Virtual CRS 2021 - Camp in Review

By Dimitris, Cai, and Sarah (Virtual CRS campers!)

Introduction:

2021… what a year! In spite of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has still happened, with one of the most notable events being the Online CRS program of 2021! This camp year has been a blast, with a lot of fun being made out of a difficult situation. The program went 11 days with both staff, and camper-led activities, with returning “second years”  displaying their leadership skills by leading large portions of camp!

The camp started out with two days of introduction and rundown helping everyone to ease into camp. Despite the short time spent with one another, a distinct community began to form among everyone in attendance by day one, and that bond only grew over the course of CRS.

Day 1:

Day one started out with a rundown of what exactly camp will be and then moved into a few interactive activities. It was a great introduction into the community that is CRS - and Virtual CRS is planned to be - ; we had all noticed that the energy present was impressive for an online camp. Between celebrating birthdays and partaking in developing a community, day one was a blast. To top everything off, we all got to meet our tent talk groups who have, undoubtedly, made this experience even better. Each tent talk group got the chance to develop unique bonds amongst themselves by spending extra time purely on discussing their lives with one another throughout the entirety of camp.

Day 2:

Like its predecessor, day 2 continued in the vein of camp and camper introductory activity. The first tent check in was held, a precedent for the energy carried by the camper community. As the day progressed we learned about what camper led days entail; mainly instructions, SST activities, and project work time. The leadership displayed by the second year campers throughout leading the day was largely impressive, inspirational, and an insight into the abilities we could all develop during the duration of camp. At the end of the day we began to work on our camp projects; getting to know our groups and planning what we wanted to do. 

Day 3:

The first full day of camp on day 3 started out with a super fun activity where all of the staff and campers compiled an incredible cookbook of different foods ranging from cultural delicacies to favourite snacks. The activities following surrounded camper perception of leadership. There was discourse concerning key traits associated with leadership and discussion on what it means to be a servant leader. Once again the degree of camper inclusion in every aspect of the program was astounding and a refreshingly different experience to the usual lectures that instructors tend to give when teaching any subject.

Day 4:

Day 4 was definitely a most exciting one as it marked the beginning of the long awaited Camper-Led days! Even though we had received insight on what this type of camp meeting was going to be, there was still wonder amongst everyone on how exactly the camper-led days were going to play out.

The day began with two Instructions happening simultaneously. Each camper chose the Instruction they wanted to join after being given information on the topics that each one was talking about and then, after the creation of two separate rooms for each Instruction by the camp facilitators, was sent to the respective room based on their choice. Gergely’s Instruction touched on renewable energy types and energy storage systems, while also going further into depth on nuclear energy. More specifically, we discussed each energy types’ benefits and drawbacks and examined how they are being or can be used. Leeam gave an instruction to the psychology behind terrorism based on a study that was conducted with Al-Qaeda. We learned that people have sacred values that they prioritize above life and when feeling isolated with others that share these values, they are more likely to take drastic actions. In responding to terrorism we can possibly affect future events by being careful not to assign blame to groups as wholes, but individuals instead. 

Following the Instructions were a few SST Activities - SST standing for Self Structure Time - coordinated by the SST Project Group, including a yoga session led by Sarah V. with cameos from her helper, her puppy, and a session in which we played an online game with the name of “skribbl.io”. Both of the SST Activities were great and we all had a wonderful time together. To finish the day, campers were allowed to have a meeting with their tent talk groups.

Day 5:

On day five, we focused on intersectionality. We first began by reflecting on how society treats us based on our identities. Ming, Elyem, Sebastian, and Weronika taught us about how different aspects of our identities interact to create unique experiences. For example, black women have experiences different from black men and white women. Their issues are intersectional. We also learned about three different power dynamics: you can’t, you can but, and you’re fine. “You can’t” is when you are blatantly and outwardly limited for some reason. For example, a blind person needs to take an exam but there is no one available to read to them and no braille resources. “You can, but” is when you can do something but an aspect of your identity limits you in some way or makes it more difficult to achieve. For example, anyone has the opportunity to apply for a job but someone has to work especially hard to prove themselves capable. “You’re fine” is when you have internalized the oppression society has put onto you.

