Latest news with #camp
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
BC Camplight: A Sober Conversation review – an eccentric rock opera confronting childhood abuse
'Some people face the music,' Brian Christinzio sings on The Tent. 'Some people face the floor.' On this outlandish seventh album, the Manchester-based US singer-songwriter makes a bold bid for the former. That song alone excavates childhood memories, with Christinzio crunching leaves and finding caterpillars, cutely illustrated by twinkling piano, only for abrupt tonal shifts (siren-like drones, distorted vocals, heavenly choirs) to crash in like intrusive thoughts. It's a queasy, visceral introduction to a record which confronts the summer he was abused, as a child, by an adult camp counsellor. A Sober Conversation is an eccentric rock opera about repression, depression and anger told with the meta-theatrical, tragicomic style that has won Christinzio a cult following. The title track veers into showtune territory, shimmying in double time as he employs a kooky variety of voices to tease a 'big secret', but also has a gorgeous, melancholy vocal melody that Sufjan Stevens would be proud of. Single Two Legged Dog, a glam piano-pop duet with the Last Dinner Party's Abigail Morris, sticks a middle finger up to pity and culminates in a howling crescendo. Best (or most galling) of all is Where You Taking My Baby?, a chilling, jaunty confrontation of his abuser with sparse, lovely guitar underpinning the song's gut-churning question. Christinzio's inventive, infuriating writing often packs three extra songs into every single track – but this time for good reason. When the chatter falls away on instrumental closer Leaving Camp Four Oaks, he achieves a hard-won, sun-lit sense of peace.
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
BC Camplight: A Sober Conversation review – an eccentric rock opera confronting childhood abuse
'Some people face the music,' Brian Christinzio sings on The Tent. 'Some people face the floor.' On this outlandish seventh album, the Manchester-based US singer-songwriter makes a bold bid for the former. That song alone excavates childhood memories, with Christinzio crunching leaves and finding caterpillars, cutely illustrated by twinkling piano, only for abrupt tonal shifts (siren-like drones, distorted vocals, heavenly choirs) to crash in like intrusive thoughts. It's a queasy, visceral introduction to a record which confronts the summer he was abused, as a child, by an adult camp counsellor. A Sober Conversation is an eccentric rock opera about repression, depression and anger told with the meta-theatrical, tragicomic style that has won Christinzio a cult following. The title track veers into showtune territory, shimmying in double time as he employs a kooky variety of voices to tease a 'big secret', but also has a gorgeous, melancholy vocal melody that Sufjan Stevens would be proud of. Single Two Legged Dog, a glam piano-pop duet with the Last Dinner Party's Abigail Morris, sticks a middle finger up to pity and culminates in a howling crescendo. Best (or most galling) of all is Where You Taking My Baby?, a chilling, jaunty confrontation of his abuser with sparse, lovely guitar underpinning the song's gut-churning question. Christinzio's inventive, infuriating writing often packs three extra songs into every single track – but this time for good reason. When the chatter falls away on instrumental closer Leaving Camp Four Oaks, he achieves a hard-won, sun-lit sense of peace.
