1859 words for answers, 2911 words including storyline & excerpt

Tour Guide: Well, well, hello there, everyone! Thanks for coming to this SWC-sponsored tour of Castle Itter.
Tour Guide: You see, Castle Itter these days is private property, but the owner has kindly agreed to let me show you around for the purposes of this tour!
Tour Guide: (in all seriousness guys don’t come into this castle irl i don’t think they give out tours)
Tour Guide: Anyways, this castle also has a lot of historical significance!! (Which is also why I chose today, May 5th, to give this tour.)
Tour Guide: In the Battle of Castle Itter, defected German troops joined up with American troops to defend some French political prisoners.
Tour Guide: Pretty cool stuff, right?
Tour Guide: Anyways, if you’ll take a look at these cards, you’ll learn more about a few (well, two) of the figures, as well as their participation in the battle.

Major Josef “Sepp” Gangl
1910-1945
As a defected German officer aligned with the Austrian Resistance, Gangl agreed to assist the prisoners of Castle Itter

Capt. John “Jack” Lee
1918-1973
Upon receiving a visit from Gangl asking for aid, Lee led some of the troops under his command to join the defense force of the castle

Tour Guide: But more about the castle itself!

???: Who are you all?
Tour Guide: If it isn’t Captain Lee!! How amazing of you to have shown up just for my tour. Almost as if it was meant to happen for the plot…
Lee: …
Tour Guide: Well, I was just about to show this little group of mango arsonists around the castle and check out the decor. Care to join us?
Lee: … alright, then.
Tour Guide: Great! Anyways, here at the front is an excerpt from the Inferno: “Abandon hope, all ye who enter.” Guess the French prisoners must’ve been scared a good bit by that!
Tour Guide: And inside around the castle were where they were kept. Sorta like little cabins, if you ask me.
Lee: If the conditions were better, of course.
Tour Guide: True. But anyways, here’s a map of the castle I lifted!

Tour Guide: Ooh, won’t you look at the time. 10 AM. You know, that’s when the battle really begun.
???: With the attackers using their heavy artillery, yes.
Tour Guide: It’s Gangl!! Would you like to join our tour?
Lee: Good to see you.
Gangl: You too, Captain. I’m not very sure why I’m here, but I’ll come along.
Tour Guide: Perfect! I assure you historical figures randomly time-traveling to join a SWC tour is extremely normal!!!!!!!!!!
Tour Guide: Well, as I was going to say, the battle was really a stall for time while a proper force would come to rescue the 30-something defenders facing 200 troops.
Tour Guide: They had to make every minute last.

5/4 - Gangl and Lee arrive
5/5 (4 AM) - The battle begins
5/5 (10 AM) - The battle intensifies
5/5 (4 PM) - The battle ends

Tour Guide: And look, here’s Besotten Jenny! Jenny for short. This is the only tank that made it to the battle, and one of the most important assets to the defenders.
Lee: At least until she got knocked out.
Tour Guide: Right. Despite the strengths of a Sherman tank, it was still vulnerable to artillery fire and the likes.
Tour Guide: For a bit more info, check out this neat Sherman operating manual! (It’s actually on Amazon if this is your sort of book) (not sponsored of course)

Sherman M4 (“Easy Eight” variant (M4A3E8))

Strengths:
mass-producible
easy to repair

Weaknesses:
less firepower & armor than German tank

Tour Guide: While we’re here, we haven’t really seen any of the French prisoners around. How strange.

???: …if you’d stop blaming me for a moment, I’d like to point out that Daladier was the one who…
Gangl: Ah, there they are. Always bickering, the bunch of them.
Tour Guide: That’s Paul Reynaud, guys. Former prime minister of France, if you’d believe it!
Lee: And he survived the battle because Gangl sacrificed himself.
Gangl: It had to be done.
Reynaud: …and Weygand is a traitor.

Tour Guide: Thanks goodness they’re gone. Hrm. Would’ve been an awkward conversation if they saw us.
Tour Guide: As you all probably know, good leadership is important in all contexts, and it’s especially true for a country at war.
Tour Guide: France sure could’ve benefitted from more… coordinated leadership, let’s just say, during those times.
Tour Guide: Instead, everyone was against each other, both in terms of politics and military strategy, and the command staff was incredibly slow to deal with the invasion.
Tour Guide: If you all want to check out a bit more about those French people, I’ve got just the thing for you. Their memoirs!!

Paul Reynaud
Only wrote 4/680 pages of memoirs about his time at Itter
Attacked Daladier in writing
Returned to politics after the war

Édouard Daladier
Former Prime Minister (Reynaud’s predecessor)
Attacked Reynaud in writing
Returned to politics after the war

Tour Guide: Soooo, I guess that’s about it for the tour! Hopefully you had fun poking around the castle, and learned something about the battle.
Tour Guide: And Gangl and Lee, the plot demands that you now… return to your time? Or wherever you two should be. It was nice having you along.
Gangl: That was a good tour.
Lee: Yes, this battle was just the darnedest thing.* *based on real quote!

You: Thank you for the tour!!
Tour Guide: Of course! Try not to burn down the castle or whatever!!!!
Tour Guide: And hey, make sure you give me a good rating if you can. The name’s Sandy! If you want to go to my profile, here it is.

Sandy Dunes
very experienced tour guide.
gives out very snazzy and QUIRKY history tours!!!!!!!!
book a tour today here: (insert legitimate-looking link)

Sandy: Oh, and happy Cinco de Mayo too!! Now that’s another cool history story behind it, if you want to check that out, but I’m not about to give a double tour… I’m dead tired!!!!!
Sandy: Guess I’ll take a nice nap after this

1. Hello everyone! I’m Em, a person currently conflicted with herself because I have too many things I enjoy, and not enough time. Why can’t a day have 25 hours? It would make life so much easier! Anyway, aside from my bursts of ranting, I swear I’m a good person to be around <3 My pronouns are she/her and I’m currently hiding out in an undisclosed location from Gurtle’s arson. The only hint I can give is that it’s in an Esteemed Super Timeless place. : wink wink: A lot has changed between these four months, so if you already know me, you might still learn something new about me here!
If you were to catch me in the afternoon on a weekend, you might see me listening to Taylor Swift’s new album The Tortured Poets Department. The Black Dog is my favorite song, mostly because it’s underrated, and who doesn’t like underrated things? Following that are So Long London, Fresh Out the Slammer, loml, and How Did It End? My favorite line is probably “My beloved ghost and me / Sitting in a tree / D-Y-I-N-G” I might be trying to write my first novel, posting it on another writing website, hoping for internet stardom (Like it’s going to happen).
Occasionally you may find me trying, “keyword: trying”, to crochet or knit. I blame the thin string by the way. I’ll be playing Honkai Star Rail until I go to bed, simping over Kafka. The reason I like it so much, and why you should play it is because not only does it have beautiful art and music, which are both big points, but because its story writing is beautiful and so in-depth. For an aspiring writer like me, it’s an awesome place to find inspiration for my writing, I’ve always wanted to feel as if I was in an adventure story, making friends, fighting enemies, and just enjoying how vast the world is. It gives some perspective into my own life. In some ways, it has opened my eyes.
Enough unpaid advertising, lately I’ve been into reading webcomics. Although they are vastly different compared to my usual books, there’s something magical about being able to see them, instead of just reading them. It also is a great refreshing taste, something new, something different. If anyone is interested in starting to read them, I encourage you to, especially if you want to read romance, there’s a lot of good ones out there, along with adventure, historical, and funny ones.
There have been many things that have helped me grow as a person. Music has been one of them. I recall that in my last app, I talked about having a solo improvisation, and I’m pleased to say that it went very well! As someone who isn’t great in social situations, it gave me a boost of confidence. Out of the blue, I also sang “Heather” by Conan Gray in an open mic event at my school, so wow lots of character development.
I’m looking forward to our next school concert, where I will hopefully solo again! Music is such a big part of my life, with me enjoying it, my friends also participating in band and orchestra, and me listening to it nonstop every day, it wouldn’t be the same without it.
Along with me growing as a person, I’ve also improved a lot in my writing, in my music, and also in my art. As you can see from my profile picture, I’ve been starting to use references and drawing online more. I’m currently not making any art, as I’ve been focusing on my “novel”, but I’ll continue to do it when I have time.
There’s one more thing that’s helped me grow and is always there. Regardless of whether it’s technically running(let’s not worry about the specifics). Can you guess what it is?
Drumroll…
I’m pretty sure you got it, it’s you guys! The SWC community. Even though the session ended a month ago, the main cabin has always been active. Whenever I’ve had trouble, I go to the comments and smile. It’s such a positive and loving community! I hope that you feel the same way <3 It’s my home online, and I know it is for many others, so hosties, I know you’ve probably been told this before, but you have such an impact on our lives, and our community, so don’t ever leave >:0 /j
Sentiments aside, there’s so much that makes me up, I wouldn’t be able to say it all in under three thousand words, but I hope I’ve said enough, enough for you to know what I cherish and hold close to my heart.

2. I have previously participated in SWC, and here is an overview of my previous sessions, and what role I played in them:

July 2022 - Fairytales Trails - Camper
November 2022 - Dystopian Realm - Camper
March 2023 - Mystery the Secret Organization - Co-leader
November 2023 - Myth Cove - Co-leader
March 2024 - Tragedy: The Taking - Leader

Some notable events in these months include my first time camping in July 2022, where I was very active and learned a lot about SWC. I remember getting fifth place, which was very exciting.
In November, I had a lot of friends with me in Dystopian, so that was fun, I won a Juniors, and I’m very proud of it.
Mystery was my first time taking a leadership role and it got me used to taking more jobs in SWC. Myth was similar, but I was a lot more active, and finally, Tragedy was my first time being a leader, and I enjoyed it a lot. Although I had to do more work, my awesome co-leaders, River and Willow helped a lot, and it felt nice to be in charge of a cabin after about two years <3

My other camp experiences include:
June 2022 - SAC - Camper
June 2022 - SDC - Camper
July 2022 - SSC - Camper
August 2022 - SRC - Camper
September 2022 - SFC - Camper
September 2022 - TC - Camper
October 2022 -SHC - Co-leader
October 2022 - SAC - Co-leader
December 2022 - SRC - Leader
December 2022 - SMC - Camper
January 2023 - SPEC - Co-leader
January 2023 - JWC - Leader
February 2023 - SAC - Leader
April 2023 - SRC - Host
May 2023 - CT - Leader
December 2023 - SRC - Co-leader
January 2024 - JWC - Host

For writing experiences, I’ve won two junior awards in SWC and have entered writing contests before. I have also been in many leadership positions, as I naturally gravitate to them, whether it’s from an extracurricular, in school, or even in Girl Scouts, guiding younger scouts in events.

