Before you know it, campers and counselors are settled into the routines of camp life and then the 4th of July sneaks around the corner. One of the most fun holidays of the year, the 4th of July is celebrated in many specials ways at Camp Starlight and here are the top 10 ways to celebrate the 4th of July here at camp!
- Backyard Games: What is more American than healthy competition under the sun? Campers play beach volleyball, badminton and all the classic games played in the backyard during a 4th of July barbeque.
- American Flag Lunch: During lunch time, all the burgers, sliders and hotdogs are topped with American flags to add some patriotic fun to the day. Nothing tastes better than freedom.
- Flag Raising: At morning announcements, the American flag is raised up the flagpole with the national anthem being sung. The lyrics ring throughout camp and raises the American spirit inside everyone.
- Bomb Pops: The red, white and blue popsicles serve double purpose to campers, the popsicles are a cooling treat at the end of the day and allows campers to celebrate patriotism in a sweet way.
- Friends: What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with all your best friends at camp? The friendships formed at Camp Starlight are so special and this holiday only strengthens those connections between campers.
- Starlight Wrestling Foundation (S.W.F.): Bringing together the entirety of campus, S.W.F. is a highly anticipated wrestling match to watch by all the campers. Counselors wrestle in Jell-O-like gooey substances to bring camp together and celebrate the freedom to wrestle in such conditions.
- Belly Flop Competition: Counselors from each division compete to perfect the art of belly flopping into water. The smacking sound of the water rings louder than the freedom of this country.
- Watermelon Mania: This iconic food staple in an American barbeque is added to the celebration to bring some comical fun. Watermelon themed activities and challenges invite all of camp to be silly and enjoy this fruit flavored day.
- Dress Up: The entire camp is saturated in colors of red, white and blue to celebrate this holiday. Every single camper and staff member is clad with gaudy decorations, costumes, glitter, bandanas and American flags to show their patriotic spirit.
- Fireworks: The best way to celebrate the 4th of July is of course with firework that you can almost touch in the sky as they light up the lake.
Tutus and face paint of pink, black, white and blue decorate all the Senior girls as they face off for the Powder Puff flag football game, a tradition no Senior is unprepared for in terms of accessories and costumes. The Seniors go all out for this flag football tournament, covering their entire body in beaded necklaces, headbands, face paint, stickers, tattoos, tall socks and gloves in their team’s color. The Seniors bring the intensity in dressing up but bring even more passion to the field. From the sidelines, the flag football tournament has the same amount of spirit and energy as the Super Bowl–everyone is chanting and cheering for their team, screaming their lungs out for every touchdown and turnover. The energy is simply electric and when the field lights turn on as the sky darkens, the intensity is amplified. This is when the finals start and the last two teams fight to the finish line for the champion title. Counselors cheer for the two finalists from the sidelines as the girls sprint down the field, cleats flinging up tufts of dirt and grass into the air. The spirit that is shared among the teams, counselors and flag football viewers is so mesmerizing to see, everyone is gathered down at this football field to cheer on their friends and watch goals become achieved. The camaraderie of all the Senior girls and everyone at the field shows how Camp Starlight really brings people together in a positive way. These campers show what it means to be a leader, to portray good sportsmanship and how to work successfully as a team when they get to play their hearts out on the field. With the opportunity of Powder Puff flag football, the real side of campers are shown when they get together, work as a team and achieve something they never knew they could
The Lower Senior girls opened up their Wayne County season with a dominating 48-24 win over Chenawanda. Alex S. and Sam E. combined for 39 points. Alex S. had 21 points while point guard Sam E. added 18. Amanda S. had an impressive defensive game leading the team with 8 steals and added 4 points. Sabrina W. added 4 points and 5 assists to the team’s first win. Ryan G. had a block party with 5 blocks and added 1 foul shot to the team’s total. Dani S. and Ellie K. dominated defensively causing 13 turnovers. Nikki L. and Daryn C. combined for 6 assists as guards while Kaylee W. got 2 steals and Tessa G. got 2 rebounds and 1 assist. The entire team put in effort to get the win and is hungry for more victories.
