Author Archives: Lilian Min

Polish galumpkis (stuffed cabbage rolls)

Nationality: Polish-American
Age: 24
Occupation: Graduate student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/20/2014
Primary Language: English

INFO:
Ground beef with some seasoning
Rice with garlic and onions
Cabbage

Wrap the ground beef and rice (season with pepper and salt) with the boiled cabbage. Bake them in tomato sauce for four hours at 325F.

BACKGROUND:
The informant’s grandmother would make them, maybe a dozen times total during the informant’s childhood. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for a while that they would have it around holidays, Christmas mostly. The informant’s family is Polish, so though he didn’t connect with the food much, he still felt obligated to eat it, as it was a part of his family heritage.

CONTEXT:
The informant shared this with me in conversation.

ANALYSIS:
The fact that the informant ate the food despite not liking it shows how strong this particular tradition runs in his family. I always think that it’s so interesting when people participate in their “heritage” rites without acting engaging with them on an enjoyable level. I also think that the particular mix of ingredients in galumpkis is reminiscent of Polish cuisine, but the informant couldn’t answer as to the sentiment.

USC game days – kicking the flagpole

Nationality: Jewish-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/9/2014
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

INFO:
During any game day, while walking to the Coliseum, Trojan football fans (anyone who’s rooting for USC) kick the bases of the flagpoles at the end of Trousdale for good luck during the game.

BACKGROUND:
On the way to the Coliseum (USC’s football stadium), it’s common to see fans passing into the stadium park to kick the flagpoles. The informant, as a marching band member, was told from the first game on to kick the pole as the band marched by, but other USC students find out from student friends or USC alumni at the games.

CONTEXT:
I spoke to my informant during an on-campus event.

ANALYSIS:
It doesn’t appear that there is any real rational behind the practice? Maybe it’s like the theater practice of “breaking a leg” or the general saying “knock on wood,” with the caveat that since not all USC Trojan football fans are USC students or alumni, the flagpoles are a universally-recognized symbol that all fans can engage with.

Kabbalat shabbat rituals

Nationality: Jewish-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/9/2014
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

INFO:
After the Sabbath starts, is that part of any eating ritual is that before you eat, you wash your hands in a ritual way just with water and say a prayer. Between saying the prayer and eating a piece of bread, you can’t talk. When you have a family or guests over, it takes a moment for everybody to go through the ritual before blessing the bread and partaking in it together.

In the few minutes that it takes for people to come back and sit back down at the table, no one can talk, but everyone will hum songs. These tunes are just known from growing up together, and sometimes it’s just the head of the house humming it and sometimes other people will join in, but it makes the space very happy. There’s no reason for it other than just to make the space beautiful.

BACKGROUND:
Literally means “the welcome of shabbat (Sabbath).” Practically, all the blessings and songs and rituals that you do to welcome the Sabbath in on Friday night, though there are rituals, such as the one listed above, that you can do on the Sabbath itself.

The idea behind it: making things beautiful to welcome in the Sabbath — you’re not just celebrating, but you’re doing it even though you don’t need to. Generally, it means being unnecessarily fancy for the Sabbath, e.g. cleaning the house, wearing fancy clothes, getting out nice dishes.

The informant has a memory of her grandfather always humming when her family would come over on Friday nights, or when he came over on Friday nights. He’s a huge part of her life, and one of her greatest inspirations.

CONTEXT:
I spoke to my informant during an on-campus event.

ANALYSIS:
During my undergrad years at USC, I sometimes went over to my Jewish friend’s house to partake in their shabbat dinners. I never knew there were religious rituals attached to it, but this one really captivates me because of its inherent quietness. When many people think of rituals or festivals, they think of noise and excitement, but this is one ritual that’s incredibly low-key in practice, but still shows a strong devotion to and respect of the religious rite.

USC marching band horn section cadence chant/dance

Nationality: Jewish-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/9/2014
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

INFO:
Note: text in caps is spoken, text in brackets is directions and actions

Set to this drumline cadence:
USC drumline cadence (2007)

DRIVE IT, FRESHMEN – upperclassmen yelling at the freshmen to march in place
HEY, HO, HEY HO WHERE’S HOPO?

