Category Archives: Other

Keystone Baptism Meme

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Title: Keystone Baptism Meme

General Information about item:

  • Material and Verbal: Joke
  • English
  • USA

Informant Data:

  • Daniela Armas was born on July 1st, 1998.  She is a religion major in the Dartmouth class of 2020.  She is 19 years and she is from Miami Florida.  Daniela is of Cuban descent, and her background is strongly influenced by Latino Culture.  She is Catholic, and her family is strongly religious.  Daniela writes for the Jack-O-Lantern and enjoys the outdoors during the summer.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context:
    • The data was collected during a one on one interview in the hop while over lunch.  Daniela explained that in the Catholic faith children are baptized at a very young age.  This sort of initiation rite represents the child being inducted into the faith.  Daniela explained that she made the meme on her computer and how she formulated the meme using a popular meme format specific to Dartmouth (the whomst beginning).  Daniela then communicated that this meme was meant to be timely to the arriving of the freshman to Dartmouth college, and to make them feel welcome while entertaining the upper classmen.
  • Cultural Context:
    • At Dartmouth College many of the students drink almost exclusively a beer called Keystone Light.  This beer is known to be cheap and tasteless, and commonly not consumed by other parts of the nation.  When new students arrive at Dartmouth many are introduced to the beer by upperclassmen, and in doing so they become “baptized” into the Dartmouth Community.

Item:

whomst ready to baptize the ’21s tomorrow? 😩

Informant’s Comments:

  • Daniela was quick to note that everything associated in the process is completely voluntary and she herself had no part in it, she was merely communicating a cultural tradition at Dartmouth.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I personally greatly appreciate the depth in this meme, as it is essentially a piece of folklore comparing itself to a piece of customary religious folklore.  I also appreciate the imagery associated with the meme, as the freshman are the “babies” of the school, while the upperclassmen are already established.  Finally, the meme captures the caring spirit of the upperclassmen towards the freshman.  Just as the parent cares for the child in the meme, so too does the upperclassmen of Dartmouth guide and help the new classes.

Collector’s Name: Noah Sofio

Tags/Keywords: Dartmouth. Jokes. Verbal Lore.

 

Freshman Dorm Meme

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Title: Freshman Dorm Meme

General Information about item:

  • English
  • Material and Verbal: Joke
  • United States

Informant data:

  • Shawn Gayner is a Biology major in the Dartmouth 2020 class. She is 25 and originally from Meridian, Idaho. She is USMC veteran after serving for 5 years. She originally started making memes relating to the military while serving, and now solely makes Dartmouth memes.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context:
    • This meme and its information were collected during a one on one interview on the first floor of Berry Library at Dartmouth College. Shawn described how she made the meme on her computer and how it has spread through the Dartmouth community largely due to the Dartmouth Meme page on Facebook. This meme was intended for the Dartmouth community.
  • Cultural Context:
    • The context of this particular meme reflects the fact that the informant and many people in the Dartmouth community don’t always agree with the administration on how money is spent. It does this by showing a large extravagant party held by the Board of Trustees, while also discussing the lack of dormitory options for freshman and issues of financial aid.

Item: 

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant discussed how she made this meme with the intention of bringing attention to these issues. She commented on how she feels powerless in changing the way that the administration spends money, but that by creating the meme, she could at least bring it to the attention of more people. She was not criticizing the school for no reason, she was doing it to try and make the school even better.

Collector’s Comments:

  • This meme is less funny than some of the other memes we collected, but it is very relevant. It brings issues to light, but does so in a playful way that is easily spread through campus. Shawn was a perfect informant, she was able to very easily explain her idea for the meme as well as explain why it is important.

Collector’s Name: Michael Thurston

Keywords: Dartmouth. Financial Aid. Freshman.