We finished the day doing the work of a hospital ethics board with the real case of Lia Lee, a young girl with epilepsy. We had to decide between allowing her parents to care for her according to their religious beliefs and possibly worsening her condition or taking her into foster care for treatment. With so many complex factors, the case was very difficult but we all thought through the decision thoroughly and came up with a solution we felt was best. 

Day 6:

Like the prior and following camper led days, the sixth day of camp started out with an energetically chaotic and fun tent check in led by the second years. After a bit of housekeeping; the usual project group announcements and admin communiqué, we were once again split into two fantastic camper instructions. Sara did an excellent job talking in depth about the process of actualising a dream, taking a deep dive into the 12 steps of creating something starting from the conceptualization of an idea all the way through reaping the rewards of one’s efforts. Julia’s Instruction was similarly exceptional. The Instruction presented on the case of LGBT-free zones in Poland, explaining what they are, how they are seen and treated by the country and the world and talking about the situation of the LGBT community in Poland. In addition, we had a discussion on this topic, giving our opinions on these zones and our personal experience on our country’s acceptance towards personality diversity.

Post-instruction time was occupied by a brief check in and then movement towards SST activities and group work time. The first activity planned for all of us was a fantastic spin on the game “Telephone” suggested by Julia in which players must use pass a message along to one another, the catch being each person would receive the phrase in one language and have to pass it on in a previously unused language, leading to a bunch of laughs. Afterwards a few of the campers stayed around to watch a film together. 

Day 7:

Day 7 was another continuation of tutelage on matters very important to servant leadership and global awareness. The further dive into intersectionality was immensely fascinating. Focusing more on the connectivity of different issues and solutions rather than facets of one's identity, we discussed subjects such as social, environmental, and racial justice. The beginning of the day surrounded discussion of how so many subjects intersect, that many of the issues our world faces are closely related. After a few activities pertaining to the aforementioned topic we moved on to a fascinating scenario-based task based on the morality of justice without all of the knowledge necessary to make a truly informed and fair decision. This was an amazing lesson in leadership as it showcased the skills necessary to make difficult decisions. After the final activity the day ended with our tent talk groups. 

Day 8:

The 8th day of camp was another Camper-Led day, which began with the usual Tent Group check and a fun ice-breaking activity to get us all energized and ready for the upcoming instructions.

Today’s instructions were led by Tai and Dimitris. Dimitris’ Instruction was a fascinating study of the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The presentation looked into how to create positive and productive relationships with the people around oneself, a highly useful skill in leadership and led to many superb discussions surrounding the idea of social interaction as well as prompting a discussion of different scenarios in which these skills could be effectively applied. Tai instructed about the United States justice system and prison abolition. We learned about how the issue systematically oppresses people and possible solutions. 

The instructions were followed by an SST Activity organized by Johnny, during which all campers spent a few minutes creating some memes and then shared them in a slack channel made for this activity. Though we did not discuss the memes we all created at any point during this session, most of us appeared to be laughing at random times in the zoom meeting, proving that we were having a good time! Following the SST Activity were project and tent talk group meetings, allowing for groups to continue working on their projects and for tents to learn each other even better.

Day 9:

The last core day, aside from the final day of reflection, was largely based around application of some of the skills we developed throughout the camp. After a quick game to get everyone awake and energised we split into groups for the most immersive activity of camp. Each group was given a specific scenario, each relating to a particular issue; climate change, censorship, immigration justice, and military descrimination. Much of the camp day was spent in breakout rooms with each group developing a solution to their issue. After everyone had wrapped up their group work, campers proposed their solutions and held discussions surrounding more in depth specifics. Once finished, we had one of our last days of tent talks.  