OHHHHH, OH YAY! BEAT THE [opposing team’s name], EH!
[sporadically shout EH]
ONE TWO, SOUND OFF, ONE TWO, PENN STATE SUCKS (in call and response; usually men call, women respond)
[imitating a double snare sound], x3 SMOOTH
[swing horn side to side, and make a wiping motion with left hand during SMOOTH]
[Repeat]
HEYYYYYYYYYYY
[raise horns, bells up]
ONE, TWO, THREE FOUR SIX NINE
[spin over your right shoulder]
[repeat entire section]

[galloping sideways]
KILL DESTROY, KILL DESTROY, REPEAT!
[raise horn bells, roll your tongue and scream]
MUHAMMAD ALI
FREAK OUT! HEY EVERYBODY, WATCH THIS!
[jump, while criss-crossing legs and making small arm circles] x2
WHOO! WHOO!
[repeat entire section]

SHAKE WEIGHT! [raise horn and shake it]

KILL, PILLAGE AND BURN
WE’RE GONNA KILL PILLAGE AND BURN AND EAT BABIES
KILL, PILLAGE AND BURN
WE’RE GONNA KILL PILLAGE AND BURN
[repeat entire section]

[insert personalized cheer for whomever is the current USC football head coach] x4

SHAKE WEIGHT! [raise horn and shake it]

KILL, PILLAGE AND BURN
WE’RE GONNA KILL PILLAGE AND BURN AND EAT BABIES
KILL, PILLAGE AND BURN
WE’RE GONNA KILL PILLAGE AND BURN
[repeat entire section]

[insert personalized cheer for whomever is the current USC football head coach] x4

[singsong DOO to the beat of the cadence while spinning and smiling with arms up] WHOO!
HEY I’M HAPPY! HEY [insert random person’s name]’S HAPPY! HEY, EVERYBODY’S HAPPY! HEY, EVERYBODY’S NAKED!

HEY [opposing team’s name]! EAT MY BUTT OUT!
BUT HOW? WITH A FORK, ASSHOLE!
EAT MY BUTT OUT WITH A FORK x2

WHOO! [wave arms in opposing circles] x2
[imitate drum hits] BAM BAM, BUM BUM BUM BUM, GOOSH! [wave arms in opposing circles]

[singsong DOO to the beat of the cadence while spinning and smiling with arms up] WHOO!
HEY I’M HAPPY! HEY [insert random person’s name]’S HAPPY! HEY, EVERYBODY’S HAPPY! HEY, EVERYBODY’S NAKED!

HEY [opposing team’s name]! EAT MY BUTT OUT!
BUT HOW? WITH A FORK, ASSHOLE!
EAT MY BUTT OUT WITH A FORK x2

WHOO! [wave arms in opposing circles] x2
[imitate drum hits] BAM BAM, BUM BUM BUM BUM, GOOSH! [wave arms in opposing circles]

[wait for the drumline to finish their line, then point your horn bell and your hand toward the sky] BADUM, BUM

[while moving arms in circular motions]
BEAT THE [opposing team’s name] x3
THEY ALL SUCK!/THEY WILL LOSE!
[repeat entire section four times, but don’t move arms during any other time]
[note: during the third time, instead of saying THEY ALL SUCK!/THEY WILL LOSE!, say WHOO! twice instead, while raising your arms and leaning back a little bit]

[buzz lips and move your left hand like a puppet mouth] BWA BWA BWA

[wait for the drumline to finish their line, then point your horn bell and your hand toward the sky] BADUM, BUM

[while moving arms in circular motions]
BEAT THE [opposing team’s name] x3
THEY ALL SUCK!/THEY WILL LOSE!
[repeat entire section four times, but don’t move arms during any other time]
[note: during the third time, instead of saying THEY ALL SUCK!/THEY WILL LOSE!, say WHOO! twice instead, while raising your arms and leaning back a little bit]

[buzz lips and move your left hand like a puppet mouth] BWA BWA BWA

HEY, HO, HEY HO, WHERE’S HOPO!

