VIDEO: Summer Scholars Program

STARKVILLE, Miss.(WCBI)—Dancing, singing, composing. The campers of the Summer Scholars Program are at it again.

For the 36th year in a row campers have gathered on Mississippi State’s campus to create an original production.

A bit of Broadway in Bulldog Country.

“Music and dance in the morning, drama in the afternoon, and often in the evening. It’s a full day, all day, everyday. The kids just pick up on it and roll with it,”said Summer Scholars Program Historian Anne Cross.

Cross has worked with the Summer Scholars Program for several years. She says the singing and dancing is definitely a big part but the camp is a little more than that.

“It’s all about relationships and it’s all about seeing how you can go from nothing to something, very special, in three weeks,”said Cross.

The camp brings students from all over the country. Cross says once the kids are in they become hooked on the music and most turn into volunteers.

“The majority were. Many of them almost never left camp. They went straight from camp into a volunteer position. They just can’t stay away,”said Cross.

Like Lewis.

” I saw the show my 8th grade year. I though it was so funny. So, I came my 9th grade year and I’ve stayed for 8 years. So I did camp for four year and was lucky enough to get asked back my first year of college and I took it. I also started doing theater education to try and be better at teaching kids theater,” said Summer Scholars Program Lewis Codling.

The camp consists of 7th to 12th grade students. Codling says as a volunteer you don’t receive money but you are still paid in full.

” I love it! When you’re a camper, you love the people who are here giving you this support and teaching you those things. Being able to come back and do those things myself and have students come up to me and say , Lewis I love your class.  It’s like, thank you, that felt amazing. So, giving back is the main thing. I don’t get paid for it.  It’s volunteer work but you get paid so much through those kids liking what you do,”said Codling.

Campers are responsible for coming up with the production plot, writing scripts, and coming up with choreography.

Cross says it’s a lot of work but the love from the community makes it a little easier.

“The community has embraced us too. The parents of these students help us out a great deal they feed us and they do a big breakfast Saturday morning for us, as we prepare for our final show. So, we appreciate all the parents and the local people,”said Cross.

The name of the musical is Triangles and Tribulations. The first show is Friday night beginning at 7pm and it’s free to the public.