3. First, my least preferred would be any cabins I’ve been in: Fairytales, Dystopian, Mystery, Myth, and Tragedy. There are also some genres I don’t have any ideas for or aren’t very excited to (co) lead-in: Contemporary, Fan-fi, Illu-fi, and Lyric.
My favorite cabins are listed below, along with some ideas that I have for each one of them. (In order of preference)

Horror: Everything is fine. Everything is fine. Everythin- i ine. Everything is no- fine.
Thriller: In an underground lab, the campers awake, with no recollection of memories before. A deadly gas has been released by the leaders to destroy the lab, but security has trapped them. This would be like an escape room, they have to get to the surface and prevent the gas from coming out, to save the world.
Folklore: A lost cardigan… has sent you on a strange journey, through stories passed down generations, trying to reach your destination. Can you finally be at peace with your ghosts, or will you also be dissolved in the magic of storytelling? (This cabin would be a bit different, although you are still working with your fellow campers, you will be combined into one entity, as the person you will be playing has a strange past, and the campers have to uncover to to know why they’re here, and why they’re trying to find the cardigan. So, basically a first-person narrative)
Short Story Summit: You were only supposed to be tourists, viewing the beautiful yet dangerous Mountain of Short Stories, but you end up stranded at the top after a terrible storm starts. There have been strange disappearances, and the campers realize that the mountain is more mysterious than they thought. Something is lurking in the shadows.
Poetry: The campers are stuck in a labyrinth of rooms, and forced by the leaders are supposed to find a way out. The only way to travel between the rooms is through poetry on the wall (There are different rooms, and each poem is like a teleportation device). Along the way, they realize that they’re not the only ones who have been here and find diary pages here and there. Will they trace the steps of previous adventurers, or will they find a way out by themselves? Or will the leaders destroy them first?
Fantasy: Harry Potter-themed, I can’t believe there hasn’t been one yet! You’ve been at Hogwarts for a while now, so when the Triwizard tournament comes up, you’re surprised to find some of your campers on the other side of the playing field. You will be sorted into Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, or Harry Potter, and will work with each other in your schools to try and beat everyone else. Who will win the cup?
Adventure: As explorers, you have been sent to find the famed ruins of a mysterious god, from a group of natives that had long perished, but worshipped a strange god called “Skog”. Will they get there in time, or will Gurtle (fill-in for their competitor) find it first?

As I’m a sucker for a good competition, I don’t believe that TCTWNW is the best choice for me, given what I have in store for the session.

4. Linked in desc!

5. Since this session is in July, I will have more free time than in March or November because school’s out for me. I was still able to balance the responsibilities as a (co)leader during those months, and my life outside of Scratch, so I’m sure there will be nothing to worry about. Throughout the planning process from late May to the end of June, I’ll be able to dedicate about an hour on weekdays, and two hours on weekends, depending on how much work will need to be done collaborating with my (co)leader(s). During the real session, less work should be needed, but I will still try my best to do all of the dailies, weeklies, etc. I should be able to dedicate two hours each day in July, unless a day trip comes up, in which case I will plan and make sure that if any conflicts arise because of my inactivity, I will be able to solve them.

That being said, from July 20th to 31st, I will be on vacation. Although this will impact my time on Scratch, I will still be able to check in every day, I will still be able to write and communicate. Since it’s also at the end of camp, it won’t be as much of an issue as if I was away at the start of camp. I am confident that I can work my way around it, and that there will be no issues. My (co)leaders will also be informed ahead of time to prevent any confusion. Though there are activities that I will be doing in the Summer, I believe they will not impede my ability to lead.

6. Time management is something that everyone needs to improve on, and I’m no exception. Although I have improved a lot from the last session–I procrastinate a lot less and aren’t as lazy anymore–I still struggle with staying on task occasionally.

I still find myself distracted at times, and that’s an issue. Usually, it’s fun to be in SWC, but there’s always work to be done, and not all that work is fun and games. When I’m stuck with a task I don’t want to do, I often gravitate towards something else, say, YouTube. I spend a few minutes there and then go back to work, but after a short time, I get distracted again. Even while saying this, I’ve been just switching between writing my answers and watching YouTube. This is a problem, because the more time I’m immersed in other things, the more time I’m wasting, and the more time I’m not productive. I’ve found that although I need to fix this, listening to music helps me concentrate on what I’m doing, and it’s harder for me to get distracted. Even though it isn’t a complete fix, taking one step at a time is enough for me.

As a natural-born multitasker, I’ve always prided myself on being able to do two or more things at once, for example, walking and reading, drawing and reading, listening to music and learning, etc. This is also the same when it comes to working in SWC. I tend to do my needed work for SWC at the same time as, for example, doing schoolwork. Though there are benefits to multitasking, the main problem is that to multitask, the quality is compromised. In simpler words, if I do two things at once, both won’t turn out as great as if I did them one at a time. My solution to this is to try and do things separately, and slowly convert.

Though I do have my issues, I also have my strengths. I love to organize, I make plans of exactly what I should do every day and in what order to efficiently complete all my tasks. This applies to SWC too, and when you organize your time, it’s obvious that it saves a lot of it, making life easier for everyone when I know exactly what to do and when.

I have high productivity when I work compared to an average person, I’ve always found myself finishing classwork before others. I feel a sense of accomplishment in completing something quickly but with great quality. That satisfaction pushes me to work hard and fast every time I do, allowing me to have less to worry about in the same amount of time others have.

7. As someone who prefers to work alone rather than others, it’s sure to say that I have some problems in that field. I find it difficult to trust people, especially ones met online. It’s not to say that you guys are dangerous, but it’s hard to trust people with doing work. I find myself often being stressed, thinking what if “They don’t finish on time?” or if “They don’t do it as well as I could’ve?” This has also happened to me in real life, and a few experiences that proved those questions right don't help me. So when it comes to delegating work to my (co)leaders, as a leader, such as in the previous session, I often just say “What do you want to do?”, because I find that when people get to choose, they do the work they wanted to do better than if you forced it upon them. But I might pull something like taking most of the work for myself, because I believe I can do it better, or they might not have enough time to finish it. It’s a double-edged sword, and I have to tell myself that if these people applied for SWC as a (co)leader, they know their responsibilities, and should be able to fulfill them, after all, if they couldn’t, then why are they on the leadership team?

Though preferring to be independent while working with a team has its downsides, it also has its advantages, especially if I’m a leader. It allows me to more naturally take the lead and the responsibilities that come with being a leader. I can easily delegate tasks, offer positive and constructive feedback to my co-leaders, encourage everyone to work together, and make sure that everyone agrees on most of our team’s actions. I listen to everyone’s suggestions and try my best to have everyone pleased about what we’re doing and motivated to do work. Open-mindness is crucial in collaboration, I always make sure I am doing my best to listen to other’s opinions. I find myself often being very flexible in many ways, for example, when changing time restraints, an internal problem between my (co)leaders and me, or a shift of workload, I can adapt to different situations quickly, making our workspace less stressful and encouraging others to do the same.

I promise that I will have a lot to bring to the table, if it’s not my experience, dedication, critical thinking, creativity, or technical skills such as writing, or graphic design, my assets will not fail the leading team in any way.

8. If I had to choose one quality that I want the most in my leader, I’d choose responsibility. Just like last session, I believe that without any accountability, a leader would not be able to do anything.

A leader has to know what they’re in for if they’re applying for any Scratch camp. They need to acknowledge that there will be a lot of work for them to do and that if they’re not ready to take on this responsibility, or if they might not have enough time, they mustn’t apply. Of course, sometimes things pop out of nowhere, and it’s no one’s fault if a leader can’t be one anymore. However, it is their responsibility to inform their co-leaders and the host team and take full accountability for their leaving. They have to make sure that their cabin will be able to survive without them. There are many other situations in which leaders have to take responsibility, but this is only one example, and there is so much more to being responsible.

As for how I’ll embody this trait myself, whether I get into SWC as a (co)leader or even a camper, depending on what responsibilities I’ll need to take, rest assured that I will try everything in my power to fulfill them. If conflict arises whether it’s because of me or someone else, I will take charge and try and figure out a solution. I will never back away from my work, even if it’s hard, because I know all I do is what needs to be done.

9. This is a tentative cabin atmosphere, as depending on what cabin I get, if I get in that is, and what the storyline is, it will change, but for now:

A place where campers work together to solve problems, bond, and have fun. It will be exciting, and competitiveness is taken seriously here, along with making the most of the session.
(183 words)

10. A.
I am applying for both co-leader and leader (check)
I am applying for only co-leader
I am willing to share a promotional project for SWC (check)

B. I can confidently complete all leadership responsibilities with no issues.

C. In case of inactive leadership from anyone in the SWC leadership team, including me, I will try my best to ensure everything runs smoothly. There are many possibilities for this, if the inactive person is a leader from another cabin, if I have time, I will offer help, but if I don’t, I won’t, and I’ll trust the hosts will handle it. If it’s a member of my cabin’s leadership team, I will inform the hosts of this and evaluate the situation to see if another co is needed, or if the team can survive without them and all the other logistics. If I am the one leaving, if I’m leaving I will tell my fellow (co)leaders and hosts. I will ask them if they need me to do anything before I go, or if there’s anything I can do before I go.

