The biggest countdown in the summer are the days, hours and minutes leading up to visiting day, the moment families can finally be reunited for the first time since they had to say goodbye at the start of the summer. During this countdown, parents and campers will anxiously try to imagine how it feels to hold each other in their arms after sprinting and rushing across the field the morning of visiting day. As campers cross out another day in their calendar at night, they visualize the cutting of the ribbon on visiting day that allows their parents to enter camp and embrace them with the warmest hugs. When visiting day finally arrives, campers wake up hours before reveille and jump about the bunks with excitement, happy to finally see their parents and curious to see what treats and toys they bring. Campers tidy up every single nook and cranny of the bunk to show their parents how responsible they’ve become at camp and prepare all their artwork they have crafted for them down at Arts & Crafts. Holding a giant welcome sign on the porch of every bunk, campers stretch their necks and widen their smiles, because they are inches away from feeling the genuine love of their family. Once families are reunited again, the biggest sigh of relief is released because up until this point in the summer, everyone had been holding their breath. When parents hug their kids and see how happy they are here at summer camp, they see how they have made a new home at Camp Starlight, this special place keeps their kids just as safe as when they are in their own arms.
Hugging Each Other Tight on Visiting Day
July 18th, 2017
The Empowerment of Cooking
July 17th, 2017
You are what you eat, it’s a simple state of fact. Whatever you put into yourself, you are affecting how your body and mind works and that ultimately decides how you succeed in your day. At Camp Starlight, campers are provided with the opportunity to participate in a cooking activity so they can learn what they should nurture themselves with and how to put good into themselves to get good out. A vital skill in life, cooking can be a very empowering activity for a camper because they learn how to create good nourishment for themselves with a few ingredients and some simple steps. When campers see they can create something both delicious and healthy for themselves, they are able to have more control in their life and become a more independent individual. These are the skills that will last the rest of their lives and campers are presented with the opportunity to not only add to their education of healthy eating and nourishment, but they get to advance their cooking skills and techniques. Learning about how to eat healthy is one thing, but the ability to know how to create the healthy food in the kitchen is another. At Camp Starlight, campers develop advanced knowledge about a healthy lifestyle in the interactive cooking activity, along with developing a passion for the art of cooking. Campers are able to let themselves go and let the ingredients come together to do the talking to produce something beautiful. When campers walk out the kitchen at the end of the activity they have learned about cooking, but they have learned even more about themselves and their abilities.
S-Days Change Up The Pace and Fun
July 17th, 2017
While most people tend to look forward to the weekends and dread Mondays, at Camp Starlight campers look forward to Mondays the most because they are S-Days. On these special days, a theme is designated for all the activities that take place that day and varies between division. Whether it’s a banana theme or a winter wonderland, these themes excite the campers for a day full of special events. S-Days change up the pace significantly at camp because the activities are longer and therefore fewer of them, allowing the campers to thoroughly enjoy an entire afternoon making volcanoes in a mad science activity or spending quality time at the waterfront while groups going tubing on the lake. S-Days keep campers on their toes because they really will never know what to expect. Additionally, the element of surprise with S-Day themes excites the campers even more and really brings them together when they finally get to dress up or participate with the theme. These special Mondays are what campers look forward to every week, but they look forward to spending them together with their friends even more. The chance to be silly in themed costumes or fool around in these themed activities is how campers form deeper bonds and connections with one another.
