2017 Upper Camp Vedette: Issue 2

The

Vedette Culver’s Novel Creative Writing

Issue 2 July 18, 2017

Get to Know The Vedette Staff

The days of camp seem to be flying by, wouldn’t you agree? Homecoming Weekend has come and gone and the end of camp is quickly approaching. Emotions are mixed. Do we feel sad about the upcoming end to the summer? Joyous about seeing our friends and family back at homw? How are we supposed to feel?

While everyone feels different about the end of camp, it is important to spend the next two weeks having the most fun that you can. Enjoy all that Culver has to offer!

It is a lot easier said than done but keep in step and keep your chin up, these next couple weeks will be fun, busy, and the best you’ve ever had.

Second Trimester Staff Editors: Gabrielle Pecsi - Jim Wall Columnists: Lilith Kocian - Rosemary Adams - Rachel Spahn - Lea Rennae Cordle Camila Munoz - Hali Hanley Photographers: Gabrielle Pecsi - Camilo Morales - Hannah Farmer - Trent Miles - Haley Stanish

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The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

Get to Know The Vedette Staff Cont.

My name is Lilith Kocian, age 16, and I am from Cleveland, Ohio. At Culver, I am a second classman who is trying her best to help Deck Four’s goal to improve and succeed throughout the summer. I am here to learn and try new activities that will improve me now, and in the future. I have won Creative Writing awards in my high school and in other state events. In the future I hope to have graduated from Bowling Green College, in Ohio, and then become a published author.

My name is Rosemary Adams, and I am from Moscow, Idaho. Though I have lived in Idaho for three years, I have never seen a potato farm. I actually live in a mountainous region and enjoy spending my time hiking. I am currently a first-classman in Deck 5. In the future, I would like to be working as a journalist, while developing my political career.

My name is Rachel Spahn and I am 15 years old. I am from Chicago, Illinois. This is my third class summer in Deck 3, however, this is overall my sixth summer at Culver. I went to Woodcraft Camp for five years. I came late to Culver this summer because I was in China on a service and sight-seeing trip for ten days. In the near future, I definitely see myself at college and hopefully, I will be studying abroad.

My name is Lea Rennae Cordle and I’m 15 years old. I currently live in Mooresville, Indiana with my two sisters, mom, and dad. My unit at Culver is Deck Six, and I’m a third classman. In Mooresville I play girls tackle football and play center. When I grow up, I hope to have a job as a journalist or teacher, a degree from Ball State, and basically live a white picket fence life.

My name is Camila Munoz. I am from Mexico City I’m in deck 5 and I am a first classmen. I have played and love soccer since I was a little girl. I want to live in either San Francisco or Chicago because those are my favorite cities in the world, having my own apartment and working with people from all around the world so I can keep learning new things every day.

I am Hali Hanley. I am seventeen years old and I live in Culver, Indiana. This is my ninth summer at camp; I am a first classmen in Deck Five. I will be a senior at Winter School this year, and at school I am on the soccer and crew teams. I want to major in either political science or possibly law.

The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

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Poetry

By Trinity McMohan (Ideas, Irony, Infinity, Never Perfect, Uber Overtakes All) and Isabella Gasso(Posedion’s Warning)

Ideas

Never Perfect

My self Realization Flows like moss on a stream Through my mind. Catching, but never Stopping.

Living, Not always black And never always white But covered in splattered greys like Storm clouds.

Irony

Uber Overtakes All

Darkness, Seems to be the Only thing people want To talk about under the sun.

Weird, huh?

Down Town, Underground, there Lies a tomb without sound.

Sad to see what happened to the Subway.

Infinity

Poseidon’s Warning

Oh, day.

Just like today.

Same as tomorrow was.

So will be yesterday, growing Endless.

Stupid!

You can’t beat me!

When waves clash, don’t set sail For I’m the sea. Arrogant man, Drowned man.

Gettin’ To Class

By Lea Cordle (Deck 6)

One of the worst struggles here at Culver Upper Camp is getting to classes on time. Some of us, including myself have the challenge of having to go from, for example, the Eppley Hall of Humanities to say rifle. If you’re in Deck Six, like me, or Deck Five you have to walk from lakeside dorms. Here are ideas that could be considered.

