Huzzah!
Friday, July 3rd, 2026
TIPI CIRCLE circa 7:46pm—The setting sun casts long shadows on a festive post-dinner scene. A group of diabloists spin their bobbles near Maroon Tipi, while a group of Teen Staff stilters stride between Turquoise and Green, guided by two spotters. In front of Orange Tipi, ASL Instructor Phaedra Kossow-Quinn holds court with a circle of campers. Closer to the benches that surround the firepit, Perfco José Garcia sits in the sun in a low lawn chair, surveying the scene and playing mellow soul music on a large portable speaker. Within the circle of benches, Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner carefully rakes his daily Zen garden pattern, slowly so as to not kick up too much dust.
I sit on one of the benches alongside a pair of chatting campers.
“Today in stilts class I went from a Floater to a Quantum Leaper,” says Tilly, 9, using stilts lingo. “That means I can walk without holding someone’s hands. Maybe in like three days I’ll be Electrified, which means I can walk without a spotter. My favorite things about camp are aerials, friends, and the fire circle. It just kinda makes me feel cozy, safe, loved.”
“I did stilts today too,” says Paloma, 9. “I want to be in the parade during the Big Show. In order to do that you gotta be Electrified and do two kitchen walks. I also did tight rope so I can get Rope-ified. I have more goals this year now that I’m older and I’ve seen more people do more performances.”
The conch blows and campers begin streaming into the theater. As if on cue, the mosquitos begin to appear as the sun dips behind the western ridge. I leave to retrieve my bugspray from the Puppet Grove where I can hear the kitchen staff cleaning up to a bluegrass rendition of “Where Is My Mind?” As I return downtown, the same group of Teen Staff stilters have taken the stage to dance to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”. I cut behind Gold Tipi to post near the bathroom handwashing area.
“This morning I went to clowning because I want to be a clown,” says Santi, 15. “I’ve been going on a lot of rants today: dogs and politics, politics and dogs! I interview people and then use this book to tell them what type of dog they are. It only makes sense at Camp Winnarainbow. Also, can you add this in? ‘Eat the rich! No ethical billionaires! Boooo!’ And make sure to add the ‘Booo’.”
“What did I do today? I don’t remember most of it,” admits Lucy 13. “I have a vague memory of unicycling. Here days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days. Camp switches time around and makes you not remember breakfast, but you can remember last week.”
“Today I got up at the time I usually do,” reflects Bryn, 11. “Our tipi had dishes today. Breakfast was tough because we had oatmeal. All that oatmeal sticking to the bowls, plus the syrup and butter; it took us a long time. During classes I learned some mimery with a balloon. Lunch dishes were easier; the hardest part was the ketchup. In the afternoon I made this puppet, Ryn. It’s like ‘Bryn’ but without the ‘B’. Ryn says, ‘Meow!’”
As the air cools and dims, the stage lights become more noticeable.
“We did still life watercolors in class today,” reports Ace, 11. “I painted a viking hat, a spool of ribbon with a branch with leaves coming out of it, and a juggling pin. So far a ten-out-of-ten session!”
“Yesterday I sang ‘Landslide’ for the Tornado of Talent,” says Mathias, 14. “I love the way Stevie Nicks does it and I wanted to do it justice. I think it went really well. This session has been flying by; it feels like only 2 days have passed.”
“In trapeze today I learned a new trick called ‘Ships Figurehead’,” says Delphine, 12, demonstrating the move in real-time. “This session has been going good. There was a little bit of drama at first, but it seems to be getting better. We’ve all been getting to know each other better and how to get along.”
There seems to be a slower turnout at the bathrooms than I expected, perhaps an omen of dehydration, or perhaps because Teen Staff Talent Night is so captivating. Just in case it is the latter, I slip into the back row just as Teen Staff Oliver begins a drum solo with a very funky and bombastic ride-bell-heavy groove.
“Can we get a ‘Huzzah!’ if this show is feeling swaggy?” say the Teen emcees Sticks and Lane, to which the crowd responds with a mighty “Huzzah!”
Next up, Teen Staff Sol delivers us visions of his own destiny via an earnest poem. Suddenly, Teen Staff Ollie has appeared dangling from a trapeze in the middle of the theater’s seating area. More and more huzzahs are called for as each act passes. Soon the final act arrives and the teens quietly amass on stage, over thirty of them, while the campers cheer and shout out individuals’ names.
The familiar opening chords of Wheetus’s “Teenage Dirtbag” ring out on the PA. It seems the Teen Staff have written some sort of Camp parody to sing over the karaoke track. I can’t help but think that this song is as old for these teens as Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” is for me.
“Cuz I’m just a Teen Staff dirtbag, baby!” they sing for the chorus, jumping with arms raised. The crowd joins in. In the back row, an entire bench of long-haired campers have begun whipping their hair like metalheads.
The song concludes to much applause and a few more huzzahs for good measure. Finally, the emcee duo invokes our founder, Wavy Gravy, and bids the campers to “Brush ‘em if you got ‘em!” The campers disperse to the Tipi Circle, many still singing the new Teen Staff anthem as they walk into the cool evening.
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor