Adjusting to a new living arrangement and different routine can sometimes be stressful and very difficult, especially for many of MIPA’s campers.
The first thing that I had trouble dealing with was the dorms. My roommate and I struggled to find our room. We were under the incorrect impression that our room was supposed to start with an ‘M,” causing us to stomp up and down the stairs, dragging behind us a total of two suitcases, two backpacks, two purses, two laptop bags and, of course, two fans; I now wish I had brought 10 fans.
Another ridiculously problematic situation we found ourselves in was trying to discover which bathroom door our key opened, which, unfortunately, happened to be the broken men’s room door. At first it may seem awkward to use a male restroom, but when you have 10 to 15 other teenage girls running toward you in a mad race to shower, I’d suggest to just grow up and use the bathroom.
Almost immediately after we located our room, my roommate and I drew an imaginary line in the middle of the room, quickly claiming which beds were ours, which drawers we would use and calling dibs on the desks we desired. After getting our stuff situated, and after going with the unique every other drawer tactic, we were able to relax for a couple of hours until all the chaos begin.
Some other campers adjusting to their new dorm life had similar impressions.
“It’s smaller, and I’m not used to sharing a room,” Jessica Heimonen from Portage Central High School said. “I also wish there was air conditioning.”
Several students, including moi, were disappointed by the size of the room and the lack of air conditioning. In hindsight, I’m glad we were advised to bring a fan, several times. As I sit in my bunk bed, minus the bunk, I hog my fan and let it blow directly onto my face.
Portage Central High School student Lauren Ammar’s opinion took a different route. “I would like (camp) more if I had air conditioning, but we don’t really spend much time in our dorm anyway. It’s more of just a place to sleep.”
Ammar seemed to really capture the spirit of MIPA’s Journalism Camp. Although it’s nice to have fun, we are here to work. The dorms are only used to get ready in the morning and relax at night from a grueling day of class work. A majority of teenagers at MIPA came to earn more experience for their respective newspaper staffs. These short four days are sure to bring more knowledge and experience to many aspiring young journalists.
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