Camp Yap

          When I returned to Yap, I knew that our summer session would be starting approximately 30 hours after I stepped off of the plane.  What I did not know was that our staff for summer session consisted of Fr. Corcoran, Fr. Mulreany, myself and… oh wait – it was just the three of us.

            Now – my year of experience as a math teacher helped me to quickly figure out that with only three teachers, and four classes of students (first year with Freshmen through Seniors!) – we could not logistically cover all of the necessary classes.  So we did what we do best here on Yap – we improvised.  We combined the Junior and Senior class in to the Super Sunior class which would focus primarily on SAT prep.  Mickey then adjusted the schedule so that each of us had a homeroom and would teach two classes as well as proctor a silent reading period – all of which would be 55 minutes (that’s a LONG time in a teacher’s world.)  We adapted quickly to our morning schedule of teaching/ working non-stop from 7:45 AM – 11:40 AM (with a quick bathroom break in the middle) – and it actually ended up being a great experience.

            The real fun began after classes… Mickey basically gave me free reign of what to do with the students from noon til the end of the day at 4:00 PM.  That is how Camp Yap was born.  Now – the term “Camp Yap” was never used in an official sense, but it is certainly what I called it in my head and sometimes accidentally out loud – but the term pretty much summarizes our afternoon activities and shenanigans.  I went into Program Director/ Community Outreach/ Scranton mode and began making calls, e-mails, lunch dates, walks around the lagoon, and random chitchats after masses as I recruited a great variety of incredible presenters who would come in and direct different activities and sessions with the students.  We had Americans, Italians, Australians, Yapese, Outer Islanders.  We had sign language, nature hikes, lawyers, martial arts, local cooking, basket weaving, dancing, singing, canoe demos, lei making.  We played every camp game/ ice breaker that I had in my repertoire.  And the entire time – we had a blast.

            It was so inspiring and rewarding to work with such a diverse and amazing group of people who gave so self-lessly of their time and talents.  Camp Yap was exhausting… but at the end of the day – we were excited to come back and see what adventures were waiting for us tomorrow – just the way any good camp should be.

Intense Game of "Ninja"

Team Builders

Rufus and Jonah showing off their lashings by the "crying Buddha"

Eunice and Bradley dominating the 3-legged races

Joslyn sad to be going home on the Apocalypse Bus

Practicing the local dance that Martin Ruwniyol taught us

Lupo and I attempting to teach modern line dances (Cotton Eyed Joe featured here)

Sophomores and Juniors with Dr. Margie

Freshmen working on nunuws/marmars 

Mary Guchol (my Yapese mom!) teaching delicious new local cooking

The Lovely Agnes and her nunuw/marmar class

More Team Builders

Our kids just being kids... the best.

            “Whatever form it takes, camping is earthy, soul enriching and character building, and there can be few such satisfying moments as having your tent pitched and the smoke rising from your campfire as the golden sun sets on the horizon--even if it's just for a fleeting moment before the rain spoils everything.” 

                                                                                -Pippa Middleton