Category Archives: Other

You Want Fries With That?

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Title: You Want Fries With That?

General Information About this Item:

  • Greeting, Gesture or Tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant Number: 12
  • Date Collected: 2/23/18

Informant Data:

  • High level manager within DDS. Has been at Dartmouth for nearly 40 years and has worked with the areas today known as the Hop, Collis Cafe, and 53’ Commons.

Contextual Data:

  • Tradition, Greeting, or Gesture that started in the early 1990s during the informants time here at Dartmouth.  Secondary Lore here, as the item came from a former member of the Hop workforce named Nick and also nicknames “The Happy Hop Guy.”

Item:

  • This is Verbal Folklore and a greeting or gesture.  Could also be categorized as a tradition.  Whenever kids would order their food at the Hop, Nick would ask them, “You Want Fries With That?”  The students loved Nick and whenever they saw him they would smile and ask him, “You want fries with that?”  It was a playful gesture that was used by many students for the entirety that Nick worked at the Hop.

Transcript:

“Nick was well loved by the students here back in the 90s.  He used to say ‘You want fries with that?’ to each person he checked out…Eventually all the students started saying it back to him and it became a greeting in a sense.”

Informant’s Comments:

Everybody loved Nick and by asking him if he wanted fries with that? It was a way for the students and nick to bond and to come together.

Collector’s Comments:

  • Clear example of Verbal Lore
  • A gesture or greeting that was used over a period of time between Dartmouth Students
  • We could call this a Dartmouth Hop Greeting

Collector’s Name: C. Ross Wood

Tags/Keywords:

  • Getting, Gesture, or Tradition
  • Verbal Folklore
  • DDS

The Jersey Tuck

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Title: The Jersey Tuck

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Lore, Ritual
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Canada
  • Informant: Christina Rombaut
  • Date Collected: 2-22-18

Informant Data:

  • Christina Rombaut is currently a sophomore on the varsity women’s ice hockey team. She is a biology major and was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. She started skating when she was three and started playing hockey when she was five. She has two older brothers, 21 and 22,  and they are the reason why Christina started to play hockey.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: While Christina grew up playing hockey her whole life, she never sported the ‘full tuck’ style (tucking her hockey jersey in her pants). She feels a bond with each of the girls in the different classes that all share this fun “secret” between one another.
  • Social Context: Christina first learned about this folklore during the Thursday night practice before her first game freshman year. The three older girls in each class who were a part of this ritual sat her down and told her about this bequested ritual. She would be the girl in the 20’s class that would do full-jersey tuck for pre-game skate. She was very excited to do this but thought it was pretty odd at first because it’s very uncommon and considered “bad style”. But, she enjoyed being part of a small group on the team, which the rest of the team knew nothing about.

Item: 

  • There is a pre-game skate for every Friday’s game and in this pregame skate, every player only wears sweatpants and a jersey. Christina is a girl from the sophomore class that tucks in her jersey all the way into her sweatpants because it was bequested to her. It looks terrible but when people ask you about it they can’t tell them that it’s a ritual. Only the people in the group know about it. There are only four players that do this ritual–one person from each class. A freshman is added each year to the group and the people in the group get to decide who joins among next year’s freshmen.

Christina Rombaut, sporting her full jersey tuck before pre-game skate

Transcript:

  • “This ritual is important to me because creates a bond between teammates and also adds fun to our pregame skates. People always chirp us for wearing our jersey fully tuck but it’s always good to have a laugh with those in the group cause we all know we look dumb but important to hold the tradition”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The jersey tuck is not an attractive look, but a fun tradition within the Dartmouth hockey program

Collector’s Comments:

  • I find this as a particularly special tradition because of the secretive significance. The bond between the four players seems to be something that they are able to have between each other without anyone else particularly aware. It is captivating seeing a psychical expression of something that is more internally motivating.

