My most memorable summer experience

Young Writer's Introduction:
I am Daniel, a freshman attending high school in New Jersey, USA. I have a variety of hobbies, ranging from playing chess to discussing in online forums to participating in sports. Of these hobbies, I most enjoy writing- I like to do all sorts of writing, whether it be conclusive analyses or short stories with bountiful imagery. In my free time, I also like to run long-distance.
"I believe that life should be lived to the fullest and good opportunities should not be wasted for petty reasons."--Daniel Cheng 

If I were asked what my most memorable summer experience is, my reply would be attending Camp Watonka. I attended Camp Watonka in 2014, the summer before I entered eighth grade. 

To briefly explain, Camp Watonka (http://www.watonka.com/) is a boys-only (age 8-16), two-week sleepaway camp that provides classes that covers the whole spectrum of science, from Physics to Biology to Robotics.

If you are interested in learning scientific concepts and applying them through experimentation, Watonka would be a very suitable choice for you. Lessons are taught in labs with modern equipment. Being set in a natural area, there are a variety of things that can be done there that cannot be done elsewhere. The lake is a highlight of nature in the camp. Biology students often go there with nets and various other tools to collect samplings of nature and work on environmental data. There is also a stream in the camp, which has a high bridge overlooking it. On this bridge, my physics class tried the Egg Drop Challenge, where we built egg holders, landing cushions, and parachutes to attempt to have an egg stay intact after being dropped from the bridge. It was a fun test of my knowledge of physics. The other science class I took at Watonka was Electronics, where I created circuit boards using metal boards, solder, and various electronic components. With these self-made circuit boards, I performed simple tasks, such as lighting up a lightbulb and activating an alarm. Watonka also has computer labs for students to program robots and software.

Aside from classes, the day was filled with sports and activities. With basketball courts, large grass fields, a shooting range, an archery range, a lake, and climbing towers, there were more than enough activity options to choose from. I loved archery and kayaking, both of which I had never done before. At the end of the two weeks, I was able to do both decently. Another interesting activity I tried at Watonka was motorbiking. At first, I had some doubts about trying it, for I was a little afraid. But, after trying it a few times, I found out that I really enjoyed it. At night, there were planned camp-wide activities that everyone enjoyed.

The counselors who worked at the camp during my session were mainly young men around 20 years old, many of them still in college. If I can recall correctly, many of them came from the United Kingdom. The counselors of my cabin met the qualities of the perfect counselor; they stayed away from meddling in the campers affairs, but pitched in when help was needed. They offered interesting insight and had acceptable senses of humor. Counselors and campers meshed together well, and interaction was very natural, instead of artificial like some may think.

My dorm experience there had a positive impact on me, because two years later, I still recall what happened in those nights in my cabin, playing games and having intellectual discussions with five good friends and two understanding counselors. While my roommates and I had a lot of fun together, we also had times of differences. I remember an Asian roommate arguing with a Caucasian roommate over whether or not the Asian roommate was annoying. The situation escalated eventually, but it was resolved by our counselors. On afterthought, conflicts were definitely not unexpected, as we were just teenagers- immature twits who were often more emotional than logical. Having teenagers spend two weeks together is bound to create some differences. Conflict also creates friendship. I had a strong bittersweet feeling when the two weeks finished and my friends and I had to go our separate ways.