One of the many pointless things I often do is google for hours at a time. Usually I plan trips to far-away places, just for the fun of it; other times I find a camp or some other [remarkably expensive] program and, as soon as my excitement is piqued, I propose it to my dad—only to have the idea immediately shot down, leaving my hopes and dreams crushed (no worries though; I then google alternatives). I’d been successful only two times: once in 2008, after my freshman year of high school, when I got both of my parents to pay for and let me go to a Princeton University-hosted summer session; and once more in 2009, when I attended the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. Each of these experiences provided me with what I believed to be unbeatable life lessons, so I admittedly had high standards for any camp. Summer camps seemed to me very uniform: friendships form and then fade as soon as campers realize they may never see each other again. Four to six weeks of jubilation ends, and everyone returns to his or her hometown. When I proposed Dawg Camp Classic City to my dad, it didn’t occur to me that the very campers with whom I’d spend five days doing community service would go on to be my classmates for the next four years. So I proposed Dawg Camp, got it approved, and began looking forward to my adventure in Athens.
Mid-morning that Tuesday in June, I packed my Prius full of a year’s worth of goodies and began the five and a half-hour drive from Brunswick to Athens. Once there I followed the signs to the University of Georgia, and a couple hours later when I found Building 1516—our residence hall for the week—the counselors were all smiles and knew my name immediately. With such a warm welcome, I made an unlikely decision: for the next five days, I’d let go of my skepticism and get out of my comfort zone. Luckily Dawg Camp easily assisted me with that commitment.
After we campers checked in, we gathered in a dorm room and awkwardly stared at one another. The counselors and a couple staff actively engaged us in discussion; I remember telling everyone during reflection, or “family time,” the following night that I couldn’t believe that the night before, we were complete strangers. In twenty-four hours the fourteen of us truly felt like a family, and the day before felt like months ago. So how did Dawg Camp manage to do this for us?
The Classic City program is the smallest of the four Dawg Camps, but to me it seemed to be the perfect experience. We actively participated in two to three service projects per day throughout Athens-Clarke County for the three full days that we were there. Now that may not sound like much, but let me attempt to describe the week: I got to take part in painting a mural on an Athens hospital wall, play chalk games with children at the Boys and Girls Club, restore an overgrown cemetery to life, build a shelf (yes, with hammer and nails) for a charity’s thrift store, talk about the Atlanta Braves’ performance to residents of an assisted living home, groom and play with a second-chance dog at a kennel, and dig post holes and clear an entire area for a playground. That last activity lasted into the night, and yielded sore limbs, a blistered right hand, and a blessing by a nun; the playground will be used by children of families who need all the encouragement they can get. All the while, an amazing bond was created among us campers.
After long days (and good eating; Athens restaurants are amazing), we gathered at the residence hall for family time. It was during this time that our bonds were reinforced and we searched within ourselves, together. The “how are you?” that many of us asked each other the first day became “how is your heart?” The gratitude that was given to us throughout that week humbled us and made us realize that people care so much for things that we perhaps consider easy tasks. All of a sudden, the college town that we’d dreamily sought became a real place, and we were doing our part as both university students and citizens of the community.
Dawg Camp was a truly life-changing experience, and I can’t imagine going to Georgia without it. Meeting and befriending dedicated and passionate students—both with camp participants and the staff—and effecting positive change in Athens is the manifestation of all things good one can experience in their years at Georgia. I’m forever thankful to have experienced such an awesome program. Dawg Camp really is the place to be.
Garrett Herrin is an incoming first-year from Brunswick, Georgia.
Blawg Camp