Collector’s Name: Brooke Ahbe

Tags/Keywords:

  • Customary Lore
  • Ritual
  • Jersey Tuck

Hot Cross Buns

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Title: Hot Cross Buns

General Information:

  • Verbal lore: song
  • English
  • American
  • Children
  • Rhyme

Informant data:

  • Mariel Gordon is freshman at dartmouth, graduating in 2021. She was born and raised in Dallas Texas. She attended a public high school in Plano Texas. Mariel plays soccer at Dartmouth and has played her entire life. When Mariel told me this piece of folklore she was happy to retell the story. Mariel has one older brother who also was told this nursery rhyme by their parents. Mariel is interested in film and learning more about directing film as well as sociology.

Contextual Context:

  • Social Context:
    • I collected thing nursery rhyme in the library during on a Thursday and there was not a lot of people there so Mariel was very open with her sharing. The last time Mariel heard this nursery rhyme was about 5 years, when she was around 12. Her mom and her dad always sang to her Hot Cross Buns before eating breakfast on most Sundays.  She would eat pancakes and eggs on Sunday’s when she would sing this nursery rhyme. The only thing that really connected her to this nursery rhyme was the breakfast that came with it. She shared this nursery rhyme with her brother and her little cousins. She also heard this nursery rhyme when she was learning to play the base in her middle school orchestra.This was the first song she completely learned how to play on the base.
  • Cultural Context:
    • The two different contexts to the song has given Mariel two different ways to view this Nursery rhyme. She originally remembered the song as a happy memory, but then when she heard the song in school and associated the song with learning the base she grew to dislike the sone. Different contexts can make people change their opinions on nursery rhymes.

Item: 

“Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns”

Informants opinion:

  • “I used to love this nursery rhyme as a child because it signified food, but as soon as I was forced to learn it and become good at laying this nursery rhyme on the base I hated it. It became a chore”

Collectors comments:

  • It is important to recognize the shift in opinion of the rhyme. Rhymes are not always beloved songs children here. People hear them all the time and become over absorbed in them and learn to dislike them. It was unfortunate that a childhood memory got ruined but another bad memory.

Collected by Avery Schuldt

 

 

 

 

Collected by Avery Schuldt

Christkind

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Title: Christkind

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Legend
  • German
  • Germany

Informant Data:

  • Alex is a Dartmouth 20 who grew up in the United States, however both of his parents lived most of their lives in Germany.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Almost everyone who celebrates Christmas has a Christmas story that they believe in. These are typically told to children around the holiday times in order to create a festive mood and make everyone excited for Christmas. As the kids grow up, they begin to lose their belief in these legends because they start to realize that there parents were the source of the gifts.       However these legends remain a large source of the classic Christmas symbols and festive decorations for all ages even though the legends are no longer believed to be true.
  • Cultural Context: The “Father Christmas” figure varies greatly between different cultures – changing primarily due to religious and geographical differences. In the United States it is typically Santa, though people from other cultures who have parents from other cultures may also believe in a different legend.

Item:

  • Alex also has a Christmas legend of the Christkind which he shared. This is a little child that delivers presents to children around the holidays. It was primarily a religious figure that brings gifts to families and kids.

Collector’s Comments:

  • The Christkind is a little child that brings presents to children in Germany and other European countries like Austria. It is derived from a religious figure and can find its roots from “little Jesus.” It is interesting to note that there are three multiple figures recognized by some cultures. They believe in the Christkind, Belsnickel, Krampus and St. Nicholas in some parts of Europe.

Collector’s Name: Alec Vaules

Tags/Keywords:

  • Christmas, Christkind, Tradition, Legend

Winter Tour Group Discussion

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Title: Winter Tour Group Discussion

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 who participate in the winter break tour, participate in this ritual. All members are encouraged to go on the tour and every year almost every member goes. This ritual happens on one night of the tour and began 2 years ago. A previous President, Emma PeConga, created the ritual and it has stuck. The informant first participated in the ritual when it started two years ago.

