Title: Fort Lou’s
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 members of the Dodecaphonics participate in this event, including the new members. This event occurs in the fall term at night after new members have been chosen. The informant does not remember when this tradition began but it has been happening for many years (before the informant joined the team).
- Cultural Context
Many groups often bond with each other through hardships and other activities. By being kidnapped and taken away from campus for a fun night, the new members of the group will always have that memory to share and cherish. They can also bond with each other by trying to accomplish tasks such as the jelly straw pods. By doing an activity like this during the beginning of the term, the new members are immediately thrown into a group of tradition and are able to bond with one another. This reflects the group’s efforts to create an inclusive and close knit culture.
Item:
After new members have been chosen, returning members will go to the new members rooms at night and “kidnap” them. The group will go to Fort Lou’s and order fried pickles, talk, and get to know each other. The new members also use straws to eat jelly pods. Whoever finishes first gets to pick from a list of baby tasks first, and whoever finishes last picks last.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript
“We kidnap our new freshman at midnight. We tell them to go to bed early so they should be in bed by then and then we take them to Fort Lou’s. We always get deep fried pickles. We also have this tradition at Fort Lou’s or whatever diner you’re at you have to have all the new members finish a jelly pod using a straw and it’s absolutely impossible, especially grape Jelly.
Informant’s Comments:
The informant thinks this is a very fun ritual because the group gets to know each other, and members remember the night they were “kidnapped” even when they are much older. It is also very funny to watch the new members eat jelly pods with straws because it is very difficult to do.
Collector’s Comments:
Although the task of the jelly pods is difficult to complete, it’s never about actually completing the task. It’s more so just about the attempt and the memories associated with it.
Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid
Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti
Tags/Keywords:
- Singing
- acapella
- Kidnapping
- Fort Lou’s
- Jelly