2006-08-01

I remember what I did last summer (20 years ago)

Here's something the Paci three have in common, although if you call us nerds you're likely to get a face full of fives. A decent look into how we spent some good times.

This summer, nearly 11 million children will attend summer camps in the United States. They will eat terrible food, learn a new sport, and sing songs by a campfire. For some—let's call them well-adjusted—this experience will be joyous. For others—let's call them nerds—it won't. As one such kid who attended a sports-oriented camp in Pennsylvania told The New Yorker, "I took boxing, and I was very afraid."

For such children, mercifully, there is nerd camp—also known as the summer programs sponsored by the Center for Talented Youth. At CTY, you don't learn to swim, or ride horses, or tie knots. Instead, you spend five hours a day in class, learning a semester's worth in a mere three weeks. After class, there is a 90-minute period of "Mandatory Fun," followed by dinner and a two-hour study hall. Mandatory Fun may be the hardest part of the day for most of the campers at CTY. I know, because I was once one of them.

2 comments:

Mike said...

Damn. I haven't thought about CTY in years. The two sessions I attended (Geometry in 1986 and Archaeology in 1987) at F&M were cool. I still can't get over the fact that my TA for Geometry was 2 years older than I was at the time but was 5 years ahead of me in school.

I don't think I have heard from any fellow CTYers in years. The dances were fun with American Pie, Goodbye to Romance, and that annoying song from that annoying cult movie with Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf which slips my mind right now.

Oh well. Back to 'A Farewell to Arms' for me. Hemmingway kicks ass...

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking about CTY and you guys the other day. At what age did you start going there? Mike, did you do more than 2 sessions? I thought you had done some Chemistry there as well. What other locations do they have the camps at?