Author: Sarah Mash

Today was the first rainy day of summer camp – foreshadowing the due date for close reading and video submissions! Lecture today focused on Frederick Douglass’s “Mission of the War,” Anna Dickinson’s “Perils of the Hour,” and my personal favorite Abraham Lincoln’s Blind Memorandum, which he wrote to ensure his peaceful of transition of power in the off chance he lost the 1864 Election. 

Rain can’t stop us!

After lunch, students worked extra hard on their assignments. Having read many of the papers and a good amount of the videos, these kids are naturals! I was genuinely impressed by their deep analysis of historic text and creative details in their short videos.  

Then, the kids broke into their first debate practice. Team Ney is debating on behalf of Abraham Lincoln, while Team Wingert is taking the side of Frederick Douglass. Having sat through Wingert’s group, I can confidently say that have some tricks up their sleeve and are sure to win. Ney’s team is trying to work overtime, and they’re gonna need it! 

Desperate times

Assignments were due at a soft 7pm, which meant ice cream run to Massey’s at 8. Students made the trek in the rain as a reward for their hard work. George had to use a comically large spoon to eat his soggy, melting ice cream.  

TAs and Interns need ice cream too!

To end the work week, students began the day engaging in some of Abraham Lincoln’s most impactful speeches: the House Divided Speech, his First Inaugural Address, and of course, the Gettysburg Address. Students delve into these works’ details through understanding the context of the secession crisis Lincoln had to navigate. 

After lunch, students had a guest visitor from the League of Women Voters. A speaker from this nonprofit, nonpartisan organization spoke to students about their mission: advocating for voting rights. 

Students taking a rest at one of our stops

Afterwards, the annual scavenger hunt took off. With five teams randomly picked from a hat, students and staff took off on a race to win the scavenger hunt. The staff member on the team was responsible for reading the clue and answering no more than three questions about revealing the location. Locations included the campus archives, damage from the shelling of Carlisle, Spradley-Young Hall, and several more. My team took off in a sprint to get to our first location, keeping the energy up throughout the event. We somehow managed to only come in third, partially because RA Jordan Schucker’s team cheated. Prizes were still available in the form of Dickinson merch and candy. 

That night, students watched the movie Lincoln. Snacks were provided to get that real movie theater feel. After the movie, students had the opportunity to ask questions and make comments on references they saw

Don’t step on the seal!

in the movie and relate them

to what they learned in class or knew from their own study. Though many of the students did not want to watch a 2.5 hour movie on a Friday night, students were moved to tears and everyone thought the movie was “actually pretty good” and “better than they expected.” 

Today, the students began the day with a classroom focus on “Framing Slavery,” including readings from debates from the 1787 constitutional convention and references to slavery in the Constitution. After a classroom discussion, the students watched Professor Pinsker and Dr. Mealy debate “Founding Compromises” – debating whether the Constitution defended and upheld slavery. Dr. Mealy was about to introduce new evidence that at the convention, John Rutledge said if there were no protection for slavery, then South Carolina would not ratify, suggesting that since the constitutional convention was done out of haste, the protection of slavery was necessary to make sure the new

Students listening to Shawn Gladden

American experiment didn’t immediately implode. Unfortunately, this information was brought up during the closing argument and had to be dismissed. Professor Pinsker won the debate, with all but one student voting with the majority. 

Viet looking shocked

After lunch, the students went on our first field trip to the Cumberland County Historical Society. There, they spoke to Shawn Gladden about what it means to operate a museum that is accessible and welcome to the public. Gladden spoke to the students about the history of the Cumberland County Historical Society and how they are rebranding as a museum rather than a society to market themselves better to the public. Students also learned about how many opportunities there are to volunteer at CCHS and their local historical societies.

Julien pondering local history

Students then had a chance to explore the rotating exhibit, which now focuses on what life looked like in Cumberland County during the 1870s. When they had the chance to explore the more permanent exhibits, the focus was on the Underground Railroad and Carlisle Indian Industrial School displays. Students also found the printing press and jewelry from the Titanic particularly interesting.  

Students talking with Admissions

Afterwards, students had the opportunity to speak with the admissions office about finding the right college for them. It is important to pick a college that doesn’t just include your desired major, but also what matches your aid, student engagement, class size, and accessibility to professors. I know that when I decided on Dickinson, a large part of it was because I felt comfortable on campus – the vibes were good – and that gut feeling was the heaviest factor I used in making my final decision on a college.

Avery and Natalia posing like the painting