Category: friends

ASITs, attention! ASITs, begin! Work more, work more!

indigoshell

Sometimes, our classes and courses get cancelled. Sometimes, we have 28 ASITs and not enough relevant classes to stick them into. The ASITs without a job, or wanting to do something different, can do Chores.

Chores are basically what they sound like; they’re chores. Some Chores are easy, like refilling Turtle Pond (the size of a very large kiddie-pool), or difficult, like deep-cleaning an enclosure (taking out all the shavings, scrubbing down the walls, then bringing in 2-4 more bags of heavy shavings and emptying them).

Some ASITs (me) request to do Chores because they don’t have to deal with numerous amounts of people. Some people are just put into chores simply because there really isn’t anything else to do.

Chores were then renamed “Projects” because, for some reason, the word “chore” seemed to have some sort of negative sound to it. None of us agreed, but of course it’s not any of us changed it anyways.

The three Golden Rules of being an ASIT are:

1. Always ask for more work
2. Always be enthusiastic
3. Always follow the rules

ASITs are always working, so if you ever take a rest, you better be sure to either hop back to work in a minute or two, or that everything is done. Then, when you’re finished – you’re not really finished until you ask someone for more work and they say that everything is done.

Ever tried to be helpful and enthusiastic for every second you’re with campers? Neither have I, because it’s utterly exhausting. Unless you’re naturally an extrovert, there’s no way to always be enthusiastic. I wasn’t known for my enthusiasm. In fact, I was known for how stoic I was, but nobody gave me grief about it because it was my “thing.” Believe it or not, we can be punished for not being enthusiastic enough. One or two bummers could ruin the whole ASIT crew’s night.

News Flash

kennyroo

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Young kids are taught this daily. Where did that principle go?

Pop-culture instills a competitive state of mind into children all day, everyday. How do we, as a society, expect for the next generation to come out any differently if we are all stuck in the same cycle?

This cycle may be better known as the idea that lowering somebody’s self esteem somehow makes yours grow.

While this topic may be more prevalent for girls, boys have it just as rough. We’re all just in the rat race to be better than the next. We all are too stuck in the idea that taking someone down raises you higher. News Flash! No matter how much you thrash somebody else’s reputation, yours does not rise.

I dare you reader – I dare you to give a sincere compliment to three people in the next 24 hours. What does that take out of your day? Maybe 5 minutes in total. But to them, that will probably make their day.

gossip
Photo Credit to: http://janessajaye.com/

ASITs, attention! ASITs, begin! Put ‘cho shoes on, put ‘cho shoes on!

indigoshell

A full day of being an ASIT starts at 7:15am and goes to, on a bad day, 9:30pm. Which is nearly 14 hours of work and “work.”

Morning rounds are the first thing we do every day, even before eating breakfast. After breakfast we clean our ASIT lounge and then head off to morning courses and classes

An ASIT tradition is that we take about 10 minutes to put on our shoes.

Courses are week-long commitments that can range from Riflery to Adopt-an-Animal. Classes are just for an hour. Seniors (ages 12-17) have courses in the morning and Juniors (ages 7-12) have classes in the morning, and ASITs are split up to assist with classes and courses.

Sometimes, assisting can mean you’re an extra pair of eyes and you get to join in with the class. Sometimes, assisting can mean teaching the campers how to be safe with the animals.

ASITs usually help with Junior classes and courses, as younger children in general need more supervision. Some classes and courses, like the Jungle or the Habitats, require more supervision because of special animals.

Our lemurs and large (4 foot long) lizard enclosures, for example, need extra supervision, as they can be slightly dangerous or more sensitive as, say, a ferret or parrots.

We have lunch and Free Time for about two hours, as well as Leadership Training, which is basically talks about enthusiasm or how (or how not) break up a fight between campers. After Leadership, Seniors have classes and Juniors have courses, and basically the morning is repeated.

