“Songwriting” by Cate Shanahan, age 14
Hey WriCampia! My name is Cate, I am an Upper Camper, and I am a part of the Songwriting Track! I have been in songwriting for the past two years and I love it so much. Songwriting is an amazing Track, filled with wonderfully talented and creative campers and very supportive counselors to help you improve your songs.
For the past two years, my best friend Violet and I have been writing songs at WriCampia together. Not only does Songwriting bring us closer together as friends, but it also provides a really cool and artistic way to write stories and express ourselves through music. Violet and I love the songwriting process and I find it interesting that everybody has their own non-linear approach.
The two of us usually put together the words, melodies, harmonies, and chords simultaneously once we’ve discovered a central topic to write about. Take the example of the new song we were writing on the theme of body image, “Someone You Know” (which we premiered at Wrichella!). Violet and I riffed on the starting line, “tell me all your secrets,” and the rest flowed naturally from those words. I find writing most of a song at once useful because it helps the song to communicate raw, vulnerable, and unfiltered emotions. Malcolm and everyone else involved with the Track help to make it such a great, creative experience. For anyone who is considering trying out Songwriting as a Track next summer, you definitely should.
Anyone has the ability to write a song! I can’t wait to see you all again at Wrichella! Happy songwriting!
“Filmmaking” By Milo Miller, age 16
It’s been my pleasure to be in filmmaking at WriCampia for my fourth year. One of the biggest joys of the track again and again is working alongside the same groups and people who I’ve spent time with every year. Ten groups writing and editing films side by side creates a unique environment, and this aspect gives this track a friendly and warm air that helps your creativity flow. Here at filmmaking, you’re never without someone to give you their advice on a scene or be an extra in your film if you need just one more person to complete the take. Sometimes coming up with an idea is the hardest part, but once you have one, however outlandish or insane it is, the filming process itself is where you get to be the most active; between casting characters and planning shots, your schedule will be full during track. After the excitement of filming is over, of course, evening elective is the perfect time to edit your film and complete it just in time for the film festival at the end of camp!
Filmmaking at WriCampia is always a relaxed experience, where you can translate all forms of creativity into one project. With all the technology and resources imaginable provided for, creating a film is just a matter of working with friends and having fun.
“Sports” By Viktor Hall, age 14
“I should have done the bar instead of the rope,” said Middle Camper Rohan R-F with a mouth full of lake water, clambering back aboard the motorboat.
Sports Track has been full of fun as there are always a lot of options for you to choose from, including waterskiing, soccer, tennis, and gymnastics.
All of these options are really fun–especially waterskiing. You get a lot of exercise while having fun, which is super worth it. Plus, you push yourself during the activities and try new ones that you’ve never done before, like, for example, waterskiing. Another thing to know about water skiing is how much arm strength and, in particular, arm endurance, you have to have to excel at it. If you want to do waterskiing at the Sports Track next year, and you’ve never done it before, you generally need to do the bar first because it’s slower. But this is not universally true.
“All the Danbee counselors said to do the bar and then the rope, but I did the rope first, and it may be beginner’s luck but I got the rope first try and so did Teo. The rope is a different feeling from the bar because you’re being pulled forward, not holding yourself up,” said Upper Camper Rafi R.
When the order of the day was land sports rather than water sports, soccer was a favorite standby: very energetic and loads of fun.
“Newspaper” By Nell Choi, age 16
I always look forward to coming to Newspaper. Each day, we sit around the long fold-up table in the cozy house of Aunt Jean’s, typing away on our laptops to finish our articles by the fast-approaching deadline. Learning how we, as journalists, are always seeking a deeper “truth” that broadens our own, and our readers’, understanding of our society was an empowering realization. But that’s the serious side of the Newspaper Track. Other times, when we aren’t “locking in,” we are laughing about quotes to put in the Daily WriCampian, telling crazy stories, or voting on the hilarious Caption Contest submissions for the image of Mabel in the bathroom. My favorite part of this track has been connecting with the camp community. Meeting new people through interviews and listening to and sharing their stories has been such a meaningful experience. A huge shoutout to our Managing Editor, Preston, for keeping us motivated and focused but also letting us have our laughs. We are so lucky to have you, Preston.
“Portfolio” By Christina Merikas, age 15
With the games in our workshops, the arts and sports in electives, and the evening activities, our days are full and exciting. Even so, some campers want more time dedicated to working on their pieces. There’s an opportunity available for this reason: Portfolio. In this track, campers can spend an additional hour and a half to work on their pieces and get feedback from up to six instructors. These instructors consist of Rita Feinstein, Lena Roy, Ella Goldblum, Alice Bethke, Colleen Martin, and Paulina Tesnow. From poets to playwrights, the niches of Portfolio are endless. Camper Mason Bronner has been doing Portfolio ever since his first year at WriCampia, and has recently finished his 415-page novel. Izzy Oh completed the first draft of her college essay with help from Feinstein. A typical day in Portfolio consists of writing, editing alongside instructors, and workshopping with other campers.
“Page to Stage” By Kendal Bazerman, age 17
To write plays, or not to write plays… that is one question that campers in Page 2 Stage never have to debate. Each year, WriCampia premieres an original musical, created in under two weeks. While writing can often be a solitary pursuit, in Page 2 Stage, campers never work alone.
A typical day spent in the track features creativity, activity, and productive chaos. From the circle of group writing, to the poster paper of ideas lining the walls, to the late nights of hard work, the dedication going into the final product is evident everywhere. This production started out with ideas of a rivalry and traveling through time, and resulted in a beautiful piece regarding love, legacy, misunderstandings, and forgiveness.
As the head of all things tech for the Page 2 Stage performance, I am always amazed by how the show comes together, and how much all its participants learn from simply listening and collaborating. This year, we were able to costume all 27 actors with pieces to represent their character, as well as designing and constructing numerous props, including the infamous Smith-Claremont family ring! Having a technical team for this production has allowed for campers to engage with all aspects of the creative process – and has helped bring our story to life more fully.
Viewers of Wednesday night’s hit performance left with inspiration, several new earworms, and hopefully the desire to join P2S next year!
