WELCOME

"Folklore of Student Life" holds the accumulated wisdom and wit of several IU undergraduate classes and of a good many IU undergraduates, all focused upon the folklore -- those shared avenues of creativity and expression -- that is part of the college experience at Indiana University. This website is a joint production of Prof John McDowell and his students in a number of undergraduate classes spanning the years 2005-2008.

We present seven varieties of lore (see buttons at right), so help yourself to a serving of your favorite fare. For each variety, there are three categories -- archival, taken from the collections in the IU Folklore Archives; ethnographic, recorded directly from observations and interviews with members of the student community; and cybernetic, drawn from the channels of online communication.  

Please note that we do not endorse the content of this material, but rather present it as a true and honest reflection of student lore at Indiana University. Due to the explicit character of some material, viewer discretion is advisable.

I offer a heart-felt word of thanks to Susan Henning-Harris, our web consultant, and to Trevor Blank and Rachel Gonzalez, graduate student helpers -- your ideas and efforts are deeply appreciated!

JMcD,

September 30, 2008

See photos of prof and students at work