  • Cultural Context

Giving each member of the group 15 minutes to talk about anything they want, and share their feelings helps group members get to know each other on a deeper level. This reflects the culture of the Dodecaphonics greatly. The Dodecaphonics think of themselves almost as a second family, and this ritual helps to strengthen the familial bonds that exist on the team.

Item:

Every winter break, the Dodecaphonics go on a tour and sing in different places. The tour lasts for 10 days. During the tour, group members become much closer as they spend all of their time together. One night of the tour, all of the group members sit in a room together. One by one, each person has 15 minutes to talk about whatever they want, and anything said is confidential.

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

Winter Tour Group Discussion 

Transcript

“I think one thing since I joined the group, we started doing was over Tours — we do a tour over every Winter break and its the time where we really get to each other, especially with the new members because we’re spending every day together for like 10 days. And I think we started doing about 2 years ago, one night sitting in a room together all of us. We go around, everyone gets 15 minutes to talk about whatever they want. And it’s just a really nice time to trust each other and have complete honesty. Everything in that space is completely confidential, and you learn so much about people and how they think and what they want to do in the world, and it’s a really really cool experience. It’s one of my favorite things that we’ve introduced as a group. I think it was our president, Emma PeConga at the time who introduced it [2 years ago].”

Informant’s Comments:

According to the informant, this is an incredibly special time for the Dodecaphonics. The stories that are shared really give people a better view of one another and is a great time for the group to bond as a family.

Collector’s Comments:

Moments like these, sharing your thoughts and feelings to a group of people, are almost always incredibly powerful and require a great amount of trust in each other. I can definitely see this time as one where the members of the group can discuss topics beyond anything superficial, and as a result, the group will become very close.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

  • Singing
  • Acapella
  • Discussion
  • Tour
  • Team
  • Bonding

Wake Ups

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Title: Wake Ups

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 group are present for this ritual. New members are surprised in their rooms. This ritual occurs in the beginning of fall term after new members have been selected, once a year. The informant first experienced this ritual when she was chosen as a new member for the group.

  • Cultural Context

The commitment to waking each member up at 6 am speaks volumes to the dedication people in the group have to one another. In addition their choice of the Twilight song demonstrates the group’s dedication to Dartmouth as well. The entire group partakes in this ritual and it happens  at each new member’s dorm. The effort the group puts into making new members feel welcomed and special reinforces the inclusive and close knit group culture the team has. Moreover, the group is a very old performance group at Dartmouth and tries to create a culture which respects the history of the group. The choice of singing a traditional Dartmouth song helps to reinforce this emphasis on history.

Item:

During auditions, potential new members fill out information sheets which include a question about where they live. Once new members are chosen, the team goes to each new members room (using the information from the sheets), barge in, and sing the Twilight Song (a traditional Dartmouth song). This ritual occurs at 6 AM and surprises the new members who are usually still half asleep, and very confused. After, the group takes a lot of pictures with the new member.

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

Wake Ups

Transcript

“When you get into the group, the entire group wakes you up, like the morning after auditions. So we find out your room number from the sheet you have to fill out at auditions. And then we break into your room at 6 am and sing ‘Twilight Song’, which is a Dartmouth traditional that’s very special to us. People are usually extremely stunned and groggy — its hilarious. And we take a lot of pictures. That’s kind of like your first introduction into the group. I remember being a freshman and seeing all these people singing Twilight song, and I was so excited. And it was 6 am and my roommate was like what the hell is going on — it was the best.”

Informant’s Comments:

The informant regards the wake ups as an incredibly sweet moment to introduce the new members into the group.

