Dan Feuerbach
English 354
4-20-2006
Writing Assignment Two: Final Draft
In almost every childhood one of the staple methods of wasting summer evenings was playing tag. The simple game involved one person being “it” while the rest of the players try their hardest to avoid the “it” player. Being literate in the game was simple and practically infused with people at birth. However, in 2005 the game of tag grew balls and became XXXXtreme Urban Street Tag. More complicated then its predecessor the literacy evolved to match. Although still relatively simple to understand, the literacy of tag is essential to everyone’s enjoyment.
Tag started in late September of 2005. It was an unusually warm fall evening around nine-thirty in the afternoon. My friends Germ, Jeff, JJ, John and I were sitting on the stoop outside the coffee house with nothing to do. We were discussing the merits of the single urinal versus the trough when suddenly (it seemed) the fates intervened.
“We should play tag.” Jeff said.
Everyone laughed. We assumed it was a joke. The idea seemed crazy.
“How would we do that?” I said.
“We’ll play on this block, it’ll be fun, come one let’s do it.”
We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. There was nothing better to do and nowhere else to be. We stood up, put out our cigarettes and hammered out the first draft of the rules. Although more would be added later on, the initial four rules are where the game began. After a very brief discussion we decided that we would stay on the 13th and P Street block, nobody would enter a building, one of the five of us would be “it” and the game would last thirty minutes.
And thus the legend began. The first ten minutes were a little rocky. Since most of the people in the first game wore inappropriate shoes and didn’t exercise legs were sore and people (including myself) were hacking up shit. Overall the game went well. After the first game ended, things took an interesting turn that changed the course of Tag forever.
We were taking a break between games on the stoop. While I smoked, two students came walking down the street. One wore a “Suicide Machines” shirt. My brother recognized this and initiated a conversation with him. It turned out that these two students were acquainted with several members of the emerging subculture. Their names were Chuck and Jared.
They were promptly invited to play the game. Like most people in Lincoln, they didn’t have anywhere else to be, so they joined in. As the second game unfolded a certain desire to expose as many people as possible to the subculture emerged. The running and hiding were intoxicating. Before the third and final game of the evening, phone calls went out all around Lincoln. Chuck and Jared had particularly large social circles and before long another eight people arrived on the street to play the final game of the first session.
The total number at the end of the session was fifteen. Every single person who showed up that night mentioned something about how they would have to show up again. It became apparent this needed to happen again. Everyone agreed to show up at the same place at the same time the next week. Everyone left that evening knowing something special just happened.
Ever since the crude first game, XXXXtreme Urban Street Tag has exploded. Now in its second season, every game since the fist one has seen an increase in attendance. From the first fifteen the population of “taggers” has peaked recently at forty. Almost every game the phrase “I’m going to have come more often” can be heard. Many non-mainstream students have come over the months and almost universally enjoy the game.
Enjoyment of the game involves being literate in the nuances of any given tag game. From Sunday to Saturday there are certain steps the Tag literate will take to find out when, how, where and why it happens. It starts with Facebook and ends at The CoHo. Although most “taggers” are unaware of the process involved, their literacy in it keeps Tag rolling like a semi over a basketball.
Facebook is the next step in directories. It is an interactive website students of assorted high schools and colleges around the United States can log on and post information on it. Each person who signs up for Facebook gets a profile. On this profile he or she can list favorite movies, music, books and more. People enrolled can also join common interest groups to be among like minded people.
This is an essential tool to Tag and is the beginning of any game. On Sunday the administrator, Jeff, will post when the next game is happening and perhaps a little blurb about relevant Tag-related events or information in the groups discussion board. He will also send out mass messages to all members of the XXXXtreme Urban Street Tag group about when the next game will happen. A typical message goes something like this:
“Look, we're doing tag Saturday (9pm, you know where). It's going to rule. No question. But to make it totally and completely awesome, you need to be fucking sweet that night. Tons of running and tons of new people. There's a party afterwards, which will kick all of your asses. Look out of XXXXtreme Urban Capture the Flag. We just might be adding some variety into your Saturday nights downtown. Stay sexy.”
Facebook allows members of Tag to coordinate their Saturday nights. They know that Tag is, in fact, going to happen the week they get the message. They know the time, or if there is a time change, and know if anything is going on afterwards. Facebook makes organization simple and effective. Without it members would have to call around to get a hold of potential “taggers” and may find out the players have made previous plans.
Members and potential members of Tag can also come into contact with the expanded rules of Tag. From the original four rules, the list has been expanded to nine. These rules are the backbone of Tag. Without these rules to provide a degree of restrain on the anarchy-esque nature of Tag, the results could be devastating. The rules are posted on the Facebook group:
“1. Do not hit other pedestrians. 2. Be honest when asked if you are "it". 3. No entering of buildings 4. You must stay within one city block - no crossing of streets. 5. No Douche bags 6. Keep It Awesome 7. No tag backs 8. Keep It Sober 9. No Bears.”
A first glimpse over these rules by a person who is Tag illiterate would lead to confusion. Many of the terms are strange and some of the rules seem foreign. However, the Tag literate have heard these all before and know what the rules mean and how to follow them so everyone has a good time. These rules are the byproduct of months’ worth of refinement. Without these rules Tag could not happen.
The first rule on the list is the most important. Although people come to Tag to have a good time, they aren’t there to ruin other people’s fun. Hitting pedestrians would only cause problems. The second rule means that if somebody asks a player if he or she is “it” the truth must be told. If a player holds his or her hands in an “X” that is equivalent to “Not ‘it.’” “Douche bags” are defined in Tag as anybody who hampers the enjoyment of Tag for anyone else. Whether through internal politics, shit talking, or aggravated assault, members have a duty to be noble while at Tag.
“Awesome” basically means moving. Members need to be constantly moving once the game begins. Whether running, jumping or scouting, anytime a game is in session. “No tag-backs” means once a person is tag the former “it” individual is immune from being tagged by that individual. Sobriety is key to a game of Tag. It is a full mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual experience and requires all faculties to be in full working order. Being drunk, stoned, tweaked, dipped-out, or fucked-up is detrimental to this experience, plus it helps to alleviate any legal trouble Tag might cause. “No Bears” is an ongoing joke from a Comedy Central program. It serves as a source of comedic relief during a game of Tag.
These rules are the foundation of Tag. They are the guidelines all members must follow in order to have a successful game. These rules can be accessed on the Facebook group at anytime. These rules are also run through at the beginning of each game so players can’t pretend like they haven’t heard them before. The rules are fairly self-explanatory, as is most of Tag literacy. Everything on the list is logical within the context of Tag.
One more interesting aspect of the Tag Facebook group is the Council of Elders. On Facebook groups, prominent members of a group can be given an “officer” position, which means they have distinguished themselves in a group. This applies to Tag. The Council of Elders consists of all people who were at the original game plus new members who have distinguished themselves in “battle.”
Once the Tag literate become aware of when the next game is, and new players have been exposed to the rules there is the week long recruitment and discussion period. During the week leading up to Tag, members will take it upon themselves to spread the word of Tag. Whether to new members or old, the word of Tag spreads around Lincoln.
In any given week members contact other members and have conversations about the upcoming event. Potentially dozens of conversations can happen in which “taggers” plan to come to the next game and strategies about how to play more successfully than the week before. The word-of-mouth method of advertising is very effective in bringing back old members.
New members will become intrigued during the week leading up to Tag. Again, the word-of-mouth method will attract people to play the game. The newly exposed will become intrigued at the idea of playing the game and can be directed to the Facebook group to get more information. New members will come to Tag and then the cycle begins the next week. Typically new members are gathered in this method.
The significance of the week before Tag cannot be overstated. What causes Tag to grow each week is the process of word-of-mouth advertisement. Other methods, such as flyers about Tag, have been tried but were unsuccessful. The flyers were vague and didn’t capture the excitement of Tag. The main way people have become interested in Tag is through conversations with friends who have played the game already.
Once the preparation work has been done and Saturday arrives, the game is in the hands of the players. When eight-thirty rolls around, the Tag-literate begin to assemble. The typical location is The CoHo on 13th and P Street. Also known as The Coffee House, members of Tag meet there or the area around it to discuss plans for the upcoming session, get something to drink, and hang out before the games begin. Some members will drink water to get properly hydrated for games; others drink coffee to sharpen their senses.
“Taggers” show up an hour early and will usually claim a table in the back of the building for incoming people to sit at. Conversations will range in topic from how well prepared for the game members are to the nature of God and everything in between. Some members will constantly be going in and out of the backroom, alternating between smoking cigarettes, talking with those assembled at the table, and getting coffee refills.
This facet of Tag gives members a sense of community. The hanging out time before the game is when members can discuss their lives, dreams, and ideas in an environment of like-minded individuals. The brotherhood of Tag begins here. There is a sense of irony though, because while members are bonding in The CoHo they will soon be pitted against each other in the battlefield of honor that Tag has become.
Once the time for Tag has come, everyone leaves The Coffee House and the block becomes the home of XXXXtreme Urban Street Tag. However many people came to the game will stand around Jeff who will issue the rules. He runs through them briefly, but clearly, so everyone can knows how to behave during the game and what is expected of them. After selecting the people to be “it” he announces when the game will end and the crew runs away from the people who are “it.”
Once the “it” crew has counted to twenty-seven they will proceed to track down and tag the people who weren’t selected. Down back alleys, around corners and over obstacles, members of Tag go all out trying to pass on the label of “it” to anybody who is slower, unaware, or just unlucky. The methods used to tag others are very diverse.
Most tags in a game come from run-downs. This means two “taggers” will spy each other then the “it” person will run into full sprint mode and the “non-it” person will also. Whoever goes fastest will win the match. It is very similar to lions and gazelles in the African savannah. This is accepted by most “taggers” as the most honest way to play the game.
Less honest, but more exciting, is the “trap” method of tagging. This typically entails the “it” player hiding behind a garbage can or in a nook/crevice in an alley. When an unsuspecting “tagger” walks by, the “it” player will spring from his or her hiding spot like a spider, make the tag, then clear the area. This often leaves the newly “it” player momentarily confused.
The least honest method, known as the “cheese-dick” or “Bush” method of tagging is somewhat tricky to pull off. When an “it” person finds a “non-it” person in close proximity, he or she will preemptively ask “are you it?” The person who isn’t “it” will assume safety and say “no”, to which the “it” player will tag him or her and say “now you are.” Although the method is cheap, it is effective if the circumstances are right. Since the “it” player isn’t technically lying about his or her status, it is allowed, but it isn’t exactly honorable.
This is how any given game of Tag is played. After the introduction by Jeff, the game is given over to the people to let it go where it will. These methods of tagging are designed to give some variety to the game. If Tag was a game of speed, slower players would become discouraged and stop showing up. The different means of tagging require players to be on their toes and aware of their environment at all times.
Most of the time there is little trouble with people following the rules. People who come to Tag generally know in advance what is expected of them. Once in a while, however, there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Disciplinary action takes the place of verbal warnings, suspensions, and expulsions from the game of Tag. Action can be taken in the event that any individual or group of people should chose to shirk the duties of the Tag community.
The strongest example of disciplinary action came late in the first season of Tag. During a game with roughly twenty people a massive influx of ten people came in. The number of people playing reached thirty, but there was a problem: the ten people who came were in violation of one of Tag’s core rules: “Keep it sober.”
The influx of people decided to come to Tag after their party was busted by the police. Each of the ten people was inebriated in some way. Acting quickly, Jeff rounded them up and suspended them from playing the game. Although the number shrank, it was more enjoyable for the majority of players because their Tag session wasn’t hampered by the reckless actions of the drunks and stoners.
This situation is a rarity. More often the most extreme action during a game is reminders by Jeff that people need to “keep it awesome.” Typically if players are sitting around, talking or being lazy he will remind them to keep moving. Every time, to date, this has been effective and players have returned to normal courses of “keeping it awesome.”
Nobody has been expelled from Tag yet. If they were they would not be allowed to return. If someone is suspended they aren’t allowed to play the rest of the session, but can return when they have fixed whatever caused them to be kicked out of the game in the first place. These three courses of action have been effective in keeping the Tag populace from running amuck, but discipline has been little problem in Tag so far.
In conclusion, Tag is a great way for people to have great social contact with interesting individuals, get exercise and express themselves. From the original fifteen of the first game to the forty individuals of the last, Tag has grown into a bit a phenomenon. It draws a new crowd and has created several hard-line fans that only miss games when they have emergencies to attend to. Over the months Tag has touched the lives of many people. It has a structure which could theoretically sustain Tag for a long time. If the first two seasons are any indication, XXXXtreme Urban Street Tag has a long, successful future ahead of it.
