Getting Subcultural

Group: United Spinners of Elkhart Cemeteries (This is what we actually called ourselves. We even have a Facebook group devoted to it.)

The group itself is a subsection of the City of Elkhart Parks and Recreation Department. It is made up of five young adults responsible for maintaining the areas around the headstones in the three cemeteries of Elkhart, Indiana. These five young people use a device known to them as a "spinner." To many, this instrument is classified as a "weed whacker," but the members of the group feel that "spinner" is much less crude. Each instrument is designated by a number, and it is widely known throughout the the USEC that the spinners labeled CM40 and CM65 are the most powerful. Therefore, they are rewarded to senior members of the group. If a new member tries to undermine this right, the other four use beratement and verbal threats to subdue the uprising and return the instruments to their rightful users.

The behavior of the five young men is rather juvenile. More time is spent trying to figure out new games to pass the time rather than do the work they are expected to do. One of the most basic rituals is called "coasting," in which the men try to circle the cemetery without using the gas pedal. Another popular game is the "Walnut War." In this game, the men divide themselves into teams and hurl fallen walnuts at each other, using the headstones as protective barricades. Other examples of game names are: Hitch, Uno, Lava, and Logroll. At all times, one of the workers (most likely the weakest or youngest of the group) is posted as a lookout for the bosses who routinely check up on the crew to make sure they are working. When a boss is sighted, the lookout is expected to proclaim, "Spin it!"; this causes the other members to run to their spinners and immediately begin working.

Inside phrases are far too numerous to mention in full, but they cover such topics as names for the bosses, names for equipment, interactions with others, and sections within the cemetery. The main cemetery is a prime example of the use of inside phrases to designate sections. Some of these sections are: Baby Land (a section designated for dead children), Jew Land (for the city's Jewish population), 40 (the largest and least shaded section of the cemetery), Wussy Hollow (the nickname of the mausoleum) and Vet's (a section for veterans). These special designations help form a strong sense of community. Those who do not know what these basic phrases mean are lost within this world and have a hard time fitting in.

The behaviors, rituals, and inside jokes of the USEC make it a group that continues to flourish long after members leave. New traditions are constantly added to the group, but memories of old traditions keep the group a cohesive subsection of the Park's Department. I was a member of this group for two years and helped create many of the traditions that I know still occur today. Knowing that I formed a subculture in this way gives me a feeling of accomplishment in contributing to my hometown.