lived there?
    1. Partially; lived there about half my life (i.e. ~ 10 yrs).
  4. What is your ethnicity? (Punjabi/Pashtun/Sindhi/Balochi etc?)
    1. Punjabi
  5. Do you think that growing up, people around you believed in things that did not always have a logical explanation (for example, seeing a black cat means you will have bad luck for the rest of the day?)?
    1. Definitely
  6. Did you yourself believe in a lot of such things?
    1. Pretty much
  7. In Pakistan, what should one do if they want to avoid bad luck?
    1. No black cats
    2. No knocking down bee hives (this may not be very universal)
  8. What should they do to make sure they have good luck?
    1. Nothing comes to mind in particular.
  9. What should you do if you want a good marriage?
    1. Be rich
    2. Be attractive (i.e. have fair skin)
    3. Not sure if either of the above two qualify as superstitions.
  10. Do you have any strange rules about food that do not have a logical explanation (for example: don’t drink milk after eating fish)?
    1. No fish before milk was definitely a thing,
    2. No others come to mind in particular.
  11. Do you know any other superstitions?
    1. Never mentioning or discussing bad dreams (expanded upon in # 14).
  12. What is one superstition that has really played a role in your life and that you believed growing up?
    1. Never discussing bad dreams! I’m pretty sure this is widespread (at least it was in my extended family), and I keep to the rule really strictly. Basically you don’t discuss details of your bad dreams, because if you do, then they come true!
  13. Do you think that superstitions play a big role in Pakistan?
    1. Overall I’d lean towards yes, but obviously it varies with social class and education.

Bequest – France International Jersey

Title: Bequest – France International Jersey

General Information about Item:

  • Material
    • Clothing
  • English
  • France

Informant Data:

  • Ian Sullivan is a 20 year old male student from Randolph, New Jersey in the United States. He grew up playing football, basketball, and tennis and began playing rugby when he arrived at Dartmouth 3 years ago, having never played or watched the sport before. Ian grew up in Ridgewood, NJ before moving to Randolph, and has American parents Kathleen Sullivan and Andrew Sullivan. Kathleen is from New York City and Andrew is from Chicago. Ian has played rugby for his three years in college and has taken to watching professional rugby.

Contextual Data:

  • Within the DRFC there are items of clothing called “bequests” that are handed down each year by the graduating senior to the younger players. Over time these bequests pick of a line of former owners all of who are supposed to be similar in one way or another. The bequests act as a link between past and present players and are a large part of the deep heritage and history of the club.

Item:

  • This jersey is an athletic France International Team jersey from several years ago.  With a cotton material, it is an athletic, lightweight longsleeve jersey.  This jersey has been owned by Dartmouth players for at least two years, as there are names ranging back to ’16. This is a jersey that can be worn in practice as well as in public, as it is a high quality game shirt.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

15127331_612447148959025_1529171915_o

Transcript of Associated File:

  • N/A

Informant’s Comments:

  • The names on the collar include “DeChatt” and “Sullivan ’18.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • N/A

Collector’s Name:

Ian Sullivan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Rugby
  • France Rugby
  • Jersey
  • Bequest

Bequest – Club Municipalidad de Caicay Jersey

Title: Bequest – Club Municipalidad de Caicay Jersey

General Information about Item:

  • Material
    • Clothing
  • Spanish
  • Peru

Informant Data:

  • Ian Sullivan is a 20 year old male student from Randolph, New Jersey in the United States. He grew up playing football, basketball, and tennis and began playing rugby when he arrived at Dartmouth 3 years ago, having never played or watched the sport before. Ian grew up in Ridgewood, NJ before moving to Randolph, and has American parents Kathleen Sullivan and Andrew Sullivan. Kathleen is from New York City and Andrew is from Chicago. Ian has played rugby for his three years in college and has taken to watching professional rugby.

Contextual Data:

  • Within the DRFC there are items of clothing called “bequests” that are handed down each year by the graduating senior to the younger players. Over time these bequests pick of a line of former owners all of who are supposed to be similar in one way or another. The bequests act as a link between past and present players and are a large part of the deep heritage and history of the club.