Collector’s Comments:

I think it’s cool how they always sing Twilight song to their new members. The fact that they use the same song each time makes this a more special tradition when they could easily sing any other song that’s popular at the time.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

  • Team
  • Acapella
  • Wake Ups
  • Initiaion
  • Dartmouth Traditions

“Dodecs, Rah Rah!”- Huddle

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Title: “Dodecs, Rah Rah!” – Huddle

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 group participate in this ritual. Even if a member is not participating in the performance, if they are present they will participate. This ritual occurs before every performance the group has. The informant does not know exactly when this ritual began, but believes it has been occurring for a very, very long time (from before she joined the team). She first experienced this ritual her first performance with the group.

  • Cultural Context

Before performances, the Dodecaphonics come together one final time as a group and prepare themselves together. The huddle with all group members reflects the inclusive culture the group has. It also reflects how close the members of the group are.

Item:

Before every performance, group members will get in a circle or huddle. One person will get in the middle of the huddle on their knees. All group members will put one hand in the center of the circle, on top of the head of the person in the middle. The President will give a speech to get the group excited and ready. The president will finish by saying Dodecs and everyone in the group will say Rah Rah!

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

Rah

Transcript

“The main thing we do before a show is called Rah, and it’s been around for as long as I can remember and probably way before that. Before every show, we will get in a circle and someone will be the person in the middle that kind of takes everyone’s hand on their head. So we put our hands in the middle and the president will give a little speech about what we’re about to do. And it’s kind of like a pep talk, hype kind of thing to get everyone in that performance space.

Informant’s Comments:

Tara says that this ritual has been around for a very long time and is their main pre-show ritual and will probably be around for as long as the Dodecaphonics is a group at Dartmouth. She believes the ritual helps the group get excited, hyped up, energized, and also focused for the performance.

Collector’s Comments:

As their main way to hype the group up before a show, the Rah is an incredibly important tradition for the Dodecs. It’s an important time to get everyone in the zone and to focus on their goal of giving an incredible performance.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

  • Singing
  • Acapella
  • Team
  • Huddle
  • Pre-Performance
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Hand Sign

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Hand Sign

Title: Hand Sign

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Customary Folklore: Tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country: United States of America

Informant Data:

Alexis Wyatt, aged 21, is a Director of Ujima who joined the group her freshman fall (2014). She is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minoring in Psychology. Alexis was born, raised, and currently lives in Akron, Ohio. Before Ujima, Alexis had two years of dance experience in high school with modern, contemporary, and lyrical dance.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: The entire team uses the Hand Sign. Ujima members will often pose with the hand sign at the end of a performance. This tradition originated at the group’s founding, and Alexis first learned of it when she performed during her freshman fall.
  • Cultural Context: Many dance groups have a hand symbol to act as an identifier for the team. Similarly, Ujima’s hand sign not only creates an image for the rest of campus to recognize them by, but also acts as a symbol of team membership within Ujima.

Item:

Ujima holds up two arms to form a “U” hand symbol pose to end their performances.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

“I think another unique thing that Ujima does is we have our hand gesture, which is essentially just a ‘U’ for Ujima. But I think that’s just kind of special because it also gives someone something to, kind of, represent, since obviously performances aren’t an everyday thing. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t out here doing great things.”

Informant’s Comments:

The hand gesture’s visible likeness to the team name, Ujima, is integral to its recognizability.

Collector’s Comments:

The hand sign also acts as a symbol of unity and thus establishes a stronger group identity on campus.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed By: Shinar Jain

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tradition
  • Dance
  • Team

Gummy Worm Ritual

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Gummy Worm Ritual

Title: Gummy Worm Rital

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Customary Folklore: Rituals, Tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country: United States of America

Informant Data:

Raegina Hill, aged 21, is a Director of Ujima who joined the group her freshman fall (2014). She is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Anthropology with a concentration in Biological Anthropology and minoring in Theater. Raegina was born, raised, and currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Before Ujima, Raegina had six years of dance experience with hip hop, theatrical dance, high stepping, and cheer.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: The entire team participates in the Gummy Worm Ritual. New members receive a gummy worm while old members look on. This ritual occurs at the beginning of every school year after new members are selected during auditions. The ritual originated at the group’s founding, and Raegina first learned of it when she participated during her freshman fall.
  • Cultural Context: Ujima is a fun dance group focused on creating a second family for their team members. This ritual is not only enjoyable for both groups, but also establishes loyalty between old members and new members. Many other groups on Dartmouth’s campus have initiation rituals to establish new bonds, and the Gummy Worm Ritual is reflective of that culture.

