Shannon MeyerFollow

Date Collected

Winter 12-2-2018

Place item was collected

Utah State University

Informant

Clayton Brown

Point of Discovery/Informant Bio

Clayton Brown is a senior at Utah State University. He was raised in a Jewish family in Texas. His family is his Mother, his sister, and his friend who is close enough to be a family.

Context

This was told to me at the end of our shift after we had finished our shift as janitors at Utah State University. We were in the janitorial office in the Edith Bowen Building putting away our keys and filling out our time cards. The office feels like a closet because it is so small and cramped and filled with random cleaning supplies. There is a shelf with old glass cleaner and cordless vacuuming bags. A computer with a double monitor where our boss will put in time cards and supply orders. And the clear mat that is usually on the floor was for some reason set up and leaning against the desk with the computer. Our other coworkers were moving around and leaving as he told his story. Clayton and his family (see informant info for who his family includes) try to spend some of Hanukah together and this is the story of a Latke eating contest they did. Latkes are a traditional Jewish treat made from fried potatoes that are served around Hanukah. Clayton and his family like their latkes with hot sauce or with chocolate on them.

Text

Clayton(C): “During Hanukah when we were kids we would have like uh, latke eating contest sometimes and so since everyone loved em so much since they were like all of our favorites my dad actually ended up starting it and we would just see who could eat as many latkes as they could and um he actually ended up passing away a few years later um but we-I think it was last year that we had it we had everybody over my sister’s husband and um basically my brother but he’s one of my friends but he’s been living with us for a long time and they ended up eating like the record ended up being something around 20 latkes I think [Shannon starts laughing in the background] which is unheal-an unhealthy amount. They were both laying on the floor and and my friend Ben ended up getting like 19 and Eric go to about 20 and so we-we haven’t done it since and I don’t know if we’ll do it again because it got a little dangerous last time but that’s uh we used to have latke eating contest so..”

Shannon: “I love that, that’s amazing”

Texture

As he told me this story he was smiling and laughing along with me. His hands were in his pockets in a relaxed fashion. He started laughing as he was telling this story, he would occasionally make hand gestures as he talking. Sometimes touching his hat or his face. He would also move his hands up and down as he talked. The atmosphere as relaxed and happy as he told his story. It was just he and I after the rest of our coworkers had left.

Course

English 2210

Instructor

Lynne S. McNeill

Semester and year

Fall 2018

Theme

G1: Holidays

EAD Number

1.0.3

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