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Instructions for uploading folklore collections

Folklore Project, Word Press Instructions

Log in onto the folklore collection web site

You might need to confirm the invitation sent to your email from WordPress before accessing posting on this site.

Your collection will consist of an Introduction and folklore items that you upload as POSTS.

The Introduction is a post that contains general information about your topic. Items are posts that contain separate items of your collection. To create an Introduction post or an item post, choose NEW and then POST ( i.e. create new post) in the menu at the the top of your screen.

The Introduction post should contain an overview of your project as a whole, a general characteristic of the genre, informants, your conclusions etc. You may use your final presentation as part of this post. 

Please use the item template  below to create at  item post.

Once you have created the content of the post, supply it with CATEGORIES and TAGS. To do so find the corresponding menu items ( categories, tags) in the post editing menu on the right side of your screen.

Your categories are predetermined for you:

Your category is  Fall 2022  and your subcategory is  Fa2022_Your group ( find your group among categories for Fall 2022).

Your tags you have to choose/create on your own. Please use the following scheme. 4-5 tags, with 

  • one tag for genre/domain (e.g. joke, tongue-twister, superstition, tost)
  • one tag for the  language/ethnic group ( if relevant) ( american,russian, german)
  • one tag for the professional/gender/age group (if relevant, e.g. programmers, doctors, students, children)
  • one tag for the region/institution ( if relevant, e.g. new england, dartmouth)
  • one or two tags for other descriptors you find relevant ( e.g. soccer, christmas, etc)

Please add the tag “Introduction” to your introduction post.

Once you’ve entered the title and added categories, tags, and a featured image in the right column, click the “Save Draft” button. Once you’re satisfied with your work, click the blue “Publish” button.

HEP’s chant

General Information

  • Language: English 
  • Tradition
  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Infromant: EL
  • Date Collected: 10/1/2021

Informant Data

  • The informant has been doing cross country since she was in middle school. She became the cross country captain during her sophomore year till senior year. As of right now she has no idea what she wants to major in but she does enjoy art a lot.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural context: EL states that the context behind the tradition is to bring members of  the track and field team closer together. Especially during the final meet called the HEPs where the entire team has dinner together and a chant right after, emphasizing team bonding and increasing morale.

Item

  • The item collected is a tradition that is done by the entire team right before their final meet which is called HEP’s. Before the meet members of the track team assemble at foco and grab food together. Once they’re all done they all rally and start chanting hyping up the members getting ready for the most important meet in the season

Informants Comments

  • “This bonding experience is what helps the track team be united. Our passion for the sport and our members trying to make each other feel at home helps keep the morale up”

Collectors Comments

  • I can agree with the informant that having team bonding experiences helps the players get comfortable with each other. I’ve been in soccer teams where there has been no bonding experiences and it doesn’t work because the players are comfortable with each other, which ruins the chemistry of the team.

Collectors Name

  • Robert Lopez

Shoes ready? Check

General Information

  • Language: English 
  • Tradition
  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Infromant: JF
  • Date Collected: 10/16/2021

Informants Data

  • Unlike the traditional running or jumps in track the informant was recruited for the throwing events which consists of javelin throws, shot put, the hammer, and the discus. The informant plans to major in Econ and philosophy. During HS he used to be part of the varsity football team for 2 years and did track for 3 years.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural context: JF states that the most dedicated members of the track and field team have their own traditions that help them either focus before an event or help them get mentally prepared.

Item

  • Before each throw the informant said he ties his shoes over and over again. Since he needs his shoes really tight before he goes in circles trying to throw the put as far as possible he needs to make sure nothing is wrong with his shoe or else it’ll mess up his routine.

Informants Comments

  • Tying my shoes has been a tradition that I and others in many different sports do in order to make sure we’re not slipping”

Collectors Comments

  • As I’ve previously mentioned on another post, tying the shoes is something that I used to do when I played soccer. I would always do it to alleviate any nervousness I had and to make sure they wouldn’t untie mid-game.

Collectors Name

  • Robert Lopez

The cursed baton

General Information

  • Language
  • Tradition
  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Infromant: JC
  • Date Collected: 11/17/2021

Informants Data

  • The informant started running when they were in Middle school. She now does various Track activities on campus like hurdles and 4x400m relay races. She plans to major in Engineering and minor in studio art. 

Contextual Data

  • Cultural context: Since JC does relay racing the passing of the baton is one of the most important moments during a relay race. If the baton isn’t passed correctly and swiftly then you lose invaluable time that’ll cost you the race.

Item

  • The item collected is a superstition where if you drop the baton before practice it is considered bad luck and it is a sign that you’ll drop the baton during the race. In order to undo this curse JC said that doing some push ups will help.

Informants Comments

  • “Track is all about team bonding experience”

Collectors Comments

  • I can relate to this superstition, before a soccer game if your strikers were missing every shot then that’s a sign that they won’t have a great game.

Collectors Name

  • Robert Lopez

Runway

General Information

  • Language
  • Tradition
  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Infromant: EH
  • Date Collected: 10/29/2021

Informant Data

  • Informant started running when he was in 6th grade. He always did track to try and get stronger and faster. He likes to compete in a lot of events and considers himself a jack of all trades. Hence, why he now competes in pole vaulting and long jump at Dartmouth.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural context: Before when EH was in HS, track was mostly used for football players to get faster and explosive. However at Dartmouth the people in the track team are all dedicated to that one sport, which makes the team’s morale stronger since they care for the sport and each other.

Item

  • The item collected is a series of jumps that EH performs before he starts. EH jumps and rotates his arms around 3-4 times. This tradition is common amongst jumpers in order to relieve any last minute nervousness and to get the jumper ready. 

