Monthly Archives: May 2011

Mexican Piñata Song

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 47
Occupation: Civil Engineer
Residence: Sacramento, CA
Performance Date: March 15, 2011
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

The informant is a 47-year old civil engineer working in California, originally from Michoacán, Mexico. He lived a modest life as a young adult, studying to be an engineer. He then moved to the United States with his wife to raise their family and make his career. He primarily speaks Spanish with English as a second language.  He shall be referred to as JB.

“Dale dale dale dale, no pierdas el tino, porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino! Dale dale dale dale dale, dale y no le dio! Quítate la benda porque sigo yo!”

“Go go go go, no lose the aim, because if it loses, lose the path! Go go go go, went and no it did! Remove the blindfold because follow I!”

“Go go go go, don’t lose your aim, because if you lose it, you lose the way! Go go go go, he went and didn’t make it! Take off the blindfold because now it’s my turn!”

This is a song commonly sung at parties when small children (or adults that are drunk enough) are hitting at the piñata. The piñata is hung with a rope from a high tree, and an adult holds the rope and pulls it up and down to increase difficulty (depending on the reach and age of the child at bat). The child swings a stick while blindfolded, trying to break the piñata to release the candy inside, at which point all the children swarm around to grab candy. JB explains it is something of a taunting song, but made in good spirits. Every person gets as much time whacking at the piñata as the time it takes to finish the song, thus turning the process into a narrative in and of itself. “Go go go go” refers to actually hitting the piñata, very much the way a catcher might distract someone at bat with a “Hey, batter batter batter” taunt. If the player has not succeeded in taking of the blindfold by the time the crowd reaches the end of the rhyme, they literally take off the blindfold and whoever’s next in line will shot the final “Porque sigo yo!”

I found a sense of democratization in this song. When it is played at a party, there is usually a huge attendance made up of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, other extended relatives, and friends. Thus, there might be a large number of children waiting to play. While JB didn’t relate this with this particular folkgame, he did explain that waiting your turn was a common practice in Catholic families which would include many members. As this is a children’s game, it teaches little ones the importance of sharing and recognizing when it is their turn for something. It also fosters some sense of community, as it is usually an older sibling (around twelve years old) that breaks the piñata so that the smaller children can enjoy the candy, at the same time recognizing the ability and seniority of the older sibling. The line of children to play is usually ordered from youngest in the front, oldest in the back, ensuring that the smaller children get the chance to play before an older child likely succeeds in breaking the piñata. Again, while there is some level of competition between the children to break it, the arrangement of the game reflects adults instilling familial values in the children.

Occupational Lore: Hooah

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: EMT, Social Worker, Army ROTC
Residence: Connecticut
Performance Date: 21 April 2011
Primary Language: English

White/Jewish

Fordham University/University of Southern California

Army ROTC, EMT, Social Worker

Military Social Work

English

Connecticut

21 April 2011

Folk speech/occupational folklore

“Hooah” (pronounced Who-uh)

As explained by HS:

“Hooah. Well that’s hard to explain…it sorta a word and sorta a sound. Only Soldiers use it, and it means a lot of things. It can mean “yes” or just to pump somebody up. I can’t recall the first time I heard it, all the cadets around mean were using it so often. I think the first time I heard it was before I joined ROTC when I was working with combat veterans at a VA back East. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s just an Army thing. By saying it your not only saying the word, your saying that your part of the Army, and that you follow a code of an organization bigger than yourself. I don’t really know where it originated, I think it was a war cry that we took from the British or something back in the day”

As a cadet of three years, I have had ample time to discuss with my peers the significance and origins of Hooah. Hooah is a short way to characterize the entirety of Army culture into one singular word. The origins of this example of occupational folk speech are largely unknown. In my time in ROTC, I have heard three prevailing myths concerning the origin of this word. The first was that it is a battle cry derived from “Huzzah,” a battle cry used by the British and then the newly independent American Soldiers following the Revolutionary War. The second origin myth is that it came from the Normandy beach landings during World War II. Supposedly, an Officer ordered a group of Soldiers to advance and take a gun position overlooking the beach. Not being in the same unit as the Officer, a Soldier turned and yelled, “Who. Us?” The Officer misunderstood the phrase and thought that it was some kind of motivating war cry and began using it in his unit. The third origin was that I was originally an acronym for the phrase “Heard. Understood. Acknowledged” (HUA). Over the years Soldiers changed the spelling to the phonetic form as it took on more complex meanings.

