Interview

CD=Camp Director

Me: Have you ever noticed certain stereotypes associated with different types of counselors/directors?

CD: Stereotypes definitely contribute to the way people perceive counselors. In any number of places, you'll find those stereotypes. For people who stick around long enough, they'll recognize that those stereotypes are different from what you initially expected. Part of the camp is the experience or the end result that comes from what kind of camp it is. The kind of camp I work with is not necessarily the kind portrayed in movies. The way you publicize your camp has an effect on how those stereotypes begin. There is lots of fun to be had, but if you came looking JUST to have fun minus the spiritual growth, those expectations are diminished.

Me: If you had to categorize counselors, what would you say are some of the stereotypes?

CD: Get around the rules or follow the rules. It's the two extremes. For picking counselors/looking at counselors, I can tell you who are the crazy, wild, adventurous counselors, and who is the girl who doesn't want to be girly. There is ALWAYS the girly girl wearing cuter clothes with her hair done who gets the attention of the guys, and there is always the earnest rule-following counselors who want what's best for everyone.

Why do you think these categories/stereotypes exist?

CD: Those stereotypes are created b/c they are actual people. Stereotypes are the paper-doll version. They don't go deeper to look at the fact that the fun person can be more and the rule-follower can have fun. It's good to aim for a team that balances out.

Me: In your experience, do counselors/directors usually fit one of these stereotypes?

CD: Typically. It's rare to see someone who doesn't fit in the direction of one. If you're leaning more toward one, people disallow room for the other. It's a Catch 22. You can't chase the fun without giving up rule-following. Someone wants a fun experience, but if they start to focus more on the rules, they'll lose their "fun" image.

Me: Is there a balance between being the cool/fun counselor/director and the mean one?

CD: Yes. It's possible. But I don't think you can't do it by yourself. You need to find a balance w/ someone who is on the other end of the spectrum who can help you grow. If you're focused on putting rules before relationship, that mindset can change when you have someone pointing it out. Once you've been labeled w/ that stereotype though, you're done to a certain extent. You can change your own behavior or mindset, but it takes a long time for people to change theirs as well. They keep you in that box where they saw you first.

It's easier to change others' opinions when you're a counselor. It's a more forgiving position that really lasts only five days until you have another opportunity to recreate how you want to be perceived with the next group of kids. It's not that easy for a camp director. Your staff sees you in that roll for a much longer time.

Me: Does this dynamic work?

CD: I definitely think it's the most healthy for the whole community. When you know your parameters, you can relax and have fun. Most of the best camps I've encountered tend to be more rule following. The framework may be rule-following, but it's presented in a way where it doesn't seem so. Kind of like a well-kept secret.

Project Focus (for now)

As a camper, everyone knew that there were two types of counselors...the cool ones and the mean ones. The cool counselors were funny and knew how to talk to campers. The mean ones were the ones telling campers to go to bed and always being strict about dress code. Now that I've been a counselor, I can see that the same format can fit for camp directors as well. There's one camp director who has a natural connection with the staff and loves to have a good time. And then there's the director who is focused mainly on the rules, getting things done and done right, and the one who is generally called when a camper or even counselor has done something wrong.

This has been common knowledge to me for quite some time. I've picked up on the same stereotypes of camp counselors and camp directors in the YouTube clips that I've found, though I didn't make a connection to the reality until now. All of my clips are from goofy movies about camp where the counselors/directors are one or the other (granted, every personality type is extraordinarily heightened to be more entertaining to their youthful audience).

Is there a balance between being the cool counselor/director and the mean one?

Does it always have to be two people, one per stereotype?

Why does this dynamic work?

Motivations

I was pleasantly surprised that the motivations my peers and I discussed about being a camp counselor/director are pretty evenly split between being seen and unseen in the media. Most of my current motivations honestly stem from my past experiences in camp counseling. I want to be a camp counselor/director because I know I enjoy it and care about it. However, why did I want to be a counselor in the first place? Well that goes back to my days as a camper. I was blessed with some excellent role models in the positions of counselors and I wanted to be a great role model just like them.

But even before that comes the question of why I wanted to go to camp in the first place. Now this is where the media plays its role. Almost all of the YouTube clips I've collected come from movies and television shows I watched as a child either about camp or with several scenes taking place at camp. Confession time...before attending camp, I would watch reruns of the show Bug Juice on the Disney channel (a reality show that follows a group of kids going to summer camp). Even before my first summer as a counselor, I watched the show on YouTube.

So while my motivation for being a counselor/director hasn't necessarily been fueled by the media, my initial interest in camp (as a child) was pretty heavily influenced by shows and movies I'd seen, which has lead to my interest in being a camp counselor. I've been pretty lucky that my experiences at camp (as a camper and counselor) have been as fun as those I've seen on television and in several movies.

Why would anyone want to be a camp counselor for a living?

Seen in media

+Had positive experiences at camp

*Gains confidence by being in charge

+Loves working with kids

+Laid back atmosphere

+Fun job

+Wants to work with/help kids

-Likes to be outdoors

Not seen in media

+Likes to get away/camp lifestyle

+Been to camp before

+Familiar/good past experiences

+Loves Jesus

+Enjoys learning new things

*Likes to be relaxed at work

*Energized by being around people

+ Accurate about why I've chosen this

- Inaccurate as to why I've chosen this

* Unknown

Accuracies

Based on Images

-counselors hang out with kids

-counselors wear comfy clothes

-counselors talk to kids

Based on YouTube clips

-camp is meant to be a fun environment (almost all)

-counselors are authority figures over kids (both Parent Traps, Bug Juice)

-counselors should be friends to campers (Bug Juice)