[while swinging horn up and down six times in an exaggerated power walk]
OH! THE ROW! LET’S GO!
[repeat three times, without vocals]
[repeat entire section]

[step left, right, kick with your left]
OHHHHHH!!!!!! [mimicking pulling on a lawnmower to start it]
[while hip-thrusting as walking] OH! OH! OH! OH!
[raise horn bell] THREE, FOUR, SIX, NINE
[repeat entire section]

[repeat entire cadence as needed until the band is called to halt and attention, in which case drive the last five beats and yell DOWN]

BACKGROUND:
Whenever the USC marching band travels as a group, however small, between halts and attentions (called out stops), band members have to chant the cadence in time to the drumlin.

Every section in band has their own lyrics and dances to the cadence. The cadence evolves over time based on whoever the section leaders are and also the current events/history surrounding USC, USC football and the USC band. For example, the cadence line “Everybody’s naked” has to do with a trombone section tradition involving the bi-yearly Notre Dame away game.

CONTEXT:
I spoke to my informant during an on-campus event.

ANALYSIS:
As a former horn marching band member myself, I love the cadence and what it stands for. Even just in my three years as a marching band member, I’ve seen and heard the cadence change not just for my own section, but also for other sections. The changes reflect current events, such as the many head coach changes that we’ve had over the past couple of years, and also random in-band jokes, and as such, serves as a dynamic reflection of both the marching band’s demographics and the strength of the organization’s traditions.

Tsarevna Lyagushka (Царевна Лягушка)

Nationality: Russian-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/18/2014
Primary Language: English
Language: Russian

INFO:
There’s a king with three sons. They’re all getting old enough to marry, and he says: “Go and take these arrows and shoot them off and wherever they land, there you’ll find your bride.”

The oldest one shoots an arrow and he goes and it lands in the court of a rich landowner. He marries the daughter.

The second oldest one shoots an arrow and it lands in the court of another wealthy prince.

The youngest one shoots an arrow and it lands in a swamp. He goes to the swamp and he looks and finally finds the arrow, and it’s by a little frog. The frog talks to him and says, “I’m a princess!” He is disappointed, but being duty-bound, he brings the frog back and they get married.

They go to a dinner where all the sons bring their wives. Using magic because it’s at night, the frog comes to the party and she’s the most charming person, and completely outshines the other two brides. She also does this special dance — the other two brides and the other brothers are astounded and confused.

The youngest brother goes back home and he sees the frog there, and he kills it but it messes up the curse on the frog — basically, she was cursed by this immortal evil person (kashey bezsmertny – informant’s note: “looks like Skeletor”). She used to be a princess but she was turned into a frog, but at night, she can be her normal self. The curse would’ve been over after that night, but because the prince destroyed her frog form, he messed it up and she was stuck in limbo.

So, the prince finds out that he has to defeat the immortal evil person in order to get her back. Kashey bezsmertny is at the end of the earth — on his quest to reach him and defeat him, he befriends several animals including a bird, a squirrel and a horse. Each time he befriends this animal, he helps the troubled animal and earns their gratitude and debt. He ends up facing kashey bezsmertny and able to defeat him, but only with the help of his animal friends, as it turns out. The princess returns to her form and they live happily ever after.

BACKGROUND:
The informant heard this story when he was a child from watching a cartoon, but he also read it in storybooks. There are many variations of this story, which clearly follows Vladimir Propp’s fairy tale type model. The story apparently takes different iterations within Russian culture and varies between different cultures.

CONTEXT:
I spoke to my informant during an on-campus event.

ANALYSIS:
Given that non-modern Russian culture was feudalistic, the idea of succession and success were both very important to families, especially families with multiple sons, who had to get married and start new lives elsewhere. For that reason, that’s why the idea that the father sends the sons out to get brides is so interesting to me — other iterations have the mothers sending the sons out, or the sons seeking adventure on their own.

For a slightly different version of this same story, see “The Frog.”