Author Archives: Renee Simpson

Ghost of Zecco Auditorium

My informant a twenty-two year old undergraduate attended Anna Marie College in Paxton, Massachusetts for her entire freshman and fall of her sophomore years before transferring to a school in California. She revealed that a number of spirits and ghosts are believed haunt the college. The ghost haunting Zecco Auditiorium is believed to be named Theresa.

“There was a human skeleton was found under the stage, presumably hers. She likes to plays with the lights (which I’ve experienced a couple of times), moves props around, lets a few people see her sitting in the seats, and has afascination with modern technology.”

Massachusetts is notorious for the supernatural, hence Salem witch trials. This ghost story serves as entertainment aiding into the appeal of the state. It may attract not just tourist but students. Additionally it is form keeping the supernatural history alive. My informant revealed that she learned of the ghost story from peers after moving on campus.

Wicked

My informant a twenty-two year old native in Massachusetts revealed that the word “wicked” is common vernacular among the citizens within the state. The term is synonymous with insane, awesome, or amazing. Massachusetts is notorious for the supernatural, hence Salem witch trials. This term is a way of keeping the history alive and making it socially acceptable. This seems similar to Borneo headhunters. Witchcraft is not generally seen in a positive light however this vernacular term put it in a positive light.

Shoemaker

My third grade informant from McKinley Elementary described what he and his schoolmates call the “shoemaker”. When asked what the shoe maker is my informer described?

“You have to call it…and the person that calls it [first] is the shoemaker [before playing a group game] everyone puts one foot in [a circle] and the shoe maker goes around saying something like  ‘any minnie mini moo catch a tiger by its toe…’ Last person that’s in [the circle] is it.”

A shoemaker is the person with temporary authority to choose the tagger for the game tag. Anyone is allowed to become the shoemaker. The position is held right before a group activity.

Love whisperer

  1.  My informant a third grader at McKinley Elementary claimed to carry the title of the  “Love whisperer”

“Well the love whisperer is …so… who um… who loves who tells me and then I’m suppose to keep it a secret. [the whisper is also accompanied by a best man] Michael is the best man well I don’t really know what they do… for weddings and they um do the things where they read it and they say kiss the bride… um there’s two best men. This role was given to my informer by a classmate and was confirmed after several students approved of his title. Do girls and boys tell you who they like? Yes. When?  Mostly… um… at lunch. Do have maid of honor? No Flower girl? No

The third graders at McKinley seem to be reenacting marriage. What is interesting is that only men are given a title.

Jinx

  1. The third grader at  McKinley Elementary excitedly explained how to play jinx

 “Oh jinx! [clap] so when um two people say the same thing like for example all of us and they say it at the same time the person has to hurry up and say jinx before the other person. But there’s a roof above their head they have to say under roof jinx. Because if there is a roof and then you say jinx without the under roof cause your under a roof that means you jinx yourself. Can you talk? No you have to say there name five times. Anyone can say there name. Um in school what if they talk? You tell them they own like a soda or something.”