New GroupMe Groups

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New GroupMe Groups

Title: New GroupMe Groups

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: On-campus team members are involved in the new GroupMe. However, off-campus members and alumni continue to remain involved through other GroupMe chats. Ujima leaders create a new GroupMe at the beginning of every term. Alexis created this tradition began last year.
  • Cultural Context: Ujima’s culture is heavily oriented towards open communication and mentorship. By creating a GroupMe exclusive to on-campus members, Ujima not only creates a new channel for members to bond outside of practice, but also encourages younger members to ask older members with any assistance they may need.

Item:

Ujima uses the app GroupMe to communicate through group chats. Each term, Ujima leaders create a new GroupMe exclusive to the team members that are on campus. They retain other group chats for the entire team and alumni.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

“I would actually say another one of our traditions is always having to remake a GroupMe. Because we’re really big on making sure that everybody who’s actually on campus during any given term is actually in a GroupMe together. And then, there’s a separate one that also includes Ujima members who are off or have taken time off, and even some alums who are in the area or things like that. But I think that there’s something very special about having that separate GroupMe that always includes just the people who are on campus because, in my opinion, that’s really where the familial aspect of Ujima comes through during a term. It’s because it’s like very concrete—these are the people who are on campus for you to actually utilize in whatever capacity that it would need to be. That’s something that wasn’t originally being done when I first joined Ujima. We weren’t, I would say, as close outside of dance because I don’t believe that the channels were really there to access people unless you did something like show up to practice. So I would say it’s kind of a new tradition is making sure that everybody is actually accessible in some communicative way.”

Informant’s Comments:

Although creating a new GroupMe every term is a very young tradition, members are likely to sustain it in the future.

Collector’s Comments:

Many extracurricular groups, Greek houses, and societies at Dartmouth create new GroupMe chats on a yearly basis. By creating a new chat every term, Ujima ensures that its members are only included in necessary discussions.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed By: Shinar Jain

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tradition
  • Dance
  • Team

Team Contract

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Team Contract

Title: Team Contract

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Customary Folklore: Rituals, 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.

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 team contract drafting process. This ritual occurs at the beginning of every year, during fall term. The ritual originated approximately five years ago, and Alexis and Raegina first learned of it when they participated during their freshman fall.
  • Cultural Context: Much like other groups on campus, Ujima places an emphasis on sportsmanship and good individual behavior. Ujima members all work together to create a team contract that reflects their values as an organization. Furthermore, Ujima utilizes the contract drafting process as an avenue for open communication, which establishes the deep connections that Ujima hopes to build.

Item:

Every year, Ujima drafts a contract that lays out expectations for individual and team behavior. The entire team is involved in the drafting process, which is often used as an opportunity to resolve conflict and encourage dialogue amongst team members.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

Alexis: “One thing I can think of that is definitely around now that wasn’t around when I joined are Ujima Contracts, which kind of just essentially delineate expectations and consequences when you don’t meet those expectations. We established that because we felt like if we were going to be a family, then we also had a duty to practice holding each other accountable. We weren’t about to just let people out here slide just because we all love each other, which I think was a real aspect of actual bonding. Even having the courage to really call somebody out and be like, ‘No, no, that just wasn’t right,’ or ‘No, you might have done this wrong,’ or ‘No, you’re not contributing to a positive group dynamic in the way that you might hope,’ is something that’s definitely new but something I think has paid off very, very, very well.”

Raegina: “By actually enforcing the contract that we have everyone sign, it definitely has made us more put-together in terms of shows and things like that. Everyone has been more of a unit rather than just like, ‘Oh, I dance and I do this.’ But everyone’s a lot more serious and I think that has helped us become more of a presence on campus.”

Informant’s Comments:

Although Ujima’s team contracts did not originate at the group’s founding, members recognized the need for a code of conduct and created a tradition to implement one every year.