Beyond being a simple word, Hooah is a complex idea that has considerable meaning and importance in the Army beyond simply being a war cry. Hooah, in its simplest form, literally mean anything except “no.” It can be used to answer a question in the affirmative. Hooah is also affected by the tone and pronunciation of the word, making it mean different things. When spoken with hesitation it can be a one-word question. “Hooah?” When spoken in exasperation, similar to a sigh, it can show an uncertainty in an order or suggestion. “Hooah…” When broken down into two syllables and over emphasized, it can literally mean “whatever. I think what you just said is stupid.” “who-AH.” It can also be used as a replacement for the word “cool.” It is an linguistic identifier that the person who said it is somehow connected to the Army. The sheer variety of the ways that Hooah can be used is quite large, and its significance cuts across into the realm of ideas.

In other mediums, I have heard the word “Hooah” quite frequently. In the videogame Modern Warfare 2,  produced by Infinity Ward, the player plays a Ranger in a fictional invasion of the United States by Russia. During the game, the word “Hooah” is used frequently by the Army Soldiers, and exemplifies the many uses/meanings it can take.

Beyond just a word that can be used in conversations in a military setting, Hooah is also an attribute. Being Hooah, is a descriptive term synonymous with someone being hardcore or intense. Soldiers use it describe individuals or events that are considered “badass.” Saying someone is Hooah is similar to saying someone is very adept at being a Soldier. For example, if a Soldier can take apart a weapon and put it together while blindfolded, they could be described as Hooah. The hyperlink below shows a montage of clips from Soldiers being/doing Hooah things.

http://youtu.be/alTDrosNe7k

Southern Egyptian Proverb

Nationality: Egyptian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2011
Primary Language: Arabic
Language: English, French

The informant is a nineteen-year old student born in Australia who’s lived in Egypt for two years, England for two years, Jordan for four years, Egypt for two years, India for four years and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA for university.  He is the son of an Egyptian ambassador and speaks Arabic, English and French. He shall be referred to as SH.

“If your mother’s a garlic and your father’s an onion, how could you smell good?”

As SH explained, this proverb is delivered with a sarcastic, deadpan sense of humor he claims is very common of Egyptian culture. He explains that it refers to how if your father’s one way and your mother’s the same way, a child can never expect to be any different. Thus, it addresses the anxiety of the example set by parents and how it can be difficult for a child to break away from that.

To me, the proverb suggests a certain amount of devotion to tradition in that culture. While in western culture we believe that a person can lift him or herself out of any circumstances, this seems to suggest that a person cannot escape his or her nature of birth if their parent’s nature is so set. As it is used negatively (with two smelly vegetables), one can imagine that it is used in a derisive manner. At the same time, the proverb addresses this in a lighthearted way, as if to encourage the person listening to embrace their identity no matter what it is, even if it does not seem desirable at first. Thus, there does not seem to be the same flexibility of identity as there is in Western culture.

Tommy’s Run

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: EMT, Army ROTC, Social Worker
Residence: Connecticut
Performance Date: 24 April 2011
Primary Language: English

White/Jewish

Fordham University/University of Southern California

Army ROTC, EMT, Social Worker

Military Social Work

English

Connecticut

24 April 2011

Tommy’s Run

“The Tommy’s Run is an event that occurs every Spring semester for the USC Army ROTC program. Basically, the cadets from ROTC wake up really early one morning near the end of the spring semester, around 0430, and prepare to go on a run. The run starts at Cromwell field and goes all the way to Tommy’s, a chili burger joint in LA. We run in formation down the street, and cadets call cadences to pass the time and keep us in step. Tommy’s is something like 3 and a half miles away, it takes a little under an hour. We run really slowly so everybody can keep up. Those cadets who are injured travel in a van that follows us to make sure nobody gets hurt. Once at Tommy’s, each cadet is given a chilidog and a chiliburger to eat. Most people can’t finish, but are encouraged to eat as much as they can. After eating, we all start the 3 and a half mile run back. Its incredibly painful, and most cadets develop some sort of cramp. It’s pretty common to puke during the run. I was one of the cadets who puked during the run, I felt terrible for the rest of the day.”

