Tag Archives: USC

Not Kicking the Flag Pole

Context:

The informant is a member of the Trojan Marching Band at USC. At the same time, the informant is a strong supporter of USC school spirit and marching band traditions, and is very knowledgeable about band “lore” and internal practices.

Text:

One of the most well known game day traditions at USC is kicking the pole before leaving campus through Exposition Blvd to attend the football game. This tradition is said to symbolize luck, some even say that if you don’t perform it, you will bring bad luck to the football team.

According to my informant, the marching band does the same thing as well. As they march in formation and pass the pole, all members stop the cadence for a second and kick the pole. Upperclassmen even make sure that freshmen who are catching up with the tradition perform the ritual in time.

However, after the game is finished, when the marching band is marching back to campus and passing by the same pole, people are not allowed to kick it anymore. It is the total opposite this time—if you kick it, you would give bad luck to the football team for their next game.

“The worst thing is,” the informant said in exclamation, “the general fans are not aware of this tradition. They would kick the pole on their way back in front of us! That always annoys me!”

Analysis:

The “pole kicking” tradition at USC illustrates how folk rituals create meaning through collective practice, timing, and shared knowledge. Although the action itself is simple, its significance changes depending on context. Within the marching band, the ritual also functions as a form of group coordination and identity, reinforcing shared participation through performance. At the same time, the informant’s frustration with general fans unknowingly breaking the rule highlights how such traditions can serve as markers of insider knowledge, distinguishing those who understand the “correct” practice from those who do not.

“Happy Game Day” Helmet Bump

Context:

The informant is a member of the Trojan Marching Band at USC. At the same time, the informant is a strong supporter of USC school spirit and marching band traditions, and is very knowledgeable about band “lore” and internal practices.

Text:

Before the marching band marches into the field to perform their pregame show, the band typically waits in the tunnel for around 20 minutes with little to do. During this break, members began a practice known as the “helmet bump.” This involves two members holding hands, congratulating each other with “happy game day,” and then gently bumping their helmets together. Over time, this developed into a game day tradition. During the 20-minute wait, members try to repeat the ritual with as many people in their section as possible, and it is said to help calm nerves before going onto the field to perform. As the tradition evolved, some sections also began giving short section speeches. This waiting period has come to mark the official start of game day for the marching band.

Analysis:

The “helmet bump” tradition illustrates how informal practices can emerge within structured performance environments as a way of managing emotions. Through repeated physical gestures and verbal affirmation, members reinforce interpersonal bonds while also reaffirming their shared identity as a section and as part of the larger marching band. As the practice evolves to include section speeches and wider participation, it also shows how folk rituals can gradually become institutionalized within a group, marking the transition from preparation time to the formal beginning of game day.

Hand Gestures for “Rock Charts”

Context:

The informant is a member of the Trojan Marching Band at USC. At the same time, the informant is a strong supporter of USC school spirit and marching band traditions, and is very knowledgeable about band “lore” and internal practices.

Text:

The Trojan Marching Band consists of over 400 members and is led by a single director conducting from the podium. During the football game, the band must remain highly attentive, as they do not know in advance which piece will be played next, selections often depend on the progression of the football game. In many cases, the band is required to begin playing immediately in response to on field events. Given the extreme noise levels inside the Coliseum during games, it is often difficult or nearly impossible for the director to communicate verbally which piece should be played next. As a result, the band developed a system of hand gestures to represent specific tunes. Over time, these gestures became formally integrated into communication practices, with the director also adopting them as a primary method of cueing the ensemble, replacing reliance on members verbally relaying instructions among themselves.

Analysis:

This system of hand gestures reflects how large performance groups develop adaptive communication methods in response to environmental constraints. In the noisy and unpredictable setting of a football stadium, verbal instruction becomes unreliable, prompting the emergence of a non-verbal signaling system that ensures coordination among a large ensemble. From a folkloric perspective, these gestures function as an internally developed “language” that is both practical and symbolic, while presenting a more organized performance, it also reinforce the community identity through signs that only “insider” would learn and be aware of.

