Recently, I spoke with Ronan, who has spent seven years as a camper with us at Centauri Arts Camp. Here is some of what he had to say.
Julie: When did you first come to Centauri, and what attracted you to the camp?
Ronan: I first came to Centauri in 2009. I was 9 years old, and I’d previously had a bad experience at a different camp. I was looking to make friends and meet people, in a place where I could do the creative things I loved. I was worried I’d be going into an environment with people who were the “all arts all the time” type. What I found was that everyone there, no matter who they were, was someone who just wanted to laugh, have fun and do whatever artistic thing it was they did. The camp offered the best of both a summer camp, and arts training experience.
Julie: What was your first summer like?
Ronan: Centauri has such a tight-knit community, and it’s really welcoming to newcomers. My first summer, as one of the youngest kids on camp, was wild and hilarious. I remember being overwhelmed by the number of inside jokes, informal traditions, and spontaneous moments that I so easily became a part of. Three days in, I felt like I had been there as long as anyone else had.
Julie: Boys have their own community at Centauri. How would you describe this?
Ronan: Hectic, hilarious, and unpredictable. All the boy live in one building, which means you get this microculture that’s created by the awesome counsellors. Everything from the running jokes, to the dorm cheers, is meant to make you laugh. You never feel like a minority or an outsider as a guy, because of the moments you get to participate in within that world.
Julie: Could you tell us a little about the traditions and daily routines that may be unique to the boys’ dorm building?
Ronan: It would take me a novel to cover it all! Everything has the potential to become a moment. No male counsellor ever passes up the opportunity to entertain. When we learn the day-to-day rules and goings on at the start of a session, instead of simply saying “don’t use fire exits unless it’s an emergency”, a counsellor might say “look at these ornate windows decorated to look like doors! Only in a fire do they magically turn into actual doors!”. No matter how convoluted, and cheesy it gets, even the most minute detail of a daily routine is transformed into something worth talking about.
Julie: As a camper, which programs appealed most to you, and why?
Ronan: A lot of my time has been spent in Film and Music programs. With programs like Rock Band or Songwriting, you get the chance to play music with others. I don’t go to an arts school, so the fact that I can go to a summer camp and jam with other musicians makes a huge difference. I play guitar and sing, and it’s one thing playing on my own, but playing onstage with a bassist and a drummer is a different experience altogether! It’s the same with Film. Some of the movies I’ve made at camp could only be made with a crew of at least 10 people and the advice of an industry professional.
Julie: Campers at Centauri have three blocks of free time each day. How did you spend that free time, as a camper?
Ronan: Centauri has a great social space to spend free times. The quad, the area between the three dorm buildings, is where you chat with friends, throw around a frisbee or football, or just to sit in the sun enjoying the day. In seven years, I’ve never been without something to do or someone to do it with. Depending on how I felt, I could do anything with my free time from swimming at the pool, to listening to music with friends, to relaxing in my bunk with a book.
Julie: You must have had many camp counsellors during your years at Centauri. Who did you admire most, and why?
Ronan: That would be Logan. He’s immensely tall, so I can say that I LITERALLY look up to him! Logan was a film student at York University and he was passionate about his art, able to entertain you at every turn, and able to make sure you had a good camp experience at all times. I remember he loaned me his own 1993 Blue Jays World Series sweater, just because I liked it so much. He made anyone and everyone feel included and interested.
Julie: Which part of the camp day did you enjoy the most?
Ronan: That’s like asking which one of my limbs I like the most! They’re all necessary for a great camp experience. If I had to choose, I would say my time in the arts programs. Helping to create something that would get presented at the end of the session is just so satisfying. Some of the shows I’ve been a part of have been performances I’d be proud to show anywhere outside of camp. In my last year, the theatre program I was in was one of the most amazing acting experiences I’ve had. Delivering one of the most hilarious monologues I’ve ever read, is an experience I won’t forget.
Julie: Camp is often a long-standing experience in a young person’s childhood. As you move out of your last year as a camper, what do you feel you gained most from your years at Centauri?
Ronan: Centauri really shaped the way my teenage life came together. Middle School and High School are different places for everyone, and it’s not always easy. Centauri was a place that I could go to each summer and feel at home. Every memory, every lasting friendship, changed the way I carried myself during the school year. I think the main thing Centauri has given me is an identity, not tied to the camp itself, but one all my own. Whether it becomes a safe place for you or just a change in scenery, you won’t find it hard to let your personality show.
Ronan is too old to return to Centauri as a camper this summer, but will begin a new journey with us as he joins us as a counsellor in the boys’ dorms, helping to do for others what so many Centauri counsellors did for him.
Julie
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp