Future Authors’ Camp 2016 Promotion

Post date: Apr 19, 2016 3:14:32 PM

By: Abbie Schmidt, Staff Writer

Posted April 19th, 2016

“Dear Slow Walking People,

I understand that everyone gets tired. It happens to every normal person on this planet. I also accept the fact that people are lazy or just want to talk to friends. But, just because these are facts of life, does not give you the excuse to walk slowly in the hallways or just blatantly stop. The hallways are a common place where people are trying to get themselves from one place to another, not a place to stop in the very middle of the halls to talk to someone or just walk so slowly that you slow the people behind you, causing a chain reaction of extreme slowness. If you wish to walk slowly, please move to the side, let others pass you, or just walk faster. This is a problem that many students face and it makes the already hard high school experience just that much more frustrating. So please, if you are one of these people, help make society just that much better by walking faster for the courtesy and convenience of others. Thank you.

-Anonymous”

This piece was written by a 9th grader at Slinger High School during one of the meetings for Authors’ Club at the middle school. Authors’ Club runs during the school year whereas the Future Authors’ Camp runs in the summer for about two weeks. The student that wrote the above piece wishes to remain anonymous but she has been part of Authors’ Camp for three years. Authors’ Camp is run by Mr. Walter, a seventh grade English and Social Studies teacher and Mrs. Bindrich, an previous English teacher at the middle school. Many students in the camp have had their work recognized and medals awarded. If you enjoy writing, I strongly encourage you to look into joining for another summer of writing, forming friendships, and sharing your work.

Below is a piece I wrote myself a couple years ago during the Future Author’s Camp that ended up with a silver medal when I submitted it to Scholastic Art and Writing competitions.

Summer’s Smudge by Abbie Schmidt

As I listen to the steady sounds,

I drift away.

An analog clock.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

A runner’s shoes.

Slap-slap-slap.

A restless bird.

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Over and over.

The red second hand moves with every tick.

The scenery changes slightly with every resounding step.

The bird’s volume falters with every new chirp.

But even a well-paced runner will tire.

The most restless bird will fail to fly.

As summer begins to fade away.

The world more visibly fluctuates.

And then I find the clock,

singing an endless song.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Click here to view a flyer for Authors’ Camp!