Live from camp: Deadline! Crunch time!

Crunch time is finally here as we haul through the last two days of camp, the pressure to finish our assignments pushing us to give our all.

On day one Lynda made a comment about how close we would all become and how we would cry when we had to say good-bye. Eye rolls and quiet heckles went around, but as the first day became the first night, the realization that we, 13 unique individuals from 13 different walks of life, would come together as a melting pot to accomplish our assignments as beginning journalists.

I was hesitant to approach my peers in fear of being rejected. What I found was the complete opposite. I asked everyone questions and the simularities and differences came out. We live in a world where first impressions can make or break you. But as I sat on the couch next to Abby and Kiara while facing Erika, Rebecca, and Allison, the gray sweatpants and the large orange Cooper High Hawks shirt I was wearing didn’t matter.

The get-to-know-you games that we played really revealed a lot about each peer. When Miles introduced the ‘Just because I’m ____ doesn’t mean I’m _____’ game a swarm of answers came to my head. As each person went around, some people had goofy comments and some were more serious. They all had one thing in common: truth and strength. Our past truly constructed the person we are today. As more days pass, more things will be added to our stories. That night, most of the females gathered in room 317 after a game of ‘Never- have-I-Ever’ and went into details about the things that were brought up. At the end of the talk, everyone was in tears and almost every girl had revealed something personal about themselves, including me.

The camp has continued like that for me, surprise after surprise. I envisioned the camp to be significantly different and I’m extremely glad that I was wrong. Well, some parts are proven true but as the days go by more rapidly than before, the experience and and knowledge we’ve gained has stretched beyond print and broadcast. In the area of journalism this camp has blown my mind. I am able to be in the presence of journalism icons who are directing me and teaching me the things they have learned throughout their careers that has put them on top. They are giving their time and energy for a job that is difficult and stressful but they are doing it out of love. They provide us support and encouragement and open up doors that could lead to things beyond what we thought we could achieve.

I am stuck when it comes to words to describe how this program has made me feel and the new horizons that I’ve had the chance to explore. Actually, my family relationships were also improved simply by my mother acknowledging this opportunity but also helping me stay focused on my goal instead of other emotions and feeling. This program touches you on many levels. Do not forget that this isn’t for the faint of heart. This is challenging and exhausting. You are getting a crash course in all media forms of journalism in a two-week span of time! If you can’t handle it, turn and walk away. If you want this, strap on your helmet, say good-bye to sleep and clear your mind. This is something you cannot imagine.

—Shanice Brown