Dinner, then free time, then we have Evening Activity. Activities, like the Bug Hunt and the Fashion show, require the ASITs to prep for it, which could be clearing out 20 tables and 200 chairs or simply spreading out around camp and hiding. Sometimes ASITs have to help clean up after Evening Activities, like putting the tables and chairs back or cleaning up water guns and balloon remains.

Curfew can be from 9:45pm to 11pm depending on how many ASITs we have and how well we’re behaving. Though, after a full day, most ASITs want to sleep by dinnertime.

Friends?

raining17Leave a comment
Photo Credit: http://www.mynamenecklace.com

The need for true friends is becoming less relevant everyday due to the newfound possibility of online friends. Nowadays people are meeting over shared likes on Instagram, or mutual friends on Facebook. Although they will never meet and only talk online, they consider each other friends.

However nice that may be, it’s causing friendships to become less important, which makes an everyday social life sad. The concept of a genuine friend is changing. People can be less authentic in their conversations, and be more than acquaintances with people they don’t necessarily want to be friends with.

It’s important to make friends with relatable people, and if one befriends people knowing they have others to fall back on, it’s not an honest friendship.

Friends are an important aspect of life, and are usually needed to maintain a happy life. If one spends time with people they don’t truly like, it causes them to be unhappy and not live to their full potential.

Take a Look at Me, an ASIT You Will See

indigoshell

You don’t just pay to be an ASIT, you have to work to be an ASIT. You have to work to work. (Many of us ASIT’s have talked about the logic, but nobody has bothered to rebel yet.)

To be an ASIT, you have to have been a camper for at least one year beforehand. Not many ASIT’s are second years, so a few veteran ASIT’s were surprised that I was an ASIT on my second year.

I didn’t look like an ASIT. ASIT’s are like the equivalent to a high school senior, and as I am 5’2 and quite petite, many people assumed I was anywhere between 12 to 15 years old. I’m 17.

ASIT’s don’t only take care of a camel and emus — we get assigned to Junior Cabins (aged 7-11) and help with classes and courses throughout the day (equivalent to a TA in school). So not only did I get incredible hands-on experience with animals of all shapes and sizes, I was also (almost unwillingly) working with children (aged 7-17 but they’re all children to me) for hours and hours of the day.

Although we had ASIT training, new ASIT’s really have no idea what to do, and as most stay for only two weeks, they leave with a feeling of hesitant accomplishment. I (and just a few others) stayed for a solid 6 weeks, from the beginning of the two-week sessions to the end of camp.

I knew I was walking differently and I was talking differently. The way I looked at the (ordinary) campers was different than the way I’d look at a fellow ASIT or a Counselor. Six weeks was just not enough time to be an ASIT.

Have You Ever Seen, An ASIT Company

indigoshell

This summer, I spent a grand total of eight weeks at summer camp. Yes, the same summer camp, but this time I was not a lowly camper.

I was an ASIT. 

An ASIT. Animal Specialist in Training. We, 11-25 of us, wake up at 6:45 a.m. to feed, water, and clean the enclosures of over 300 different camp animals. There are four areas; the Barn, the Animal Learning Center (ALC for short), the Jungle, and the Kennels.

Barn people take care of the Inner Barn, the Back Pastures, the Nursery, the Bird Nursery, and the Creepy Crawly Room.

ALC people take care of the Habitats, the Small Animal Room, the Reptile Room, and the Cat Room.

The Jungle and the Kennels are their own areas.

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I worked (I PAID TO WORK) as an ASIT for 6 weeks, meaning I worked in every area at least once. My pride and joy, where I wished I could sleep at night, was the Reptile Room. I memorized the meals of 7 reptile species in under three days. My greatest moment was walking into the ALC Kitchen and the lead Animal Specialist planted herself in front of me and said “just the person I was looking for! I need you to feed the reptiles!”

Chuckwallas, Mali Uromastyx, Green Iguana, Leopard Tortoise, Plated Lizards, Blue-Tongued Skink, Bearded Dragon, Leopard Gecko. For the sake of my own pride, I listed the reptiles (minus the snakes) that we took care of. For the sake of time and space I won’t write down their meals.