Trojan Marching Band Rights of Passage

CL: I was in the marching band [Trojan Marching Band], and it’s this big, big thing, especially being a first year, to have two sort of rights of passage or hazing or other traditions to kind of make your way fully into whatever section or whatever instrument you’re a part of. So the first one would be for trumpets, as I am a trumpet. Um, it would be a night called Carne, in which there would be this big feast, and then afterwards, um, all of the first years would go in, answer a couple of trivia questions, and then come out one by one, and effectively answer a few of those questions, and get water balloons thrown at them, completely drenched. And I remember at some point, there was like a slip and slide, a handful of other things, but it’s also, this is a place where you would either get, like, your name for the band, or you would get it at a later. This would be like the first time where you would actually get your name for the band or your band name in that sense.

Interviewer: What is a band name?

CL: It’s just kind of like a nickname for each of the other band members that you get your first year, either in that section or as part of the band, that then it’s like a thing that for your next year, the first year is try to guess everyone’s band names or try to figure out whose band name is whose, because in all the group chats, no one uses their actual name for like the first half of the semester. They just use their band name. But then, in addition to that, there is the every year there is the USCxUCLA game, and then the entire week, that’s called Fuck The Week. Um, every section sort of has this tradition where they go to Tommy’s chili cheeseburgers, the original Tommies, at least for us, it has to be the original Tommy’s. Every single time. And concoct a very vile brew. Um, then the first years would have to drink. And of course, there’s like a little bit more leniency now, but when you did do this, it was like, now you’re part of the section. Like, before it was like the first step that, like, welcome to the band, but then now you’re part of, like, this intersection family.

Interviewer: And it’s just a drink mixed with a bunch of different things?

CL: It’s root beer and chili…It’s not great.

Interviewer: So, do you have to drink the whole glass or just a sip?

CL: Uh, the whole glass. Um, but it’s bad because it gathers on the bottom…It’s not great. But it has been done for as long as I’ve known it, as well as my brother, who was in the band before me, and then everyone before him, like almost everyone’s done it.

Context: Discussing rights of passage in class, CL was able to describe to me their time in the Trojan Marching Band as a trumpet player. Then, going on to describe how one acquires a “band name,” as well as different initiation/hazing rituals that truly make one a part of the TMB family. These are generational traditions – and while they are less harsh and strict now, they are rooted in traditions that have been happening for years and years prior. AN experience shared through many past and current members.

Analysis: This interview shows how group tradition ( in this case, the USC Trojan Marching Band) is used to create a strong sense of belonging, even if they involve a bit of discomfort or embarrassment. Events like “Carne,” getting a band name, and drinking the chili/root beer mix at the original Tommy’s chili cheeseburgers act as rites of passage that separate first years from returning members and mark the moment someone fully becomes part of the group. Despite some of these traditions seeming closer to hazing, they’re framed more as bonding experiences, where everyone has gone through the same thing and can relate to each other because of it. The idea of band names is especially important because it creates a shared identity within the group. Overall, these traditions show how organizations build tight communities through repeated rituals.

“Shit Damn Motherfucker” – Theatre Ritual

Text: “Shit damn motherfucker / motherfucker damn / this dumb bitch just stole my man / got to find another fucker better than the other fucker / shit damn motherfucker / motherfucker damn”

Context: HC is a Theatre BA at USC, and has performed / participated in many musicals on campus.

HC: I first encountered “shit damn motherfucker” during MTR’s Fun Home, my first show at USC. If I’m remembering correctly, the seniors taught it to us. You repeat it three or four times, starting really quiet and getting really, really loud, like shouting and jumping all together. It’s like– a way for the cast to get energized and pumped for the performance. From then on… I believe I’ve done it before every USC production I’ve been a part of? It just gets passed down by word of mouth by those who’ve done shows at USC before, which I think is very special. I love it, because it gets everyone connected, grounded, and really free before a show. I think it’s like… a way to get the cast out of their heads and into their bodies. Allowing them to be present and prepared for the work they’re about to do!

Analysis: I agree with HC’s analysis of this–I think the ridiculousness of the tradition allows for an outlet for nerves. It’s a reminder to not catastrophize or overthink–instead allowing the actors to have fun, jump, scream, swear in their friends’ faces, and get adrenaline up for the performance. Similar to a lot of pre-show rituals for theatre, it’s a unifying experience, and something of a reset for the entire group before undertaking a practiced performance.