Archive for July, 2015

Toni in Cali: A Travel Journal

Friday, July 31st, 2015

Golden Gate Bridge

Dear Diary,

First full day in San Francisco began with a bang! Let me tell you something though, eating a full breakfast was NOT the best idea seeing as we walked across the entire Golden Gate Bridge. I may have cramped up a little, but it was all worth it to see the amazing view from up top. It’s strange to think that humans like me built a bridge so big! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

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Lombard Street

Dear Diary,

Think of the intro to Full House where Dani rides on his bike down the most crooked street in the world. Now think that I climbed that very same street! The hike was a struggle, but the view made it all worth it. There were beautiful flowers and lovely houses lining the sides of the road, and climbing with all my Starlight friends ensured some great memories to be made.

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Behind Bars

Dear Diary,

Under any other circumstances, I think my mom would be pretty disappointed in me for ending up here. But it’s a rare exception seeing as I’m in jail at Alcatraz! Through a tour of this incredible museum, I got to really understand what it was like here in prison. They really went to the bathroom in there?!? Culture shock! At least the view was beautiful…Overall, it was another great experience in Cali.

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White Water Rafting

Dear Diary,

Helmets on for this outdoor adventure! Those rapids were not a joke! With my Starlight friends, we conquered the class 3 rapids together. The scenery made the adventure that much more enjoyable. It’s hard not to smile when you’re surrounded by all of those amazing mountains. Here’s us posing for the Go-Pro about to take on another wave.

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Improv

Dear Diary,

We couldn’t stop laughing as we arrived at the Improv comedy club on Melrose Avenue. You wouldn’t believe what I did! I volunteered to “whip and nae nae” for the audience in a competition! (I won btw.) We started off LA with a bang!

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Universal Studios

Dear Diary,

Hey! How’d I get in that shot? Well, I guess anything is possible in Hollywood, the land of movies and magic! A tour of Universal Studios was a major highlight of my trip. We got the backstage track about how movies are really made. But that wasn’t all! Some epic roller coasters sure put me for a loop (no pun intended).

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Disney

Dear Diary,

I was off to DisneyLand, where dreams and wishes really do come true! I grabbed mickey mouse ears and went on my way into the magical kingdom. Hopped on the ferris wheel with my friends and got the best view of the park. And I even ended the day with a beautiful water and light show. I’ll never be too old to enjoy the happiest place on earth.

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Hollywood Star

Dear Diary,

It’s me with the man…the myth…the legend…Michael Jackson! It was quite the “thriller” to pose with his star. Walking on the street with so many celebrities was unlike any other experience. Each and every one of those people have done great things for our culture, bringing us some of America’s largest talents. I’ve been a star on the stage of the Starlight Playhouse, but do you think I have what it takes to make it it Hollywood?

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Friends

Dear Diary,

Although traveling to California was an unbelievable experience, it wouldn’t have been the same without the people who I traveled with. I got to know so many people in the CA division better, and learned a lot about my division leaders. The bonds I’ve formed on this trip will never be forgotten, and neither will the memories I made. Diary, I’ll see you on my next epic adventure around the world, but for now, see ya!

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Lower Inters League Update

Friday, July 31st, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-07-31 at 8.58.00 AMThe Lower Inter Girls have been having awesome time at basketball this summer. We had a thrilling game with Temple Vs SMU. SMU took the game, winning a great game for their team. Tulane Vs USF also had an awesome game of basketball, Tulane excitingly took the game winning shot. Charlotte C was stellar in her rebounding and scoring. Jordan B had excellent ball handling with Scarlett M being a killer in defense. Not to mention Jessa P being so into the entire league game. Giselle S is also always positive when cheering her team on. The Lower Inters are having a great time competing in leagues this year and we are so proud of our girls.

7th Grade Boys Lacrosse

Friday, July 31st, 2015

Camp Starlight vs. Camp Wayne

Screen Shot 2015-07-31 at 8.45.36 AMWhat a great day for lacrosse at Camp Starlight. Today’s matchup for the mighty 7th grade team was Camp Wayne. With not a single cloud overlooking the gorgeous elite field, the game was underway. While Camp Wayne scored the first goal, Starlight answered back quickly with a beautiful goal from Jared B assisted by Jake W. Ben W quickly scored as well with a great assist from Jared B. After another Ben W goal, the quarter ended with the score of 3-2. The second quarter contained 3 saves from Alec B. He would end the day with 11 saves in total. He was also integral captaining a solid defense featuring Andrew R, Harrison B, Jack T and Jacob P. We also saw amazing goals from Jared and Jake making the halftime score 5-2.

The second half truly showed our resolve. After a brilliant first break goal from Jack, we let in four unanswered goals to make the score 6-6. Jake B and Jonah S responded with two goals of their own giving us a two goal lead going into the fourth quarter. Justin H scored another great goal from Jake B off an assist from Lucas C. 10-6 was the final count and the 7th grade men of Starlight live to fight another day!

