Sarah Borkowski

Dr. Griffin
ENGL-1102-097
26 February 2014

Not So Ancient Artifacts
One of the artifacts in my music community that I explored this past week was a guide
book to a festival that I attend each year. Inside the document, the first page is a welcome letter.
Written by the founder of the festival, the welcome letter uses many colloquialisms and
references that an outsider to the community would immediately feel uncomfortable with
carrying on in the booklet. The founder ends with a have fun and be safe message, which
seems to be a bit daunting since the weekend is filled with late nights, early mornings, and music
until your ears practically bleed. The guide book sets out rules of engagement how to
behave, how not to be a fool, how to dress, how to act, etc. I find this interesting since the entire
community is set on being one full of non-conformists. Carrying on, the book then details local
spots to eat suggesting these are the places to be if you want to be anything more than just a
tourist in the city. The weekend is probably one of the best bonding experiences Ive had in my
short life, although I cant help but feel that this document is preaching something that is above
me. In a group of people who want to be seen as individuals, why does this document attempt to
suppress our individuality? The document as a whole has me thinking about newcomers to the
discourse they will probably take all these points to heart and it will make them a veritable
insider for the group. Others who have been part of the discourse may only take chunks and


pieces. All in all, my artifact has me wondering about the power structure within the community,
and does this power really have the ability to sway the reader. I