Author Archives: William Herron

“Raiders” Fraternal Song

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/18/13
Primary Language: English

The informant speaks about a certain song his fraternity sings with everyone after brotherhood events such as bid night.  The informant learned this tradition a few weeks after joining his fraternity.  He explains that the fraternity uses this song as a means for celebrating as well and often uses the song after events that warrant a worthy celebration.  The fraternity brothers either run out to the middle of the street or to their backyard and circle up and perform the song.  The singing of the song is described as being very loud and rowdy, but in a good-spirited way.  Below are the lyrics of the song.  See below:

OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!

We’re (insert fraternity) raiders of the night,

A bunch of rowdy bastards that rather fuck than fight,

So fuck ‘em, fuck ‘em, fuck ‘em, who the fuck are we?

We’re (insert fraternity) the best fraternity.

(insert fraternity) once, (insert fraternity) twice, holy jumping Jesus Christ,

God damn, son of a bitch, rah rah fuck!

Yeah hell yeah!

The informant describes the purpose of this song as a chance for the brothers of the fraternity to all come together and feel the fraternal bond.  I find this song intriguing because it a classic example of how a certain group of people use traditions such as music to strengthen their connection with one another.  A commonly shared song can serve to build just a much stronger bond than does paying the dues for the house to be an active member.

Pledge Fraternity Paddle

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/18/13
Primary Language: English

The informant describes the importance of the paddle during pledge’s semester pledging and the time beyond that semester.  The informant explains he learned of this tradition immediately after getting accepted into the fraternity.  He has close ties with this tradition because he has many memories of getting signatures for his paddle and feels as though it was his way of being fully accepted into the fraternity.

At the beginning of the pledge semester, all of the pledges need to get a paddle and put their name on it.  The paddle is typically made out of wood and has the fraternity’s letters on it.  The paddle also has the pledge class year and semester and the pledge’s last name.  And over the course of the semester you’re supposed to earn paddle sigs or paddle signatures from all the actives in the house.  The signatures are put on in black sharpie on all different sides of the paddle.  Older members of the house are allowed to sign signatures on the front of the paddle, while younger members may not.  The paddle gives you an opportunity to get to know the active members of the house and the active members of the house to know you. A paddle signature is an active’s acknowledgement of wanting and accepting the pledge into the house.  This tradition has been a part of his chapter since the beginning.  Getting paddle signatures involves hanging out and getting to know the active better. The paddle signatures are your way of earning your spot in the house – it is a sign of approval. The point of the paddle is that by the end of the semester you have every actives signature and this indicates everyone saying they want you in the house and it allows everyone to get to know you better.

I find role of the paddle for the incoming pledge class to be a great example of a folk object that represents the liminal period the pledges of the fraternity find themselves in.  The pledges have received bids from the fraternity indicating that the active members have interest in them and want them to become full members. The paddle acts as a form of their growth and transition into a full member.  The paddle, as stated by the informant, serves the role to spur interactions between active and pledge members and acceptance from active to pledges.

Caroline’s Haunted Mansion

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/24/13
Primary Language: English

The informant detailed a mansion in his hometown that is believed to be haunted.  Interestingly, he is a friend of the kid whose family now owns the house and learned most of the story from him.  This story reminds him of talking with his friends at his high school about the haunted mansion at lunch.  Below are the details of the story of the haunted mansion.

In the early 1900s there was supposedly a young girl who was murdered on the property. And they found her body on the property, either in the attic or on the side of the road – something clearly sketchy.  And supposedly the spirit or the soul of the girl still haunts the lands and oddly enough one of my friends, whose very wealthy, now owns the mansion and he has not experienced any, spirits or haunting, but, the legend still lives. 

This story of a haunted mansion relates closely to many stories of haunted mansions around the United States.  Often the stories involve someone who has died or has been killed in the mansion and that person remains to haunt the property.  I think the frequency of these types of stories details people in that regions of the U.S.’s curiosity with the undead and ghosts.  The frequency of these stories displays people’s possible belief in ghosts.  It is also interesting that the informant is a friend of the kid who lives in the mansion now.  This gives further insight into the story of the mansion and testimonies on whether it is haunted or not.

 

Texaco and Fireboy

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Occupation: Assistant Media Planner
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/22/13
Primary Language: English

A Jewish summer sleep-away camp in Malibu, CA by the name of Camp Hess Kramer holds hundreds of Jewish kids ranging from eight to seventeen for most of the summer.  A talent show takes place twice a camp session and all the campers gather around the campfire. The informant describes the role of two men – Texaco and Fireboy – in the campfire.  This tradition has sentimental value for informant because she has attended this camp for a long time and enjoys this tradition.

The two men, Texaco and Fireboy, put a show on together to light the campfire.  The job of Texaco and Fireboy is to get all the campers rallied.  Texaco and Fireboy are both dressed in specific outfits as well.  They both have red jackets worn backwards and Texaco has the large letter “T” and Fireboy has the large letter “F” taped onto their jackets.  The two guys come and put on a whole show about how to light the fire.  They chant a song that goes as thus:  “Come on Texaco light my fire. Come on Texaco light fire.  Fire, fire, make it go higher.  Fire, fire, make it go higher.  CHK let my Texaco fire go higher.” After this chant they light the fire and they have the talent show and then everyone sings a song to go to sleep.  The tradition of Texaco and Fireboy has existed at this camp since the informant has gone since she was a kid and is an integral part of the weeks spent away from home.

I think the role of Texaco and Fireboy within the sleep-away camp demonstrates the drive for the camp to promote unity within the campers and the camp as a whole.  In order for the fire to be lit the entire camp must call for Texaco and Fireboy to join campfire – lack of participation from everyone will result in a chant not loud enough and will result in failure to get them to come.  The two characters also serve as entertainment for the campers and play a memorable role for the campers.

Sorority Bid Night/Song

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Occupation: Assistant Media Planner
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/22/13
Primary Language: English

At the University of Colorado there is a strong Greek life culture and there are many traditions, which accompany this group of the university.  Many sororities and fraternities have songs that are song at various times of the year, which help signify different bonding moments for the group of guys or girls.  The informant describes that she learned the tradition on her bid night.

On “bid night” for the girls in a sorority all the freshman girls come back to the house in different rooms and take shots.  You also have to dress up in crazy clothes and you get your letters and your official sorority t-shirt with it’s letters.  You aren’t supposed to drink in your letters, but you do anyway.  During the night there is a chant that goes along with the drinking.  The chant goes as such: “Take a shot, take a shot, take a shot like a [insert sorority], if you can’t take a shot like a [insert sorority] can then why is the drink in your hand?”  All of the girls are taught this song and all yell it together at different points of the night.

I find the story of “bid night” for the sorority interesting as it indicates a classic example of a liminal period for the freshman girls who are not yet fully initiated into the sorority, but are not completely outside of the group.  The different traditions of dressing up crazily, taking shots with active sisters of the sorority, and learning and singing songs that have been part of the sorority for a long time indicate the freshman girls’ passage from being just a normal freshman non-affiliated with Greek life, to a full member.  The freshman girl’s earning their letters also indicates their progression in the liminal stage.  This story also shows how big of a role drinking plays in the culture and lifestyle of college kids during the twenty-first century.