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.

Before you know it, campers and counselors are settled into the routines of camp life and then the 4^th of July sneaks around the corner. One of the most fun holidays of the year, the 4^th of July is celebrated in many specials ways at Camp Starlight and here are the top 10 ways to celebrate the 4^th of July here at camp!

 

10. 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 4^th of July barbeque.

 

9. 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.

 

8. 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.

 

7. 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.

 

6. Friends: What better way to celebrate the 4^th 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.

 

5. 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.

 

4. 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.

 

3. 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.

 

2. 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.

 

1. Fireworks: The best way to celebrate the 4^th of July is of course with firework that you can almost touch in the sky as they light up the lake.

 

 

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.

Once the sun lowers from the peak point in the sky on a Friday afternoon the entire campus begins to buzz about the Friday Night Show at Camp Starlight. Wondering what skit will be performed and who will make guest appearances, camp eagerly awaits the spotlight that will illuminate the stage. The Friday Night Show is a newer tradition at Camp Starlight where staff members Jason and Hayley host a sketch comedy show for all of camp to enjoy and laugh.

All of camp is in an electric mood when the hosts make an appearance on stage; everyone in the audience straightens up in their seats anticipating to laugh so hard their stomachs will ache with joy. For almost the entire show the audience is laughing, giggling and chuckling at all the silly shenanigans that take place and applaud when exciting surprises appear when least expected. During the Friday Night Show, campers are encouraged to be goofy because this is a special time that embraces jokes and witty gags played on audience members. Feeling like a fool while watching the show is part of the fun and is what makes the experience so entertaining.

Dedicating Friday nights to laughter creates a bubbling anticipation for these Friday Night Shows among campers and encourages them to utilize skills in sketch comedy, theatre and stage productions. More often than not, when campers are exposed to these special forms of entertainment a new passion will blossom before them. Nurturing these passions is what allows for these Friday Night Shows to get better each year with the help of campers. When these campers share laughter together, they transform these Friday night moments into memories.