Mr. Mitchell

1. What is your full name and date of birth?


Taylor Louis (Damien) Kaimanaokekai Mitchell. Damien isn't on my birth certificate, but it's my confirmation name, and I like it. It's in honor of St. Damien of Moloka'i, who is pretty sweet. Kaimanaokekai is my Hawaiian name, and it is translated literally as "Diamond of the sea." It is in reference to the sunlight sparkling off the ocean. I'm a sparkly person, apparently. I was born on May 27th.


2. What was your goofiest moment at CTY?


Goofiest moment at CTY? Every moment at CTY is a goofy moment. There is not a single moment that goes by that is not goofy. But I'm assuming you'd prefer a specific answer. Let's see. I tend to get pretty goofy at the dances. Also, activities that I haven't done more than ten minutes of preparation for get really goofy. Also, I would assume that I look goofy yelling at kids who don't use the crosswalk. As a student, I think that I was at my goofiest when I dressed up as a hula dancer (complete with coconut bra) for drag day and handed out lei (lei is the plural form of lei, fyi) to everyone, or when I wore a cassock (what priests wear) to all the dances. I actually ended up with a role during American Pie!


3. Which session do you prefer?


As a student, I preferred first session. I always went to first sessions, save for one summer, and they seemed to be more fun- fresh and exciting, and the staff had boundless energy. As a staff member, though, I find that I really enjoy second session. I'm certainly much more easily exhausted, but I'm also much more familiar with how things are run, so I don't need as much energy, i suppose. Also, by the time second session rolls around, I know my co-workers really well, and that makes things so much simpler.


4. How does LMU compare to Carlisle?


That's a hard question, my friend. Why don't you ask something simpler, like would I like to give up my legs or my arms? I did two years of Carlisle as a student, and it was wonderful. I would call it a completely authentic, traditional CTY experience, if not the MOST authentic, traditional CTY experience (Please don't get me started on Lancaster. Suffice to say I'm not a huge fan). It's a very large site, and it's been going on for ages, so everything is very established. They are very good at whimsical activities, and the dances are nothing short of fantastic. The Cannon is sweet. The traditions there are done in such a way that they are a constant presence, but it's not at all overbearing (Like a certain other site in PA). The site is only slightly bigger than LMU, but it seems a lot larger due to the way day to day things are handled. At CAR, you spend a lot of time independent of direct staff supervision and you aren't necessarily always together as a hall or class, so there is less of a sense of a whole site community, although you do develop closer one on one friendships with people that you don't live or go to class with, which is nice. On the other end of the spectrum, cliques tend to form. At LMU I got the sense that there was a fantastic sense of community- everyone knew each other at least by sight, and there was a sense of one-ness. Sounds tacky, I know, but it makes for a great session. The campuses are both beautiful. CAR's buildings are classic and dignified or modern and classy, in comparison to some of LMU's tacky 70's monstrosities, but I have to give LMU the slight edge, because it's got beautiful weather and Los Angeles is so much nicer than Nowhere, PA. LMU also has better food. So I suppose, after all this rambling, I will give LMU the win, ever so slightly over Carlisle. Its nicer, more loving, and prettier.


5. Which is your favorite and least favorite canon song?


A few words about the Canon: LMU is seriously lacking in many traditions that would be commonplace at other sites, and usually I don't mind, except for the dances. LMU Canon is a skeleton, and needs to be beefed up a bit. That being said, anytime I mention Canon, it's largely based off of the Carlislian Canon, with slight modifications.

First, I love American Pie, forever and forever. It's magic. I think the most special moment of my CTY career was hearing American Pie at my first dance as an RA. It was an intense, beautiful moment that was the epitome of all things CTY. It's hard to put into words, but it's something I very truly treasure.

But that's kind of a cop-out answer, isn't it? Let's see. There are tons of wonderful songs, many of which aren't played often anymore. Birdhouse in Your Soul, Brimful of Asha, EOTW (I KNOW ALL THE WORDS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!), Blister in the Sun, and Barbie Girl are all marvelous. I think that my favorite, though, would have to be Nightswimming by REM. It's not played at LMU (something I would like to change!), but it's a beautiful, slow song that, with Forever Young always reminds me of Nevermores and CTY relationships.


I'm afraid to tell you my least favorite song, because I dont' want to start a mass. Oh hell, I have nothing to hide. I HATE STAIRWAY. HATE IT. It's so long, and so unnecessary. It just cheapens American Pie. I will fight to the death for the rest of the canon, but that can go. Do you know what that song is? That's my go to the bathroom, run to the office to pick up mail, get a drink of water so I can get my voice back so I can shout during American Pie. That's what that song is to me. Go ahead. Judge me. I just don't love it. I show up for the last minute of it, and everything is fine.