9th Grade Girls Basketball

Friday, July 31st, 2015

 

Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 10.25.25 AMToday’s game against Camp Wayne was a sight to see, these ladies came they saw and the conquered from start to finish. From the jump Camp Starlight was the aggressor holding Camp Wayne to just two points at the half; ending the game with the final score of 68-14, leading the score for Starlight. Proving herself to be an offensive threat was Gari B finishing with a season high 19 points. Trailing not far behind finishing with also her season high of 15 is our workhorse and enforcer in the lane Morgan S who demonstrated her offensive capabilities by draining a 3 pointer late in the 4th. Samantha B and Jamie C both collected buckets finishing with 10 points apiece. On the defensive all of the ladies followed Jessica W lead and locked down every player Camp Wayne put them up against. I am very proud of these ladies, they are definitely developing into the team I know they can be.
-Coach Strickland

Starlight Junior Girls League Update

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

11539072_10152902437221960_8957652597744731094_oThe Starlight Junior girls are having an awesome time competing in leagues this year. We have seen some excellent talent demonstrated by our campers in some thrilling league games. In our latest basketball game the score was 14-2 with all goals being scored by Brooke G what a power house she was. In our soccer game on July 11th Tulane vs SMU there was a tie score with both teams playing very strong. Ava R dominated with Maddi S presenting her amazing defense skills. In our latest softball game we saw amazing talent from Temple and USF, USF took home the winning title in a very close game. Sydney showed excellent fielding whilst Lilly A had an amazing hit. We have some awesome Newcombe games scheduled for today and we are very excited here at Camp Starlight.

Camp Starlight vs Camp Lohikan Soccer

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

11692630_10152921109336960_509284060196298184_n Abby S is the MPV of this win with an outstanding two saves in goal. Isabel A, Olivia R and Jamie C made some huge contributions to this game on the defensive side of the field. Lilly K led the Starlight girls with four goals, followed by Sydney P with three goals, Samantha B with 2 goals and Emily S with one. Garielle B took the challenge of winning the draw against a tough team. Jamie F was a very key midfield player. The girls pulled through with a 15-9 win.

MTV Night at Camp Starlight

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-07-29 at 9.18.37 AMStarlight’s annual MTV night came to a dramatic end this Saturday night. After a week of intense divisional competitions the MTV night saga came to an epic conclusion last night in Camp Starlight’s very own special Times Square. The night was a complete red carpet event with special guests including Elsa and Anna from frozen, Jack Direction, Taylor Swift and the Avengers. All campers and staff were taken aback by the astonishing acts which followed. Each division performed absolutely astoundingly. From choreographed dance routines to humorous skits the MTV night finals were packed full of fun and entertainment. After all acts had performed it was time for the judges to deliberate and decide on the Starlight MTV night 2015 Champion. As the audience waited with baited breath the countdown began 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 the Times Square ball drops and the Lower Plebe boys take home the winning title. The crowd went wild as the winner was announced. The title was most definitely deserved, the boys did such a great job and their hard work and determination payed off.

Camp Starlight Recipe Cheese Stuffed Pretzels

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

Ingredients
1 ½ cups of warm water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 ½ tea spoons of active dry yeast
3 ½ tablespoons of unsalted butter (melted)
4 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 Cup of finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For Boiling
1 pot of water
2/3 Cups of baking soda

For Baking
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of water, whisked together (for egg wash)
Coarse salt for sprinkling

Instructions
For the Dough
Combine the water and sugar in a standing mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to about for 10 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam and grow. Add the butter and stir to combine.

Add the flour and salt together and whisk to combine. Pour the liquid and use the dough hook attachment to mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and drizzle with a little oil.

Fill a large pot with water and the baking soda. Bring the mixture to s rolling boil.

Meanwhile place the dough on a slightly oiled counter and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out cheese right down the center. Pinch either side up over the cheese to close. Hold each in one hand and make a u-shape with the rope, cross them over each other, bring it down, twist, and press onto the bottom of the u in order to from the pretzel. Then place on the parchment liked baking sheet.

Drop the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time for about 30 seconds, constantly spooning hot water over the dough. Remove them from the water using a large, flat spatula and place right on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the top of each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake until a dark golden brown in color, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

8th and 9th Grade Girls Lacrosse

Tuesday, July 28th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 2.26.32 PMThe 8th and 9th grade Starlight campers came face to face with Camp Wayne, as they stepped onto the Elite Field for the Wayne County Lacrosse game.

The game started strongly, and with Dylan. G taking the lead in the goal, Team Starlight managed to come out on top with yet another victory.

Spencer G. immediately opened the game with three straight goals. Whilst Camp Wayne tried to get the better of Team Starlight, the first quarter ended with a score of 6-2 to Team Starlight. The lead was extended even more moving into the second half as Rowan K and Owen B added another two goals to the score.

Dylan G. was on fire throughout the game, managing to save eight attempted goals, with the help of Spencer W, Jonny C, and Theo O. As the game moved into the second half, the opposition gained some traction, even bringing the score to a tie at one point.

However, with 3 goals from Harris G, 5 goals from Spencer G, 2 goals from David G, and 2 goals from Rowan K, Team Starlight pulled ahead with a 14-13 victory.

Gymnastics at Camp Starlight

Tuesday, July 28th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-07-27 at 10.35.46 AMSports are loved by campers and staff here at Camp Starlight, with gymnastics being one of the most popular ones.

The Starlight gymnastics program is lead by our amazingly talented gymnastics coach, Micaela Barr.

Coach Barr has been training for over sixteen years and has been competing for fourteen, making her a great asset to Team Starlight. Micaela is also a level ten gymnast and has won several state championships.

Over the past seven years, Coach Barr has been up and down the East Coast training girls of all ages.

We recently had a chat with Coach Barr and asked her about what it is she loves about being at Camp starlight. She said that her favorite part of working at Starlight is “developing strong relationships with the girls who also love gymnastics”.

Coach Barr also added that she “loves getting to know her girls” and helping them to better their already flourishing talent.

Describing what it is like to work at Starlight in just two words, Micaela said it is “fun” and “exciting”.