Day 10:

The last day of camp before reflection and the final camper led day started off with the usual tent talk group check in and final project announcements. We almost immediately jumped straight into the last two instructions of camp led by Hanna and Sarah V. which focused on the relationship between social media and eating disorders and the issues within the American food industry respectively. Hanna’s presentation took a look at what eating disorders are and where they stem from, especially in regards to the perpetuation of conditions throughout social media platforms. Whilst the topic was a heavy one; few discussions pertaining to such serious degrees of mental health are never easy, the optimistic and solution based mindset that Hanna maintained throughout both her presentation and the questions she asked of campers attending was inspiring and left a hopeful impression. Sarah V. gave an instruction about how food is produced in America. We learned about exploitation and corruption in the fast food industry, government involvement, the health crisis in America, sustainability, the global cultural implications of the spread of fast food, and more!

After instructions the SST group hosted a few super fun rounds of Jackbox which leant itself to a lot of laughs and fun. The day wrapped up with the final group meetings for project work time. 

Conclusion:

All things said and done, the 2021 Virtual CRS experience was masterfully crafted and largely enjoyed by attending campers. The knowledge gleaned from instructors, guests, and fellow campers alike was immense and beneficial, and we for one cannot wait to see what fantastic leaders this year will turn out. We wish good luck to everyone and hope that you will all keep chasing your dreams, regardless of how far you have to pursue them!

Environmental Sustainability

By Cai

The concept of sustainability in our modern world is one that is increasingly important to discuss and take action upon. With the state of the world as it is, between climate change, global overpopulation, and an unhealthy degree of consumerism, humanity and our home, earth, faces a great deal of risk. This being said, there is a lot of hope for solutions. Every day steps are taken towards a more sustainable future. Between scientific developments and further action from people and governments, the outlook of a positively changing future is brighter by the day. All around the globe people are taking the first (and most important) step towards a cleaner future: becoming educated, and then spreading that knowledge. 

One of the main, although arguably the most daunting of these issues is that of cleaning up our energy sources. Climate change has been a problem for decades but only recently has it been recently accepted by the scientific, public, and political communities as the major threat it is, though the action taken thus far is still less than desirable. The main factor in a solution to climate change is sustainable energy. That is, energy that is able to replenish itself within a human lifetime and cause no long-term damage to the environment. Now whether this is a realistically attainable happening is debatable as all renewable energy sources have some major long-term impact (solar panels need damaging minerals, hydroelectricity requires construction of large plants, etc.) but the impacts are far more manageable than that of fossil fuels. Even nuclear energy is a better short-term solution, though it is not realistic to maintain as a source of energy beyond a century or so. This being said it could provide a perfect stepping stone between fossil fuels and renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass energy. In spite of the immense degree of emissions put out by the energy industry, there have been some advancements. The percentage of global energy being derived from more renewable sources has been slowly but steadily rising, especially in the past 5 to 10 years. Multiple countries or individual corporations have begun putting in place plans to reduce their carbon footprint: the entirety of the EU has made a variety of positive goals, the Californian government has promised to switch to all-electric cars by 2035, and Apple has committed to be 100% carbon neutral in supply chain and products by 2030. There is a greater movement of individuals working towards obtaining energy from alternate sources, such as installing their own solar panels. Some countries, such as Iceland, Albania, Paraguay, and Iceland have even reached a stage where they derive a majority of their power from alternate sources. All of this has compiled into an increased drive to reach a higher level of global sustainability which has spurred an increased degree of progress and work towards more sustainable solutions. 

On the topic of solutions, the journey towards creating a more sustainable world reaches far beyond just renewable energy. As important as finding more renewable sources of energy is, environmentally sustainable lifestyle choices are equally as important. Not only that, but making the right decisions/changes in one’s day-to-day existence and supporting others to do the same. The first step to be taken is to attain the knowledge necessary to create a positive impact. Learning the steps that can be taken to reduce one's own carbon footprint and how to make the most of that which must be used is paramount. 

There are a variety of ways one can work towards living a less environmentally detrimental lifestyle. One of the most important is examining modes of transportation. An action as simple as choosing to walk, bike, bus, take a train, or even carpool to school, work, or any other destination, will help make a small difference. Making one’s eating habit more sustainable is also important. Eating less meat, paying attention to how food is sourced, reducing processed food intake, and growing your own produce will all slowly add up. Being less wasteful is another core tenet of personal sustainability. Using less plastics, not being prodigal with resources like food, water, and energy, going paperless, and participating less in consumerist practices. Lastly, finding ways to make the most of everything that is necessary. Sourcing energy from renewable sources, recycling resources that can be recycled, repurposing or donating used materials, purchasing products that have been sourced sustainably, and finding reusable alternatives to regularly used items. Whilst all of these steps may seem small, insignificant, or trivial, if everyone were to start employing such habits the effect they could have would become quite noticeable. 

Though the current situation of environmental danger may seem grim, there is hope. Each and every one of us possesses the potential to make a positive change, even if it is small. By working to better one’s own habits and assisting others in doing the same, everyone can be a part of the solution.

Culture Exchange

By Sarah V.

At Camp Rising Sun, we celebrate what makes us different. The diverse group loves to talk about where we come from, our unique experiences, what makes us different, and the things we have in common. Over the course of the camp, it was important for us to share our cultures with each other. We hope to give you a glimpse into the kinds of things we learned from each other, and hopefully give you the opportunity to appreciate someone’s culture being shared with you as much as we did. 

Ming is a second-year camper born in Beijing, China. Ming moved to the United States when she was only two years old. Her culture is a blend of traditional Chinese culture and Modern American culture. As far as languages, Ming is bilingual but prefers to speak Chinese. One of her favorite foods is traditional Chinese egg and tomato, a recipe she shared in the cookbook we created! She says it's comfort food. She rarely eats American food, but does other American things like has a job and does extracurriculars. When her family goes back to China, she has a massive dinner with her massive extended family. Hundreds of people come to see them! Family is very important in Chinese culture. Ming also told me about a superstition that her family taught her when she was little. You’re not allowed to stick your chopsticks straight up in your bowl of rice, as this is only done when someone dies. 

Shinwoo is another camper from Korea. Shinwoo told me that Korea is small but good. He said you can fly from one side to the other in an hour. There are also a lot of people. He likes that the people are good. He told me that it is very safe and that you could leave your wallet somewhere and no one would take it. He also told me that he loves that there is very beautiful nature but also big cities. They have both mountains and cities! There is no official religion and the country is very accepting. It is mostly Christian and Buddhist, but the two religions coexist harmoniously. During Christmas, the temple wishes everyone a merry Christmas! Shinwoo also loves the delicious food. He said he enjoys Korean barbeque! He also taught me a bit about Korean. For Shinwoo, English is more difficult, but Korean is very hard to learn. He said that the letters are easy to learn if you study them for a bit, but the language is very challenging. He taught me about two concepts that make it a bit tricky, honorification and conjugation. For example, “예뻐” is a word that you would use with your close friends and family. “에쁘네요” is the same word, but in a form that you would use with people that you respect or people above you. Words also change depending on how they are used. “예쁘다” is the base word for “pretty.” “에쁘고” means “pretty and,” “예쁘니” means “pretty so,” “에쁘니까” means “pretty because,” etcetera. Korean all learn English in school. They also have to study Korean because it is so difficult. Lastly, Shinwoo told me that Koreans used to live communally but over the years, they have come to live individually! 

Evanshika from India also wanted to share her culture! She lives in what they call “NCR,” which includes the capital and all the nearby megacities. There is no official language because India is home to so many different cultures that all coexist. Religion is also very diverse in India. Eva is passionate about reform in her country. She loves to criticize the government and politics in India. She wishes to change the sexism in their sacred texts. Eva told me that Her country is good, but they can still work on the things that need to be worked on. Some of the foundational principles need to be reformed. She thinks it’s time to refresh the government and get a new start in this century. She loves to learn about Chinese culture and Islam, and listen to Spanish songs. She also loves Indian food. Each city in India is famous for its food. This is the city’s signature food and it is always delicious. In India, there are huge mountains and gorgeous nature, but it needs to be preserved better! Hindi is very similar to English but has a bit different grammar. Eva and her family are Hindu. She goes to the temple for the history and architecture, rather than to pray to God. Everyone also has a small temple in their house to do offerings, but she only goes when her family makes her. She reads their holy texts, but more for the stories than to connect to spirituality. Evan told me about having a unique skin tone. She is not black nor white and people see her differently from both groups. Eva sees herself as the joker of her family and friends. 

