Title: The D

General Information About Item:

• Tradition,  Conversion Superstition
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Megan Cornell
• Date Collected: 11/9/19

Informant Data:

• Megan Cornell was born in Bloomington Minnesota where she grew up. She went to high school at Benilde St. Marget and then came out to New Hampshire to attend school and play hockey. She is a ’21 and is majoring in government.

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: The D is in the middle of our locker room on the ground. It is not to be step on or touch by oneself or anything and if it is someone is required to get on their knees and kiss it.
• Social Context: This superstition allows us to feel safe if something were to happen to the D but also allows us to respect the D, which is a symbol of our team.

Item:

• The D is the Dartmouth logo D and is placed in the center of our locker room. We as a team have many superstitions but this one is very important because the D represents our team, untouchable and if someone were to touch it the team goes crazy until someone kisses it. This superstition allows the team to have a way to get out of it if the D were to be touched, If A then B UNLESS C, so we have a sense of safety when it comes to this tradition.

Transcript:

• “Our logo embodies the values that we hold as a team. By respecting the logo we acknowledge the years of tradition that built the program to be what it is today. It reminds us that we’re playing for something greater than ourselves. Personally, I think our rule to not step on the D is a sign of respect for the program and a reminder of how lucky we are to have the opportunity be a part of this team.”

Informant’s Comments:

• The D represents our team and program and not stepping on it shows our respect.

Collector’s Comments:

• I think this superstition is very simple but very important because if anything were to touch the D someone would immediately need to kiss it otherwise we would risk playing bad in our following games.

Collector’s Name: CC Bowlby

Tags/Keywords:

• The D
• Conversion Superstition
• Tradition

Title: The Excuser

General Information About Item:

• Ritual folklore, Superstition, Verbal Lore
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Catherine Trevors
• Date Collected: 11/8/19

Informant Data:

• Catherine Trevors is a freshman here at Dartmouth College in Hanover. She was born in Oakville, Ontario and grew up with an older brother and younger sister. She attended Appleby College for high school and played for The Etobicoke Dolphins. 

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: Catherine Trevors was bequeathed this job from a Sophmore Lotti Odnoga, who had this job when she was a freshman. It is passed down to a new freshman every year by the choice of the person who had it previously. It is an important and funny tradition to make sure the team is on the same page prior to game time and puts a freshman on the spot.
• Social Context: Although Trevors wasn’t too pleased to receive this job in the beginning, she has learned to enjoy it. She learned it has been a tradition for many years and learned to grow in her public speaking skills, while also getting more comfortable with the team.

Item:

•  At any pre-game meal, either on a road trip, a home game or even breakfast game day morning, Catherine is required to ask our head coach if we are allowed to “be excused”. The coach will answer if she says no we will continue to eat and chat but if she says yes, Catherine is then required to inform the team as a whole. She states, where we have to be next and when and any other person on the team is allowed to ask her questions.

Transcript:

• “The job of the “excused” has been passed down to me from Lotti.  For this job, I have to ask the coaching staff if we can be excused from the pre-game meal. This job has helped me gain confidence in talking in front of my team, and made me feel like I have a role in traditions.”

Informant’s Comments:

• This ritual allows the team to be on the same page prior to game time.

Collector’s Comments:

• As a freshman too, I was pleased to see Catherine receive this job because she is outgoing and funny so this allowed her to shine and let loose a little bit before the game. I feel this tradition really shows how respectable our team is and shows other people eating around us during meals that we are mature and grown.

Collector’s name: CC Bowlby

Tags/Keywords:

• The Excuser
• Superstition
• Ritual