Credits:
@PoppyWriter and @-BookDragon- for critiquing!

about me - 166 words
hi whoever is reading this! i hope you have a lovely day <3 i’m maia, and you may have seen me around in sac, swc, and src because i spend more time on scratch than schoolwork ;] /hj anyway, i use she/they pronouns and live in the (b)est timezone. i have unhealthy obsessions with reading (ahhh fourth wing killed me), art, writing (some of the time, the other part of the time i regret all my life choices /j), and parentheses apparently. i also love coding, math, especially algebra, and music! i’ve played an instrument since 2nd grade but switched around a bit until settling on the bassoon which i’ve been playing for almost 5 years! i also love listening to music, with some of my favorites being taylor swift, christina perri, and mitski though i’ve been recently enjoying laufey’s music as well (also does anyone else singularly listen to spotify generated playlists? i do not have the time to carefully make my own haha)

previous participation + experience - 146 words
i’ve participated in swc three times: july ‘22, nov ‘23, and march ‘24 and only as a camper, so this would be my first time leading! i camped in jwc 2024, and i also am (sort of) in a writing club at my school where i’ve learned a lot. as for leading experience i’ve led twice in sac and once in src, as well as co hosting and leading sac for june 2024! aside from scratch, i have worked on a mentorship with my school where we help mentor elementary schoolers. that taught me a lotttt of patience and other important skills since i actually do not like small children very much… (gotta do it for the transcript tho amirite) also, i did girl scouts up until this year where i did lots of projects with younger girls as well as projects with my own troop.

cabins - 88 words
my top choices for cabins would be lyrics, script, or classics but i would also love fantasy, poetry or fairy tales. i would prefer not to lead something like mystery, tragedy, or thriller because i’m too upbeat for that haha. some ideas i have are an escape-from-reality, haven type thing for lyrics, a light academia school vibe for script and an escape room with clues having to do with classic books for classics. i would rather not lead tctwnw but if needed i would be happy to <3

excerpt - 432 words

once upon a time there was light in my life

There were leaves drifting in the air, adding flecks of color to the already vibrant autumn forest. It was windy, a cool wind that rustled through the trees and caressed the two people walking lazily. They were dressed in the colors of fall, oranges and reds and browns and blended in with the landscape.

They danced under the trees, slowly, quicker. The breeze seemed to follow them as they wandered, soaking in the beauty.

The sun was setting, sending ruddy blossoms of light through the tree trunks, illuminating the couple. One was on the other’s shoulders, reaching up to brush the low-hanging branches and plucking off a few brittle leaves. They fell, toppling into the crushed leaves on the ground. The laughter drifted up, seemingly infecting the whole forest with light.

now there's only love in the dark

It was a bitter cold day. The sky was dark, even though it was only early afternoon. Clouds sped through the sky as if eager to get away from the person covered in sorrow. The sidewalk was icy slick underneath her, but there was no hesitation. She was running away, away from the darkness where there used to be joy. They had parted the night before and she had been running ever since. Her heart was cold and the world was dark and she didn’t think she’d ever love again.

Tears streaked her face from the night before, but she couldn’t cry anymore. It was partly the chill that seemed to be in her bones, but mostly the hollowness. Her heart was empty, there was a human-shaped hole. Maybe it was the shape of a hand, a punch straight through her. Maybe it was just broken in half. She didn’t know.

It had come out of nowhere. Two days ago she was filled with light and cheer and hope for a future with the two of them. Now it was only her.

nothing i can say

She wanted it back, all of it. The love, the delight, the blaze that had swept her off her feet. She was floating away and she didn’t want to come back down. Then she fell. She wanted it but she would never ask. She would never come back. She would break before she even said the name.

It was light then it was dark. It was exciting then it was loneliness. It was everything. Then it was nothing. It was a void in the sky. It was a void in her heart.

a total eclipse of the heart

time dedication + conflicts - 122 words
i should be able to dedicate a lot of time to swc since i’m pretty scratch addicted haha, but there’s a few conflicts to make note of! i get out of school half way through june which will significantly increase my available time, but even before that i should be able to spend at least an hour per day working on swc-related things. i have finals june 12th-13th which probably won’t change too much since i don’t have many classes, but i will be studying like the good child i am. at the end of july (from the 22nd to the 26th) i’ll be on a trip, but it’s very lowkey so i should still have plenty of time to help out.

strengths + weaknesses in time management - 241 words
i think i’m pretty good at managing my time overall, but i definitely fall victim to the evil beast called procrastination fairly often as well as not having the smartest priorities haha.
i tend to procrastinate more on things i don’t want to do (coughapushcough) than things i enjoy, like swc. then again,if i procrastinate on something important it could lead to me having less time for swc (though i usually use swc to procrastinate so maybe it evens out)
also having to do with that, i sometimes prioritize things that aren’t as important (like swc unfortunately) this makes me spend time on that when i should really be doing something else, which makes me stressed which no one wants. i might have to take time off of swc to make sure i’m keeping up with actual work.
fortunately i do have some tricks up my sleeve! i’m a very organized person so i make lots of to-do lists to keep myself on track and make sure i’m doing everything i need to do. i’m also very dedicated to what i do so that helps me do things in a timely manner.
lastly, if i miss a deadline or am behind on something i always make time to finish it as soon as possible, even if it’s inconvenient. this means if i procrastinate something it will end up being done, just at the last minute (adrenaline rush for the win)

strengths + weaknesses in working with others - 186 words
i used to hate working with others, but in the last few years i have learned and accepted that that’s a part of life, and it is actually really beneficial! some of my strengths in a team are my flexibility and reliability. i’m very flexible and am able to change what i’m doing at a moment’s notice and also take care of anything that needs to be done, even if i wasn’t necessarily going to do it before. i’m reliable and will try my best to do anything that i say i will (though it might take a reminder) and make sure it’s done well. my weaknesses are very different online from in real life, but online i tend to be a follower and won’t disagree with someone, even if i think they’re wrong (usually out of respect) also, i sometimes worry that other people won’t do something as well as i could (control freak i know) so i will volunteer to do more than i maybe should, but i’ve been working on accepting that even if others would do something differently it’s not usually worse.

important quality in leader - 103 words
i think the most important quality in a leader is being able to delegate tasks. the whole point of working with others is to bring more ideas and abilities to the table, so a good leader would be able to assess who would do what best and assign them that, and then make sure to trust them and not micromanage. i would show this by making sure to stay in my lane and trust that my leader gave me a task because they thought i could do it best, and they gave someone else something because they’re the right person for the job.

cabin atmosphere - 31 words (189 chars)
i would try to have a friendly yet competitive atmosphere where everyone helps each other and works together to do well and crush the other cabins, but understand winning isn’t everything

boxes + last questions - 110 words
a. _ i’m applying for both leader + co-leader
X i’m only applying for co-leader
X i’m willing to share a promotional project for swc

b. nope, i can do them all!

c. if i knew i would be inactive i would make sure to inform my leader and do anything i can before i leave, but if i was inactive and i didn’t know i would be i would try to find a little bit of time to do something or at least inform my leader. if another leader in my cabin was inactive i would make sure someone was taking care of their tasks but not doing too much.

01- About me

Hi! I’m Kiara (she/her), and EST gal who’s favorite things are writing, show choir, and musical theater. I’m an extrovert who loves performing and am obsessed with musicals such as 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Mean Girls, Newsies, and Wicked. I have also been in six productions with my local theater group and school, my favorites being Matilda and Mean Girls!

I currently have two pets: a bernadoodle dog named Kona who is a bundle of energy and loves playing fetch (though she will never actually return the ball once she’s fetched it) and a foster rabbit named Brendan who loves getting himself into trouble (the more off-limits something is, the more out of his way he goes to get it).

My favorite genres to write include fantasy and fairy tale retellings, though I will sometimes dabble in science fiction and realistic fiction (especially if it involves show choir). Some of my favorite books include Six of Crows, Illuminae, The Cruel Prince, Warcross, and Hunger Games.

02- Experience

I have previously participated in three sessions of SWC, all three as a session. I joined SWC in March of 2023 in Adventure. Since then, I have been in Fantasy in November 2023 and most recently Fairy Tales in March 2024.

As for other leadership roles, I am currently leading and hosting Scratch Singing Camp as well as leading Songwriting cabin in Evergreen Arts Camp (on scratch). In real life I am a member of student government this year, as well as previously participating in the leadership team at my local theater group. I have also applied and am looking to be accepted into NJHS (National Junior Honors Society) for the next school year.

03- Cabins I would be interested in co-leading
I would be truly honored to be offered any co-leader opportunity, but I feel like there would be some genres that would fit me better than others. I would love to lead TCTWNW, because I think the laid-back vibe would be a fun break from the friendly competitiveness of SWC, especially over the summer. Other than that, my really only preference would be a lighter, more laid-back atmosphere, but like I said before it would be amazing to be offered any co-leader positions!

04- Writing Excerpt
“The garden was full and alive. The caterpillars climbed across leaves, lazy and happy.
The children who played with the caterpillars were happy as well, their faces still young and unburdened by troubles: a young boy with honey-blonde hair, a young girl with hair the color of raven’s feathers. His face was full of childlike joy; her eyes were sparkling with wonder.”

“Time passed, they grew older. Slowly, the caterpillars climbed into their cocoons. The two discovered music. Soon, the garden was filled with sounds of songs being sung and dances being made.”

“The butterflies emerged, colorful wings fluttering as they rested against brightly colored flowers.
The two started spending less time in the garden. His hair turned from a light honey-brown to a darker tan. Her hair brightened with sun- turning lighter brown. He got glasses, lost them within a day. She got braces, her teeth are perfect now.”

“Time passed, the butterflies started to leave the garden for brighter horizons. The two were together in the garden. They took a moment of peace in their busy lives. Contacts in his eyes, retainers in her mouth.”

“The flowers began to wilt and die, tired from a life of trying too hard. He was jealous she was already further along in this path called life, even though she was a year younger. She tried not to flaunt her talents, but she desperately wanted him to recognize her. They tried to hang out more, the plans always fell through.”

“The garden was dead. The two came into it one last time, trampling dry flowers. Words were yelled, insults thrown. She left, tears in her eyes. He stayed, looking at the beautiful thing that had fallen into ruin.”

“Years later, she returned to the garden alone. She was startled to see it was flourishing again, watered by the young children who had found a home in this garden that was once hers. Maybe all good things were in a constant cycle. The butterflies were back, glowing in purples and blues.”

“Years later, he found a butterfly resting on his front porch. He leaned down, looking at the creature. He remembered her, and tears came to his eyes. He was happy now, but he missed her, through it all.”