Starlight Junior boys basketball team started the season well with a big 34-0 win over an undermanned Perlman. Passing proved to be the difference in a strong win with assists coming in bunches. Leading scorers for Starlight Carter B. and Harrison R. both put in 6 points. Closely following were Lucas L., Justin J. and Eric R. with 4 points. Other scorers included Reid S., Calem W., Benjamin W., Jackson H. and Rhys B. each with 2 points. Also strong contributions were made by Marc F., Same R., Max S., Max Sh. and Jesse J. all over the court.
As the sun sets behind the trees and a lavender sky, new camp families are joined together in the grassy fields. Stretched out into a giant circle, girls from Lower Camp are spotted in between their new camp sister on the softball fields and brothers on the tennis courts. Boys and girls from Upper Camp mentor the younger campers, providing a sense of support and care just like older siblings do at home. For many campers, this is their first time fulfilling the role of big brother or sister while for others this is the first time they will experience the relationship of having an older sibling that will specifically advise their growth at camp. The older/younger sibling dynamic at camp gives the opportunity for younger campers to also look up to a big brother or sister when they look up into the stars- more often than not these views tend to be one in the same in the eyes of the little sibling.
It is often stated that if you love your job then you’re never really working. A smile is usually accompanied with this statement if you realize that you are one of these lucky people fortunate to earn a living by doing what they are passionate about. At Camp Starlight, every single staff member feels this way, they all believe they have the best job at campus, trusting that their specific duty is the most fun to do. To put this to the test, a series of interviews will be held all summer asking staff from different specialties why they believe their job is the best at Camp Starlight.
Starlight Upper Plebes and Lower Senior boy’s hockey fell behind early in the first few minutes of the game against Wayne County but recovered with a strong comeback. Down 2-8, Jonah S. and Jared F. each scored to change up the pace of the game. Then the boys found themselves down 5-8 going into the 3rd period, but Jonah S. was able to score using his hat trick technique. Jackson F. put himself in the right spot scoring on a onetime from Jonah S. and then again from Ozzie F. Jackson F. completed his hat trick with the game winning goal 8 minutes into the 3rd period. Starlight closed out the game and securing their win with their airtight defense.
Camp Starlight cruised to an easy 44-2 win against Pointelle for the Lower Inter’s first basketball game of the summer. Pointelle brought a great team but was clearly overpowered by Starlight’s Lower Inter group of boys. Ben S. led the way for Starlight with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Finn M. and Caden Z. also added 6 points each. Jared M., Avi K. and Jack K. all added 4 points. 2 points each were scored by Jordan K., Reese M., Gabe M., Asher W. and Matthew S. Zach B. was superb on the defensive end with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Overall, Camp Starlight played
The one tradition Lower Seniors and Upper Debs look forward to at the start of the summer is the Eagle Ceremony. In reference to a cheer begun a few years ago, Lower Senior girls fly high as Eagles instead of quacking around like ducks because at this stage in their lives they become the leaders instead of the followers. At the ceremony, Upper Debs watch as the Lower Seniors are initiated as Eagles with camp director Allison, the Upper Debs are present so that they can look forward to experiencing the same ceremony next summer and begin to uphold the characteristics that define an Eagle. The idea of leadership is very important for Camp Starlight to instill among the Upper Camp because it is a positive theme for the girls that are getting older, achieving more responsibility and fulfilling the roles that require leadership qualities.
Camp Starlight’s Lower Inter girl’s softball team beat Wayne 8-2. Harper L., Taylor M. and Lilly T. combined to strike out 11 batters. Lilly T. drove in 3 runs and Avery K., JoJo G., Lilly F., Ava F. and Brooke G. all scored and drove in runs. Ari Y. performed the catching outs for the winning squad. With the first win of the season under their belt, the Lower Inter girls have high hopes for another easy win. 