Pros: You get to ride in a plane, it’s good practice for the people in Aviation, Deck Six girls get to know their brother company a little more, and one could see Culver from an aerial view.

Cons: it’d be hard to park a plane.

A. Golf cart rides.

I know, you can ask for a ride from staff, but what if there were a huge golf cart or hayride waiting for the students that have to go from tennis to the Math and Science building?

C. Possibly Naval.

Naval is one of the biggest corps this year at Culver Upper Camp. Getting a ride from them should be easy. Just go pick up a sailboat or, if we have them, a submarine. Go from a dock to the Math and Science Building and Boom!

You’re in class.

Pros: You get to meet new people, you don’t have to walk, it’s safer if you’re going to tennis or rifle, and we the Upper Campers get to be rest for a few minutes.

Pros: More practice for Naval, some entertainment between classes, seeing Lake Maxinkuckee underwater, and meeting new people.

Cons: Somebody might get run over, oops or could be allergic to hay.

Cons: The boat could capsize, the submarine could get all scraped up from the bottom, and I don’t think we have subs.

B. We could talk to Aviation.

Why not go to someone in Aviation and be like hey, can you fly me to Tennis. It might be fun, you never know.

There are some pretty good ideas that could be considered for making sure we make it to classes on time.For now though smile, clean for inspections, follow your Honor Card, and go the Culver way.

The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

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The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

Honor Groups

By Camila Munoz (Deck 5)

How can something so common like a gun or a drum mean so much to someone? Did you know that before parade starts some campers perform? Sometimes there are things at Culver we don’t even know about and the five honor organizations are one of them. Honor Guard, Drill Team, Honor Drums, Color Guard and Mounted Drill Team. All different and unique in their own way. All of these campers sacrifice a part of their free time just to be as perfect and consistent as possible.

Honor Guard

Honor guard is a group of girls who flip guns. As dangerous as it sounds it’s true. They meet in front of Sally Port every single day at lunch time and practice about forty-five minutes to perfect a performance they do before parade. ”I decided to be a part of Honor Guard because it’s a way to get along with girls from other decks and having the ability to flip rifles is really exciting”- Allison Larkin, Honor Guard Commander.

Drill Team

Drill Team is the first group that started in Culver; they have been around – years. It’s a group full of tradition and strictness but at the same time they treat each other like brothers. They meet in front of Sally Port every single day at lunch period. Even though Drill Team and Honor Guard sounds like the same; they are not because they do different tricks each one with a different level of difficulty.

Honor Drums

The Honor Drums is an elite organization in which any boy or girl with enough experience and technique can join. Even though it sounds easy, it’s not because they are playing the drums while marching and making different alignments. “I’m a part of honor drums because I love playing the drums with my friends and it’s really fun” – Patricio Quintana, Naval Band.

Color Guard

Color guard is a group of six boys and girls who are elected to carry the flags (Indiana, Culver and USA flags) during every retreat or parade. They have to be exemplary campers because carrying the national colors means a lot and you have to keep up to a standard. ”Being in color guard is hard but at the same time you feel really proud to be carrying the flags”- Marian Hernandez, Deck 5

Mounted Drill Team

The Mounted Drill Team is composed of the best riders in all campus including boys and girls. The team performs before Garrison parades. They are able to control the horses in a way that they are calmed and relaxed. That they make different formations and tricks with the horses.

Safe Zone: Being a Second Classman

By Lilith Kocian Being a 2nd classman can be a lot of work, but it can also be rewarding. To be a middle classman you are expected to follow, and in the process lead. Flipping from one to the other can be tiring. However, when I see a 3rd classman pass their P.I. with no Gigs, or when a 1st classman is pleased at the work I’m doing for my deck, I know I’m appreciated.

I understand being a 3rd classman is a new experience, even if you’ve been in Woodcraft for multiple years. Also, having to be a 1st classman you are anticipated to set an example to the rest of camp.

Nonetheless, being a 2nd classman is no joke. It’s our job to be the middle ground, kind of like a safe zone. Like when I critique a 3rd classman’s uniform or room I’m not doing it as a show of power, I’m helping them so they can grow and improve from their mistakes.

Following, leading, marching, cleaning, and more are great ways to show what we can do, but it’s how we do it that matters.

