The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kelcey W. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Tactics - SSI Experience
As a returning veteran, I was hardly nervous as I unpacked my room on Sunday night and met my roommate. I had been looking forward to this week since the end of last year's SSI! I could tell right away my roommate and I were going to get along well – our interests were very similar in several areas. With my parents' help my side of the room went from stark and boring to comfortable and mostly organized. Veterans know that many extra items for your dorm room like a clock, mirror, power strip, and multiple pairs of shoes are not necessary but make the week comfortable. My parents said goodbye, and I was relieved not to feel any hint of nervousness. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. Everyone was smiling and having a great time getting to know each other. The icebreaker game and pizza party later on gave students a good chance to do this.
The week progressed well. Though the senator track brings more challenge than the representative track, it is even more fun. I initially thought our bills would be easy to argue but found out quickly this would not be the case. Though senators aren't enemies as much as representatives are, competition is still stiff. Since Week Three did not have enough senators, SSI staff decided to let the Representatives vote on the Senate's bills – something that had never been done before. Since the representatives would carry the vote, our speeches had to be detailed and specific; the only other knowledge about the bills the representatives had was word of mouth and media coverage.
Each day brought another challenge. Tuesday's sport challenge thankfully left no one seriously injured and only a few people went. I thought it ironic to appoint as team captain the only non-athletic person in the group (me). Wednesday brought press conferences, and I remembered from last year what it was like to stand before the press. I was so thankful to be on the other side of the equation this year! I am hopefully headed for the media track next year, so writing an article for the newspaper after the press conference was one of the best times of the week. Finally, the biggest challenge was no longer looming on the horizon but looking me in the eyes. No, it was not speech writing or even the dread of giving it. I had decided months earlier to try out for the SSI talent show on Thursday night, but this proved to be the hardest thing I forced myself to do all week. Singing in front of peers was an entirely different audience than the familiar faces at church. Thanks to the encouragement from one of the girls on my dorm floor, Deborah, I was able to audition and made it into the show, but I was so nervous before chapel I had to call my mom quickly, just to hear her voice. With her assurances that it would all work out, I got up and took the microphone.
Now, those three-and-a-half minutes may not have been the best I have ever sang, but I conquered the giant, and that is what SSI is all about. If we do not stretch ourselves by doing something new, we will never find our true potential. If we do not step outside of our comfortable safety zone, we can never see all God can do through us. I do not know if I am headed into politics, but I know that SSI does not have to have that impact to be successful. I have gained a great appreciation of human life, God's control of government – even the leaders with whom we do not agree – and our role in government as normal everyday individuals. The world needs leaders, heroes, Christians who are willing to risk their own reputations to be God's city on a hill. SSI equips teenagers to do what seems impossible to man but is very possible with God. I know that the memories, experiences, and things I learned at SSI will influence me for the rest of my life. This is no ordinary summer camp; it is a turning point.
