Passionfruit
Passionfruit (sometimes referred to with a preliminary definite article) is an early morning ritual involving fruit juice and making toasts to things at CTY that are... toastworthy. It is generally led by the Emperor, Empress, or Trinity.
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Carlisle
Passionfruit originated at Carlisle. The first one was held by four toasters.
It is held on the two Sundays of the session and the last Friday. At the end of the Saturday dance (or the Thursday dance, in the case of the last one) the night before, the Empress and Emperor (and their buddies) will shout the time and place of Passionfruit for the following morning. "Passionfruit! Upper Quad! 7 o' clock! Bring a drink!" for the first two or "Passionfruit! Upper Quad! Six-Thirty! Bring a drink!" for the last one (half-past-six is new as of 10.2, as DRL Megan didn't want to wake up for a traditionally 6:00 Passionfruit)
Passionfruit is traditionally run by the Emperor and Empress, with the Emperor giving the first speech, and the Empress giving the last. The Emperor and Empress are also responsible for coming up with den00bifications/devirginzations to initiate those who aren't returning students to Carlisle. Once devirginized, one can make a Passionfruit speech. Unlike other sites, Passionfruit is open to students of all ages, and everyone, once devirginized, can make a speech.
All speeches and toasts are given while standing and end with "I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit." Customarily, every speech is followed by the entire circle taking a sip of his or her own drink, meaning that after Passionfruit everyone has to go to the bathroom after (or, in rare cases, throw up a half-gallon of Tea Cooler to the side of the Alley; Amalia Bowen, CAR.10.2). Every attendee gives a speech.
Passionfruit is now always supervised by RAs at Carlisle. You actually cannot be anywhere without being supervised, so if you are not going to Passionfruit, you cannot be outside, and you can only go to the HUB at 7:30, and only because it becomes supervised by RAs at 7:30. This means there can be no risqué devirginizations, toasts, or speeches, and devirginzations are referred to as den00bizations. If you show up earlier than the time Passionfruit officially starts, the RAs will kick you out back to your dorms.
Lancaster
Passionfruit first came to Lancaster in 1994, brought there by Andromeda Yelton.
At 6 A.M. on Hartman Green, students form a circle on the brick top with a collection of drinks in the center. At Lancaster Session One, juice has been purchased for the entire group by the Alcove, though in 2007 and 2008 the CTY staff have turned down the money, claiming Passionfruit to be a gift to the students. After all students have gathered, the Emperors or Trinity each give their speeches, customarily ending with "I love CTY and I love the Passionfruit." They then take a drink and pass it onward to the next nomore/nevermore. After all the nomores/nevermores have spoken, everyone else can give their speech with onemores having priority. This attempted inclusion of all students present results in a very long Passionfruit. This has created a few problems, such as a very early morning wake-up, hunger due to lack of a breakfast, and in 2007.1, relocating the Passionfruit to Weis Field due to the noise of construction.
It is also customary to eat crackers and saltines while others are toasting, although this tradition has largely been lost to Session 2. This was started when, in 99.1, Joe Mermelstein and several of his friends began a competition to see who could steal the most saltines from the dining hall. Upon the beginning of Passionfruit, they realized the had nothing to do with the stolen saltines, and donated them to the event. From then on, saltines and other crackers have been both stolen and bought for Passionfruit and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
It is also here that the Jester position, the Duct Tape Suit, the 42 Duct Tape Bathrobe, the Caution Tape Cape, and the Fruitopia bottle are passed on during Second Session. During First Session, the Jester position also exists and is passed down. Also passed down are three Turkey Hill "grails", which represent a Session One Trinity of "The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost."
Electric Tree
The Electric Tree is a particular tree on Hartman Green that has an electrical outlet installed at the base of its trunk (although there are actually at least two such tress). This tree is used to play They Might Be Giants songs on the last day of each session, after the Passionfruit. This last traditional event is always bittersweet, and lasts until the second before class starts. It always ends with the song "The End of the Tour," sometimes played multiple times (sometimes replacing the playing of other TMBG songs)/ This tradition has been observed since at least 1998.
Saratoga Springs (Skidmore)
Passionfruit at Skidmore takes place at 5:00 A.M on the last day of the session. Students are then seen wandering around trying to shake off headaches caused by excessive amounts of high-fructose corn syrup and sleep deprivation. Everyone who is able to get out of bed is invited, and everyone meets out by the door of Howe-Rounds. Everyone then troops over to the back field behind the gym, and settle down on blankets and watch the sun rise. After a while, the Emperors/Empresses decide it's time for Passionfruit.
The nevermores and nomores get together and lead the procession through the haze down to the hill above the duck pond. Here the nevermores and nomores (nomores are allowed to participate, but this is mostly frowned upon, exempting certain people) form a seated circle and everyone else sits outside to quietly observe.
The actual Passionfruit Juice is a secret mix of juices only known to the RAs at this point, and the RAs coordinate the purchase of the drink. The drink is poured out and all the members of the circle get a glass. The Empresses make the first speeches, and the designation of speakers proceeds counter-clockwise around the circle. Most speeches are rather short (it is all you can manage at that hour), but all end with the line, "I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit." After this is spoken, everyone takes a sip of their drink. The last speeches are given by the current Emperors.