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Culver’s Novel

By Hali Hanley

Culver is like a book, full of long and short chapters, main characters and parttime characters, plot twists, and everything in between. Your first summer is like the first chapter in a book, you never know what to expect, there are many new characters you have yet to learn about and you are not quite sure if you want to continue reading just quite yet.

Then you begin the second chapter and you realize that this is the story you want to learn and mold into your own.

Your next few summers are ones you are always excited for and you always learn something from them; parallel to the middle of a book, in the middle is when you realize you enjoy reading and learning from it.

Then there comes the end, the part you

The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

are excited for but also dread the most.

At this point you have enjoyed the entire book and you want to know how it ends.

You have met several people, experienced numerous obstacles and adventures (just like in and you are excited to see how it all comes together. But at the exact same time, you do not want to finish reading the book because you have spent so much time learning and enjoying it that you cannot imagine what you will do without it.

As I am nearing the finale of my book I want to thank every character, obstacle, plot twist, and adventure that has molded me into who I am. The Culver novel will hold a special place on my bookshelf and one I will never fully put away.

Killer Kilts

by Rachel Spahn (Deck 3), Chicago, Illinois Finding the right size, sewing buttons and hemming is a lot to do to create the perfect kilt and most of the current second and first classmen seem to have kilts that suit them well. However, this year, many campers have found that the new third classmen’s kilts have been hemmed much less and are overall very long in comparison to the first and second classmen’s kilts. My kilt has been said to look like it was either a poodle skirt or a kilt from the Nunnery. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to alter these kilts during the summer so most of these third classmen will have to wait until next year to readjust their kilt lengths and waist sizes and endure the summer wearing an uncomfortable kilt. Lea Cordle (Deck 6) from Mooresville, Indiana said, “Honestly, I like it but, I don’t like how even if I pull it all the way past my hips, it still passes my knees.” However, she then said that “if they were shorter, they would be okay.”

While this is definitely not a popular problem among all of Culver, for the third classmen who have experienced wearing a kilt past their knees, the problem should be fixed. Next year, Upper School should install a new length of kiltthat campers and staff can approve of- so the new third classmen of 2018 do not have the same problems as the third classmen of 2017. This would not mean that upper classmen would have to alter their kilts as well but this universal length could be a better way to ensure everyone’s kilts fit them well.

The Vedette // Culver Summer Schools & Camps

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R.I.P. Culottes 2017

By Rosemary Adams This summer, the culotte was taken off of the summer girls’ school uniform list. For those new to Culver, the culotte was a main part of the upper camp girls’ uniforms which was used in Dress B’s. It was a simple blue skirt that became shorts in the back. Personally, it was my favorite uniform. When I put on my culotte, I felt powerful; confidence filled me. So when Upper Schools Director Mr. Green sent an email to parents regarding the disuse of culottes this summer, I was astounded. I then quickly became upset. And from there my feelings gradually followed the five stages of grief. Currently, I find myself in between bargaining and depression.

The culottes were an important part of my culver experience and were deeply loved. I have spoken with many of my fellow upperclassmen, and they tend to agree. Allie Pydynowski, also a first classman in Deck 5 from North Carolina, said that she was “very disappointed in Culver for taking away the culottes.”

personally looked forward to wearing for dinner and retreat. Mr. Green himself called culottes “traditional summer attire” in his email explaining the disuse of them.

Though there is validity behind the reason for removing culottes from the girls’ uniform due to the increasing cost of producing them, this description of culottes somewhat undermines that. Not only have culottes been a traditional piece of the uniform for multiple decades, they were a clothing item that practically everyone enjoyed.

They were simple, yet flattering, unlike some of the other uniforms Culver offers.

I understand that changes occur, usually for the better. I welcome much needed change at Culver. But the removal of culottes was a change I was not prepared for.

The loss of the culottes rests heavily on my heart. I often still find myself awakened in the middle of the night haunted by the spirit of the culottes that are no more. As my personal grieving process continues, I encourage all

Culver is very keen on emphasizing and recogto pay your respects to the much loved culottes and to nizing traditions. The culotte could be seen as a tradition. cherish the memories you may have in which a culotte It was something girls wore every summer; something I was present.