Eva also shared some of her favorite memories with me. When she was little, at a “Havan,” her family invited a pandit, or priest, to come and recite Sanskrit mantras and offer grains and ghee in the fire. This happens for special occasions, but she doesn’t remember what the occasion was. She was only four, but she kept talking over the priest and her family had to keep her in a separate room! She was henceforth called by a nickname that means something along the lines of : ”outspoken.” She also told me about a time when a new museum in Delhi opened with a bunch of dinosaur bones and her brother begged her parents to let them go. Eva loved it and listened to the stories of other tour guides but everyone else in her family was bored and sad. Eva told me that she is very close with her mom, and her sexist aunties told her that she shouldn’t speak to her mother like that. When she was taking her bar exams, her mom told her not to think of her as a mother while she was studying. She thought this was funny and still has her mom’s contact name in her phone as “Baby.” She explained to me that Aunties are all the older ladies in your not-immediate family. Your dad’s sister is Bua, your mom’s sister is your Maasi, your dad’s brother is your Chacha, his wife is your Chachi, your mom’s brother is your Mama, and his wife is your Mami. Everyone else is called an Auntie. They are all one big family and treat each other with so much love that no one feels distant. For example, Aunties that she had never spoken to in her life called her mom to know about her exam scores. She thinks Indian culture can be intimidating because you must give so much respect to everyone. The families are massive and cousins are like brothers. Lastly, Eva shared with me an unusual friendship that she made with another camper, Hanna. She said that on one of the first days, they were paired together to do an exercise on active listening in a breakout room. She said that they laughed so much and became great friends that day. Friendships like that are what camp is truly about. 

Despite all of our differences, we have one thing in common, and that is a desire to learn from each other and love each other. Camp brought us all together and exposed us to so many different experiences. We all laughed together, played games together, learned together, and so much more. I think we will be friends for a long, long time, and hopefully, you got to share in a bit of this community!

Social Issues in Greece

By Dimitris

Greece, a country most famous for its lush history and its many landmarks is one like any other, with people having to come face to face with many difficulties daily and with some of those difficulties being led to the creation by certain social issues. Although I am not expertly familiar with the social situation in Greece, I will still be talking about some social issues which I come across daily as a greek citizen and which I believe should be resolved.

The most evident phenomenon I often come across and would call a social issue is the occasional sharing of stereotypic ideas amongst people. To me, it appears like it is quite usual for greek people to be easily influenced by some stereotypes, which, truth be told, are more often than not random rumors originating from some old and dated mindset, or some internet site with the goal to mislead and misinform. The fact that gossip is also common between neighborhoods or friends adds to the growth of this issue and the transferring of such misleading and baseless stereotypes. This social issue obviously poses a serious threat to the Greek society, as it sometimes even leads to a certain degree of racism being exerted towards specific groups of people, including people from other countries, different races, and different sexual preferences than those considered usual or “normal” by the masses. Luckily, it is rare for this issue to result in a greater degree of racism and to lead to more serious cases like one in which a visitor to the country is hurt or targetted, though it is not unusual for citizens to be led to believe that being in a certain group or acting a certain way is “bad” for them, due to them being under the influence of stereotypes against these groups or ways of living. In addition, these stereotypes are sometimes adopted by children due to their parents being influenced by them, and thus, transferring some opinions that may be toxic and hurtful to others.

Despite that, education in Greece today has been trying its best to make people aware of this issue and, in general, to give greek children the opportunity to form their own ideas and opinions about the world and others. That way, even though this social issue which constitutes the origin for many others in the country exists, it is one whose fate is in the hands of the next generation and is subject to disappear in the near future.

Extra: here are some memes VCRS campers made!