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 in 1989. 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)
- Edit: As of 24.2 CAR you must stay in your dorms for SRAs and Deans to pick you up at 6:15
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/Passionfruit Games (13.1) 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. As of 12.1, everyone can make a toast, regardless of their initiation status. Any student can now participate in the Passionfruit Games, regardless of returning status.
All speeches and toasts are given while standing and end with "I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit." Additionally, many people choose to say "I like you, I love you, I CTY you" (in 24.1 at Carlisle, "I HUB you" was added to this by Dina Black) before ending their speech 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, if desired.
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. The Holy Ghost kicks off the festivities with the ceremonial pouring of a sip of SKL into the ground for those who cannot be there; however, as we all know, you never really leave. After all students have gathered, the Emperors or Trinity each give their speeches, customarily ending with "I like you, I love you, I CTY you, I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit." They then take a drink and pass it onward to the next nomore/nevermore. In theory, after all the nomores/nevermores have spoken, everyone else can give their speech with onemores having priority (But usually due to time constraints, even many nomore/nevermores aren't able to give their speeches). In 14.1, a Post-Passionfruit was held outside the ASFC for nomores who were unable to speak. 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, most positions and their holy items are passed down here, including the documentator, trinity, jester, and quotebook. New positions and traditional items are officially christened here by being passed to the next generation, a good example of which is the creation of The Savage in 15.1.
Most other tradition items are also passed down in Passionfruit, including the lanyard stack, Vladimir's cloak, the coconuts, and the shot glasses during first session.
Lancaster Passionfruit 13.2 Part 1
Lancaster Passionfruit 13.2 Part 2
Lancaster Passionfruit 14.2 Part 1
Lancaster Passionfruit 14.2 Part 2
Organization
Because there is no persistent emperor position, organization of Passionfruit can be a bit of a mess.
At session one, though the Trinity has some power over who speaks, it is essentially a free-for-all once the positions and passed items are done speaking. At session two, the responsibility of Emperor is decided at the no-more meeting in the first week, and they have the responsibility to organize the order of speaking and run Passionfruit, as well as being the first to give a speech. This is usually considered to be more of a responsibility than an honor, as it involves dealing with many frustrated CTYers.
At 16.1, the Trinity decided to hold Passionfruit signups for nomores and impose a time limit of 2:45 on speeches to ensure that everyone got a chance to speak. Holders of positions and items were given extra time to pass down their respective things (positions not held by onemores were passed during Last Supper or after Monkwalk). This was an astonishing success, as everyone got a chance to speak, including some nomores who hadn't signed up and decided to speak last-minute. There was even time to do two End of the Tours and to clean up Hartman Green, an unprecedented instance.
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 starting at 4:00 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 settles down on blankets to 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 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 like you, I love you, I CTY you. I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit." After this is spoken, everyone repeats the line, "I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit" and takes a sip of their drink. The last speeches are given by the current Emperors.
Before the event, the Nevermores agree on the Royalty's successors, and each Emperor/Empress 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.
At 14.2, and probably many other sessions, Passionfruit was said to be exclusive to nevermores and nomores, but there was no official enforcement and at least one person attended who thought they were a nomore but ended up returning (oops).
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.
At 17.1, Passionfruit was not held at the Bluffs, much to the dissatisfaction of the CTYers and RAs. However in 17.2, it was held at the Bluffs after the RAs got permission to move it (Big thanks to RAs Luis and Sarah).
JHU
Passionfruit has, in the past, been an on-again, off-again tradition for Johns Hopkins University. The first official Passionfruit 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 sun rise on the morning of the last day. There, the tradition was born to say "I love CTY and I love the 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 Gentle 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. At 15.2, it began at 6:05. The nevermores all shared a memory, then the rest of the group shared 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 few remaining after the ceremony.) The event began with Goddess of BLAMMO/Empress of the 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 difficulty. Toward 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 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.
In 11.2, Karl Heinlein crowned Ryan Muggleton as both the God and Emperor for 12.2. However, it was later revealed that Muggletown had a prior promise to attend Carlisle, which he upheld instead of assuming the throne of 12.2.
As a result, there was an unclear hierarchy present in 12.2, where a nevermore declared himself God. Due to the confusion involving the legality of self-crowning, there was also confusion over who would succeed the said nevermore. On the morning of Passionfruit, he crowned Indie Page as the Goddess of BLAMMO for 13.2. However, a couple of other nevermores somehow persuaded him into relinquishing his self-proclaimed powers as Emperor, allowing them to crown Amanda Sin (JHU 10.2, 11.2 and 12.2) as the Empress, thus creating two separate monarchs for 13.2. Approximately 30 CTY-ers attended. Passionfruit was held in a vaguely Carlislean manner, with the nevermores and nomores in an inner circle and returners or maybemores making up the outer circle. Passionfruit juice was only supplied to nevermores and nomores. The tradition of 09 and 10 of crushing the cups was revived!
