"South Camp"

What is South Camp?

To know the answer to that, you must first know the answer to "What is Michigania?" By the simplest of definitions, Michigania is a resort (neé camp) owned and operated by the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Although changes have accompanied its recent evolution from camp to resort, Michigania's history is primarily the story of a summer camp for the families of U-M alumni. And that's where our story lies...

There are 11 one-week sessions of summer camp. Since it's a family camp, the most frequent attendees are parents and their children. However, it isn't unheard of for young couples to camp prior to forming a family, nor for parents to continue camping after their children have stopped. There are only a limited number of spots available each week and competition to get in is fierce. Still, many families manage to return the same week year-after-year-after-year.

Michigania offers many typical camp activities and a few extras: archery (range & field), riflery (range, skeet & trap), horseback riding (corral & trail), arts & crafts (too many kinds of projects to list), ceramics, ropes courses, swimming, boating (sailing, canoeing & rides), volleyball, tennis, softball, basketball, nature (bird walks, rock polishing & the nature center), nurseries for the very young (0-6 year olds), nightly teen & pre-teen activities, lectures by U-M faculty for adults, a family olympics, a water carnival, a hay ride and a many other things.

In the case of D.I. Prime, he's gone to Michigania, as a camper or visitor, every summer since 1973. With the exception of his first year, Prime has always attended the 3rd session ("3rd week"), which includes the 4th of July holiday.

This song is a tribute to the people D.I. Prime has met and the things he's done over the years at Camp Michigania.

That's nice, but...

Ah, yes, "What is South Camp?" Well, the campers stay in cabins. Each cabin has 2-4 units, usually holding one family apiece. There are two clusters of cabins, one in `north camp' and one in `South Camp'. The two camps are divided by a bridge-spanned gorge. Barring a few years in purgatory which are best forgotten, Prime's family has always stayed in South Camp.

Usually, the rivalry between the camps is confined to the weekly games of volleyball, softball, tug-of-war and greased-watermelon football. But there was this one time... (and this isn't even a band camp!)

In the summer of 1993, Tubley and Prime left for camp the night before 3rd week. They checked into a hotel and went to camp to reacquaint themselves with the place, see what had changed and visit friends on staff. As they were walking by the bridge (on the south side, naturally), two people crossed over from the north. One of the people looked over and tossed out a friendly "hello". Prime's first inclination was to reach into his jacket, pull out his pistol, shout "South Camp, fool!" and pop a cap in their asses.

Tragically, D.I. Prime had good impulse control and wasn't actually packing a pistol. Thus, there are two more north camp scum roaming the earth than there rightly ought to be. Anyway, from that incident sprang the mythology of the 3rd week South Camp posse, with faux gang signs and all. Thus, the title of this song: "South Camp."

The story

On Monday July 3rd, 2000, D.I. Prime went to visit friends and family at Michigania. He had a fine time but he had only booked a hotel room for one night and had to leave on the 4th. Several people asked him to return for the dance on Friday night, but facing a 4 hour drive (each way), not having a hotel room and not wanting to spend the money required to get a spur-of-the-moment room in a resort town in the midst of their tourist season, he declined.

However, on the ride home, he started getting an idea for a song. On Wednesday he wrote a verse. On Thursday he wrote two more. The music was put together on Thursday evening. Several hotels were called Thursday night and a reasonably priced room was, amazingly enough, found and booked. On Friday, D.I. Prime woke up early, spent a couple hours recording vocals, mixing the mess, and cutting a CD. By early Friday afternoon, Prime was back on the road and heading towards Michigania.

Remarkably, everyone managed to act pleased to see him upon his return. He attended the dance and "South Camp" was given its first public airing. (Actually, it was played twice. It was cut off early the first time. The DJ was innundated with requests to play it again so he played it a second time and cut it off even earlier. Don't ask, I've never understood that one...)

What you hear here is not what was heard at the dance. The lyrics were tweaked, the intro was shortened, the music was changed slightly, the vocals were redone and some effects were added. It still isn't what you might call good, but Prime is sick of working on it so here it is.

Sins of omission

D.I. Prime would like to acknowledge the following people: Andrew, Vera, Lauren, Jen, Jeannie, Nathan, Becky, Dave, B.J., Matt & Jeff, Dr. Hacker, Mr. Burton & Ute, and the Cleveland harem (Liz, Amy, & Heather). You weren't forgotten but the song's too damn long already.

Update: Now that 3rd week, 2001 is over there are even more people that are worthy of being mentioned but aren't included. Therefore, D.I. Prime would like to send a shout out to Jeff, Ben, Mike, Kasia, Michelle, Vince, "Popples", Brian, and Hallie. Big Ups to Zach.

Update: As is D.I. Prime's post 3rd week wont, he has tasked me with adding more names to the shout out list. People that are receiving props for the first time in 2002 include Amanda, Reid, Ryan, Teren, Jessica J., Ashley, Rachael, Michal and Sue. Special props go to the unknown person who was overheard referring to D.I. Prime as "The Death Guy".

Update: Now that 3rd week 2003 has drawn to a close, the new list of people deserving props has grown. First time props go to Krista, Adam & Joe. Technically, Krista should have been given a shout out last year but D.I. Prime is one negligent sonuvabitch. Also, Prime never got the name of the guy who gave him the Halloween costume idea. Props to him too.

Update: It was pointed out by an ego-maniacal member of the Spaly clan that even though they are mentioned as a group three times, more than any one else, they are deserving of being name checked individually. So, shout outs go to Joe, Michael, Heidi, Eric, Brian, Bob, Carol, Greg and Marg.

Links

The Alumni Association has its own amazingly lame home page for Michigania. When you're bored with that (and it won't take long), try Michigania.net. Neither of these sites do the place justice but maybe you'll get a glimmer of its essence.

Give me the music, already, damn!

Download the "South Camp" mp3 (5.2 MB). [NB: This song contains minute traces of PG-13 subject matter and 5 words that can't be used on prime time television.]

Read the "South Camp" lyrics.

"Love to the whole Spaly clan and
Coop The Mack, he's the man."

© Copyright 2000-2007 D.I. Prime, unless otherwise noted. The Michigania logo was stolen from http://www.michigania.net. Although they did the work of converting it into an electronic format, I don't think they can gripe about theft since the image is an official Michigania logo and, as such, probably belongs to the Alumni Association. The Alumni Association could probably spank me for it, if they cared. The chorus of "South Camp" borrows heavily from "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions but it probably isn't actionable as copyright infringement. On the other hand, the bridge was flagrantly stolen from "Sentimental Journey" by Les Brown & His Orchestra (written by Les Brown, Bud Green and Ben Homer) by way of George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars. Check out their versions. They all do it better than I do.