Collector’s Comments:

Ujima’s contract drafting ritual is extremely unique in comparison to other Dartmouth groups. By emphasizing direct communication and conflict resolution, Ujima gives its members the opportunity to build deeper, familial relationships.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed By: Shinar Jain

Tags/Keywords:

  • Ritual
  • Tradition
  • Dance
  • Team

Superstition #14

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Title: Cleansing with Salt

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre
    • Customary Folklore: Rituals, Traditions
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: Japan

Informant Data:

Emi is a freshman (’21) at Dartmouth College. Her father is Japanese and her mother is Thai. She is an international student from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. She identifies herself as more culturally Thai, having grown up there, but still considers being Japanese to be an important part of her identity. She is fluent in Thai and is learning Japanese at Dartmouth.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Emi learned about this superstition/practice by observing her father do it while growing up.
  • Cultural Context: Emi’s father is a Japanese emigrant who settled in Thailand, bringing his cultural beliefs and superstitions with him. It appears that this particular superstition is symbolic.

Item:

  • Preventing Bad Luck: Throw salt unto oneself to ward off malevolent spirits when you return home from a funeral.

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

 

Transcript of Associated File:

Informant: “When my dad comes [back home] from funerals we always have to prepare a packet of salt or a mound of salt outside the door for him and what he does is he takes that salt and sprinkles it on his shoulders or over his shoulders because he’s getting rid of the bad spirits. When you go to a funeral and you come back home the spirit might follow you and by just throwing the salt on your body you’re telling the spirit not to come in. So yeah, that’s what he always does with funerals and stuff.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • Emi notes that this is something her dad regularly practices and is more a Japanese superstition than Thai. Post-interview she also notes that salt has cleansing or “pure” properties to it.

Collector’s Comments:

  • This seems like another symbolic superstition. Salt seems like a logical choice as it is white, which many might associate with purity, and because it has historically been used as a preservative to keep food from rotting, particularly with meats.

Collector’s Name: Natt Chan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition/Bad Luck/Japan/Salt/Spirits

Baby Names

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Baby Names

Title: Baby Names

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.

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 receives a Baby Name. This tradition occurs after each member’s first term in Ujima. Naming new members originated at the group’s founding, and Alexis and Raegina first learned of it during their freshman fall. Both informants received baby names.
  • Cultural Context: Many performing groups and sports teams on campus give their new members nicknames. In line with Dartmouth’s culture, Ujima names their “babies” to finalize their initiation into the group. Doing so also reflects the value they place on inclusivity and increases group closeness by solidifying the new members’ identity on the team.

Item:

Each new members receives a “Baby Name” or nickname from the team after their first term on Ujima. Baby names are based off the new member’s personality.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

Alexis: “The current members who I joined Ujima with, we all got our own baby names. And everybody else who had come before us also had names as well. My baby name is Dr. Sass, so it’s a reflection of who I am as a person and also then how that person shines through when I dance.”

Raegina: “Every dance group likes to give names to their new babies, but we do ours after a term because I think that’s when you really get first impressions. And they just stick with a person throughout their years. With Ujima, my name is Little Dynamite because I’m small but mighty, very powerful. So when I got my name my freshman fall, it really just made me really happy and just know that we had a lot of people who really put thought into our names and just actually care. And they really fit us.”

Informant’s Comments:

Despite having little say in the naming process, new members tend to enjoy their names as a reflection of themselves and their identity. The naming process is a symbolic solidification of their membership.

Collector’s Comments:

Unlike other dance groups, Ujima gives their new members names after getting to know them. This difference not only opens avenues for bonding, but also helps new members feel valued and understood by their teammates.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed By: Shinar Jain

Tags/Keywords:

  • Tradition
  • Dance
  • Team

Superstition #13

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Title: Eating with Chopsticks

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre
    • Customary Folklore: Superstitions, Traditions
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: Japan

Informant Data:

Lauren is a freshman (’21) at Dartmouth College. Her father is American and her mother is Japanese. She has family in both New York and Tokyo and resides in the latter. She is fluent in Japanese and was born and raised in Japan.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Lauren learned these superstitions from her elders in Japan growing up.
  • Cultural Context: These “bad luck” superstitions center around thematic ideas about death and are largely derived from symbolism.