Item:

  • This jersey is an athletic Peruvian Municipalidad de Caicay jersey from several years ago.  With a cotton material, it is an athletic, lightweight longsleeve jersey.  This jersey has been owned by Dartmouth players for at least four years, as there are names ranging back to ’13. This is a jersey that can be worn in practice as well as in the gym, as it is a high quality game shirt.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

15127328_612447152292358_667165172_o

Transcript of Associated File:

  • N/A

Informant’s Comments:

  • The names on the collar include “Spielug ’13,” “Schieman ’14,” “Chockley ’15,” and “Sullivan ’18.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • N/A

Collector’s Name:

Ian Sullivan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Rugby
  • Municipalidad de Caicay Rugby
  • Jersey
  • Bequest

Bequest – DRFC 13X Jersey

Title: Bequest – DRFC 13X Jersey

General Information about Item:

  • Material
    • Clothing
  • English
  • American

Informant Data:

  • Ian Sullivan is a 20 year old male student from Randolph, New Jersey in the United States. He grew up playing football, basketball, and tennis and began playing rugby when he arrived at Dartmouth 3 years ago, having never played or watched the sport before. Ian grew up in Ridgewood, NJ before moving to Randolph, and has American parents Kathleen Sullivan and Andrew Sullivan. Kathleen is from New York City and Andrew is from Chicago. Ian has played rugby for his three years in college and has taken to watching professional rugby.

Contextual Data:

  • Within the DRFC there are items of clothing called “bequests” that are handed down each year by the graduating senior to the younger players. Over time these bequests pick of a line of former owners all of who are supposed to be similar in one way or another. The bequests act as a link between past and present players and are a large part of the deep heritage and history of the club.

Item:

  • This jersey is a summer rugby polo jersey from the 2013 Dartmouth season.  With a light cotton material and a fake collar, it is reminiscent of old sport jerseys from when athletic wear was more rudimentary and focused less on boosting performance.  This jersey has been owned by Dartmouth players for three years, as there are names ranging back to ’15 and the jersey was made in 2013. This is a jersey that is mostly worn during practice due to its good quality and athletic appearance.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

15127563_612447112292362_1615707704_o

Transcript of Associated File:

  • N/A

Informant’s Comments:

  • The names on the collar are “Chockley ’15,” “Warnquist ’16,” and “Sullivan ’18.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • N/A

Collector’s Name:

Ian Sullivan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Rugby
  • Dartmouth Rugby
  • Jersey
  • Bequest

Bequest – Long-sleeve Classic Rugby Jersey Polo

Title: Bequest – Long-sleeve Classic Rugby Jersey Polo

General Information about Item:

  • Material
    • Clothing
  • English
  • American

Informant Data:

  • Ian Sullivan is a 20 year old male student from Randolph, New Jersey in the United States. He grew up playing football, basketball, and tennis and began playing rugby when he arrived at Dartmouth 3 years ago, having never played or watched the sport before. Ian grew up in Ridgewood, NJ before moving to Randolph, and has American parents Kathleen Sullivan and Andrew Sullivan. Kathleen is from New York City and Andrew is from Chicago. Ian has played rugby for his three years in college and has taken to watching professional rugby.

Contextual Data:

  • Within the DRFC there are items of clothing called “bequests” that are handed down each year by the graduating senior to the younger players. Over time these bequests pick of a line of former owners all of who are supposed to be similar in one way or another. The bequests act as a link between past and present players and are a large part of the deep heritage and history of the club.

Item:

  • This jersey is an old school long-sleeve polo jersey from earlier Dartmouth years. With a classic large-striped design and a thick cotton material, it is reminiscent of old sport jerseys from when athletic wear was more rudimentary and focused less on boosting performance.  This jersey has been owned by Dartmouth players for at least ten years, as there are names ranging back to ’06. This is a jersey that has been worn in public as well as on Fashion Fridays, due to its good quality.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

15102107_612447122292361_1716789993_o

Transcript of Associated File:

  • N/A

Informant’s Comments:

  • The readable names on the collar include “Manzo ’07,” “Cohn ’09,” “DeChatt ’16,” and “Sullivan ’18” although there are at least three of four more.

Collector’s Comments:

  • N/A

Collector’s Name:

Ian Sullivan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Rugby
  • Dartmouth Rugby
  • Jersey
  • Bequest

Harassing The Freshman At The Bonfire

Title: Harassing The Freshman At The Bonfire

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore, Tradition
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data:

  • The informant was a male Sophomore at Dartmouth who has experienced the bonfire two times.  He has experienced it both as a freshman and as an upperclassman, which are two vastly different experiences.

