The Story:

“I’m going to tell a story about an improv comedy club on campus. We have a lot of initiation rituals that are funny and weird and cute. I remember when I first got on the team my freshman year, that night they called you, it’s like a football draft. You audition for two teams and then they all take turns picking who they want. I got picked by my team, then I got a phone call from an unknown number to  meet me at this location on campus. They told me to meet them at *REDACTED*, which is like this little stage. “

“I went there and it’s like the middle of night, it’s like 10 p.m. and I was alone and it was dark for a little while. I thought ‘what did I sign up for?’ then they all were like dark clothes and like cloaks and they yell like comedy rules out in the woods. Then all at once they scream and yell at you to get to the stage. It was like a medieval theme going on in there. After getting to the stage, then they knight you, so you get on your knees, and then they knight you in the name of the club. It’s all in the middle of the night and terrifying, and then they take you to a secondary location.”

Pretty much all the teams do this, they kidnap their noobs, they’re called the noobs, they’re the new people, then they bring them to this diner called *REDACTED*. The staff already know just right now because it’s been happening for years. And then they treat you to just a really nice meal at this diner.

Reflection:

The informant’s story was a perfect example of how in certain folk groups, folk members must go through rites of passage to fully be accepted into the respective folk group. Additionally, it highlights the specific rituals in place amongst acceptance. I thought it was very interesting to see that these rites of passage were not only an act of dedication, but mutually were an opportunity to show the understanding of the traditions and morals of the respective folk group trying to be joined. On a more personal note, it was interesting to see some of the stigmas I may carry about clubs with rituals be broken down or disproved by an actual perspective. I, as the outsider to the folk group, had my own connotations that did not actually align with the personal experience of an actual member of the folk group. Further, it lessened any stereotypes that I carry when hearing about group initiations when hearing of clubs. I realized that in believing that many club initiations are harmful or taboo, I participated in watering down the culture and lived experience of participants of those folk groups instead of having a direct contact and understanding.