“The butterflies left to find their own homes, live their own lives. But they never, ever forgot each other.
And maybe, one day, a boy with glasses and honey-brown hair and a girl with hair the color of raven feathers will find each other again, in the garden.”

05- Time

I usually spend quite a bit of dedicated time on Scratch, and plan to devote at least 1-2 hours a day (not consecutively, however) dedicated to SWC. Since it will be summer, I will certainly be free for large periods of time. However, I will be gone on a family trip from July 5th to 13th, though I believe I will still be able to be active for about 30-45 minutes on non-travel days, enough time to update the word counts and check in with the cabin!

06- Time Management

When it comes to time management, I am good at setting my mind to a project and being able to spend long periods of time on it to get it done the best it can possibly be. However, I can stress too much on the little details or take a long time to get energy to work on a project.

07- Collaboration

When it comes to collaboration, I am always good at contributing my own ideas and working as hard as possible to get my part done. I am also a highly social person, which comes with both a strength and a weakness as well. On one hand, I am able to keep talking and bouncing ideas off of others for long periods of time. However, I can occasionally get off topic. Another strength of mine is being able to help others come to a compromise and being flexible with other’s thoughts and ideas. A weakness is that I can sometimes take criticism (even constructive) personally, which is a weakness I am working to overcome with continual time and putting myself out there.

08- Leadership

Something I really value in a leader is the ability to connect with others. Especially in the online world where people cannot always be in the same space or talking face-to-face, I find that when leaders really take the effort to reach out and connect with their campers and fellow leaders that a person really stands out in my mind. The way I try to embody this trait in myself is always being around to give an uplifting word or to talk to others, especially in a setting where I am a leader or someone that others can look up to for a friendly chat, help, or guidance in wherever they are going next.

09- Atmosphere

“An environment centered around helping others build skills as a writer and a person, while still encouraging a bit of friendly competition.” —139 characters

Life is always more fun with a little bit of competition— or at least that's what I believe. But I feel like things such as building a strong community or laughing about inside jokes should never be pushed aside for competition. I feel like in an overly competitive atmosphere, there are certain types of people who cannot flourish to be the best they possibly can be. I feel like building friendships, skills and memories should always be on the top of the priority list, competition only if the atmosphere is strong and allows it.

10- Checkboxes

I am applying for only co-leader
I am willing to share a promotional project for SWC

Are there any responsibilities in the FAQ you cannot complete?

Nope! I am ready and willing to complete all of them.

In case of inactive leadership (either in case of yourself or a fellow leader) what steps will you take to ensure that the cabin keeps running smoothly?

In case of inactivity by me, I will notify my fellow (co)leaders as well as one of the hosts if necessary. I will make sure that I can help in any way possible until a new, more active co-leader is chosen in my place or another method arises.

In case of inactivity by another member of my leadership team, I will first notify the other members of my leadership team and then again the hosts, if necessary. I will undertake all responsibilities needed of me to make sure that another member of the team doesn’t come back to a large workload.

swc leader application - text version
total words (w/ excerpt): 1617
total words (w/o excerpt): 1321

1. tell us about yourself! please include your nickname, pronouns, and (optionally) your timezone.
Ahoy! I’m pleased to introduce myself as Alex. I use the pronouns she/her. I’m 13 years old and halfway through eighth grade. I’m from the country of Argentina, so my timezone is ART, and an Adventist of the Seventh Day.
Time to bring out the personality quizzes :> I’m an ESFP/ENTP, a lawful good, and an enneagram type 6.
Some of my favorite things include coding, writing, reading, and math! And I watch way too much Youtube these days.
My favorite food is my mom’s empanadas. My favorite fruits are grapes and mangos.
According to my friends, my likes are controversial lol. A few things I don’t like that apparently are hot takes: pizza, watermelons, brownies, jam, cherries. (Will I get angry comments? /j)

I hope you enjoy playing through my application! :)

2. have you previously participated in swc? if so, in what roles? in either case, what experience do you have with writing and/or leadership positions on and off scratch?
I have done SWC 9 times, which is a scary amount o.0 Four times as a camper, four times as a co-leader, and once as a leader.
SWC has helped me greatly in both the writing and leadership aspects.
Regarding writing, it’s the main reason I am fluent in English and the source of my interest in creative writing.
Being a leader has taught me how to work collaboratively, how to motivate and support others, and effectively communicate ideas. It’s also made me a little less afraid or anxious about these types of positions thanks to the comfort of the different people in the community.

3. which cabins would you prefer to lead? please also include how you feel about (co)leading the cabin that will not win, whether your preferences are ordered, and if you have any pre-existing ideas for them!
My ideas are not so fleshed out as I hope to expand on them with my co-leaders, but here’s a basic outline of them! (In preference order)
An espionage recruitment/secret organization. I think it would also be very interesting to explore this idea from Dystopian or Fantasy. I would love to do like a “spying on the government” thing? Overthrowing the government but secretly? Committing arson anonymously? ;D
I’d use Fantasy as an excuse to add magical powers into the equation /lh
An airport/travel centered cabin, where campers visit different countries and cultures and learn different facts about them. I think this would go best with the Adventure, Non-Fi, or Real-Fi genres.
A cooking competition. Campers can be divided into teams (word count groups) and have a cook-off :0 Real-Fi seems like a good fit for this idea.
I’d rather not lead TCTWNW this session since I will have more time to be active and contribute points! I’m also a really competitive person, and I love the excitement and thrill of fighting for first place with other cabins.

4. please provide an excerpt of your writing.
Ivy checked the mailbox, always waiting for a new letter. She was pretty nervous, since she had opened up a lot in her last letter. Ivy was afraid that her older sister, Anne-Marie, would stop responding, or just call her a little kid for telling her her true feelings. Looked for a letter every single day. And finally, it arrived.
“Being a critic, judging every single person's actions is just common human nature.” Ivy read at the start of her newly received letter. “That's what I used to think. That everyone was looking at me, thinking and having their own opinions about me. I had to repeatedly tell myself that (and as I write this, it sounds extremely egocentric) everyone has better things to do than looking at me, and that nobody even cares.” That last part hit Ivy kind of hard. She continued reading. “I felt like this when I was younger. And it still happens to me, right now. As you grow up, you'll realize no one gives a mango.” She chuckled. How did her sister manage to add a sprinkle of humor to each of her letters? “Especially in high school, where everyone is focused on graduating, getting good grades. Or you know, on whatever they want. But just know this: nobody, absolutely nobody, is judging, looking, or criticizing you. So chill down, and enjoy :)” The little smiley face evoked yet another chuckle from Ivy's face. The letter continued. “Maybe watching too many teen shows made me feel like a main character, that everyone is always focusing on. And I like to think everyone felt like this at some point. But this is just a phase. It will end.
Love you, Anne-Marie.
P.S.: Coming home next month! Are you missing me yet?”

5. what amount of time do you expect to be able to dedicate to swc? what plans do you have that could affect your activity?
I expect to be able to dedicate at least one hour a day to SWC (even though it’ll probably end up being more), and it will most likely be from 10-12pm UTC. As of now, I don’t have any other activities or plans apart from school. I’ll have two weeks of winter break in July, though, that will increase my activity levels.
I’m not active on Saturdays because of religious reasons.

6. what are your skills and shortcomings in time management?
One of my skills is that I’m motivated by deadlines. I hate not finishing things - so if I, due to procrastination, for example - left something to the last day, that last day I will have much more motivation to do it.
This can also double as a weakness, though. This mindset can make me stay up late (heck, it’s even happening right now - I’m writing this at 11pm on a school night xD) or rush things in order to get them ready on time.
I procrastinate on some things or get easily distracted with whatever I find. Most likely, singing along to music or scrolling through Shorts.
However, I’m a sucker for all things organization. Simple things like spreadsheets, lists, headings (this app was planned on a seven-page Google Doc lol), or color-coding stuff really help me focus on what I’m doing (good luck getting me to do something without worrying about if it’s sorted in alphabetical order /lh).
I have trouble stopping what I’m doing and taking care of myself. I’m not sure if this is where this shortcoming fits, but this question seems like the best place for it. What I mean is, it’s hard for me to, for example, stop writing leader app responses and go eat dinner (even though I’m hungry), or go to sleep, even when I know I should be sleeping right now and I calculate how many hours of sleep I’ll get and I know this is unhealthy and I know I need more *ahem*.

7. what are your strengths and weaknesses in working with others? what assets would you bring to a leading team?
I consider myself a good leader. Even though sometimes I struggle with voicing what I want to do or I resign myself to what others want to avoid conflicts, I know how to lead a group, delegate responsibilities, and listen to everyone’s suggestions and perspectives.
Even though I avoid conflicts, if I find myself in one, I treat the situation calmly, trying to mediate or find common ground.
I put too much pressure on myself to do things (perfectionism). I need something to be very high-quality to be satisfied with my work. This has been something I’ve struggled with for a long time. However, I’m learning to just let things go, and be more chill about them. I remind myself that it’s okay to make mistakes. For example, if I’m worried about a school project, I tell myself it’s the project that’s getting graded, not me. And that I shouldn’t let this one grade define me. This perfectionism tendency also comes with worrying about what other people will think of what I do, say, or think and wanting to meet everybody’s expectations all the time (people pleasing).

8. what one quality do you value most in a leader? how will you embody this trait as a leader?
I believe one of the most valuable qualities in leadership is responsibility. Knowing how to step up, taking ownership of your mistakes and doing all you can to make up for them, and keeping promises are all key elements to collaboration - and after all, that’s what leading is about.
If I get chosen as a leader, I will show responsibility by:

• Maintaining clear and honest communication with all members. I will make an effort to make my ideas and opinions seen (which, as I have mentioned, is something I struggle with). I’ll tell the truth, because SWC is a place I’ve grown to be comfortable in, where no one judges.
  
• Being respectful and constructive when I’m critiquing others’ work. I will always take a polite approach, highlighting the good things apart from giving suggestions.
  
• Having a clear priority order. This session, one of my main goals will be to take better care of myself, with everything that that includes, like sleeping more or being hydrated. But this also means giving SWC importance, since this is something I signed up for willingly.
  
• Being committed. If I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it, and if I need help completing it, I will ask.

9. what cabin atmosphere do you aim to create?
(153 characters)
“I’m aiming for a more competitive and active cabin, with a fast-paced, interactive, and complex storyline. I want my cabin to be thrilling and memorable.”