Contextual Data:

  • As already collected, there is an annual ritual at Dartmouth for freshmen to run laps around the homecoming fire.  This practice is encouraged and is widely participated in.  The upperclassmen, though, also have a role in this ritual.  Most upperclassmen, at least during their sophomore year, revel for this opportunity to be on the other side of this ritual.  Enthusiasm seems to die out as the students grow older.

Item:

  • “During the ritual of the freshmen running around the fire, the upperclassmen gather around the barriers and attempt to confuse and harass the freshmen.  They try to confuse them by yelling things such as “Touch the fire!” or “You’re running in the wrong direction!”.  Some upperclassmen even participate in the running while harassing the freshman.  Apparently, back in the day, the harassing was much worse.  It has become tamer and laid back since then.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant said that he really enjoyed the tradition of running around the fire as a Freshman and was looking forward to being on the other side of it.  Surprisingly, though, he said it wasn’t really as fun as he anticipated and actually left before the end of the running.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I agree with the informant’s opinion.  The fire is a much bigger deal and much more fun as a Freshman.  I think it gets less interesting as you get older at Dartmouth, but I think the tradition remains because upperclassmen feel some sort of obligation to attend.

Collector’s Name: Devan Birch

Tags/Keywords:

  • Customary Folklore, tradition, homecoming, freshman

Touching The Homecoming Fire

Title: Touching The Homecoming Fire

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore, Tradition
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data:

  • The informant was an anonymous male Dartmouth Junior who has actually participated in this ritual. Age: 20.  He is one of the very few people on campus that participated in the ritual during their freshman year.

Contextual Data:

  • As already collected, there is an annual ritual at Dartmouth for freshmen to run laps around the homecoming fire.  This practice is encouraged and is widely participated in.  This ritual, though, is rare and does not happen often.  Maybe 1 or 2 freshmen a year participate in it.  It is not necessarily encouraged, but more so accepted.  It is encouraged somewhat throughout the freshman class alone in an attempt to have a member participate in it.  But, the administration and security take steps to attempt to discourage this ritual greatly.

Item:

  • “Every year before the homecoming fire, upperclassmen constantly tell the freshmen to touch the fire.  They claim that somebody has done it every year.  They attempt to scare the freshmen by telling them that they will be the ‘worst class ever’ if nobody does it.  Obviously, nobody wants to be the worst class ever.  So it ends up happening every year as 1 or 2 people end up taking it into their own hands to touch the fire.  Touching the fire usually ends up in some sort of arrest or punishment, since you have to dodge SNS and Hanover Police officers to even get close to the fire.  But it’s always worth it because you can always say that you’re the one that touched the fire.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant was actually arrested for doing this.  He says he does not regret participating in this ritual.  In fact, he was proud of it.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found it interesting that people actually get arrested for this.  It seems also that they know that is a possibility going into it.  For a tradition with such harsh punishment, it is surprising that it has lived on.

Collector’s Name: Devan Birch

Tags/Keywords:

  • Customary Folklore, tradition, homecoming, freshman

Running Laps Around the Homecoming Fire

Title: Running Laps Around the Homecoming Fire

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore, Tradition
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data:

  • Anonymous Male Dartmouth student in the Class of 2020.  Age: 19.  He is a part of the grade that just participated in this ritual within the past month.

Contextual Data:

  • Annual ritual at Homecoming that all Dartmouth Freshmen are encouraged to participate in.  The origins of this ritual are uncertain.  An experience that is almost a rite of passage for a Dartmouth student.  This is sort of seen as the last transition into becoming a full member of the Dartmouth community.  The ritual takes place at the location of the Bonfire, which is a Dartmouth tradition to build every year on the Green, which is the large open field in the center of town.

Item:

  • “Every year at the Homecoming fire, there is a circular section cordoned off for Dartmouth freshmen to run laps around the fire.  Tradition says that students are supposed to run 100 laps plus whatever their class year is.  For example, the class of 2020 should theoretically run 120 laps.  Overtime, this tradition has evolved into running as many laps as your class year.  So instead of 120, the class of 2020 would run only 20 laps.  Upperclassmen and Alumni are congregated around the fire outside of the cordoned off area while yelling and cheering the freshmen on.  This tradition is open to anyone, but it is primarily practiced by only freshmen.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • He was interested in knowing the origins and evolutions of the tradition.  He felt that it was interesting that the history of the tradition is never really explained to the Freshmen, they are just expected to participate in the tradition because every one else does.

