Title: Babies Making Babies

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Ritual, Tradition

• English

• USA

• Informant Data:
  • Tara Joshi ’18
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
  • Joined Dodecs Freshman Fall
  • Current President

Contextual Data:

• Social Context

All of the sophomores and new members of the team participate in this ritual. It happens towards the end of the fall term, very early in the morning. The ritual ends at a house with a kitchen where the sophomores can make the new members breakfast. This ritual has been happening for many years and the informant cannot remember its origin.

• Cultural Context

This experience acts as the passing off of the torch from the Sophomores to the Freshman as they come to an end of their first term in the Dodecaphonics. This tradition between the sophomores and new members helps to create a strong bond between the two classes, and once again helps the new members feel included and special. This reflects the inclusive culture of the Dodecaphonics.

Item:

At the end of the fall term, the sophomores will create a fun and silly scavenger hunt for the new members. The new members have to complete the scavenger hunt early in the morning and the hunt usually takes them all around campus. The hunt ends at a house or building with a kitchen and the sophomores then make the new members breakfast, and the sophomores and new members spend time together. The tradition is called “Babies making Babies”.

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

Babies Making Babies

Informant’s Comments:

This is a very sweet and beautiful moment for the Dodecaphonics babies and really makes them feel special and welcome. 

Collector’s Comments:

This seems like a very cool tradition that’s incredibly intimate and really demonstrates how the babies are transitioning into “full” members of the group.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

• Singing
• acapella
• Food
• Scavenger hunt
• bonding
• Team