A mermaid, an e-boy and a horse. These, among many other models, sashayed down the makeshift runway to show off the hard work their peers put into their new look. On the first night of camp, Monday, July 15, students worked with not much more than their wits, a white t-shirt and 40 minutes to make a creative design representing the camp’s theme: heart and soul. The T-shirt design competition, while a relatively new part of camp, has quickly become a favorite event among both students and staff.

“We’re always looking for ways for staff to bond in a non-traditional way, so we’re trying to figure out a way that we could get everybody together and agree on something and, you know, have fun,” Camp Director Adam Livesay said. 

In a ballroom full of young creatives, one can imagine the unique ways that the theme was interpreted. When brainstorming, teams must put their minds together to come up with a shirt design that is both fun and able to stand out in the line-up of creations.

“We initially had the idea to put me in a hula girl outfit. Once we had that idea, our advisor told us to add the heart of Tahiti from Moana to fit the heart and soul theme,” senior Johnathan Gonzales said.

Gonzales stole the show last year, not just because of his shirt, but because of the attitude in his walk. The pride students had in their schools reflected in the audience’s excitement for their shirt. 

“The guy with the wig and the long black cape from Seminole really stole the show for me,” Junior at University high school Addison Bess (‘26) said. “He just seemed so confident.” 

With all of the ballots in, the winner of this fashion frenzy will be announced during the award ceremony on Thursday, July 18.