10. a. check those that apply:
☑ I am applying for both leader and co-leader.
I am applying only for co-leader.
☑ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.

b. are there any leadership responsibilities listed in the faq that you cannot complete? if any, please elaborate.
No, I believe myself capable of and I commit to completing all responsibilities listed. I have experience in this position and know what it entails.
If I were to find myself in a position where I’m unable to complete any of them, though, I would notify the hosts and ask for help from other fellow leaders.

c. in the case of inactive leadership (either by yourself, or by a fellow leader), what steps will you take to ensure that the cabin can still move on smoothly?
Should I need to become inactive, I would notify the hosts, fellow leaders, and my campers as soon as possible and do my best to still be available through the inactivity period. I’d be honest about the reason and expected duration of it.
If another leader became inactive, I’d help with re-distributing their tasks and with the selection of a new leader if needed. I would also offer support to them if they’re going through something demotivating or struggling with things.

(foreword? idk guys) hi everyone!! welcome to the fruit stand :) hopefully you’re all having a nice day, and if not, hopefully this makes things better somehow?? anyways, thanks for clicking on my app, and further, for clicking on this tiny inconspicuous question mark,, here’s some instructions:
you’ve gotten this far already so i’ll just assume you got past the intro ;)
hover over the fruits to see what lies beneath them! (just do it) (disclaimer: the three furthest to your left hold no treasures)
click them (fruits) to read the answers, click again to either exit or advance to the next slide <3
i put instructions for managing music in the instructions! there’s a text version linked there too,, have fun!

1. about me (name, pronouns, timezone)
~
hey there yall <3 itsa me, veni, for those who haven’t seen me around before (nice to meet you!) you might also know me as juli,, i go by she/any pronouns, and i reside somewhere along the lovely eastern shore (edt?)
i’m currently a chaotic middle-school student (although these are the last months i’m able to say this :sad-wink:), i’m mostly introverted but love to be energetic around my friends. sometimes i enjoy pondering existence and then having an existential crisis about it, but i like to cope with the crushing weight of my thoughts by telling stories. plotlines for these (usually fantastical) stories often bounce around my mind like those dvd screensavers :>
alongside writing, i hoard hobbies like crystals - which i blame on my unbearably short attention span. reading’s always a fun one, and as the fancy people say it, it’s a little “window into another world” - anyways, nothing’s changed from my last half-million leader apps, percy jackson’s still my favorite!! (i’m interested in many other franchises as well but ask me about that later hehe). my life heavily revolves around the arts, starting from tangible art art: digital and traditional drawing, crochet sometimes, and also pressing flowers because there’s something so therapeutic about looking for blooms then preserving them? like hello why haven’t i been doing this earlier?? and then performing arts (love performing hate doing it alone), like dance, music (violinist and pianist!!). more recently, actually listening to music too (not onstage ofc)
i kind of hold a love-hate relationship with the world. it’s awful sometimes but also enjoyable and pretty? (shoutout to the sea, sun, & moon by the way) :0 my life goal is to travel and see every corner of the earth someday <3 besides this i’m struggling with my future and my counselor hates me for it :skull:
can you see i’ve developed as a person? because hey this is a lot maybe we should move on :sob:

2. past participation (roles, leading and writing experience)
~
this session’ll be my eleventh - pretty far from my first nearly 3-and-a-half years ago, but still just as exciting! i’ve been around since march 2021, sometimes more active than other times, but hey - thank you to you all for basically raising me ever since fifth grade by the way; i’ve learned so much more than just how to write - leadership, responsibility, and a good half of my personality to name a few :P here are my records if you’re interested, but you’re welcome to skip over:

march ‘21, myth camper // july ‘21, poetry fireside camper // nov ‘21, hi-fi empire co leader // march ‘22, horror avenue co // july ‘22, fantasy coven co // nov ‘22, mystery express co // march ‘23, bi-fi wonderland co // july ‘23, lit fi lunchroom camper // nov ‘23, illu fi village leader! // march ‘24, poetry valley camper

if you did skim through, which i don’t blame you for haha, here’s some quick stats which are probably more useful: camper x4, co leader x5, leader x1! i’ve been in the memory book committee pretty much all (co)leading sessions, daily team once, and i’ve been mentioned in the writing comp twice maybe? but yeah as much as i love you guys let’s stray outside swc a bit ;)
starting within the bounds of scratch, i’ve been in scratch art camp before, as well as leading in a small aesthetics camp and co-hosting a photography one a while back! truly moving away from scratch now, i’m a member of njhs and student government in this scary place called real life,,? although i hold no significant role in these two things, i’ve had the chance to work with others and learn to be a leader in my small community. some other past clubs of mine are stage crew and yearbook (both of which are actually fun ^^)
as for writing, it’s still mostly just a hobby so far, something i started back during the pandemic to fill the empty space - i don’t share my stories with people irl often but i hope to work on that!

3. preferred cabins? (cabin ideas, tctwnw)
~
so! i’m fine with any genres cabin-wise, really, they’re all so unique and fun to work with in their own ways. one of my favorite things about writing is being able to explore new things - i actually find it really motivating! since i’m applying for co leader, my cabin preferences are even looser this time. with all that though, i still have a comfort zone, aka my favorite genres and most frequented in no order: anything fantasy-fiction, anything surreal (i love slapping out pretty words and leaving it to the reader, also vice versa and bonus points if it’s slightly eerie), and mythology related themes. at the moment, i’ve been enjoying writing calmer short-stories, with less action if that makes sense. i also think that these would be fun to build a cabin around especially since i know them fairly well already :)
i don’t have a lot of cabin ideas so far, but i could probably come up with more once there’s a set theme!some loose ones for the moment are islands (“common” but i like them since they make the cabin feel like their own world), space-related (you could really slap anything in space and it’d be 110% cooler), and floating islands? in space, perhaps?
as for tctwnw, i think that’s really the only cabin i would not want to co lead - seriously, it turns out so cool and friendly each and every time but i’m too attached to swc’s competitive aspect </3 like i can see the draw in a calm environment, but i don’t know if i could pull it off plus i like points :P

4. excerpt
~
each and every one of my footsteps echoed throughout the vast garden, except they never seemed to fade. they grew softer with time, but i still felt them ring in my ear, layering on top of each other like an eerie cacophony - musical, but not quite a melody. the deeper i wandered into the nest of vines and moss, the more it felt like someone, something was trying to push me away. it was like being underwater, in a way, but with an underlying sense to run. but i knew that even if i did, i wouldn't make it far. everything was too slow…
hm, where was i?
despite it being a thought, the words filled the air, blending with the sounds of my footfalls…and were those my soft breaths? my heartbeat? i slowed to a stop, and took a good look around, although my head didn't turn nearly as quickly as i'd wanted it to.
there's flowers, first of all. and they're everywhere - blinking, i'm not sure how i hadn't noticed them before. or perhaps, they hadn't even been there before. they seem to be in every color imaginable, and even some that i'd never imagined existed. that's not what's so off-putting about them, however - there's got to be millions of flowers, and they're all facing towards… me.
where are you?

~ from a daily i wrote early last session <3
let me know if you want a longer excerpt or a different one by the way

5. time to dedicate (plans?)
~
for me, july conveniently lands itself in the midst of summer break. i should be free from school by then, which means no homework and mostly just me at home doing nothing! (unfortunately, this happens to imply that i have no life… uh, i promise i do, it’s just very clustered towards the school year?) so yeah, no long-term commitments, just days here and there where i’ll be volunteering or enjoying myself for no longer than a few hours. i’m not so sure about summer vacations as of now, my family currently has one planned for august but it might be moved up or other - whatever happens, i’ll be sure to let the right people know. i usually have a device on me most times anyway :) all in all, i should be able to dedicate at least 2 or 3 hours a day during the session.
the problem lies in the planning period, where i’ll be wrapping up my middle school career :sob: but even then, i’m mostly done with finals and tests, and by the time i post my app the busiest week’ll just about be done as well. up until mid-june, my activity will be more spotty and inconsistent (think 15 minute periods, multiple times a day? or something like that, totalling ~an hour) i’ll certainly give a heads up if i know i’ll be gone for longer than a day <3

6. time management skills :fire:
~
i’d like to consider my time management skills as improved. growing up has finally slapped me in the face and demanded i get it together if i want to do well in school, and i thank her for that (mostly). i still have my faults, like any sane person would,, however, when it comes to things with deadlines, i’ll always push myself to be on time - rarely later and rarely *too* early. this is partially due to my fear of asking for extensions :sob:
besides that, my skills include… multitasking? if that counts? i find that switching between multiple tasks keeps things interesting to me, so that it feels less plain and more “fun”. this proves to be useful sometimes as i’m able to tackle multiple things at once. another skill is my strong determination - i will do the thing (somehow) and make it look good, you’ll never see me dropping something i’ve agreed to. stemming from this, i take great care not to take on more than i can handle - the art trades back in the day have taught me better. finally, i’m capable of planning ahead in a go-with-the-flow sort of way - look, i know the two contradict each other but hear me out - i just know in my mind when to do what and how to space out work. i hate cramming big tasks into small periods, because it means i can’t fully dedicate myself to them. working a little at a time is arguably far better and succeeds in making me feel accomplished.
a neutral thing about me is my chaotic methods of organization - i’m completely useless when it comes to planners and lists, but it works out. i do like categorizing though, i can’t stand when things are jumbled up.
weaknesses! :jazz-hands: for starters, i’m bad at staying focused. if i’m not interested in a task, my brain simply refuses. restarting kinda works sometimes, just walking away and coming back later. alas, my motivation widely fluctuates, so i can never tell when i’m up to start working. another is that i get distracted easily and will start too many things at once, essentially the dark twin of multitasking. i’ve set a limit, which is usually two or three.
indefinite deadlines have also been proving to be an issue, lately - tasks with no due date often find themselves pushed to the bottom of the list, or written off even if they should be done. something that should’ve occurred to me earlier is that i can slap deadlines on them myself, but i’m not sure how much weight they’d hold.

