First I’d like to thank David and Allison for asking me to speak to you. It’s truly an honor. Tonight I’ve been asked to say a few words about courage, which is ironic because even though I’ve taught high school for almost 20 years and given countless presentations I’m a little nervous right now.
Courage is something everybody desires. Wikipedia, which we all know is always true, defines courage as the ability to confront agony, pain, danger and uncertainty. From the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz who found the courage to face the witch, to David facing the Goliath in the Bible or Luke Skywalker battling Darth Vader we are raised on heroic and inspirational tales.
But courage isn’t just about physical bravery, it’s the ability of the Debs and Plebes to present a flawless performance of Lil Abner in the Starlight Playhouse in front of a full rec hall. It’s deciding to follow your dreams despite others telling you won’t make it. What if Michael Jordan stopped playing basketball after Diego cut him from his 9th grade team? What is Taylor Swift stopped singing after being turned down by the first record label? And most importantly, what if David Miller didn’t follow his dreams to acquire and direct Camp Starlight? As time has shown us, these innovators wouldn’t be denied. They had courage to follow through with their dreams.
So you may be wondering how can I get the kind of courage that Steph Curry has when shooting threes or Katy Perry has when performing on stage? I may not have the exact same answer but I can offer some help.
First you must realize that everyone has fears, you are not alone. I don’t like to fly on airplanes, you may not like heights or maybe you are afraid to play soccer because Whatley really scares you. It’s okay, over time you will develop the skills to cope with these situations. The more you experience fear or anxiety, the easier it becomes to deal with.
Here are three things that will allow you to build courage and conquer all your fears, and the best thing is that you can do all of these, right here at Camp Starlight.
- Take a deep breath–this will relax your body and mind and make the situation easier to deal with. So before conquering the zip line, take a deep breath and then jump. trust me you’ll have the ride of your life.
- Get active. Exercise releases endorphins in your body that make you feel better and forget about your worries. So whether it’s playing hockey with Wade, hoops with Diego or dancing with Loren, you’ll always feel better when you exercise.
- Get a proper amount of sleep. Eight hours of sleep a night will ensure that your mind and body are functioning at an optimal level. So when you face the star jump or are preparing for the Spirit of Starlight, you’ll be ready.
Let me conclude with a short poem from my Lower Inter daughter Lilly that she wrote about courage:
You’ve made it this far
And now you will see
That you must be brave
If you want to succeed
As an Assistant Division Leader, my day is usually packed with different activities, interacting with campers from all divisions and running around making sure everything’s running smoothly for my Division Leader, Matt Hipps. Each day is always busy and therefore it is always fun which is why I believe I have the best job on campus. As an ADL to the Upper Plebes, I have the privilege of going to all different kinds of activities with the campers, getting to know the counselors from every division, working on all kinds of special events and setting up evening activities. As a person that is almost at multiple places at once, I can guarantee that my job is always exciting because each day is so different and requires me to work on so many different projects. Some of the most rewarding aspects of my job are seeing my campers have fun everyday because of the work I put in day in and day out, their smiles make all the hard work worth it. I also love continuing to learn how to be a leader and strong supervisor with the help of my DL. Thanks to his mentoring, I get to impact the lives of campers in a positive way and I know that they will remember me for the rest of their lives. The most rewarding moment was at the beginning of this summer when my campers from the previous year came up to me to recall all the fun we had last summer together. Knowing that my job is what helps campers make these fond memories is why I know I have the best job on campus.
When you leave Camp Starlight at the end of the summer you start the countdown for when you can return, hoping that within those ten months of waiting you will run into friends from camp. When you are back home, their are so many signs that point to the fact you or your friend is from Camp Starlight. You know you’re from Camp Starlight when…
Written by Theresa M. Piano Specialist.
With the endless amount of opportunities provided to campers at Camp Starlight, campers are not only constantly encouraged to set goals for themselves, but they are encouraged to achieve those same goals as well. Whether a camper decides to set a long or short term goal, Camp Starlight guides the campers to achieve them in a way that makes the journey to success that much more exciting and fun. Learning how to play piano, do a magic trick, sink a three pointer on the basketball court or standing up on water skis, the goals campers set for themselves are varied but always achievable with the support of staff and friends at Camp Starlight. Everyone is excited to help each other and push campers outside of their comfort zone to reach their goals because this is a place where everyone believes in the potential of others. Here to celebrate both the wins and losses, achievements and failures, Camp Starlight always keeps the ball rolling for campers to pursue their goal no matter how many times they fall on their journey. No one will judge a camper’s goal either because no goal is too big or too small, even if the goal is as simple as a making one new friend. Camp Starlight recognizes the amount of effort someone needs to put in to achieve a goal, understanding that it is not just the work of the camper to achieve goal, but the combined support of coaches, counselors and staff. The unconditional support of everyone at Camp Starlight is how goals are always achieved every summer.
My name is Jesse H. and I am here today to speak to you about courage. Courage is a word with many meanings. Whether it is facing your fears, trying a new thing, or simply stepping out of your comfort zone, courage is a quality we should all apply to our personalities. Sometimes our courage is diminished when there are obstacles in the way. The most intimidating and dangerous obstacle, however, oftentimes is ourselves. Our personal fear is a limiting factor that every single one of us lives with. However, I can offer a piece of advice to all of you that may help your struggle against fear. As Franklin D Roosevelt said, ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ Let me elaborate by telling a story…
Written by Hana M.
“I’m Bethan and this is my fourth year at Camp Starlight in the Girl’s Waterfront. This time four years ago I was so scared, but also so excited. Camp Starlight is a place that knows you better than you know yourself and every decision they make is always for a good reason.
From New Zealand to South Africa, counselors travel from all around the world to come to Camp Starlight in the summer. This diverse international staff brings so much culture to learn about when at camp, a new appreciation for music, food and tradition is brought to camp in their luggage, especially different languages. The first few days at camp are the biggest adjustment to new accents and slang and learning how people use different words and names for everyday objects is fascinating. Jandals, togs, sunnies and jumpers are some of the words international staff members use on the daily, it can be pretty easy to get lost in translation. Even though many staff members speak different languages and use foreign words and phrases, all staff members, whether international or not, share and understand the same message about Camp Starlight. Summer camp is a place you go to help change a camper’s life for the better–no slang can change the meaning behind those words. Everyone here understands that working at Camp Starlight is an opportunity to not only help these campers grow, but for yourself to grow as well. Counselors do come from all over the world to work at Camp Starlight, and while they all may have different accents, they all know that being at summer camp is a time to allow kids to be kids.
Instead of Reveille ringing throughout camp in the early morning, a famous jingle is played and awakens campers faster than ever before: it’s a Krispy Kreme morning. To excite campers for another fun day at Camp Starlight, the Krispy Kreme theme song is played all throughout camp and wakes up campers from their own dreams to enter a real dream of sugary glazed donuts. The jingle immediately has campers leaping out of their bunks and flying down to the Dining Hall in just their pajamas to get their hands on two perfectly glazed donuts. The giant green Krispy Kreme sign stationed at the front of the Dining Hall is like a beacon of light and hope to the campers and quickens their pace even more. No counselor needs to hurry their campers out of bed because the campers are already two steps ahead of them because they know how delicious and delightful the first bite of a Krispy Kreme will be. Waiting in line will deter no one as camp director David passes out the treats to every single camper while clad in a Krispy Kreme shirt and hat. Campers always look forward to Krispy Kreme breakfasts because of how fun it is to eat sugary donuts but they also love it so much because they get to eat these treats with all of their closest friends. The campers joke around with each other by pretending that the donuts are their own eyes or place them on their fingers to imagine a new diamond ring. The donuts bring out the most playful side of the campers in the morning and bring them together, bonded by sugar and laughter. Sitting down in the Dining Hall wearing pajamas and and spreading a smile full of Krispy Kreme, campers happily enjoy the special breakfast knowing that the rest of the day at Camp Starlight will be just as sweet.