Genre: Customary, Tradition

Language: English

Country where Item is from: USA

Informant Data:

John Gilmore III ’17 is currently enrolled at Dartmouth College. John is from Dallas, TX. He started skating when he was four years old at the local ice rink in his hometown. He is an English major with a Creative Writing Concentration. He is a captain of the Dartmouth Figure Skating Club. He is also the events director for the Dartmouth Programming Board and writes for the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science.

Contextual Data:

John was introduced to this piece of folklore in the spring of his freshman year after nationals. He received a team wide email that outlined the trip and then he participated in this tradition the following week.

Item:

Cabin Camping is a yearly tradition for the Dartmouth Figure Skating Club. After its nationals competition, the team no longer has organized practice. As a result, the team is not able to spend as much time together. To reunite, the team rents out a cabin in the woods from Dartmouth College. They spend the night together, talking and recounting moments of the season. It is a way for the team to re-connected after not spending time together after nationals.

Audio File:

Transcription of Interview:

“Every year we go camping in the woods. Its a good way for the team to get back together because we don’t really see each other after the season ends. The ice melts and we don’t have practice. Its always a good time and we pull pranks on each other. Its one of the big bonding events of the year”

Informant’s Comments: “The ice melts” refers to the end of the season because the ice in the rink melts, ending the season.

Collector’s Comments: This specific cabin camping tradition seens very important to the team. Not only does it serve as a fun weekend of the team, but it seems as if many small inside jokes and nicknames come from the night spent in the cabin. The ’19s class’s nickname “Nims” comes from a joke told at cabin camping

Collectors: Samuel Lee, John Gilmore

Tags/Keywords:

• Figure Skating, Cabin Camping, Yearly Trip, Tradition, Customary