7. working with others? (assets to a team)
~
as a mostly introverted person, working by myself is fun sometimes in the aspect that i’m able to control everything and can go at my desired pace. however, i’ve learned to love working with others just as equally, since being around others helps ground me to a task, and also exposes me to a variety of lovely ideas i’d never have come up with alone <3
when it comes to working with me either as a pair or in a team, i’d consider myself a fairly good communicator. if there’s an issue, i won’t hold off when it comes to mentioning it, for example regards to my activity or something as simple as bringing up a plothole. i’m usually not shy when it comes to pitching in ideas, as, in my eyes, it’s always worth a shot. this definitely goes the other way too, i love listening and will hear you out. i’ll always consider any ideas no matter how attached i am to my own, and i know when to admit i’m wrong. i’m also pretty good at building onto other ideas, and find that having a base jump-starts my creativity.
next, i do pretty well when it comes to keeping the team together, whether it’s making sure everyone’s included in the workload or making sure we’re all on the same step. i’m also more of the peaceful type in conflict, it’s hard to make me angry in real life and even harder online. i can form solutions rather quickly :)
unfortunately, i’m a bit of a people pleaser and overthink things sometimes - which could be nice, i guess, but usually not so much for me. i’m overly conscious of how i act around others, which gets exhausting fast. i find it hard to tell someone if i don’t like their idea, and i’m generally bad at giving detailed critiques. this is mostly a problem for me at school, but it does carry over to here on occasion. when planning things, i go over every possible outcome in my head just to be careful, but i don’t really know when it’s not necessary and consequentially end up stressed. i really am trying to work out these flaws, and push past my impossibly high standards for myself and my work - after all, i’d probably be able to get further without the extra self-weight :P
as for assets, i’m the sort of person you might consider artistic - i’d be delighted to design things like thumbnails and pfps for the cabin if wanted, i have a love for making things visually pleasing. i have access to canva, too :>

8. a quality in a leader (and, me)
~
there are a plethora of traits i could’ve chosen from to answer this question: responsibility, adaptability, and determination were a couple of very close calls. these three could indeed get you very far as a leader - alas, i couldn’t resist but go with dedication for a round two <3
so! i feel that being dedicated is really the basis for it all. imagine how far you’d get, if you weren’t even the least bit interested in what you’re doing? dedication is really a wide variety of things, an even blend of commitment and passion. for an swc leader, i see it as pouring a bit of yourself into your cabin and its environment, and having a focus. it means trying your best to be consistently active, and not giving up on your vision because it’s “too hard”.
i aspire to embody all of the traits of dedication as a leader. i’ll be truly passionate when it comes to swc and my cabin, as it’s something i genuinely enjoy. i’ll be hardworking when it comes to building a cabin that feels more like a mini world, and find a way to weave our team’s ideas into reality. lastly, i’ll be active and involved in my cabin’s community all through the session!

9. cabin atmosphere (in 200 characters or less)
~
i wish to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where everyone has fun. i hope for the cabin to be truly alive, encouraging friendships and friendly competition while also supporting personal goals! (199 characters hHAha)

10. the three-part problem?
~
a. checklist! i apply to the bottom two - this is solely a co leader application, and i would love to share something promotional. no binding promises on that though but it’s likely :)

b. (leadership responsibility unabilities?)
nope, i am certain that i will be able to fulfill the responsibilities listed in the faq. in the scenario that this happens to change, i’ll be sure to let my leader and/or a host know.

c. (in the case of inactive leadership)
if a fellow leader from my currently hypothetical cabin were to go inactive, i’d first wait a while. i’d give them something like 1-2 days before sending a gentle reminder, and then another one or two before raising concern to the hosts. of course, a notice would be appreciated, but i understand that sometimes emergencies rise, and that’s okay for a short time. if they really do show no signs of activity for an extended period, i’d follow the directions of a host. something like picking up where they left off and transferring ownership of the cabin would be expected as a general outcome, and i will do what i can to ensure that the rest of cabin planning or of the session will continue smoothly.
in the (hopefully very unlikely) case that i myself have to go inactive, my priority would be to leave a heads up (to leaders and hosts) so that everyone isn’t left completely hanging. if time allows, i would share and do anything needed and decide with my team who is able to pick up my responsibilities. if i’m not truly gone, my efforts would be towards offering help to the team and/or providing moral support!

swc leader application - minigame answers

1. wordle
there are 6 possible answers to this! they are randomized every time you click the green flag.

• arson
  
• mango
  
• hosts
  
• daily
  
• goats
  
• cabin
  

2. spelling bee
according to the unscrambler i used, there are 469 possible words :0 i stole the letters from my english teacher lol

acaters
acates
accas
access
accesses
accrete
accretes
acerate
acers
aces
acetate
acetates
achates
ache
aches
acre
acres
actress
actresses
acts
aesc
arch
archaea
archer
archeress
archeresses
archers
arches
archest
arcs
arcsec
arcsecs
areaches
areca
arecas
arracachas
arrect
asceses
attach
attache
attacher
attachers
attaches
attract
attracts
cacas
cache
caches
cachet
cachets
caesar
caesars
caracaras
caracts
carat
carate
carates
carats
carcase
carcases
carcass
carcasses
care
career
careers
carer
carers
cares
caress
caresser
caressers
caresses
caret
carets
carrats
carrs
cars
carse
carses
cart
carte
carter
carters
cartes
carts
casa
casas
cascara
cascaras
case
casease
caseate
caseates
cases
casette
casettes
cash
cashes
cassata
cassatas
cassette
cassettes
cast
caste
caster
casters
castes
casts
catachreses
cataract
cataracts
catarrh
catarrhs
catasta
catastases
catch
catcher
catchers
catches
catecheses
cater
caterer
caterers
cateress
cateresses
caters
cates
catharses
cathects
catheter
catheters
cats
cease
ceases
cees
ceras
cerate
cerates
cere
ceres
cert
certes
certs
cess
cesser
cessers
cesses
ceterach
ceterachs
cetes
chaces
char
character
characters
characts
charas
chare
chares
charet
charets
charrs
chars
chart
charter
charterer
charterers
charters
charts
chase
chaser
chasers
chases
chasse
chasses
chaste
chaster
chastest
chat
chats
chattas
chatter
chatterer
chatterers
chatters
cheat
cheater
cheaters
cheats
cheer
cheerer
cheerers
cheers
cheese
cheeses
cheetah
cheetahs
chert
cherts
chess
chesses
chest
chests
chetahs
cheths
crares
crases
crash
crasher
crashers
crashes
crass
crasser
crassest
cratches
crate
crater
craters
crates
creach
crease
creaser
creasers
creases
create
creates
creatress
creatresses
creche
creches
creese
creeses
creesh
creeshes
cress
cresses
cresset
cressets
crest
crests
dace
daces
dacite
dacites
dacoit
dacoits
dacron
dacrons
dais
dal
dals
dan
dance
dances
danciest
dans
dap
daric
darn
darnest
darns
dart
darts
das
deacon
deacons
deair
deairs
deal
deals
dealt
dean
deans
dear
dears
deasil
decal
decals
decan
decans
decant
decants
deco
decor
decors
decos
decrial
decrials
deil
deils
deist
den
denar
denari
denars
dens
dent
dentil
dentils
dents
deontic
dep
depart
departs
depict
depicts
deport
deports
deposal
deposit
desalt
desi
doc
docent
docents
doe
does
doest
doit
doits
dol
dolce
dolci
dols
dolt
dolts
don
dona
donair
donairs
donas
done
dons
donsie
dopa
dopant
dopants
dopas
dope
dopes
dopest
dopiest
dor
dories
dorp
dors
dorsa
dorsal
dos
dosa
dosai
dose
dost
drail
drails
drape
drapes
drastic
dries
driest
drip
dript
droit
droits
drone
drones
drop
dropt
each
ear
earache
earaches
earn
earns
earreach
ears
east
ecarte
eches
eclair
eclairs
eco
ecos
ectases
eds
enact
enacts
enlist
enol
enolic
enols
enrapt
enrol
enrols
ens
entia
entrails
entrap
entropic
eolian
eon
eons
epact
epacts
epic
epical
epos
erect
erecters
erects
eschar
eschars
escheat
escheats
est
estral
estriol
etcetera
etceteras
etch
etcher
etchers
etches
etic
etna
etnas
hatch
hatcher
hatchers
hatches
hatchet
hatchets
heartache
heartaches
hectare
hectares
ice
iced
ices
icon
icones
icons
ion
ions
irade
irades
iron
ironclad
ironclads
irone
ironed
irones
irons
its
lac
lace
laced
laces
laciest
lad
lade
laden
ladens
lades
ladron
ladrone
ladrones
ladrons
lads
laic
lair
laird
lairds
lairs
lance
lanced
lances
lancet
lancets
lane
lanes
lanose
lap
lapis
lar
lard
lardon
lardons
lards
lari
laris
larn
larned
larns
larnt
lars
las
lase
lased
last
lasted
liane
lianes
liar
liard
liards
liars
lias
lice
licensor
lie
lied
lien
liens
lies
lion
lions
lip
lipa
lipas
lipase
lipe
lipo
lipos
lira
liras
lis
list
listed
listen
lit
lite
lites
lits
loca
loci
locie
locies
locis
lode
loden
lodens
lodes
lone
lop
lope
loped
lopes
lor
loran
lorans
lord
lords
lorica
loricae
loricas
lories
loris
lorn
lornest
lose
lost
race
racer
racers
races
rache
raches
rachet
rachets
ratches
ratchet
ratchets
reach
reacher
reachers
reaches
react
reacts
reattach
reattaches
recast
recasts
recatch
recatches
recce
recces
recess
recesses
rechart
recharter
recharters
recharts
recheat
recheats
recherche
recrate
recrates
recreate
recreates
recs
recta
rectress
rectresses
reech
reerect
reerects
research
researcher
researchers
researches
resect
resects
restretch
restretches
retch
retches
reteach
reteaches
retrace
retracer
retracers
retraces
retract
retracts
saccate
saccharase
saccharases
saccharate
saccharates
sachet
sachets
sacra
sacs
scar
scarce
scarcer
scarcest
scare
scarer
scarers
scares
scarre
scarres
scars
scart
scarts
scat
scatch
scatches
scath
scathe
scathes
scaths
scats
scatt
scatter
scatterer
scatterers
scatters
scatts
sceat
sceattas
scrat
scratch
scratcher
scratchers
scratches
scrats
scree
screech
screecher
screechers
screeches
screes
searce
searces
search
searcher
searchers
searches
secesh
secesher
seceshers
seceshes
sech
secret
secreta
secretase
secrete
secreter
secretes
secretest
secrets
secs
sect
sects
seecatch
serac
seracs
sesterce
sesterces
stacte
starch
starcher
starchers
starches
streetcar
streetcars
stretch
stretcher
stretchers
stretches
taces
tacet
tach
taches
tachs
tact
tacts
teacart
teacarts
teach
teacher
teachers
teaches
tech
techs
terce
terces
tercet
tercets
terrace
terraces
terracette
terracettes
tesseract
tesseracts
tetract
tetrarch
tetrarchate
tetrarchates
tetrarchs
thatch
thatcher
thatchers
thatches
trace
tracer
tracers
traces
trachea
tracheae
tracheas
tracheate
tracheates
tract
tractate
tractates
tracts
treacher
treachers

3. connections

• s-starting cabins: short story, sci-fi, script, steampunk
  
• camp themes: beach, ikea, lotr, space
  
• swc mascots: balrog, blåhaj, gurtle, mr. skog
  
• items that are inside jokes: guitars, mangos, pans, poisoned cookies
  

4. the mini
across:
[1] mossy flower hostie !
[4] bird hostie !
[5] moon in spanish hostie !

down:
[2] celestial being hostie !
[3] penguin-moon hostie !