Informants Comments

  • “The main purpose of the track team is a place to have fun and where they can hangout”

Collectors Comments

  • I’ve never done track or field but I did play soccer from MS-HS and there are certain traditions that players do right before a game to alleviate any nervousness. I would either tie my shoes over and over again, or do high jumps right before the whistle blew.

Collectors Name

  • Robert Lopez

Clean Locker Room (Jake Guidone)

  1. General Info
    • Locker room tradition
    • Type of Lore: Customary
    • Informant: KB
    • Place of Origin: Princeton, New Jersey
  2. Informant Data:
    • Kevin Bruce is a twenty one year old male who plays football at Princeton University. Kevin was born and raised in Needham, MA, where he attended Needham High School. He is currently a senior defensive lineman on the Princeton football team, and has resided in Princeton, New Jersey for the past four years.
  3. Contextual Data:
    • Princeton considers themselves to be atop the Ivy League, regardless of their record or season trajectory. They hold themselves to a high standard, and feel they play better when all players hold themselves accountable.
  4. Tradition
    • After every practice, every single Princeton player is responsible for helping to clean their locker room. Princeton takes their locker room very seriously, and believes if they can keep it looking clean (by doing the little things right), it will help them achieve perfection in the season. A clean locker room is the sign of a well organized team, and well run a team. This also brings the team closer together as a whole, helping build trust among players that everyone will do their part, and do it to perfection.

“Locker Room Pre-Game Chant” (Jake Guidone)

  1. General Info
    • Locker room tradition
    • Type of Lore: Verbal/Customary
    • Informant: DG
    • Place of Origin: Providence, RI
  2. Informant Data:
    1. Daniel Gioioso is a twenty-two year old male who plays football at Union College. Daniel, who goes by Dan, was born in Newton Massachusetts but raised in Walpole Massachusetts. Dan attended Xaverian Brothers High School where his love of football flourished. Currently, he resides in Schenectady, New York, where he attends Union College and has played football for the past four years. 
  3. Contextual Data:
    1. The Union football team has seen great success since Dan joined the team in 2017. They recently won their national championship at the division 2 level. Dan started for the team throughout his entire collegiate career, and has helped Union by recruiting kids, and improving the culture at the school.
  4. Text/Tradition:
    1. To do this, Dan, amongst the other players, employ a locker room chant to get the players riled up and ready to play. This chant is a tradition at Union that had fallen off a little before Dan’s arrival. This chant was inherited from the older players, and said before every game. The chant is 16 lines, and the captain of the team gets in the middle of all the players in the locker room. This chant helps to build character, and ignites the fighting passion of the Union football players.
    2. Here are a few lines:
      1. “As I walk across the field today, it comforts me to know that I am the roughest, toughest guy on the field. I have been coached well, I show no mercy, so help me God”. 

Pregame Prayer (Evan Hecimovich)

General info:

  • Type of Lore: Verbal/Customary/Material
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: N.G.
  • Date collected:11/4/2021

Informant Data: N.G. is a 5th year Senior at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. He has lived in Naperville his entire life. While playing for Naperville North High School, he would play one game a year at his current team’s stadium.

Context:

Cultural: North Central is a very successful division 3 football program with a national championship on their record from 2019. It is a private Christian university. The teams head coach takes the schools religious background very seriously.

Social: William Shatzer was a member of the North Central College class of 1942 where he was an All-American football player. He had an opportunity to go the NFL, but with the entrance of the USA into World War 2, he volunteered for the Navy Air Corp. in 1944 he was shot down over the Pacific and never seen again.

Item: Before each game, the team heads out the statue of William Shatzer that stands outside the entrance to the locker room. Here the coach speaks about the sacrifice Shatzer made and they take a moment of silence to reflect. After this the team is led in a prayer by the head coach.

Transcript: “Before every game we head out to this statue of someone who played here in the 40’s and was a fantastic player with a chance to go the league. Instead, he joined the Military and went MIA. Here our coach talks about selflessness, and we have a chance to reflect. He then leads us in our pregame prayer.”

Informant comments: “I think its really about being selfless. Here you have this guy that had a great opportunity for his future but gave it up to fight for something bigger than himself.”

Shower Games (Evan Hecimovich)

General info:

  • Type of Lore: Customary, Games
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: A.L.
  • Date collected:10/29/2021

Informant Data: A.L. graduated from Valparaiso University in 2019 after playing four years of football. He is originally from Lisle, Illinois where he grew up with his two parents and sister. A.L. has always been a large individual for his age and began football in the 4th grade. A.L. and his friends growing up would often play tackle football without pads in the park, which is where he first discovered his passion for the game.

Context:

  • Cultural: Valparaiso is a division 1 FCS football program. They typically do not win most of their games. Valparaiso is in the non-scholarship Pioneer League and most of the players are playing for the love of the game. It is a private Catholic University in Indiana.
  • Social: With Valparaiso traditionally not a winning program, the occasions in which they win games are very special. Players get especially excited over wins. The team enjoys celebrating these wins together in the locker room.

Item: Following a victory, players head into the locker room as they usually do and after some initial celebrations, begin to get in the showers. In the showers, several upperclassmen will cut to the front of the line with only their helmets on. The people in the shower will spray their soap in the middle of the shower and turn their showerheads so they are spraying the middle of the shower. The upperclassmen will then slide through the middle of the showers into the far wall.

Transcript: “After we win and talk with our coaches, we head to the locker room to celebrate. Everyone begins to take their stuff off following the game. The seniors put on their helmets and head to the shower. The people in the showers already spray their soap in the middle of the showers to make it slippery. So, then the seniors slide down the middle of the showers sort of like a slip n slide into the wall at the end.”

Informant Comments: As wins are not come by that often, the celebration with your teammates afterwards makes it that much more special.