In 18.1, Passionfruit occurred on the brick circle right outside AMR1 at 6 am, and was attended by at least 50 CTYers. Toasts were made, each ending with, "I love CTY and I love the Passionfruit," and a royal court of four was established. To end the ceremony, CTY was spelled out using cups and crushed after everyone said, "I like you, I love you, I CTY you."
In 18.2, the same happened, except only the Emperor and Empress were appointed. Note: at the 18.2 Passionfruit, watered down Kool-aid was given to all the students rather than a mix of fruit juices.
In 22.1-24.1, Passionfruit was endorsed by the JHU administration and went without incident. In 22-23.1, it was attended by around 40 people, and at 24.1, by a whopping ≈90 people. In 2023, it was held at 5 AM, and in 2024, it was held at 6:15 as a compromise with both the administration and an incredibly sleepy student population. Due to an unusually small population of nevermores, RAs and TAs who had attended CTY were invited into the circle and allowed to speak. Due to a series of passionate and inspiring speeches, this was generally regarded as a good idea.
Easton
Easton is one of the only CAA sites to have a Passionfruit. It is much the same as at the CTY sites and the tradition began at EST in '06. 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. RAs are rarely involved. 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. There was actual passionfruit juice again in 12.1 and 16.1. It was planned to be real passionfruit juice in 16.2, at the demand of RA Allan, but Wawa was out of stock. Sob.
Before Passionfruit, there had been a nevermore party after the last dance. Passionfruit starts early in the morning of the last day and allows all CAAmpers. During the Passionfruit, CAAmpers sit in a large circle on the quad and drink juice. Some make speeches, some make toasts. This was typically held at 5:00 am (sunrise), however in 10.1 it was changed to 6:00 am. In 12.1 and 12.2 it was held at 5:30am. During 15.1, it was restricted to nomores and nevermores only, but some lied and said they were nomores to attend anyway. It is surprisingly cold at 5am on the quad.
In 17.1 Passionfruit was not allowed to be attended by anyone other than never/nomores. However, there were many people that were leaving that morning and many non-never/nomores still attended to say goodbye. There was only enough Passionfruit for the people who weren't coming back, so there was a circle of never/nomores on the inside with the Passionfruit juice, and then a circle of others on the outside. Many RAs had told their kids, even though it was banned for them to go, that it was fine if they went to Passionfruit.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz also has Passionfruit. Everyone is invited, and it starts at 5:45 am, (5:15 am in 2011) the same as morning run, only on the last day. It is led by RAs on the squiggle field. People sit in a big circle and watch the sunrise whilst sharing stories and toasts with very meager servings of passionfruit juice or fruit punch.
History
In 13.1 invites were not needed to attend Passionfruit, sparking over 100 CTYers in attendance. The 100+ campers (with only 8 being Nevermores) successfully managed to split 7 cartons of Passionfruit. The Admin has decided 13.2 Passionfruit will be invite only. In 16.1 only nevermores and nomores were invited. It took place at 5:30 and only about 20 people attended the event. Now as of 23.1 and 23.2, everyone is allowed to attend.
Seattle
Seattle's Passionfruit is held on the last morning of the session on the 12th floor lounge of Campion, also known as Club 12. It starts at 5:00 am. CTYers drink Hawaiian Punch, which is renowned throughout the site for being terrible.
As of at least 13.2, everyone was eligible to join Passionfruit. This was again the case in 17.2, which was probably a good idea as Passionfruit was not at all popular and opening it up to everyone likely increased attendance by at least a little.
In 15.2, the Passionfruit drink was very watery and the morning was super cold.
In 18.1, CTYers drank Passionfruit juice
In 19.2, it began at 6:00 am with surprisingly high turnout. The juice was a questionable purplish color and rather disgusting. It was too cloudy to watch the sunrise.
Dublin, Ireland
Passionfruit in CTYI is held in the quad on the final Friday morning of the session. It begins between 6-7:30 AM depending on how the RAs feel that given year and is attended only by nevermores and nomores. An RA or two will keep an eye on things and provide the juice but it is a student-led event. Due to where Ireland is geographically, the sun is already up when passionfruit begins. Attendance is generally around 20-30 people and it is an opportunity for nevermores to tell stories, say things they forgot to mention in their speeches, and hug each other. CTYI has no royalty as such, so there is no real leader of passionfruit.
