An Ode to the Thunderdome by Emery Slothower

Three couches and a donut shaped table, and a TV from which stoke oozes. 19 other kids and a coach or two and unanswered questions in the air. Many days start and end here in at keenerville as a meeting location or last hangout as the sun goes down. Many times I find myself in this space just to hang out with my fellow Keeners, and we gel in here just as well as we do on the water. To quote one of my fellow keeners, "smart minds think alike but keener minds think aliker," meaning we always are down to play the same games, watch the same videos, or laugh at the same dumb jokes. And obviously, kayaking dominates conversation forever and alway. As magic as the thunderdome is, I don’t believe the magic is made by the duct-tape reinforced walls, but is formed like a surging foam-pile whenever keeners are together. Be it in a Walmart or around Wilderness Tours dinner tables, the support, the silliness, and the enthusiasm of my peers is something I will always remember. There is no fun like keener fun, and no friends like keener friends, and more than anything I hope I’m able to find the magic again, different people but same euphoria.