Campers Teach Counselors Valuable Lessons
July 16th, 2017
Throughout a normal day at Camp Starlight, campers will be often asked what they learned that day. Did they master a new serving technique in tennis? Did they learn how to overcome stage fright for the play on Saturday night? There are many lessons a camper can learn from their counselors, but there are also many lessons campers can teach to counselors. The most valuable lesson counselors are taught by their campers is that of patience. It is not a fast lesson or something learned in one period of the day, patience is taught over a long time. Patience teaches counselors how to reword or rephrase directions so that campers can better understand them, patience bridges a language barrier. Patience shows counselors to be straight to the point with directions and to be kind at all times, even if the day is not going as smoothly as desired, learning not to sweat the small stuff and that there is a way around every obstacle. Patience is how hard work is completed and positive results are made, slacking in energy will only hinder the progress and yourself. It is amazing to see that even though counselors are doing most of the teaching in terms of technique, skill and instruction, campers are the one that do most of the life changing in the counselor. Campers are full of surprises in terms of what they have learned and what they can create, but they consistently teach counselors the same lesson of patience every summer and the lesson isn’t fully taught until the last day of summer. When the counselor sees their campers accomplished in their sport or activity on the last day, this is when the lesson of patience is learned and mastered by the counselor.
Camp Starlight Studios
July 16th, 2017
Walking into Starlight Studios, you just enter a place where creativity explodes. A space where campers are encouraged to think outside the box, campers are provided the opportunity to make short films, talk shows, interviews, news reports or music videos with their own personal twist. On some days campers will be filming outer space themed talk shows or on other days they will be traversing campus to interview candidates for a “would you rather” special. A medium that is not popularly worked with among kids, exploring the boundaries of videography is a special chance for campers to develop a passion for film and the fine arts. The exposure of photography and the world of film to younger campers allows them to explore this art early on in life. Campers come up with many creative elements to add to a film or a news report but they are also taught the techniques of filming properly. Learning how to shoot and make cues, campers learn how to film very professionally, producing high quality material. When campers run around campus filming with their friends and create a final product they realize how much they can transform their world with just a video camera and a few ideas. They feel like they are actually on a live television show or starring in a Hollywood film, becoming the stars in their own reality. The opportunities at Starlight Studios are endless and the only limit is the width of a camera lens for a camper.
Upper Seniors Advise Lower Juniors
July 15th, 2017
For the Upper Senior boys and girls, time at Camp Starlight always seems to fly by and every summer seems to get shorter and shorter as they grow taller and taller. Before they know it, they are experiencing their last summer at camp and are finally taking the time to reflect back on their past seven summers at Camp Starlight. The Upper Senior boys and girls advice to new comers at camp, the Lower Juniors, is simple and cliché, but nonetheless so true. Upper Senior boys echoed similar words of wisdom to each other, agreeing that younger campers should truly enjoy every single moment at camp because it really does go by fast. Sharing how easily it is to get caught up in the competition of sports and activities, the Upper Senior Boys also noted that it doesn’t matter which team you are on and it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose in anything because if you can make the best of the situation and have as much fun as you can, then these summers will be the best you will ever experience. Upper Senior girls shared similar sentiments about camp adding that summer camp is a time to not worry about the little things in life but instead take in every moment of everyday with an enthusiastic attitude. The best friendships are made at summer camp, especially with the campers inside your bunk, so learn to be patient with each other because these are friendships made to last longer than a single summer. Take advantage of every single activity and opportunity, because you will never know how much joy and passion you may find. These Upper Seniors can truly attest to the fact that time really does go by when you are having fun since their last seven summers have felt like seven simple minutes of time spent laughing and smiling.
Boating and Waterskiing at Camp Starlight
July 15th, 2017
Written by Adam A.
When I walk down to the boating dock every morning, sand is squished in between my toes and the smell of the lake water fills my nose. The morning chill makes everything so quiet before campers will come rushing down to the lake to go waterskiing, boating and tubing once the sun fully comes up. Seeing the excitement on their faces when they run to the boating dock to anticipate another fun day under the sun is why I believe I have the best job on campus as the Head of Boating and Waterskiing. With the sun shining on the waves of the lake as my permanent view, I look forward to working every single morning. The atmosphere is relaxing but at the same time so full of energy when the campers come down to play in the water. They are always happy to be here and eager to learn how to finally stand up in the water skis or properly sail out on the water and I have the opportunity to see that growth. It is so rewarding to see campers from my very first summer become advanced water-skiers and wakeboarders because they have mastered so much skill during my time with them. Their smile is so genuine when they truly master a skill on the water and it feels so rewarding to know I am the reason they are able to smile like that. There are so many possibilities in having fun on the water and so there are just that many possibilities for me to teach a camper something new and something they will remember for the rest of their life. Just as the water never gets old, neither does my passion for teaching campers new skills which is why I believe I have the best job at Camp Starlight.
