For years, the hard working students and teachers involved in show choir have strived to maintain the PLHS tradition of excellence, racking up numerous accolades and a reputation for being one of the best. However, none of this success would be possible without the countless hours put in behind the scenes, or in this case, the risers.
Every summer, members of the varsity show choir Free Spirit gather for a weeklong camp filled with long days and memories to prepare for another year of show choir. The camp serves as a way for the group to learn new choreography, and bond to become a team ready to dominate the season.
“You get a feel of what the year is going to be like, get excited, get a good work ethic going,” senior Spencer Smith said. “You bond, you get to meet all the new people, meet all the underclassmen you haven’t met yet.”
Any good team, no matter the goal, needs to bond and come together and be successful. That mentality is something that is expressed by many of the members of Free Spirit.
“The camp helped us all work harder and care about the outcome of the season much more,” junior Christopher Reilly said. “If we care about each other a lot more, we care about how our group does, which I think is something we’ve struggled with in the past.”
A big way the group grows closer is through the several bonding events they have throughout the camp. Many of these activities have become tradition over the years, serving as something for new and returning members alike to look forward to.
“We do a pool night, we do a sleepover, Smith said. “We do a shaving cream fight and that’s a lot of fun. It brings people a lot closer together, it builds a sense of community, you’re part of the group, you’re part of Free Spirit.”
After a long and tiring week, the members of Free Spirit walk away not only with choreography and songs, but also with lifelong friendships and memories.
“Show choir has always been like a family to me in the sense that I get to hang out with a bunch of my friends and sing and dance and that’s just like a really fun time,” Reilly said. “I think we’re going to do very well, even though we’re going to go to some pretty competitive competitions, we’re going to do really well.”
As the show choirs press pause until the season starts, the bond forged during the long days of camp during the summer will continue to strengthen. For Free Spirit, excellence is tradition, but family is the foundation.