6. Do you enjoy nerdy things like Star Wars, The Princess Bride, Harry Potter, etc.?


Of course I enjoy nerdy things. I go to a Great Books College. I am spending four years reading exclusively the Western Canon- no textbooks, no nothing. It's spectacular. Apart from that, I am your run of the mill nerd, with a focus in Cooking, Crafting, and Catholicism. I'm particularly nerdy about Catholicism. It's a passion of mine.


7. What is the most trouble you've gotten into as an RA?


I always get in trouble. There was that time that I locked my kids in their rooms because they wouldn't be quiet after lights out, and that time that I made them eat only bread and water because they took too long in the omelet line, and that time that I made them run laps while conjugating Latin verbs because they weren't paying attention in class. Honestly, I don't know why they keep re-hiring me.


8. Do RAs have strange discussions in the way CTYers do?


 RA's, when not actively supervising you, or intensely preparing to actively supervise you, usually talk about you. We know all of your secrets, and share them openly among us. Ever wonder why, when you run into RAs while you are with your class, we clam up really quickly and start talking about how nice the weather is? Because we were talking about you. That is literally all we do.


9. If you were to conquer LMU, which dorm would be your fortress, which two RAs (one male, one female) would you enlist, and which buildings would you seize first?


I think that Rosecrans would be the easiest to defend, owing to the sole entrance/exit (which also makes the dorm incredibly easy to patrol!). Sullivan would be useful due to the fact that it houses the office, the supply rooms, and the nurse. Also copy machines, which are of vital importance. Huesman, which wasn't used last year, has a Chapel in it, which is a plus in my eyes. I think I'd have to go with Rosecrans, although if the office were moved to Huesman, it would be my pick.

I don't know which RAs I would pick. Why am I limited to two? Dane would be a shoe-in, but Christian is a boxer or something equally frightening. I think Philip or Chucho would be the best though. Chucho would be incredibly entertaining, and Philip probably could create battle machines in his sleep. Of the girls, I think I would pick Kendra. She's the scariest, although Sophia and Newby could give her a run for her money.

Actually, I'd be fine with whoever. Everyone would be awesome. I'm not picky.

Top o' the Mornin'!

'Ello, world. This time, I had the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Amy Coleman, my RA from last year.

1. What is your full name and date of birth?

Amy Maria Coleman / December 4th 1988

2. Which session do you prefer?

This has nothing to do with the students, but I would honestly say session 2. Yes, you are a bit more tired/brain-dead, but you are more comfortable on campus, you are more confident (especially as a first time RA) and you have a better idea of what works and what doesn't.


3. What do RAs do when they're alone together?

Obviously we devote a considerable amount of time to co-ordinating and planning activities for the good of the camp. Apart from that...we Sporcle! This year, Dane, Will Kelly and I were very competitive sporclers.

4. Do you think you're an Irish cliché? Do you say "Top o' the mornin'!"?

In fact I have never met a single person who says 'Top o' the mornin' except in a hilarious movie called 'Leap Year' which you should definitely see for a comical view of Ireland as a really backwards country whose electricity supply can't cope w/ American cellphones. Amy Adams plugs in her blackberry and the electricity goes out. This is a common occurrence in Ireland actually.
I think I am a mixture of Taylor Swift and Glinda from Wicked. I know my students and co-workers would agree.
But I do love Lucky Charms.


5. Who is your favorite Irish celebrity?

One of my favourite bands, Snow Patrol, are Irish but for entertainment purposes I would say 'Jedward' who are twin boys from Dublin who think they can sing. Must-see.

6. What is your favorite and least favorite canon song?

My favourite is definitely definitely American Pie. I LOVE it. I love the traditions and dancing in the middle with everybody and I love talking to new RAs afterwards once they have experienced their first American Pie.
I don't really think I have a least favourite. I don't really like songs that I don't know the words to though.


7. What was your favorite activity you ran this year?
I have two.

During second session Jess Newby and I ran a daily called American Pie 101 where we taught and sang the lyrics of American Pie, co-run with the amazing Claire Baradat, which was great because it involved singing (see Taylor Swift answer above) and also American Pie.
I also did Wicked Appreciation with Dane which was terrific because Dane painted green is one of my favourite things.

8. Where is your favorite place to go within LMU?

As you have probably noticed, I generally have problems picking favourites. I am quite indecisive. I really like going on the bluff as it's peaceful and you can get an awesome view of a Storequest off Lincoln Blvd.
But I love going to the pool too. In Ireland I rarely get to spend time outdoors as it's constantly raining so swimming outside in hot weather is a huge luxury for me.

9. Has any of your halls ever spread a rumor about you, particularly *wink wink* the girls of 2010 Session 2?

No, I don't know what you are talking about?

10. If you were to conquer LMU, which dorm would be your fortress, which two RAs (one male, one female) would you enlist, and which buildings would you seize first?

Sullivan would definitely be my fortress. I wouldn't get distracted washing my hands/looking at myself in the mirror like Victor may in Doheny, and I would have a wealth of weaponry and staples at hand.
The two RAs I would choose would be Dane and Jess Newby and we would seize Doheny first.

Victor (Hugo) Rivera!

I actually got another interview. That was…unexpected. As you probably know, Victor was one of the coolest RAs at LMU this year (my roommate Stella and I made a point of bother -- er, hanging out with him whenever we got the chance). Enjoy his interview, CTYers!

1. What is your full name and date of birth?

Victor Rivera, and November 21, 1990.

2. What were your first thoughts about CTY?

Like, as an organization? I thought it was a summer academic camp for gifted students. But that's boring. When I stepped onto campus and actually was a part of CTY, I thought it was super cool and had awesome weather, awesome kids, and awesome food. I was right on most counts. Not on one. (The food one). The food was okay. (I got tired of the food pretty quickly). But I can't cook for myself, so I wasn't complaining. I was not okay with how rarely they made corn-dogs. They made it twice that I knew of, which I felt counted as teasing. If they made more corn-dogs in the cafeteria, I'd have been a lot happier. If I had to change one thing about LMU, it would be the number of time they served corn-dogs.

3. Are there any canon songs that you particularly like, and are there any that you don't like?

I'm generally fine with the canon songs, but there's just one in particular that sends me into flashbacks of my days as a DJ: Sandstorm. It's typically a last-resort for DJs, since it'll buy you a few extra minutes and people love dancing to it for some reason (even though a good chunk of it is silence). But I like the canon songs. My favorite one is the Cupid Shuffle, because I'm really good at following directions and even kicking it, if I need to (you need to, in the Cupid Shuffle). Even though it's not a canon, I wish we'd played the Party Rock Anthem more often, because I didn't hear that enough this summer.

4. Which session do you prefer?

Well, both have their ups and downs. First session, I've energy but I'm also still getting my bearings. Second session, I'm exhausted but I know the ins and outs of the campus and administration. If I had to pick one, I'd say first session, just because waking up at 7 am is just a little bit less of a misery. And I'm not bored of the food yet. But if they served corn-dogs every day of second session, then I would pick second session every time. I hope someone from the cafeteria is reading this and taking notes.

5. What was your favorite activity that you ran?

I really wanted to yell at students for an hour and make them do all sorts of miserable exercises, so I did that. But instead of calling it "Victor's Happy Time" I called it "Boot Camp." Second Session, a bunch of kids signed up for it and even asked me to repeat the activity the next week. I have no idea why. Apparently running laps and doing squats, pushups, planks, and jumping-jacks is enjoyable for some people. Masochists. But who am I to deny happiness to those around me?

6. Do you consider yourself a "nerd"?

I'm pretty nerdy. I'm an English major, which means I spend hours a day with my nose in a book or three. I play video games still, my hallway was Megaman-themed during the second session, I go to a nerdy college, and I just re-watched the original Star Wars trilogy this summer. By myself. So, yeah, I'm a nerd. And lonely, from the sound of it.

7. What was your most awkward moment in either session?

Probably second session, when I was a floater for the Weekly activities. I helped out the Harry Potter activity, which was immediately awkward when the students realized that I knew nothing about HP. "Name your favorite character, and they can't be the main ones." "Uhhh...like, the snake from the Chamber of Secrets was cool." "You mean the Basilisk?" Or, "What color was Ginny's pet Pygmy Puff [I had to google that name]?" "Um, wasn't it a tabby cat?" It got really bad. Later on, we were reading our fortunes and the students told me that I was going to be run over by a bus. And an elephant. And I got the big black dog that Harry got. And also that I would develop severe depression and my wife would die at an early age. So, you know, happy things. To top it off, I got called a mudblood. AND a squib. Which I'm pretty sure are derogatory terms. Thanks for reminding me of that. Now I'm sad again.

8. Do you like Harry Potter, Monty Python, The Princess Bride, and other things CTY celebrates?

As you can tell, Harry Potter isn't my favorite series (though I've read all the books). I love the Princess Bride, but I haven't seen enough Monty Python to be able to say I like it or I dislike it (but I do get references to them). I actually just saw The Princess Bride on TV the other night. Again, I was alone. This is depressing. I guess you could say I have crippling self-confidence issues of unusual size! Wayooo, Princess Bride tie-in!! *sob*

9. If you were to conquer LMU, which dorm would be your fortress, which two RAs (one male, one female) would you enlist, and which buildings would you seize first?

I would hole up in Doheny for the sinks in each room, which I feel would come really in handy if I needed to wash my hands and I was in a room. I would pick Jordan and Divya as my two RAs, because they are lightweight and could be thrown moderate distances to distract people in case I needed to make a quick escape (love you guys!). I would seize Sullivan in order to gain access to RA Heaven, in case I need to make a battering ram out of 3 pool noodles, half a roll of duct tape, a beach ball, and some glitter