Lanyard

Lanyards are loose, thin cloth bands to be worn around the necks (or on the person) of CTYers at all times. Lanyards hold various things such as room keys, student IDs, debit cards, fobs, or key cards. They are printed with the term JHU-CTY and the URL of the CTY website. Lanyards are given out by staff to campers on the first day. New CTYers please note that swinging your lanyard is not allowed (found out during a personal experience).

Fashion Advice

There are a wide variety of methods of lanyard-wearing, which are often enumerated at opening ceremonies each session. First, the traditional method, around your neck, like any other necklace. A common variant on this (usually used by nevermores) is backwards - that is, around your neck with the lanyard hanging down your back. Gaining popularity is another common alternative to the neck: the wrist. Often, the lanyard must be wrapped several times around your wrist, or shortened with the butterfly stitch. Yet a fourth method, that has caused some confusion, is attaching a lanyard to a belt loop, then tucking it into a pocket (or occasionally letting it hang free). Slightly uncomfortable, but still possible is the 'sash', in which it runs around half of your neck and under one arm. A rarely-seen sixth method is wearing a lanyard as a headband. (confirmed by an RA at Carlisle).

Many returning CTY students also wear lanyards from previous years, either attached to the others on one chain or wearing all of them individually at one time. Past lanyards are considered a mark of status, and can often be used to distinguish veteran CTYers from squirrels.

At Carlisle, the 'choker' style around the neck is not allowed. Neither is wearing your lanyard as a belt. (Though, it has been established that you are allowed to wear 'a' lanyard around your waist, just not the current one. Chokers, however, are not allowed with any lanyard.)

At LOS it is required to wear lanyards around one's neck. Allowed variations are sash-like (around the neck and under one arm), or "Prisoner Style" (as a choker.) Bear in mind that rules on "Prisoner Style" vary with the RA or administrator present. People going to LOS are delivered a Lanyard Fashion Show by the RAs every year on the first day of the session. In this way, squirrels or flying squirrels come to understand that year's rules about lanyard worship and use.

At Siena, it was required to be around your neck, forwards or backwards. All other variations were not allowed.

At Baltimore, it was required to be around one's neck, forwards. Occasionally, during physical activities, CTYers were allowed to stuff it in their shirts, forwards or backwards. (The same applies for Bristol)

Colors

The color of the campers' lanyards changes every year.

• 2009 - Carolina Blue
• 2008 - Neon Green
• 2007 - Yellow
• 2006 - Goldenrod
• 2005 - Red
• 2004 - Sky Blue
• 2003 - Neon Yellow-Green
• 2002 - Red
• 2001 - Purple
• 2000 - Neon Green
• 1999 - Light Blue
• 1998 - Neon Orange
• 1997 - Navy Blue with yellow lettering
• 1996 - Yellow with blue lettering

In 1996, lanyards had "IAAY" printed on them. From 1997 to around 2001, lanyards had "CTY CAA IAAY" printed on them. "CAA" and "IAAY" were dropped by 2001 and replaced merely with the acronyms "CTY JHU." Lanyards are now printed with "CTY" and "JHU" as well as the official web site for CTY: "www.cty.jhu.edu."

Black Lanyards

Since 2003, black lanyards have been worn by RAs, instructors, TAs/LAs/PAs, and other staff members. These lanyards are often widely envied by campers, who have been known to try to take black lanyards from staff. Occasionally, at the Passionfruit, black lanyards are given to nevermores or nomores. Especially at Carlisle, a staff member will often pass their lanyard to a favorite nomore camper.

White Lanyards

In 2007, all staff members were given new white lanyards, much to the confusion and disdain of many of the veteran staff members. The white lanyards were a result of a typo (or misprint?) and will not appear again; they were meant to be black as usual, as evidenced by the return of black lanyards in 2008.

While most lanyards worn by the staff members turned into a murky gray by the end of the session, Art Frankel (CHEM.SAR.07.2) masterfully kept his white. His secret? Wear it around the collar of the shirt.

In an event unheard of at the time, John "Jarrison" Harrison (CTY.LAN.07) masterfully acquired not one, not two, not even three, but four white lanyards during his six week, two session, stay in Lancaster. In an act of pure chivalry,(and needless to say, manliness) Jarrison then "donated" one of his prized white lanyards to one Max Wang in exchange for a considerable discount (for free) on the Session 2 Alcove shirt.

The Cryptology class of LOS 08.1 managed to secure white lanyards through a class scavenger hunt/competition. This event involved encrypted messages, which were left scattered across the campus, leading to one another. Prizes upon completion of the scavenger hunt included white lanyards for each person, all in perfect condition.

Lanyard Swinging

Staff members can be strict about forcing campers to keep their lanyards on their necks (or at more lenient sites, somewhere visible on the body). Campers find it entertaining to take their lanyards off and swing them around; keys and fobs, or keycards, create a decent amount of momentum. RAs are very disapproving of this practice (which is reasonable, as students have been injured by flying or swinging keys), and often will reprimand campers found swinging their lanyards. Some campers retaliate by wearing their lanyards up around their ears, as belts, or woven as bracelets. This practice is also frowned upon by staff in stricter sites. On the last day, however, there is nothing stopping you from running around on the forbidden grass swinging your lanyard while singing at the top of your lungs.

An activity called Bizarro CTY allows you to swing your lanyard, along with other things that are usually contraband.

Lancaster RA Frank Wang is notoriously amazing at detecting lanyard-swinging, even when the culprit is located in such impossible places, such as all the way across the quad, around a corner, or behind Frank Wang himself.

Re-use

Many CTYers bring lanyards from past summers back to their current site. All old lanyards are worn at the same time as their current lanyard. This is a sign of returning-student pride, and sometimes also a sign of seniority. Reused lanyards are either woven as bracelets, or worn around the neck with current lanyards (often braided together), or however the new lanyard is worn. RAs usually don't care what you do with your old lanyards, as long as you're not swinging them. You can wear them as bracelets, etc. without fear of reprimand.