Inaccuracies

Based on Images

-counselors are not scantily clad :/

-counselors don't always carry a clipboard & whistle

-being a counselor is not always all smiles

-all camps aren't outside/in the woods

Based on YouTube clips

-camp counselors/directors are not the bad guys (Heavyweights, Salute Your Shorts)

-counselors/directors are not idiots (Heavyweights, Salute, Ernest Goes to Camp, Addams Family Values, Wet Hot American Summer)

-counselors/directors don't care about the kids (same as previous)

-camp is not somewhere kids go as punishment (Heavyweights, Addams Family Values)

Not Sure

Based on Images

-it's hard to tell from images what all types of camps are out there

-I'm not sure if camp directors would have very much interaction with campers compared to camp counselors

Based on YouTube clips

-I don't know how stern camp directors actually have to be

-it seems unclear if there really is a balance between being the fun counselor/director and the disciplinarian

(media) images creating/reflecting "reality"

Stereotypes are bad. Right? That's what I've always been told. However, the harsh truth is that stereotypes have to come from somewhere, and usually, they stem from some version of reality.

In our table group, we used the example of teachers. Common images of teachers portray women standing at the front of a classroom near a blackboard (or more recently, whiteboards). While I sit in a class with a woman at the front of the room by a whiteboard, can I really call these images inaccurate?

As for the career I've chosen to examine for this class, it's not so incorrect either. Almost all of the images of camp counselors I found from Google had young adults wearing shorts and t-shirts interacting with kids. Having been a camp counselor, I can say that while working, I wear shorts and t-shirts every day, and the whole point of my job is to take care of kids. Looking at these two examples, it seems pretty obvious that media images reflect the reality of different professions whether we like it or not.

As for creating reality, this part kind of scares me. I know that the media has an incredible power to influence the masses, but I think it would be pretty hard for a television show/movie/commercial/magazine to take a career and completely build an entirely new image for people in that profession. However, I do think it's possible that the media can emphasize certain aspects of a career or even just a stereotype of a career that can add to the reality of what people have in their minds for said career.

How is it all coming together?

I had never before really stopped to think about how culture perceived camp counselors and/or camp directors. Because it's something I'm so familiar with, I've been content to form my own opinions and maybe every now and then listen to the opinions of my peers.

With a few exceptions, the images I got from Google are fairly accurate. I won't lie, I was shocked that the first image of the 20 was from a Sport's Illustrated swimsuit edition and that later, a "sexy counselor" Halloween costume was featured, advertising Camp Pitchatent. For the most part though, the images were those that I expected of young adults interacting with kids, grouped up, playing games, and having fun together.

When I first started looking for YouTube clips about camp counselors, I was focused mostly on simply finding clips. I was glad for a few minutes to step back and analyze what these clips actually said about being a camp counselor/director. Most were men (incorporating the feminist theory we discussed earlier in the day). However, the theory I used most when giving these videos a second look was critical literacy. These counselors/directors have been given either one of two stereotypes. They are either the goofy friend of the camper, or the enemy, an evil rule enforcer.

Emerging Themes

Themes from Pictures:

-always smiling (they like their job)

-having fun with kids

-one counselor per group of kids (1:5-ish ratio)

Themes from Videos:

-counselors are either a fun friend, or the bad guy (goofy or strict, never both)

-most are boys

-counselors are in charge of giving kids boundaries/rules

Themes found in Both:

-comfortable clothes! :)

-camp is outdoors (trees, campfires, cabins, etc)

-camper is the most important part of camp

Bio Poem

Camp

Happy, Fun, Friendly, Goofy

Must like being around kids

Lover of clipboards and whistles

Who feels a sunburn on their face and water from the lake

Who gives piggy back rides, hugs, and rules

Wears shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes

Teacher of games and hobbies

Who enjoys being outdoors

Counselor

My Classmate's Perspectives

All of the pictures I received depicting my "future career" are pretty similar to mine. In the picture I'm wearing a t-shirt with some sort of writing on it and shorts with my hair pulled back and closed-toed shoes (which I've learned in my experience as a counselor is one of the golden rules of camp safety). Most of them have some sort of cabin in the background and the counselor/director herself (or himself) is carrying a clipboard and in one, a whistle. Almost all of the pictures (including my original sketch) also include trees somehow. This fits with the typical image of camp as being off in the middle of nowhere, away from the usual setting. However, most of my experiences with camps (both as a camper and counselor) have taken place on college campuses.

I was kind of surprised that only one of the pictures included children. This shouldn't be too surprising seeing as the assignment was to draw the person in the job in their setting, but from my perspective, being a camp counselor/director is largely about the kids I'd be working with.

I also think it's interesting that in all four of the pictures (five if we're looking at mine as well), the camp counselor/director has a smile on their face. Being at camp is usually considered to be a fun experience, so why wouldn't working there? However, after three summers as a counselor, I can tell you that the job is not always enjoyable. Making sure that everything is going according to plan (or coming up with a new, last-minute plan) and making sure that everyone is where they are supposed to be is a lot harder, more stressful, and often more frustrating than people realize.

Literacy Defined

My basic definition of literacy is probably pretty similar to everyone else's. Literacy is the ability to read and to understand what it is that you are reading. I'll add to my basic definition that literacy means adding what you've learned or gathered from a text (be it written, verbal, or seen) to your mindset and allowing what you've gained to shape your way of thinking, opinions, etc.

My Expectations

Having several friends in the Education Department, I know that the stereotype of education being an easy major at ACU is quite off base. As an English major, I'm accustomed to reading assignments and flexible due dates. According to my future teacher friends, due dates are never flexible. I know I can handle that, I just usually choose not to because I know I can get away with asking for extensions. I'm promise I'm not as concerned about turning things in on time as this blog is making me sound.