WebMD
5 days ago
- Health
- WebMD
Itchy Summers and Empowered Campers: A Guide for Navigating Camp with Atopic Dermatitis
'Good Morning, Everybody,' screamed Kevin, the energetic camp director at Sports & Games, now renamed The FunPlex. 'Good Morning, Kevin,' all the sleepy campers would scream back. I can still hear the echo of dodgeballs bouncing on the hot asphalt and the thick chlorine scent that hit me every time I skipped around what felt like an Olympic-sized pool. On the surface, the camp was every kid's dream: action-packed days filled with games, activities, bonfires, and friends with endless energy. But for me, camp was always a complicated experience. I had a deep love-hate relationship with it. I wanted to enjoy every moment of it without worrying about my skin being covered in the unforgiving rashes. My atopic dermatitis was so severe that it held me back from truly enjoying the experience. Looking back, it felt like no one around me seemed to fully understand how hard it was just to be there, because they didn't. There wasn't a ton of information on this skin condition, so if I didn't know much about it, why could they? While most campers raced toward a portal of freedom, also known as the pool, I hesitated, as chlorine was a personal nightmare. The moment I entered, I felt the sting ripple across my rashes. It wasn't just uncomfortable, it was unbearable, but I didn't want to miss out. The worst part was always after swimming. My body would instantly turn ashy and erupt into rashes with a grayish, purplish hue. Unfortunately, these breakouts didn't fade after a shower or ointment with passing time. They caused itching and burning for weeks on end, turning what should've been a fun game of Marco Polo or a diving competition into another physical and emotional battle. And then there was the heat! Summers in the Mid-Atlantic are famously humid, so the constant contrast between being sweaty from outdoor sports and freezing in air-conditioned rooms made things worse. Sweat would drip into open patches of skin, causing them to inflame and crack. The AC offered no relief. Instead, it dried my skin out even further. I often felt trapped in my own body, silently suffering while trying to keep up appearances. My camp counselors were kind but often overwhelmed. I was often ignored, but it wasn't anyone's fault entirely. There just wasn't enough awareness or training on skin conditions in the '90s. Although this was an isolating experience, I'm grateful for it. It helped me grow into someone who advocates for myself. I like to say I went through those difficult summers so today's kids don't have to. Whether you're a parent, a camper, or a counselor, preparing for camp with eczema doesn't have to be overwhelming. With a little planning, awareness, and compassion, kids with atopic dermatitis can have the same joyful, adventurous summer experience as everyone else. And here's how we make sure of that. Choosing the Right Camp For a child with severe atopic dermatitis, it is essential to ensure their medical needs are understood and supported. Look for camps that are willing to accommodate health plans, offer flexible routines, and have staff trained in chronic conditions. A camp that prioritizes inclusivity and communication can make all the difference between a stressful experience and a joyful, empowering summer. Meeting With Camp Counselors and Staff Camp counselors and owners play a key role in creating a safe and supportive space for campers with eczema. It's essential for staff to review the care plans in advance and participate in a training session that covers the basics. This includes learning how to recognize signs of a flare-up, knowing when and how to assist with medications or wet wraps, and understanding which common ingredients or materials to avoid in products or camp gear. A little awareness and flexibility go a long way in preventing unnecessary suffering and making campers feel seen and cared for. Preparation Preparation is key to making camp a safe and enjoyable experience for kids with atopic dermatitis. As a parent, you should work with your child's dermatologist or allergist to create a detailed care plan that outlines medications, triggers like chlorine or sweat, and emergency steps. Share this plan with camp owners, staff, and counselors before the first day to ensure everyone is on the same page. Also, plan to pack a care kit with essentials like fragrance-free moisturizers, prescriptions, cotton clothing, gentle sunscreen, ice packs, and anything your child needs to help them enjoy their camp experience. Lastly, Have a Heartfelt Discussion With Your Child(ren) No one knows your child better than you do. Before camp starts, empower them to speak up about their needs. Simple phrases like, 'My skin is itchy, can I take a break?' or 'I need my cream' can help them take ownership of their condition and get the help they need when they need it. You might have to engage in what bullying from other campers might look like, and how to recognize it, then immediately tell them to contact a staffer, and tell them about anything that might occur, so you can address it properly. Teaching self-advocacy skills before camp builds confidence, strengthens independence, and lays the groundwork for lifelong self-care. When everyone involved – parents, staff, and kids – work together, the itch of eczema doesn't have to stand in the way of adventure. Happy Camping!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'A beautiful partnership': Children take part in 'Summer at Sem, Explorations with the Y' program