Collector’s Comments:

  • Informant brought up a very intriguing point regarding the unknown history surrounding this tradition.  As a Dartmouth Senior, I couldn’t even lead him in a direction to find out that history.  It’s interesting that for such a common, well known, and heavily participated in tradition that no one really knows the origins behind it.

Collector’s Name: Devan Birch

Tags/Keywords:

  • Customary Folklore, Tradition, Freshmen, Homecoming

Violating the Greek Ban

Title: Violating the Greek Ban

General Information: 

  • Verbal: Legend
  • Customary: Superstition
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data: 

James Goldszer was born in Rye, New York on October 22, 1994. He is a 21-year-old male and currently a senior at Dartmouth College. He is an executive member of a Greek organization on campus and currently resides within that fraternity. As a freshman, he had a broad and diverse social network on campus, and thus often participated in gossip regarding freshman activities.

Contextual Data:

During his freshman year at Dartmouth College, the informant and the rest of his class was not allowed to enter any Greek house on campus until after the 6th weekend of the fall. Should a student enter the Greek house, engage in drinking alcohol and be caught, he or she would be punished. This punishment would disable the student from being able to enter Greek houses for a suspended amount of time. Sometimes, if the punishment is bad enough, the student can be banned from entering a Greek house for up to a year – often times disabling the student from becoming a member of a Greek house. This type of verbal lore is well known amongst the students of Dartmouth College. Houses refuse to let freshman in before the freshmen ban is uplifted, as they would also get in trouble. Violating the fraternity ban is a type of verbal lore that students fear.

Item/Transcript:  

“My freshman year was the first year that the six week frat ban for freshmen was implemented. I remember one kid who I am still friends with today. His whole sports team allowed the freshman class into his fraternity. It was supposed to be kept very quiet, but Safety and Security did come, and everyone made it out, did not get caught except for this one guy and I’m not sure what the ramifications were for the fraternity, but he was technically not allowed to rush sophomore year like most people do. He still went through the rushing motions that year but wasn’t technically a part of his fraternity until his junior year and I have a brother who is a freshman now and I know that resemblances of this story are passed around and that’s why you don’t see people trying to violate the frat band, just because of stories like that existing.”

Associated File:

James Goldszer Video Interview 

Informant’s Comments: 

The informant felt that this legend was extremely prevalent in the lives of Dartmouth students. The informant was persistent in noting that not only does this superstition live amongst freshmen, but also amongst seniors living in Greek houses who are scared of getting in trouble.

Collector’s Comments: 

This is a very popular legend amongst Dartmouth students. It is one that will exist for ages. The ability of this lore to impact the lives of so many proves it to be prevalent.

Collector’s Name: John McCormick

Tags/Keywords: 

Verbal Lore, Urban Legend; Customary Lore, Superstition

Unix text editors

Item:

Make sure you know how to exit your Unix text editor. 

General Information about Item:

  • Oral Folklore: joke or proverb
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data:

Aaron Svendsen is a CS Major in the Class of 2019 from Hopkinton, New Hampshire.

Contextual Data:

There are a variety of text editors in the Unix operating system and each text editor has a different way to exit. Students who are just starting out with the Unix operating system don’t often know this beforehand. If you can’t exit the text editor, you are stuck within the text editor and there is really nothing that you can do about the situation. You cannot work on something else while you have a file open in the text editor.

Transcript of Associated File:

Unix text editors

Informant’s Comments:

One funny joke or situation that goes around whenever new students like myself are using Unix is how to exit text editors. Every text editor has a different way to exit, and it is funny when you can’t figure it out. I first heard this joke during a CS 50 lecture. CS 50 is the introductory course at Dartmouth for the C programming language. Text editors are a crucial part of C programming and unlike regular Microsoft Word or other text editors, there is no immediately apparent way to exit. It is impossible to exit unless you know the keyboard command to do so. A funny situation is created when the students cannot get out of the text editor and back to their other work. Sometimes the student will also press the incorrect command which may cause some other unintended effects. 

Collector’s Comments:

This could be classified as a joke, because it is poking fun at students without experience in Unix operating systems and text editors. It could also be considered a proverb because it can easily be reworded to express the fact that you should always know how to exit your text editor to avoid getting stuck. 

Collector’s Name: Weiliang (Michael) Li

Tags/Keywords:

  • unix, text, editor, students, programmer, novice, cs50