Inspiration On and Off the Stage
July 14th, 2017
Written by Helena
One of the most exciting elements of Camp Starlight are the weekly stage productions among the different divisions, with the giant spotlights, intricate stage designs and lively singing and dancing, the theater produces a lot of entertainment. As the Theatre Specialist, I know my job is the best on campus because I get to go behind the scenes of all of this fun. I truly get to see what makes the show and how it gets better from start to finish. I see the best of the best. The director Jess Moss is a legend in itself and working besides him day in and day out makes my job the best. The ability to work with every single camper is so much fun too because often enough the campers that have never been a part of a stage production or in a theatre are the ones that get the lead role in the show. The looks on their faces when they find out the cast list is so great, whether it is shock or excitement. Each week I see so much growth in the campers becoming more confident with their roles or abilities on the stage. One of my favorite parts of the theatre is after the show ends and the campers will say “Yes! We did it!” They give me a hug of pride, joy and relief all at once and in that moment those campers feel like they are my own kids and I am so proud of them. Those moments, combined with all the amazing elements that go into producing a show every week, is what makes my job on campus truly the best.
Helping Campers Reach New Heights
July 14th, 2017
Written by Emily M
Down at Outdoor Adventure, survival skills and the rush of adrenaline fill my day. With the ropes courses, zip line, rockwall and woods, everyday I help campers achieve new goals and help them face their fears which is why I believe I have the best job on campus. Every day I interact with campers who have never tried climbing a rock wall or building a fire and it is my job to teach them these survival skills and coach them through difficult tasks. I especially love teaching kids how to build fire because I get to see them create something out of nothing, sharing my knowledge with the campers and seeing the end result is a magical moment for me. A very unique thing about Outdoor Adventure is that all the goals we hope campers achieve are personal ones, something only they can accomplish on their own and for themselves. When campers complete a task, big or small, they exclaim “Look at this! Look I did it!” and it is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Even though I am covered in dirt from the very start and end of my day, helping these campers achieve goals of reaching new heights or mastering a survival skill makes all the dirty work more than worth it. I feel very proud to watch my returning campers advance in skill levels or even when I notice the change in one day from a new camper. I absolutely love how these campers always want to learn more and put in the effort to achieve goals, and the satisfaction I feel when I know I’ve helped these campers grow in more ways than just one is why I know I have the best job at Camp Starlight.
No Instagram Filter Needed
July 13th, 2017
One of the most special aspects of Camp Starlight is the fact that you will never hear the buzz of a phone, the ding of a notification or the click of a selfie. A major element of Camp Starlight’s philosophy is the belief that summer is the time to disconnect from the phone and social media to instead live in the moment under the sun with your friends. No Snapchat or Instagram post will ever capture the true beauty of a summer at Camp Starlight, so why waste the time trying with a cell phone? Without the burden of constantly checking for updates, everyone at Camp Starlight is able live in the moment, a time in one’s life that does not occur so often when there is a phone weighing heavy in hand. All of your worries regarding how many likes you get on a post or what happens in the next Netflix episode are melted away once you dip your toes into Starlight Lake. The summer is a time meant for experiencing life and celebrating the beauty of constantly trying new things with new friends–summer camp provides everyone with the opportunity to cleanse themselves and become truly aware of their surroundings. Instead of worrying about the past or the future as posted about on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, time at Camp Starlight is spent breathing in the moment. You don’t have to portray yourself through social media when you’re at Camp Starlight, all you have to do is be yourself, no filter necessary. On the first day when the campers hop off the bus into the grass, they feel the atmosphere of a real summer experience and are allowed to truly be kids again.