Jun. 21—Which solution was the best for making lots of big bubbles? Turning to the 6- to 9-year-olds in her classroom, Wyoming Seminary science teacher asked them to remember their previous experiments. Did the store-bought solution work best? "No!" What about the homemade solution with sugar? "No!" Could it have been the homemade solution with glycerin? "Yes!" came the answer from a dozen budding scientists, who eagerly blew huge streams of bubble using their best solution and bubble blowers that had been handcrafted from plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off and replaced by a cloth that was held in place by a rubber band. The kids vied to make the tallest towers of bubbles, and some of them used their hands to sculpt bubbles into interesting shapes. It was all part of the fun at Summer at Sem, Explorations with the Y, a 3-week program that attracted 113 campers to Wyoming Seminary's Lower School campus in Forty Fort for sessions as diverse as LEGO robotics, photography, basketball and waterplay. "We have everything here," Cheryl Connolly, Wyoming Seminary director of advancement, said Friday, as children took part in the final day of camping activities. "It's a beautiful partnership," Sara Hargadon Michaels, camp director, said of this year's cooperative effort between Wyoming Seminary and the Y, which welcomed students from other schools to join Wyoming Seminary's program, which dates back to the 1990s. Michaels said she had seen children blossom at the camp. "You see the timidness of their first arrival turn into vibrancy and confidence as they soak up the energy of the camp." In one classroom, children sang about waddling ducks approaching a lemonade stand as they rehearsed a skit. In another, Wilkes-Barre Area kindergarten teacher Maria Hayward helped them use up some of their physical energy playing with balloons before they headed outdoors to draw with chalk. And in a gym, dozens of campers were dribbling basketballs. With faculty members from Wyoming Seminary and program specialists from the YMCA facilitating, Michaels said, "what has been provided has only enhanced what has traditionally been presented in the past. Favorites such as LEGO Stop Motion, Chemistry, Magic School Bus, Ocean Explorations, Cardboard Creations and Chef for a Day were joined by Pickleball, Speed and Agility and Sports from Around the World." While those camps were targeted at first through eighth graders, toddlers stayed busy with waterworks, sensory play and more with their teacher Margaret McCann in Arlington House, a separate building on the campus. "The partnership has been a fantastic experience, one that we hope to build on moving forward," Michaels said.
National Post
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Senior Living: Summer tunes
Article content Summertime and the living is easy … especially if you're grooving to seasonal music. Article content It's light. Article content It's fun. Article content It's warm and fuzzy. Article content Summer music hopefully has you singing and dancing in the sunshine … even if you were a dorky teenager like me who sang badly and danced worse. Article content It was different times. There wasn't a pocket-sized telephone for every teen everywhere. Article content But no problem way back when. The sun was shining. And the songs on Top 40 radio were warm and happy. Article content Article content It was — and still is — the summer musical mood. Article content I'll dial back to some personal history: My single mother worked as a bookkeeper in what was then a thriving Montreal clothing industry. And since school was out for July and August, I got sent to summer camp. Article content Camp was, however, more musical than athletic. It's not like we learned to play instruments. But we did a lot of singing. Article content Beaver Camp had a way leftward leaning. One of my early camp songs was Solidarity Forever. We actually heard it performed live at camp by the great Pete Seeger: Article content 'When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run Article content 'There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun Article content 'Yet what force on Earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one Article content 'But the union makes us strong.' Article content I doubt this is U.S. President Donald Trump's favourite Article content song. And it's not a summer hit these days. But Seeger was popular at the summer camp I attended. We didn't have any fancy facilities; the counsellors played guitars, the campers sang along. Article content Article content And we learned union songs. I loved them … even if those lyrics were a mystery to a little kid like me and my fellow campers. Article content Fast-forward to high school. And new tunes. Article content Although a hopeless dancer, I loved popular music, from Pat Boone (no relation) to Elvis. And my absolute favourites were the soul hits from Detroit and the southern Stax studio. Great harmonies. Super voices. Dancing tunes. Article content I played the hits on my transistor radio — a gorgeous Sony I acquired on a trip to New York City and stored carefully in its original box. My favourites: Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, Otis Redding. Article content I still love that music.