5. letterboxed
there's 1342 words, good luck finding them all /j

ace
aced
aces
acne
acned
acnes
acnode
acnodes
acold
acorn
acorned
acorns
acro
acros
act
acted
action
actioned
actions
acts
adept
adepts
ado
adopt
adopts
adorn
adorns
ados
adroit
ads
aeon
aeons
ail
ails
air
airn
airns
airpost
airs
airt
airted
airts
ais
ait
aits
aldose
alien
alienor
alienors
aliens
aliped
alipeds
alist
alit
aloe
aloes
aloetic
alone
alp
als
also
alt
alts
ane
anes
anestri
anode
anodes
ant
ante
anted
antes
anti
antic
anticold
antipode
antipodes
antis
ants
ape
aped
apes
apices
aplite
aplites
apneic
apnoeic
apo
apod
apods
aport
apos
apostil
apron
aproned
aprons
apt
arc
arced
arco
ardent
aril
arils
ariose
arise
arisen
arose
arpen
arpens
arpent
arpents
ars
*
arseno
arson
art
arts
artsie
aseptic
aslope
astir
cad
cade
cadent
cades
cadet
cadets
cads
caird
cairds
cairn
cairned
cairns
cal
caldron
caldrons
calo
calorie
calories
calos
cals
caltrop
can
cane
caned
canes
canoe
canoed
canoeist
canoes
canopied
canopies
cans
canso
canst
cant
canted
cantrip
cants
cap
cape
caped
capes
capo
capon
capons
capos
capri
capris
caption
captioned
captions
car
card
cardon
cardons
cards
caried
caries
carn
carnet
carnets
carns
carol
caroli
carols
carp
carped
carpet
carpets
carpi
cars
carse
cart
carte
carted
cartes
carts
case
cased
cast
caste
cedar
cedarn
cedars
ceil
ceils
censor
censorial
cent
centra
central
centrals
cents
cep
cesti
cilantro
cilantros
cion
cions
cis
cist
cisted
cistron
cite
cited
cites
citral
citrals
citron
citrons
clad
clade
clades
clads
clan
clans
clap
clapt
claries
clarion
clarioned
clarionet
clarionets
clarions
claro
claroes
claros
clast
client
clients
clip
clipt
clits
clod
clods
clon
clone
cloned
clones
clons
clop
close
closed
closet
cod
coda
codas
code
codeia
codeias
coden
codens
codes
cods
coed
coeds
coil
coils
coir
coirs
col
cola
colas
cold
coldest
colds
colies
cols
colt
colts
con
cone
coned
cones
cons
conte
contes
contra
contrail
contrails
contras
cop
copal
copals
cope
coped
copen
copens
copes
copied
copies
copra
copras
cor
coral
corals
cord
cords
coria
corn
cornea
corneal
corneas
corned
cornet
cornets
corns
cors
corse
corset
cos
coset
cosie
cosied
cost
costed
crane
craned
cranes
*
crape
*
crapes
cried
cries
crip
cripe
cripes
cris
crit
crits
crone
crones
crop
dace
daces
dacite
dacites
dacoit
dacoits
dacron
dacrons
dais
dal
dals
dan
dance
dances
danciest
dans
dap
daric
darn
darnest
darns
dart
darts
das
deacon
deacons
deair
deairs
deal
deals
dealt
dean
deans
dear
dears
deasil
decal
decals
decan
decans
decant
decants
deco
decor
decors
decos
decrial
decrials
deil
deils
deist
den
denar
denari
denars
dens
dent
dentil
dentils
dents
deontic
dep
depart
departs
depict
depicts
deport
deports
deposal
deposit
desalt
desi
doc
docent
docents
doe
does
doest
doit
doits
dol
dolce
dolci
dols
dolt
dolts
don
dona
donair
donairs
donas
done
dons
donsie
dopa
dopant
dopants
dopas
dope
dopes
dopest
dopiest
dor
dories
dorp
dors
dorsa
dorsal
dos
dosa
dosai
dose
dost
drail
drails
drape
drapes
drastic
dries
driest
drip
dript
droit
droits
drone
drones
drop
dropt
ear
earn
earns
ears
east
eclair
eclairs
eco
ecos
eds
enact
enacts
enlist
enol
enolic
enols
enrapt
enrol
enrols
ens
entia
entrails
entrap
entropic
eolian
eon
eons
epact
epacts
epic
epical
epos
est
estral
estriol
etic
etna
etnas
ice
iced
ices
icon
icones
icons
ion
ions
irade
irades
iron
ironclad
ironclads
irone
ironed
irones
irons
its
lac
lace
laced
laces
laciest
lad
lade
laden
ladens
lades
ladron
ladrone
ladrones
ladrons
lads
laic
lair
laird
lairds
lairs
lance
lanced
lances
lancet
lancets
lane
lanes
lanose
lap
lapis
lar
lard
lardon
lardons
lards
lari
laris
larn
larned
larns
larnt
lars
las
lase
lased
last
lasted
liane
lianes
liar
liard
liards
liars
lias
lice
licensor
lie
lied
lien
liens
lies
lion
lions
lip
lipa
lipas
lipase
lipe
lipo
lipos
lira
liras
lis
list
listed
listen
lit
lite
lites
lits
loca
loci
locie
locies
locis
lode
loden
lodens
lodes
lone
lop
lope
loped
lopes
lor
loran
lorans
lord
lords
lorica
loricae
loricas
lories
loris
lorn
lornest
lose
lost
nae
naes
nail
nails
nailset
nap
nape
napes
narc
narcist
narco
narcos
narcose
nard
nards
naric
naris
nastic
neap
near
nears
neist
neoplastic
nest
net
nets
nod
nodal
node
nodes
nods
noes
noetic
noil
noils
noir
noirs
noise
noised
nopal
nopals
nope
noplace
nor
nori
noria
norias
noris
norite
norites
nos
nose
nosed
nostril
oca
ocas
ocean
oceans
oda
odas
ode
odea
odes
ods
oes
oil
oilcan
oilcans
oils
old
olde
olden
oldest
olds
once
oncet
one
ones
onliest
ons
onset
ontic
opa
opal
opals
opas
ope
oped
open
opencast
opens
opes
opt
opted
optic
optical
opts
ora
oracies
orad
oral
oralist
orals
orc
orca
orcas
ordeal
ordeals
orient
orients
ors
ort
orts
osar
ose
osetra
osteal
ostia
pac
pace
paced
paces
paciest
pact
paction
pactions
pacts
pad
padri
padrone
padrones
pads
paeon
paeons
pail
pails
pair
pairs
paise
pal
pali
paliest
palis
pals
palsied
pan
pane
paned
panes
pans
pant
panted
pantie
panties
pantries
pants
par
parclose
pard
pardon
pardons
pards
paries
paris
parol
parols
pars
parse
parsec
parsed
parslied
parson
part
parted
partied
parties
parts
pas
pase
paseo
past
paste
pasted
pastie
pastil
pea
peal
peals
pean
peans
pear
pears
peart
peas
pec
pecan
pecans
ped
pedal
pedalo
pedalos
pedals
pedant
pedantic
pedants
pedlar
pedlars
pedocal
pedocals
pedro
pedros
peds
pen
penal
pencil
pencils
pens
pensil
pent
peon
peons
pes
peso
pest
pet
petiolar
petrol
petrolic
petrols
petrosal
pets
petsai
pia
pial
pian
piano
pianos
pians
pias
pic
pica
picador
picadors
pical
picante
picaro
picaros
picas
pice
pie
pied
pies
pilar
pilose
pion
pions
pirn
pirns
pis
piso
piste
pit
pits
place
placed
places
placet
placets
plaice
plaices
plait
plaited
plaits
plan
plane
planed
planes
planet
planets
plans
plant
planted
plants
plastic
plastron
pliant
plica
plicae
plicas
plie
plied
plies
plod
plods
pod
podcast
pods
poet
poetic
poetical
poets
poi
pois
poise
poised
pol
polar
polarise
polarised
polars
police
policed
polices
polies
polis
polite
pols
ponce
ponced
ponces
ponciest
pone
pones
pons
pontes
pontil
pontils
*
*
port
ported
ports
pos
pose
posed
posit
posited
post
postcard
posted
postie
postrace
practise
practised
praise
praised
prance
pranced
prances
prase
price
priced
prices
pried
pries
priest
prion
prions
prise
prised
prison
prisoned
pro
prod
prods
prolan
prolans
prone
pronest
pros
prosaic
prose
prosect
prosed
prosit
prost
prostie
ptisan
race
raced
races
raciest
racist
racon
racons
rad
radon
radons
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Coco_animator wrote:

i love books (and writing them! i‘m biased towards poems, however-) i love songs, and i love how words can make such a big impact on a person. thank you <3

Coco_animator wrote:

one of my cabin ideas describes a shimmering palace on a mysterious land. it contains blue orbs which hold the vast answers of the future. however, one day, a rebel group attacks: and the palace is destroyed. all the prophecies are shattered and are lost to the world. in this, the campers would work together to uncover the shards of glass to piece together The Great Prophecy, using vague clues. they will learn how to work as a team this will encourage collaboration, boost their thinking skills, and overall bring a fun aura to the cabin!

