Riptide – Vance Joy
During the first week-ish of the semester, we quickly realized the musical talent of our semester. People would gather around in the living room area, pulling out guitars and harmonicas. Not everyone knew how to play an instrument, but there were enough instruments and peer instruction to go around. Our first Saturday Night Activity was a coffeehouse, and a huge group of students spent the week learning to play “Riptide.” After that, the song became pivotal and representative of our semester.
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
A few times a week, you and a few other students will do dish crew. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. Turns out, washing dishes can be shockingly fun when you’re with your friends and all singing along to music with spatula microphones. “Mr. Brightside” can be heard blasting during almost every dish crew, to the point where we all have it memorized and are starting to get sick of the words “open up my eager eyes / ’cause I’m Mr. Brightside.”
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
A few weeks ago, after the Saturday Night Activity ended, we were all feeling excited for spring and a burst of energy. So, we randomly decided to all race across the field. Someone started playing music on their MP3 player speaker, and we ended up standing on a picnic table under the stars, belting our hearts out to “Paper Planes.” Sprinting across the grass, we looked somewhere between crazy people and five-year-olds. We all felt so free and comfortable. Eventually, our adventure took us into the Hilton, which is the bathroom for some of the cabins. With all the lights off, we blasted music and danced around the bathroom. It was stuffed with people, a dance circle formed, and it got so hot people considered taking ice showers in all their clothes. It was a moment of childlike fun, community, and true Chewonki spirit.
In Tall Buildings – John Hartford
At the end of each night, a rotating faculty member comes to check in on your cabin. Each cabin also has a few cabin “parents” who don’t live with you but are looking out for your cabin. One night, my cabin’s cad (cabin dad) came to check us in. He brought his guitar and played us a bedtime song. It was a beautiful folk song that he had always loved. It went: “So it’s goodbye to the sunshine, goodbye to the dew / Goodbye to the flowers and goodbye to you / I’m off to the subway, I must not be late / I’m going to work in tall buildings.” We all started singing along and even got teary-eyed. Ever since then, he often plays us a song at check-in, and this one is always at the top of our requests.
Rivers and Roads – The Head and the Heart
The last night before spring break, we all had a campfire under the stars. There were s’mores, music, laughter, and an exchanging of phone numbers. As the night came to a close, for our final song, a few people played “Rivers and Roads” on their guitars and we all sang along. It was a beautiful and communal moment under the pines and the night sky, all huddled together in what we call a “cuddle puddle.” We all started thinking about the fact that we were all parting the next morning and how much we would miss each other. This led to the broader realization that someday we will all go our separate paths and leave this wonderful place. The words “A year from now we’ll all be gone / All our friends will move away / And they’re goin’ to better places / But our friends will be gone away” hit home. There were few dry eyes around the circle, but the tears weren’t only of sadness but rather immeasurable appreciation that we have all found something that will make saying goodbye so hard.
By Athena Esbjörn-Hargens
Waynflete School, Maine