Before the event, the Passionfruit Royalty agree on their successors, and each announces one (if a current monarch is missing, his or her same-gender counterpart fulfills his/her role). Eligible candidates are onemores. At this point the new royalty can make brief remarks and thanks. At session two, the new royalty butt-wrestles the old. Once they are done, everyone packs up and goes home. There is generally a gigantic hugfest, that is broken up after a while by overzealous RA's.
Los Angeles (LMU)
Passionfruit at LMU is on the last morning at 5:30 A.M. and is only for nevermores, where they share confidential stories that cannot be repeated to anyone else unless stated otherwise. Nomores cannot attend unless they gain permission from the dean [or, in the case of 09, C-Bad.]. The girls and boys meet at Doheny fountain, and then are taken to the bluff, where passionfruit actually takes place, to watch the sunrise. It is rumored that coveted Black Lanyards are handed out at the end of the event.
Numerous exceptions were made to Nomores who were 100% sure they weren't going to return. In order to attend, one had to do the following.
- Be 100% sure that they aren't returning
- Be at least in their second year at the site
- Talk to Jason Boring [or, in 09, C-Bad.]
Double sessioners must get permission from staff [Usually, C-Bad] before going.
Black Lanyards were handed out leading up to 07.1, but starting in 08.1, they were no longer handed out as people were coming back, wearing them, pretending to be from Hopkins. As of 08.1, C-Bad attempted to dye student lanyards with Passionfruit Juice, we unfortunately learned that Dark green and pink don't mix well. In 08.2, CTY Lanyards dyed dark green were given to the nevermores at Passionfruit. No lanyards were given out in 09.
Starting 08.2, a notebook was passed around, in which people could write advice to next year's nevermores and nomores, as well as inside jokes, messages, feelings about leaving, and etc. There was also advice on how to sneak out of CTY, although, who wants to do that?
Because the new DRL Steph attended passionfruit in 09, stories about breaking rules were not told except in secret circles. Before this, there were no restrictions on stories told at passionfruit.
JHU
Passionfruit has, in the past, been an on-again, off-again tradition for Johns Hopkins University. The first official passionfruit tradition at Hopkins was started by Rohan Kumthekar in 03.2 when he petitioned site director Joe Cox to hold a passionfruit circle and watch the sunrise on the morning of the last day. There, the tradition was born to say "I love CTY and I love passionfruit". First, all the nevermores were given a chance to make short speeches, and then others could talk about their experiences as well. As of 08.1, 08.2, and 09.1, Passionfruit started at 6:30, with the nevermores forming a tight circle on the Gental Slope, and everyone else (anyone is allowed to come to Passionfruit) forming a circle around them. At 10.1 Passionfruit began at 5:45 AM. The nevermores all shared a memory, then the rest of the group each shares memories. After each memory, and after the entire ceremony, the Passionfruit juice is drunk, along with the customary phrase, "I love CTY and I love the Passionfruit". An emperor and empress from the onemores are chosen, and then Passionfruit ends. Other traditions may vary, depending on the staff/RAs running Passionfruit. In 09 and 10, CTYers used their empty cups of Passionfruit juice (after speeches) to spell out "CTY '09.1". Then, squirrels proceeded to jump/run over the cups without knocking any of them down. At the end of Passionfruit, everyone jumped on and crushed the cups. In 10.2, Passionfruit started at 6:11 (at sunrise.) However, AMRI blocked everyone's view of the sun from the Gentle Slope. Approximately 100 people attended (120 cups of Passionfruit juice were made by the Empress and a few insomniac RAs, with very a few remaining after the ceremony.) The event began with Goddess of BLAMMO/Empress of Passionfruit Trinity's speech. After people showed reluctance to make a speech following Trinity's, student Maddie Caballero bravely stepped up and shared some of her memories. After a bit more coaxing (Trinity threatened to call out random names over the JHU Megaphone, and carried out said threat a couple of times) the event proceeded without difficulties. Towards the end, Trinity crowned the new God of BLAMMO, Karl Heinlein, in a knighting-style coronation. She then passed on the Passionfruit crown (an oversized blue and yellow sparkly hat) to Chris Yi, who had spoke of returning to JHU the next year as a Nevermore in his speech. However, after Passionfruit, Chris confessed that he was in fact not returning to JHU, or to CTY in general, in 2011. Thus, Chris and Trinity crowned Karl Heinlein as the true Emperor of Passionfruit in a private ceremony after breakfast.
Easton
Easton is one of the only CAA sites to have a Passionfruit. It is much the same as at the CTY sites. However, There is no Emperor/Empress, and it is only on the final Friday of camp. Instead of an Emperor/Empress, Passionfruit is often unofficially lead by a few of the nevermores. All are invited to attend, though few who are returning make speeches, and the drinks, which were once actual passionfruit juice but have degenerated down to hawaiian punch, are provided by the RAs.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz also has Passionfruit. Only nevermores are invited, and it takes place at 6:00 am only on the last day. It is led by RAs.
