Here's the drill
Norwich University campers have fun learning to march, twirl rifles and sabers
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Toolbox
By Caroline Sedano Correspondent - Published: July 5, 2006
NORTHFIELD – While many high school students are spending their summer days sleeping late or hanging around with friends, 22 high school students have gathered from all over the country at Norwich for a two-week drill camp. They get up at 4:30 in the morning, learn how to march, take part in mock battle scenarios, armed exhibition drills (spinning rifles), sword handling, color guards and many other activities.
And they seem to love it.
"The goal is to help them become better leaders and commanders through the skills they learn through these drill exercises and competitions," said the camp's creator, organizer and instructor, 21-year-old Norwich student Andrea Bryant, who is barely older than many of the participants. "These kids can see what it is to be part of something bigger than themselves and still be an integral part of it.
"They wake up in the morning as drillers and go to bed as drillers – this intensity helps their drill dedication, and their sense of dedication to succeed in other parts of their lives," she said.
Bryant, who has been doing drill for eight years, was inspired to organize the program after working with drill teams around the state of Vermont and noticing the lack of organization and communication between teams. As far as she knows, this is the only drill camp in the nation, and she says she hopes that this diverse group of kids will strengthen the sport around the country.
"I want to take what I've learned here and teach it to my (drill team) girls at home," said 16-year-old Seana Ellsworth of Everett, Mass.
Most of the program's participants are already members of drill teams in their home states, and came to improve themselves and their team by joining the two-week camp, which cost $1200 and ends Friday.
"I thought it was going to be like 'Boot Camp' – but it's totally not," said Christina Rasmussen, 16, of Hughesville, Md. "It's too fun."
"It's like playing G.I. Joe for real," said Robert Kennie, 16, who came all the way from Jupiter, Fla.
"Even if you don't know anything about drill or don't learn it that quickly, it's still fun and something totally new and different to anything else," said Ellsworth.
"We can really bond together because it's very concentrated on something specific – we are all here for a purpose," said 16-year-old Aubrie Giroux of Ozark Missouri.
Of the six instructors at the camp, three surprisingly are women, and all are students at the military university.
Despite the twirling guns and locale, the atmosphere is relaxed. On Sunday, a group of the participants sat under a tree in between rifle and saber exercises, challenging each other to cartwheel contests and seeing how many times they could spin a rifle in the air and still catch it. Interrupting and talking over each other, they tell stories about their friends back home and agreed that while being at drill camp was enjoyable, it also was something more.
"It's not just to have fun, but you really get to better yourself. I don't notice it sometimes, but when I think about it, I really have improved so much in a week," said Rasmussen.
"This pushes you to be better more than other sports do, you have to give a lot more into it, but at the same time I think I get a lot more out of it," said Ellsworth. "This has really taught me about discipline, that if you enjoy something that motivates you to put in the effort to succeed in it."
The students credit Bryant and fellow instructors with the camp's success.
"The instructors know when to be serious, but then they can also be fun," said Kennie. "They can yell in our faces and they can also be fun people to hang around with."
As the students prepared to try a new drill of spinning and tossing 3-foot-long sabers, the architect of the whole experience watched with a loving eye.
"This whole experience has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined," said Bryant. "I get this huge swelling in my heart when I see my kids learning, growing and understanding what I am teaching them. It's amazing seeing them become so aware of their skill, I couldn't be happier."
And as the kids begin to toss their sabers into the air, it looks like they couldn't either.
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