Happy campers

Amy R. Spurgeon

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE -- It was a day filled with “duck, duck, goose,”

fruit roll-ups, sunscreen and a 15-foot-high diving board.

Monday was the first day of OCC’s 18th annual summer-long Sports and

Activities Camp. A group of 32 children, ages 5 to 12, ran, jumped, laughed, drew, swam and simply enjoyed being a kid.

Dressed in comfortable cottons, Pokemon sneakers and floral tank tops,

the campers spent a good part of the day just figuring out each others’

temperaments.

“Did you push her?” asked Evonne Durand, one of the three counselors on

staff.

Durand, a first-year rookie, tried to Band-Aid one of the first minor

casualties of the day.

“Can you say ‘I’m sorry?’ ” Durand said to the alleged pusher.

“And can you say, ‘That’s OK, but please don’t do it again?’ ” she said

to the pushee.

“Thank you,” she told the two of them as they left the soccer field at

noon for lunch in the cafeteria.

Later, Durand explained her approach toward conflict resolution.

“This is my first year and I want to make sure the kids are having fun.

But I don’t want hurt feelings,” she said.

Campers have the option of attending the program on a part-time basis or

all day. Activities include swimming, track and field, softball,

volleyball, table tennis, soccer, capture the flag, floor hockey and

basketball.

Inside the air-conditioned cafeteria, groups sat around tables and began

the long but strategic process of unwrapping today’s high-tech,

youth-oriented foods, such as Lunchables, multicolored string cheese and

neatly packaged carrots with ranch dressing.

But the new environment and strange faces meant short-lived isolation for

one 7-year-old.

“I don’t have anyone to talk to,” said one boy, his chin resting on two

folded arms.

It took the courage and big heart of 9-year-old Mike Ferncase of Costa

Mesa to make the difference. He slid over from his table and introduced

himself and some of his friends.

By the end of lunch, the boy had a smile on his face and newfound friends

at his side.

Over by the two large swimming pools, the group had fun in the water. As

the sun beat down, each camper took turns jumping from the 15-foot-high

dive.

All except for one boy.

“My mom didn’t pack me a bathing suit because she didn’t know we were

going swimming,” he said. “Maybe I’ll just put my feet in.”

The day was a maze of camp guidelines, pool rules, extra sunscreen, lost

towels and childhood crushes.

“The first day is so crazy,” said camp leader Eden Oeding. “But it’s a

great summer job.”