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Does Friday the 13th freak you out? YouVe not alone
BY VALERIA SOSA
Staff Writer
Are you afraid of Friday the 13th? Don't worry! You are
not alone.
According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia
Institute in Asheville, N.C., as many as 21 million people
in the U.S. are fearful of the date, resulting in about $800
million to $900 million lost in business every Friday the
13th.
The origin of paraskevidekatriaphobia, or fear of Friday
the 13th, lies with a book.
"Putting together Friday with the number 13 is something
that has only became a preoccupation in the 20th century,"
said Timothy Kircher, professor of history. "One of the
catalysts for this was a book that was written in the 20th
century about the stock market and the stock speculators
who took advantage of people. Friday the 13th was the day
in which their schemes would come to fruition."
Thomas Lawson's novel "Friday the Thirteenth,"
published in 1907, chronicles the story of a businessman
who tries to crash the stock market on the date of the book's
namesake. The book was a hit, selling nearly 28,000 copies
within the first week.
While the Friday the 13th frenzy became more popular in
the 20th century, it had taken hold of the world long before.
In 1881, an organization was created specifically for the
purpose of debunking the superstitions surrounding Friday
the 13th. The original thirteen members of the "Thirteen
Club" first met and sat down for dinner in room 13 of the
Knickerbocker Cottage, a Manhattan tavern, at 7:13 p.m. on
January 13, a Friday. The members, who later went on to
include the ranks of five Presidents, walked under ladders
to enter the room, sat in seats covered with salt, 8:00 a.m.
- 9:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. weekends,
and broke glass with complete abandon.
"I think that in very minute ways I consider myself
superstitious, but I'm not crazy," said first-year Kat
Kdtenheuser. "I think for me it's just habitual. I don't really
take it super seriously, but I always feel a little bit odd when
it's Friday the 13th."
Why do people, even if they aren't superstitious, fear
Friday the 13th?
"In the case of people afraid of Friday the 13th, they have
associated with the date cultural stories and fears that they
have learned from media or other people," said High Point
University Associate Psychology Professor Deborah Danzis
in an email interview. "It is not to the point of a full phobia,
but there is learned discomfort and anxiety about the date."
Hollywood exploited these fears, superstitions and scary
myths in the 1980 film "Friday the 13th." The film grossed
almost $40 million at the box office, and inspired a generation
of horror thrillers not for paraskevidekatriaphobes.
Nevertheless, many people love these horror movies.
"The whole Freddy Krueger/Friday the 13th movie
series is pretty big for the horror genre," said junior Jon
Macemore. "I think it's pretty awesome."
Yet, not everyone has a scary hockey-mask-psychopathic-
killer kind of Friday the 13th. To many people, 13 is actually
a lucky number.
"I've actually been really lucky on all the Friday the
13ths I've ever had," said Emily Eadie, a senior psychology
major. "Pretty much any Friday the 13th has always been a
good day for me."
Whether you fear, long for or just like watching movie
about Friday the 13th, this special date has influenced
many, and if you don't share these beliefs, come the 13th of
September and December, you may just find your reason to
believe in the mythos.
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I
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November 13, 1829:
Stuntmant Sam Patch dies jumping off of a 125-
foot platform into the Genesse River.
September 13,1940:
I The Nazis bomb Buckingham Place while the
King and Queen are sitting down for tea.
I
September 13, 1996:
I Tupac Shakur dies in the hospital, six days after
being shot four times In Las Vegas.
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Au^st 13, 2010:
I A 13-year-old British boy Is struck by lightning at |
* exactly 13:13. *
li
Hopscotch music festival brings many talents to Raleigh
BY GABE POLLAK
Staff Writir
With 175 bands storming 14
different venues on Sept. 5-7
in downtown Raleigh, North
Carolina's most eclectic music
festival — Hopscotch — gives
attendees a lot to choose from.
I arrived downtown Friday
evening, on the second day of
the festival. Already, Fayetteville
Street bustled with hip dads and
college students alike.
As synth-pop band Future
Islands blasted from City Plaza
stage, fest-goers roamed from
venue to venue, avoiding the
occasional errant glow stick,
consulting pocket schedules
and texting friends the essential
question: who should we see
next?
In 15 minutes. Dub Addis would
play at Tir Na Nog, all the way
over by Moore Square. Soon after.
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper would
perform in the opposite direction
at Fletcher Opera House. On top
of that, Kanye West's DJ protege,
A-Trak, would take center stage
20 minutes before 10:00 p.m. And
these are just three of the eight
artists playing — each at different
venues — around 9:30 p.m.
Contemplating who to see
next, I realized Td not only
missed the end of Future Islands'
hit "Balance," but that the group
was already halfway through
"Tin Man." I was so engrossed in
deciding on the next group to see
that I was missing the one right in
front me.
So I stalled in indecision,
defaulting to stick around the
City Plaza stage for the rest of
Future Islands' set. I realized I
might be able to catch the end of
Dub Addis' performance after all.
I hustled off towards Wilmington
Street.
Like Future Islands'
transforming rhythms, my plans
shifted unexpectedly again.
As I walked toward Tir Na Nog,
Carrboro-based band Some Army
had taken over Hargett street. A
frizzy-haired mom head banged
to the tightly-harmonized rock,
her baby boy in hand. I joined the
mom, lingering for the rest of the
show.
At this point, I was definitely
missing Lady Lamb, but as Some
Army singer Russell Bargett said
to The Guilfordian, "There are
worse things in the world than
having too much good music."
Later that night, I abandoned
my friends, who were eagerly
waiting to see indie heartthrobs
Local Natives, for some golden
era hip-hop.
At Lincoln Theatre, highly-
influential late-1980s master of
ceremonies Big Daddy Kane
schooled an enraptured audience
with classics like "Ain't No Half-
Steppin'." While choosing Kane
over Local Natives was an easy
call, the real challenge came on
the festival's closing night.
Califone or John Cale? Sleep or
Kopecky Family Band? Coke Bust
or Pissed Jeans? I was revisited
by that essential dilemma: who
should we see next?
It seemed there were a hundred
artists on my plate, but I only
had time left for one. I made a
decision, sprinting seven blocks,
out-running rickshaws and
speed-walldng hipsters to the
Berkeley Cafe.
Lightbulbs flashed on and off
as I entered the club. On time with
the Ramones-y garage rock, a trio
onstage switched between pure
silhouettes and floods of light. I
climbed onto a table, and, over the
bobbing heads, noticed the lead
singers' blue John Lennon glasses.
I wove through the sweaty crowd,
searching for a better view of this
musical discovery.
"The Beets were so good, I
almost cried," said senior Emily
Henderson.
Across the street from the club,
I spent my last hour of Hopscotch,
not seeing John Cale or Califone
or Coke Bust, but sitting on a
stoop and chatting with the Beets.
We talked about everything from
their influences - the Beatles, pro
wrestling and Howard Stern - to
their immigration to their home
in Queens.
By the end of the weekend. Plan
A became Plan B became no plan
at all. Once I realized I couldn't
catch everything, turning away
from the anxiety of choosing one
good show over another, I took
Continuing Part-time Lecturer in
Music Parke Puterbaugh's advice.
"Focus on what you like and
spend some time with it." '