Spring Break
Summer camp memories
Ashlei Maltman/Columnist
Issue date: 6/24/08 Section: Opinions
In high school, I was on a dance squad, called the Streatorettes. After making the team in May, we would go to a college in June for our annual summer camp.
We would learn new routines, play games, and make new friends.
Being at Eastern over the summer and seeing these camps being conducted makes me miss those days.
After my senior year camp was over, I knew I would miss it but I haven't felt this desire for camp in a long time.
Learning the new routines and pushing myself past the point I never thought I could was something I will not forget.
I made many new friends and camp would bring our overall team closer than someone outside the team could ever imagine.
Kayten Nash, a first year camper, and Haley Chambers, a second year camper, are currently at Eastern's softball camp. Both are interested in and play softball on teams.
"I want to become a better player than I was before I came here," Nash said.
Chambers is also interested in learning new plays at camp this year.
The best part of camp, Chambers commented, is making new friends and being able to see them again at tournaments throughout the year.
At our camp, the general schedule would be to wake up around six in the morning, eat breakfast around eight, dance from nine in the morning until about nine or ten at night, with lunch and supper breaks.
Once we would get back to the dorms, we would practice our dances in our rooms until all hours of the night, shower, and go to sleep.
Camp would always end with a showcase of the dances to our fellow teams and family members and an awards ceremony.
It was always exciting to not only have the team given awards in front of everyone, but it was also an energy rush when you would get an individual award, with everyone recognizing your hard work and your dancing abilities.
Now, as I walk to class everyday, I hear instruments from the field or see teams walking together and I miss those days. Having that schedule and knowing that I would be able to do my favorite thing, dance, for the majority of the day was always my favorite time of the year as a Streatorette.
Kate Stake, the assistant softball coach at Eastern, helped with a softball camp as a graduate student last year.
"I hope they learn a lot," Stake said. "Hopefully we throw enough drills at them so they can take them home and work on them more."
Stake said meeting new people is a big part of camp and that practice is where the campers get to know each other the most.
They are practicing with others "who love the same thing they love," Stake said.
Watching fellow dancers practice and perform was always something that touched my heart.
Knowing that so many others felt the same feeling as I feel when I dance was amazing and I would not trade those days for anything in the world.
Ashlei Maltman is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-7942.
We would learn new routines, play games, and make new friends.
Being at Eastern over the summer and seeing these camps being conducted makes me miss those days.
After my senior year camp was over, I knew I would miss it but I haven't felt this desire for camp in a long time.
Learning the new routines and pushing myself past the point I never thought I could was something I will not forget.
I made many new friends and camp would bring our overall team closer than someone outside the team could ever imagine.
Kayten Nash, a first year camper, and Haley Chambers, a second year camper, are currently at Eastern's softball camp. Both are interested in and play softball on teams.
"I want to become a better player than I was before I came here," Nash said.
Chambers is also interested in learning new plays at camp this year.
The best part of camp, Chambers commented, is making new friends and being able to see them again at tournaments throughout the year.
At our camp, the general schedule would be to wake up around six in the morning, eat breakfast around eight, dance from nine in the morning until about nine or ten at night, with lunch and supper breaks.
Once we would get back to the dorms, we would practice our dances in our rooms until all hours of the night, shower, and go to sleep.
Camp would always end with a showcase of the dances to our fellow teams and family members and an awards ceremony.
It was always exciting to not only have the team given awards in front of everyone, but it was also an energy rush when you would get an individual award, with everyone recognizing your hard work and your dancing abilities.
Now, as I walk to class everyday, I hear instruments from the field or see teams walking together and I miss those days. Having that schedule and knowing that I would be able to do my favorite thing, dance, for the majority of the day was always my favorite time of the year as a Streatorette.
Kate Stake, the assistant softball coach at Eastern, helped with a softball camp as a graduate student last year.
"I hope they learn a lot," Stake said. "Hopefully we throw enough drills at them so they can take them home and work on them more."
Stake said meeting new people is a big part of camp and that practice is where the campers get to know each other the most.
They are practicing with others "who love the same thing they love," Stake said.
Watching fellow dancers practice and perform was always something that touched my heart.
Knowing that so many others felt the same feeling as I feel when I dance was amazing and I would not trade those days for anything in the world.
Ashlei Maltman is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-7942.
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