9 minute read
Richmond Survival Camp
Not Your Typical SL Camp
Article by Diamond Meness Illustrations by Ri
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If there is anything that you will learn about Second Life is the scope of your game play is truly up to you. And the kid community in Second Life is huge! So what does the kid community do? Well there is school and daycare but there is also camp. Each year, there are many camps that open up on Second Life for kids to sign up and have fun. There are your typical camps and then there is Richmond Survival Camp. Believe me readers, there is nothing typical about Richmond Survival Camp. If you are looking to sit in a cabin all day and learn all the leaves on a tree, this is not the camp for you! If you want to hunt zombies and kill chickens or don‘t mind an occasional loss of limb, come sign up!!! 95 Sisters in SL Magazine
We sat down with Landon Edenbaum, lovingly known as Geo, one of the brainchilds behind Richmond Survival Camp to get the scoop on what it is about this camp that kids love so much. The deadly killer zombies, the islands infested with kid eating dinosaurs, or whatever crazy theme that Geo comes up with that brings these kids back in droves year after year that makes it so appealing. It was an amusing interview to say the least! And don‘t let the crazy answers to some of these questions fool you readers! These kids love this guy!!! He‘s a very humble person from what I gather who goes the limit to make sure these kids have everything they need. These kids pay NOTHING for camp! And being a camp counselor one year myself, his care for these kids knows no limits.
Thank you so much Geo for taking the time to answer these questions. Sisters in Second Life Magazine really appreciates your time.
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1 - How did you hear about Second Life? What did you expect when you joined?
Geo - I first heard of and tried SL in 2004 because I saw a banner ad somewhere. I expected it to be more like a chat room with fancy avatars. I didn‘t really find it interesting back then so my first stint in SL lasted only a couple of months.
2 - Who is Geo! The kids love you a lot!. Who is this person behind the Avatar!!
Geo - I am just me. I can‘t pretend to be someone I am not even if people dislike me for it. I think kids like me because they haven‘t caught on that I dislike them and that is why I try to kill them every year.
3 - You have a camp called Richmond Survival Camp. Tell us about it. What was your vision behind it?
Geo - RSC was something Mckenzie creator of Meshmerized and I started together, he was my godson at the time and we ran a school called Richmond Elementary which by the way plays a huge part in the story of this year’s RSC. RSC came about one summer in 2014 out of the blue. A lot of our students that year did not make it into a summer camp that was a very popular camp at the time. Kenzie and I were sad to see kids being so sad to see their friends going to camp and they were not. So we decided to do something special for these kids and give them their own camp they could come to. We immediately decided that our camp had to be different and that it had to allow kids to have experiences which child avatars in SL are often excluded from. For example combat RP was and still is something kid avatars are often not allowed to participate in at some of the RP sims. So we decided that combat RP had to be part of it. We decided that our camp was going to be
an adventure rather than a typical camp. Our first camp theme was getting lost on an island with Dinosaurs. It was only a small group of 50 of us but nonetheless it is still one of our most memorable years yet. RSC was supposed to be a one time only thing. However the following year when summer came around we started seeing kids who were part of that first group posting on Facebook about how they wished RSC would happen again. Of course Kenzie and I had to give kids what they wanted and from there RSC was made into a yearly tradition. As for our vision for RSC, that is something I often talk about when RSC is mentioned because it is what is most important to me and I am sure to Kenzie as well. RSC was always meant to be a place where kids who often felt left out from larger more “popular” groups could come and feel like they fit in. That is the main reason RSC has never had cabins or teams etc. We wanted everyone to feel like they were part of a single team, a single family all working together for the same cause rather than competing against each other. At RSC everyone had to feel like equals regardless of whether they were store owners or not. I think we stressed this enough over the years and I truly believe it is what kids love about RSC. I have to say that popularity will not get you anywhere at RSC, it will not earn you tokens and it will not help you stay alive. The only thing that will ensure your survival is if you can work together with your fellow campers to overcome any challenges that are thrown your way.
4 - You don‘t run your ‚typical‘ camp. That‘s awesome. It‘s never boring. Why is this?
Geo - As I mentioned before, it was very important for us to make a camp that was
exciting and not like the rest. I think having unique stories that campers and counselors can immerse themselves into is the key.
5 - Each term you have a new theme. The theme this year is 3020, without letting out too many secrets tell us about it?
Geo - 3020 is very special to me. Every year as RSC ends, the theme for the next year is picked. I had several ideas of what I wanted to do, all involving an end of the world scenario. I took a lot of inspiration from the Fallout games as well as zombie stories such as The Walking dead and the like. Coming up with something unique though was hard but one day it just simply hit me what I wanted to do. I started brainstorming and soon I had this whole story in my head which I was unable to put into paper as I am not a writer. With the wonderful help of Joey who is an experienced writer we began writing the story in December. We also had a lot of great 98 Sisters in SL Magazine
feedback from Nakoma and our dear friend Nick Tamboia who wrote the last three camp stories and also wrote some parts of this story where I was unable to give it that excitement that it needed. Together they helped me bring those ideas out of my brain and into the story which you can read today. RSC 3020 will take campers through an emotional rollercoaster in which they will say goodbye to their family and friends for the last time. In 3020 they will have the difficult task to work together with the only family and friends they have left to survive and save humanity or die honorably trying.
6 - Tell us about some of your past camp experiences that you have offered.
Geo - This is our eighth camp. We have done Dino Camp part 1 and 2, Zombie Camp, Neverland Camp, Jedi Camp, Neverending Story and Narnia. Each had their own unique story lines.
7 - Your kids never pay for camp! How do you pull this off?
Geo - We rely on donations from the community.
8 - How many kids attend camp and what type of activities do they do?
Geo - This year we are expecting 300 children and 60 counselors. They will engage in questing, role play, and of course fun out of character events.
9 - You must have a lot of supporters. How do residents who are looking to contribute time or lindens or who would like to help or donate wish to do so?
Geo - The best place to follow all the information regarding camp is through our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ RichmondSurvivalCamp/
10 - What are you most proud of about Richmond Survival Camp?
Geo - The community and the help people like Joey, Killi, Chloe and the counselors are willing to give without asking for anything. The great work that they do is what makes camp awesome.
11 -Last question...and only the true fans of Richmond Survival Camp will understand, “What‘s with the chickens Geo?“
Geo - Ah the chickens. The truth is that they were meant to be a placeholder for NPC enemies while Killi scripted the system. As camp drew closer and time was running out for us to mesh an NPC we kind of just decided to keep the chickens and roll with it. Glad we did because there is nothing that tormented the campers more than those chickens did and as you know my happiness is to see these kids being tormented.
Thank you so much Geo for interviewing for Sisters In Second Life Magazine! We appreciate your time! I must say I think our readers have learned a lot and will be excited when camp opens up again. The lucky kids who made it in this round are excited to start their 3020 adventure soon. I know you can‘t wait as well!! Be on the lookout readers! Check their Facebook page daily for pictures and videos! Those wishing to donate to this amazing camp can get in touch with Landon Edenbaum inworld or check out the facebook page.
