Student story: Packing more than a toothbrush

By Emma Eveld and Malory White/Advanced Writing

   
Take one look at anyone’s suitcase and most of the time, it appears to be a regular old suitcase filled with basics like shirts to toothbrushes.

This is not so, however, for a few Flint Hills Publication Workshop attendees, who have found that they brought unusual or unique items to camp.  

Take Star Wars bed sheets, for example.

“I just bought them specifically for camp,” student assistant Caroline Sweeney said. “I thought they would be something fun, and I’ve always wanted Star Wars sheets. Being nerdy wasn’t cool when I lived in the dorms, but it is now.”

Having something sent by your mother can also be considered nerdy, though for one camper, an item sent by her mother was useful. She was sent with a cooler filled with drinks.

“My mom made me,” said Alex Scimecca, a student from Blue Valley North. “I have water and Gatorade in there. It was actually kind of helpful...until the ice melted.”

On the sweeter side of things, one camper brought a framed picture of her boyfriend of two years. To some, it might not be unusual but instead, somewhat romantic.

“I’ve been away from home for the past two weeks and I haven’t had much time to spend with my boyfriend, so I brought his picture with me for comfort,” senior Michaela Wagner said. “The photo has no significance. It’s not the photo, it’s how the photo makes me feel.”

Whether weird or unusual, romantic or sweet, items packed by campers and faculty members have caught attention and show personality.

“I can let my freak flag fly,” Sweeney said.