Item:

As part of their initiation into Ujima, new members are asked to close their eyes while a gummy worm is placed in their hand. Old members ask new members to eat the gummy worm in order to establish trust within the group.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

“So, we started a new tradition when we let members know that they’re in. We make them close their eyes and hold out their hand, and we place a gummy worm in their hand but they don’t know what it is and they start freaking out. And it’s really just like, ‘You should trust us. We’re never going to do anything that’s bad to you or make you feel uncomfortable,’ and they still freak out anyway even though it’s just a gummy worm. And when they finally eat it, it’s just like, ‘Why was I freaking out? You guys said that you weren’t going to make me feel uncomfortable.’ And it’s just really fun to watch.”

Informant’s Comments:

This ritual is a fun and safe initiation tool for young and old members alike.

Collector’s Comments:

This exercise is unique because it establishes trust in two directions. First, older members are able to test the younger members’ commitment and loyalty to the group. Second, new members begin to trust that older members will not let them down.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed By: Shinar Jain

Tags/Keywords:

  • Ritual
  • Tradition
  • Dance
  • Team

Asking for a Raise

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Title: Asking for a Raise

General Information about Item:

  • Joke
  • English
  • United States

Informant Data:

  • Jiachen Jiang is a ’20 at Dartmouth College studying Computer Science.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context

    • Jiachen encountered this joke on the internet, as it is one of the more popular jokes that does not require any deep understanding of computer science. This joke can be shared with anyone with the most rudimentary understanding of data structures in computer science, although experienced computer scientists would still find the joke funny.

  • Cultural Context

    • The joke depends only on knowledge of the “array,” one of the most basic computer science data structures that any student of computer science would encounter in her first introductory course. The joke plays on the pun between the word “arrays” and the phrase “a raise,” indicating that a programmer who does not “get” arrays—that is, she does not understand the function of the array or how to use them correctly—will not find a career in computer science. On the other hand, any worker who does not receive an expected pay increase might be expected to quit after some time. This joke relies on a pun basic enough that experienced and inexperienced programmers alike will be able to appreciate and share, which explains why it is one of the most popular computer science jokes we have encountered. See Use Pointers for a variation on this joke that requires a little more programming knowledge to fully understand.

Item:

Q: Why did the programmer quit his job?

A: Because he didn’t get arrays!

Transcript:

  • Stephanie: Could you state your name and background please?
  • Jiachen: Yes. My name is Jiachen Jiang, I am a ’20 and I am a Computer Science major at Dartmouth College.
  • Stephanie: Can you tell me your joke please?
  • Jiachen: Yes. So the joke starts off with why did the programmer quit his job? The answer is, because he didn’t get arrays!
  • Stephanie: Ahaha! Alright, and where did you hear this joke?
  • Jiachen: I found this joke when I was scrolling through the internet, as I often do here at this College.
  • Stephanie: Alright. And uh, lastly, why is this joke funny?
  • Jiachen: This is joke is funny to me because arrays are a type of very popular data structure within Computer Science, spelled a-r-r-a-y-s. But arrays also sounds like “a raise”, as in an increase in monetary amount earned in a job. So when the programmer didn’t get a raise, that meant that he did not understand a basic computer science… a basic computer science theory. However, that also means he didn’t get enough money in order to live a comfortable lifestyle.

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

 

Collector’s Name: Stephanie Guo

Tags/Keywords:

  • Joke. Arrays. Programming. Puns.