When asked, HS states that the purpose of the Tommy’s Run is part mental test and part endurance test. It’s supposed to be painful, and extremely uncomfortable. She explains because it comes near the end of the year it is partially a celebration of finishing another year of class and ROTC. She also believed that the purpose of the event was to share another common experience that is different from the usual training that they conduct. She mentioned that after she completed the run she felt accomplished, because she didn’t quit even though she felt so sick. Besides being rewarding, HS commented that the Tommy’s Run was pretty fun. “I mean the run back totally sucked. But the start of it was kinda cool. People were driving by and honking their horns, and yelling encouraging stuff out their windows. Its something that I never want to do again, yet at the same time wouldn’t mind doing again.

As a member of ROTC as well, I find that HS beliefs about the significance of the event are for the most part correct. The run is supposed to be difficult, and stated plainly “really suck.” It’s a test, to see how committed individuals are to the tradition of the run. Cadets who purposefully don’t eat a lot, or throw away the food and claim they ate the food are looked down on. The event is important to ROTC because it is an event that is unique just to us as a group on campus, no one else does this. In ROTC, there is a strict no hazing policy. So for new cadets, the Tommy’s Run is the only thing that could be considered hazing. However, unlike other hazing rituals, all cadets take part. Unlike HS, who joined ROTC this year and had her first fountain run, I joined ROTC in my Sophomore year and have gone on three. As a Senior cadet, the event holds a bit more significance. Senior cadets often “talk up” the  event in order to scare cadets who have never done it before. It also represents the last time we are going to do this, and it serves as a measure of the new cadets abilities. One cadet ate two burgers and a chilidog and didn’t puke, a difficult enough feat without having to run three miles after. This event happened two years ago, and that story is still told to new cadets.

Fountain Run

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: EMT, Army ROTC, Social Worker
Residence: Connecticut
Performance Date: 24 April 2011
Primary Language: English

White/Jewish

Fordham University/University of Southern California

Army ROTC, EMT, Social Worker

Military Social Work

English

Connecticut

24 April 2011

USC senior tradition – Fountain Run

“So the Senior Fountain Run is a tradition at USC for graduating Seniors. It usually takes place on the night of the last Thursday of class. Basically, all Seniors gather at their friends’ places or on the row and pre game. After getting drunk, and waiting till it’s late enough, everybody taking part starts making their way to campus. People usually are dressed in swimsuits or crazy costumes, and carry some form of alcohol with them. I even saw one girl carrying an intertube and a blow up shark. As you get closer to campus, more and more people start gathering together. By the time we got to campus, we had a group of around 50 drunk people who were just yelling and running in the middle of the street. Basically, you run around and jump in all the fountains around the SC campus and drink at every fountain. There’s something like over 20 fountains, so it takes a little time to get them all. Some of them are even really hard to find.”

HS explained that first and foremost, the Fountain run is a celebration of senior hood and the impending graduation from college. It serves as a time when every Senior can get together and have a good time. As she put it, “there are no athletes, no sorority girls, no engineers, and no geeks. Everybody is celebrating the two things they have in common: being a Senior at USC, and being close to graduation.” HS explains that it is a period of time when it’s okay for people to get a little crazy. As a graduate student, HS said she learned about the Fountain run from Senior’s in the ROTC program with her. She explained that it had been a hot topic for several days between Seniors she met. During the Run she explains that someone identified her as a none graduating individual and questioned her validity of taking part. HS explained that as a Senior at Fordham University, her school didn’t have an event like this and she felt that she missed out.

As a Senior graduating this semester from USC, I did partake in the Fountain Run. I concur with the observations of the Fountain Run that HS made. As an undergraduate at USC, I had learned about the Fountain Run my Freshman year. While writing a paper, I heard a lot of screaming and running outside my window. Looking, I saw a lot of drunken people jumping in the fountains. For a Senior at USC, the fountain run is a pretty big deal. I had heard individuals talking about it more than a week in advance. Of the people I asked, no one knew when the fountain run started. Coordinating the run was conducted primarily through Facebook. This year was unique in that the fountain run happened a week earlier than usual. The reason was that the campus was preparing for the Book Fair, and the administration warned students ahead of time. This combined with the fact that DPS officers and police officers made little effort to stop the run, shows the administration saw the inevitability of this event and made efforts to stop Senior from destroying the tents being set up. For Seniors, as a group, the fountain run is a unique tradition at USC that marks someone as a Trojan and a Senior, who is having their last hurrah. While other students from other years take part, they are largely left alone. Though this could be because most of the people there are too drunk and having too much fun to care. Below is a hyperlink of a Fountain Run from a prior year. In it you can see that people are chanting, and jumping around celebrating.

http://youtu.be/07mav_JHEXk