Coco_animator wrote:

time management is actually one skill i have under my control: after being a scriptwriter and director for my class assembly in 2023, and its topic being time management, i have learnt a lot of tips and hacks for it! // however, one fault i have in this is i tend to put things off a lot: i tell myself that i will do it tomorrow, but it ends up being forgotten or being done at the very last moment <3 i realised it recently, however, and i have been working towards spreading tasks evenly between days and not putting them off!

vi's co-leader application

about me

Hello there! My name is Vi (she.her), a classic-literature obsessed teen who lives in the wonderful realm of EST (although it is EDT right now). I have been writing since I could hold a pencil, but I became a much more avid writer in October of 2022. I write both short stories and poetry, and am currently working on expanding to longer pieces. Aside from writing, I love reading (as any other SWCer tends to) and read books from Rick Riordan to Jane Austen. My other hobbies include running, photography (a new addition to the list), and journaling. There is nothing like writing in a notebook with an elegant fountain pen and pretending you are in a historical-era! Apparently, well according to the SWC community, I am rather humorous, which is quite contrasting to the rather sad and depressing stories I write. Overall, writing and storytelling really weaves its ways into my hobbies, and it is why I love SWC so much!

experience

This July will be my fifth session of SWC. Although I have not participated in other Scratch camps, I have participated in my church's Vacation Bible school where I led my first group of kids last June. When I was in fifth grade (a while ago but still relevant) I was a safety patrol supervising all ages of kids and ended up being voted Patrol of the Year. Lastly, I have been running a small writing group with my brother and in-real-life best friend since late 2022. For that I plan, write and distribute invitations; manage contact with everyone (my bestie is long distance); and plan any extra things for each writing session.

SWC Sessions (a camper each time)
March 2023- Folklore
July 2023- Historical Fiction
November 2023- Literary Fiction
March 2024- Poetry

cabin preferences

I would not mind coleading any cabin although I have a slight inclination towards Poetry, Historical Fiction, or Dystopian. If any returned, Lit-Fi, Bi-Fi, or Contemporary are right up my alley. As for TCTWNW, it is a wonderful cabin but not something I would be interested in coleading in for the July 2024 session. I would rather lead a cabin with slight competition that still keeps a general, chill atmosphere.

writing excerpt

From “EMILY” a piece awarded honorable mention in the March 2024 session of SWC:

The fluorescent lights were a blinding white, but John didn’t seem to notice. He was pacing the hospital room in a daze. Emily was lying on the bed, frail and weak, with almost no color left.

It was a year ago that John had driven Emily to the hospital where the doctors told her she had cancer. It was a year ago that John had learned Emily would leave him. And it was a year later that Emily was back in the hospital. John didn’t know when they would be going home, but it seemed like he wouldn’t stop pacing until they did.

“John,” Emily whispered. Her voice pulled John from his trance and he stopped pacing to look at her. “I love you,” she said.

“Oh, Emily,” he walked over to her and took her hand. “I love you too…”

“I’m going back to sleep now, but I’ll be okay. I’ll see you soon.” And when she closed her eyes there was a gentle smile on her face.

dedication + skills

Throughout July, I will be able to dedicate an hour or two a day. Weekends might be more or less, depending on when my brother has baseball tournaments. While my activity levels will be much increased during the session, the time prior is a little uncertain. I am on vacation the first two weeks in June, but I should be able to set aside time for SWC. The rest of June I will be on another vacation, but that one will be more chill, and again, I can set aside time for SWC. Of course, should anything pop up, I would make sure to notify my leader and the other co-leader.

While there are shortcomings to my leading skills, such as easily getting overwhelmed and frustrated and a lack of confidence, it is something I have been working on. I do like being in control, but SWC is one of those places where I am most willing to listen. Some of my strengths include organization, efficiency, time management, and a supportive and collaborative teammate and cabin member.

The thing I admire most in a leader is organization. When something is organized, everything functions more easily, and everyone involved is not as stressed. As someone who thrives on a system, I will happily keep my cabin organized, doing whatever my leader requires of me.

checkboxes + if i go inactive

(X) I am applying for both leader and co-leader.
(✔) I am applying only for co-leader.
(✔) I am willing to share a promotional project for SWC.

If I have to go inactive, I will let both my leader, other co-leader(s), and a host (if necessary) know that I have to go inactive. I will let the campers know as well and maybe suggest them to let the leaders know of their total word count instead of the leaders having to constantly total it. If one of the other leaders goes inactive, I will do the same thing if they left without any warning.

877 words, and a thank you to poppy who critiqued my original draft <3

mint's (co)leader app

1094 words

about me
hello! i'm mint (she/her), a mango-loving, cat-obsessed, sleep deprived bookworm! i live in the majestic lands of cst/cdt. tea, mangos, samosas, rice, shrimp, and sour cream chips are all things i think are scrumptious and fairly delectable. nerds, smarties, and kitkats would be my top choice for candy as someone with a sweet tooth. i like spicy food too, even with the scoville tolerance of a potato. you can usually find me browsing on scratch, playing random games, drawing or doodling cats, reading warrior cats, writing on microsoft word, or eating mangos. my favorite books and authors are warrior cats, wings of fire, the westing game, the erin hunters, tui t. sutherland, et cetera. a few hobbies of mine include reading, writing, coding (learning python!), making art, gaming, and sleeping. i've participated in two swc sessions, both being campers with the wonderful mystery mansion and script theater. my favorite genres to write in are fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and adventure.

experience, leadership, and participation
i've participated in swc twice in the november 2023 mystery mansion and the march 2024 script theater, both being a camper. at school, i'm in student council as my class's representative with my friend. i've participated in many clubs, and started an unofficial book club. i've written many stories, and i'm working on one inspired by wings of fire right now.

cabin preferences
all cabins are unique and amazing in their own way, and i'd be delighted to lead any one of them with their diverse ideas and aesthetics. a few cabins are some that i'd love to lead even more than others. i love tctwnw, and i would like to support relaxed writing, but i would also like to look at a competitive aspect. i wouldn't prefer to lead tctwnw. though cabins that i would like to lead include fantasy for its fantastic storylines, mystery for its enigmatic and murderous (hehe) atmosphere , adventure for its fast and exciting pace, poetry for its calming but competitive view, fairy tales for its classic pretty renaissance-like storyline, and science fiction for its representation of tech and futuristic storylines. i would still like to lead mystery the most as a lover of murder mysteries. gurtle, mr. skog, and blåhaj might have a few storylines to answer to…

writing excerpt (from a wip novel)
The sand-colored dragon stood before Finheart, glaring bitterly. It was considered disrespectful to carelessly walk borders, but she still stood defiantly.
One year ago (which seemed like a week to Finheart) Coralwave, Finheart’s sister, had gone missing. No one knew what happened to her. When Algaecatcher, the queen of the RiverWings, asked the ThornWings, they refused to answer. Finheart believed they had held her hostage. All that was left of her traces was a silver necklace on her pillow, next to a note that was never started.
“What’s your business?” he asked, stabbing his polished sword into the ground.
“I’m here to find your queen, and my sister.” Finheart said. She took out her sword from her bag weaved by Coralwave and unsheathed it, setting it into the rough sand. She’d find her, one way or another.

time dedication and plans
i'd be able to dedicate at least 30 minutes for an average day, while more for events such as cabin wars. i'll be gone for july 1st, as i'll come back from a vacation on that day completely jet-lagged, so i'd leave a note and make sure to alert the leading team beforehand. overall, i'd be available for the majority of july and am willing to dedicate my time to my leading team and cabin.

skills and shortcomings in time management
starting with my skills, i'm slightly organized, so plans come in handy in special or fast-paced events. it would be a good asset to bring to a leading team, just in case we need to remember anything for a certain event. the majority of the time, i'm very active and can help my cabin with our tedious works, but still care about my life. onto my shortcomings, i procrastinate a lot and forget deadlines, but to overcome it i'll set reminders and to-do lists throughout the session. i sometimes forget to do things and set to rush it, but i can stop this by just doing it (and setting reminders). #justdoit

strengths and weaknesses in working with others and assets to bring to a leading team (gosh what a long title)
starting with my strengths, i'm very flexible with agreements and go with the flow, even when things go wrong. when i work with others, i can agree to shift work evenly and distribute the effort between others. onto my shortcomings, which actually connects to my strength, i don't make many decisions and leave it to others. my opinions usually come from others, and i wait to make my say. i can overcome this with decisions only to be made by me, and then checking with others to see what they think. i can compromise with others to have equal effort. i can bring organization and contribution to the table, as i'm very active and can make plans or generally keep things together, even in situations such as leading team absences or fast-paced events that might go by too fast to record anything such as cabin wars.

leading quality i value most and ways to embrace it
i value communication skills the most. it's really important to be able to talk with others in a concise way, as communication barriers can easily induce conflict inside the cabin. being able to contact your leading team and interacting with questions or problem solving can help improve campers' experience during the session and give a friendly atmosphere. if anyone was inactive without any warning (which is okay in urgent situations) might build up on word-counting. this will make going on your writing journey much more tedious for campers. a leader with good communication skills can interact with campers, alert the leading team of any inactivity, and plainly be helpful and don't leave your cabin in the dust.

cabin atmosphere (165 characters)
“our cabin aims for a place where you can be competitive but also stay calm and still write peacefully. whether you prefer to rest or race, we'll support our campers!”

questions
a. ✔️i'm applying for both co-leader and leader X i'm applying for only co-leader ✔️ i'm willing to share a promotional project for swc
b. no!
c. if any member of our leading team, including myself, is inactive, we can set up a system where if one is inactive, we can all contribute and distribute their part while they're gone. for example, we can add words or currency just like cabin points from dailies or weeklies, except we can have shifts on certain days for whenever we're free. we can also have partner word group so one can take over if another can't.

that's it for my app! have a nice day, and good luck to everyone! <3