We had a fantastic day today, in a festival themed around the Hunger Games.
Set a generation before the actual movie, campers participated as ‘children’ in the 12 districts, while counsellors played Mentors and various other characters – such as a much younger version of Caesar Flickerman.
The day began with a Reaping! All campers had to register, we watched our own movies on the history of Panem, and then the Head Game Maker brought out a huge glass bowl which seemed to be filled with the names of potential Tributes. Instead, the Game Maker picked out a note from President Snow. The 60th Hunger Games would have a special twist: ALL potential tributes – ie., all the campers, as children of the 12 Districts, would be required to train as Tributes, since the actual Tributes would only be chosen 30 minutes before the start of the Games.
During the late morning and for most of the afternoon, the ‘children’ of the District of Panem trained, in case they were chosen for the games. They learned survival skills: how to build a fire, hit a target with a bow and arrow, make a meal on a cookstove, pitch a tent in the dark, camouflage themselves and much more. They also visited stylists just like in the movie (stylists wonderfully played by our LITs!), paraded in the Capital, got interviewed by Caesar Flickerman and attended a rally led by President Snow.
Finally, after dinner, it was time for the real Reaping to happen. Ominous black clouds hung over the outdoor stage as the names of the Tributes were pulled from the bowl. As parents, you should know that by this time, we had removed the names of any campers who were clearly hoping they would NOT get chosen! Unlike the books and movie, our Tributes took to the stage proudly and excitedly. The Tributes went off for final training, while the rest of the camp learned about a wagering and sponsorship, so that their involvement could directly impact the outcome of the Games.
There were three parts to our Hunger Games. For the first part, Tributes had to charge across an open space towards the ‘Cornucopia’ without being caught by Mutts (the LITs again!). Eight of the Tributes were eliminated at this stage. Then, we all moved on to part two: Tributes were trapped on islands (small sheets of plastic) while balls of poison (water balloons!) were thrown at them. All but three of the Tributes were eliminated.
The three remaining Tributes were Rowan, Alec and Hannah. The entire camp was rooting for all three of them as we moved to the third and final Game. In this, the three Tributes had to hunt in the sand of the volleyball court for ammunition (marbles) to smash a row of terracotta pots. The first to smash all their pots would be the winner. The entire camp went wild, cheering for them, and helping them find the marbles. The winner was… Rowan, and District 7!
At the very end of the Hunger Games we all celebrated by eating Ice Cream Sundaes in the Quad, listening to music and relaxing, as we enjoyed a longer-than-usual porchtime. The sunset tonight was spectacular.
Photos are up at https://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2012/index.htm
We have a sleep in tomorrow… something we are all going to enjoy!
Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp