A note before we begin: this is based on behaviour I've generally seen over the last couple days, and not directed at any one person in particular. If you did any of this, do not feel guilty or upset - just please stop, and remember for next time. ~ Getting into the SWC cabin you want is a triumphant moment, but it also relies a lot on luck. Back in 2019 or even 2020, you'd have been much more likely to get the cabin you wanted simply because there was far less demand. Now, with many more people wanting to join SWC per month, we really struggle to make any guarantee of getting into your choice of cabin. This being said, the sorters try so hard to please everyone, and they should be appreciated and thanked for all their hard work. Getting into a cabin you didn't really want, on the other hand, can feel extremely disappointing. You might have already imagined yourself as a camper of your dream cabin, and planned out all the things you were going to do there with your leaders already - so it's completely natural to feel upset, and don't feel guilty for doing so. I can assure you that you’ll still be able to have a great time, but your feelings right now are valid! *However*, think how a cabin leader would feel if they saw comments out in the open from someone crying about not getting the cabin they wanted. Put yourself in their shoes, and imagine how disappointing it would feel - that you aren't enough, that you've upset them, and that you aren't 'good' enough as leader. This is all nonsense, of course. While cabins can have very different energies and activities based on who leads them, the point is that they are all amazing! You can write in all genres regardless of your cabin name. There is not a leader among our lineup that I would not be ecstatic to share a cabin with. SWC is all about writing, learning and making friends - none of that should change based on the cabin you get. So before you make a comment about how sad you are to not get your first pick, remember this is a public website and that anyone - literally anyone - could see it. Talking about how you value one leader over the other is hurtful to the other leaders, to the sorters, and to the hosts who worked so hard to choose the best leaders we could. Another problem is the idolisation of one cabin over all the others. Jokes based on personal preference and cabin rivalry are okay, but it's not so funny if you're putting one cabin (and its campers/leaders) up on a pedestal. "Wow, you got in [popular cabin]!" might seem harmless to say, but again, remember that other cabins will see your comment and potentially feel upset. All jokes aside, there is no superior cabin and we shouldn't genuinely act like it.* That’s all I have to say on this matter for now. Thank you to everyone who has been kind and reasonable, and to the people who have done what I’ve been talking about - don’t feel bad! These are easy mistakes to make, but feeling guilty will not help anyone. What’s done is done, so let’s do even better in the future ^^ I don’t want to dampen the mood, so let’s not dwell on this and move on. (2 days til swc ;D can’t wait!) ~ *if you want to make jokes and don’t want to be misunderstood, try using tone indicators! “/gen” means genuine, "/srs" means serious and “/j” means joke/joking. this project is great if you’d like to learn more!