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The Habitats was the next area I memorized. Again, under three days.

Given the time, I assure you I would have memorized all the meals for the animals. I didn’t really try anyways until the last week.

O Swell

frog3Leave a comment

fefe

O gee willikers mister. Today on the magic yellow dragon with wheels I had the privilege of traveling to lower. It was so nar. As I jumped in the clean pool the water greeted me with a warm embrace. It was swell. After mingling and speaking to my fellow OVS students I went on the greatest walk I’ve ever been on. A magic bear appeared before me, it said “ if you could have one wish would it be.” I simply replied “ I wish I wish I was a fish.” After that I wish came to true I turned into a great black fish whom was able to swim the seven seas.

Somber

indigoshellLeave a comment

The meaning of life.

Is death.

Face it, that’s the cold, hard truth. We’re born, we live, we die.

Meaning there is no meaning of life.

But hey, that’s just my take on it. Not everyone has such somber minds.

“Just think preciously of every moment or time.”

“42.”

“Live life with no regrets.”

“To eat.”

“I think it’s a science. We are born and we die. The best we can do is be happy everyday and enjoy it.”

The answers will always be different, as people will be different, as situations will be different and as life will be different. The meaning of life is whatever you make of life, whether it’s to watch a thousand movies until you understand the “42” reference, or if you decide to just pursue happiness.

In the end though, death still overcomes all.

But hey, why spoil everyone’s fun?

The 10 Horsey Commandments

indigoshellLeave a comment

(Totally ripping off infamousdolphin)

Hello all equestrians and non-equestrians alike.

To the equestrians; these are some rules and/or commandments that I am very sure you follow already. If you do not (guilty as charged), then you should start following them.

To the non-equestrians; I’d like to, hopefully, open a little door to the world of the horse people. Some say we’re a different species. I sure have been called that before.

1. If thy horse poops in the barn isle thou shalt CLEAN IT UP
2. If thy horse is a sporadic nutball in the arena thou must LUNGE THY HORSE
3. If thou aren’t wearing tough leather boots prepare to have thy toes RIPPED OFF by thy horse
4. Cleaning thy horse’s hooves before riding is a MUST
5. If thy horse bites you BITE IT BACK
6. If thou falls off thy horse ye must GET BACK ON
7. Horses will try to buck thee off so thou must EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
8. Unless thou wants to clean thy stall twice, cleaning thy stall BEFORE LEAVING is the wise choice
9. If thou feeds another’s horse expect to be SHOWERED WITH FLIES
10. Saddle soap and saddle oil are the best smells ever

Jack the Cat

enternity1030Leave a comment

I just finished my favorite story this year, which was about a cool little thing – oh no, the coolest little animal – Jack the Cat.

Before I did this story, Jack was just a friendly cat to me. Whenever I see him, he just meows to me as if he is telling me he is happy.

This time, I got chance to really get a closer look to this small thing. Finally it came to my conclusion that Jack IS the coolest cat ever!

Jack is a cool student.
As soon as school starts, Jack will come out and choose his class. He enters the classroom, lies on the ground and pays full attention. However, he is really hardworking because according to our math teacher Mr.Queen, Jack does not turn in his homework on time and he never takes any tests.

Jack also frequently comes to the library. He will get up on the tables, he will use somebody’s computer and he will sniff books. Does he really read or understand the contents? Who knows.

Jack is a cooler friend.
He shares his happiness with people by meowing to them. He is confident and even more comfortable of being a member of the community. He walks to people and request their attentions. Then he looks at you and you can feel his feelings pretty much. He is always there to cheer people up and inspire the community.

Jack is the coolest cat.
He wears his shiny golden fur and patrols around the campus.
Jack has embraced nearly all the qualities not only as an animal, but moreover, he builds up the special bond with humans and becomes an essential member of the school.


Jack is like a student at the school and he makes our community feel like home.
I’ll miss this special “classmate” a lot after I leave the school.