Item:

  • Bad Luck: With regards to chopsticks, it is bad luck to stick your pair of chopsticks directly upright into your food, particularly if it is rice.
  • Bad luck: It is also improper to pass food between people from chopstick to chopstick.

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

Transcript of Associated File:

Informer: “First they are all related to chopsticks and the usage of chopsticks in Japan. Basically, if you’re eating, you’re not allowed to stick your chopsticks directly into your food, usually it’s rice. But it’s not allowed to stand upright because it’s reminiscent of the incense we use to honor the dead. So if you do that, it’s like you’re going to go to hell or something like that. And the second one, you’re not allowed to pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks because at funerals, you pass around the bones of the deceased from chopsticks to chopsticks. So it’s all related to death.”

 

Informant’s Comments:

  • Lauren says that both these practices deal a great amount with symbolism and similarity. These practices emulate actual traditional rituals and practice that deal with death.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I noticed that these superstitions were not only based on symbolism, but also exhibited Japanese belief in homeopathic magic, as defined by James Frazer.

Collector’s Name: Natt Chan

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition/Bad Luck/Japan/Chopsticks

Fort Lou’s

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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):

Fort Lou’s

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

Dodecafun

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Title: Dodecafun

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

Current members of the Dodecaphonics and sometimes members of other acapella or other performance groups and alumni or graduated members of the Dodecaphonics participate in these events. There is no specific time or place for these events. One event that occurs every year is the first one of the year which focuses on the new members. There is also an Alumni Dodecafun during homecoming weekend.

  • Cultural Context

Every time the group has a social event, they include the name of their group in the name of their event, representing the pride the group has in itself. Furthermore, the first Dodecafun of the year in which the new members are showcased represents the group’s efforts to make the new members feel included and special. The alumni Dodecafun in which Alumni and the new members get to meet each other and alumni get to sing represents the group’s efforts to create long lasting connections not only amongst current members of the group but throughout different classes of members. This represents the group’s very inclusive culture and close relationships.

Item:

Any time the Dodecaphonics have a social event they call it a Dodecafun. There are many different kinds of social events that they have, but two happen every year. The first is the first Dodecafun of the year. At this event the new members sing the songs with which they auditioned and showcase their skills. The second is the Alumni Dodecafun which occurs during homecoming weekend. Many alumni return and are able to meet the new members, hear them sing, and alumni sing the songs that they auditioned with years ago.

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

 Dodecafun

Transcript

“Every social event we do is called a Dodecafun, even if it’s with another group. Like if we do an event with the Aires, it’d be the Dodec-Aire-fun. Or with the Subs it’d be the Subs-decafun. At the first Dodecafun, each baby sings their first solo or their audition piece. And at the homecoming Dodecafun, the alumni from the past years will come and meet the babies and realize the legacy they left behind….and now you have these people in the real world singing what they sang freshman year.”

Informant’s Comments:

This is a great way to see the group’s history and for the alumni to see the legacy they left behind. The informant believes it is really nice to see the alumni reconnect with the group after so long and remember what it was like to be in college.

Collector’s Comments:

It’s always a great to meet Dartmouth alums and hear about their stories, but to meet an alum for a more intimate group like the Dodecs must be even better, especially given that they share their first audition pieces with you.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Reid

Compiled/Analyzed by: Alex Chan/Sruthi Pasupuleti

Tags/Keywords:

  • Singing
  • acapella
  • Alumni
  • Auditions
  • Team
  • Bonding

Babies Making Babies

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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

Transcript

“The sophomores will have the freshman do this scavenger hunt, and by the end, [the new members] will find their way early in the morning to a house in a kitchen where the sophomores will make breakfast for the freshman, and we call it 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