Summer Camp? No Way!

We’re not going to summer camp.

My best friend Jack and I had been listening to Connor and Jai talking about their summer camp plans on the bus ride home for weeks now. Of course, they would be excited to go to sports camp. Connor and Jai played soccer in the fall, basketball in winter, and baseball in the spring. Me, on the other hand? My family doesn’t even really watch sports. But I always know the Yankees are playing when Connor and Jai wear their white and blue striped jerseys to school.

At least I wasn’t the only one in my fifth-grade class who was thrilled to NOT be going to camp. Jack didn’t get the appeal either. Neither of us was interested in sports camp. Playing baseball just meant standing in the blazing hot sun for nine thousand innings. The swimming part was okay, but riding in an unairconditioned bus in your wet swimming trunks was the worst. No, wait, craft camp and making pointless bracelets out of pipe cleaners was the worst! What the heck is a pipe cleaner anyway?

Instead, Jack and I liked to dream up battles between warriors and plot out how we’d respond if the horrible mythological creature Medusa with her snakes-for-hair came to visit our school. We wouldn’t let her turn us into stone, like she did to so many would-be heroes in Greek mythology. We’d come up with clever ways to outsmart her.

To Jack and me, that’s real fun, and that’s the way we planned to have a great summer, filled with epic battles in the woods behind my house.

But when I got off the school bus, walked in the front door, and grabbed a snack from the fridge, I overheard my mom on the phone—and I started to panic.

“Yes, I signed Kaz up for the same two weeks,” I heard her say. “Yes, July 3rd and July 10th. He’ll be so happy that Jack’s going, too!”

I got a funny feeling in my stomach.

“Who were you talking to—and signed up for what?” I asked when she was off the phone.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Kaz,” Mom answered. Then she dropped a huge bomb on me.

“That was Jack’s mom,” she said. “I’ve signed you up for summer camp, and Jack’s mom did, too, so he’ll be going for the same two weeks. Isn’t that great?"

“WHAT? BUT I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SUMMER CAMP!” I screeched.

“Kaz, you know that Lola and Lolo are coming to visit from the Philippines the week right after school ends,” she continued, without a care in the world that she was ruining my life. “After they leave, you’re signed up for a new camp—with Jack!"

How could she do this? Jack’s mother knew that he despised summer camp, just like I did. But before I could explode with even more reasons why I shouldn’t go, my mom held out a hand to stop me.

“It’s a new camp and it sounds really cool,” she said, pouring me a glass of water. “It has weekly themes—”

I groaned.

She ignored me: “—about Greek mythology. Instead of making simple crafts, you make things like your own foam swords and shields. Then there’s lots of physical activity with sword-fighting lessons. And instead of field trips to the zoo, you go on Quests in the woods.”

Ohhhhh. Greek mythology? I took a bite of bibingka and chewed thoughtfully. As the sweet coconut cake seeped into my tongue, my mind raced back and forth. Could this summer camp be… okay? No, no, no way — a summer camp is a summer camp.

As doubtful as I felt, I already knew it wasn’t worth trying to fight back against my mom. When it came down to it, my mother’s decisions were stronger than Zeus, king of the gods. There was nothing I could say or do to change her mind.

Between end-of-school activities and my grandparents’ visit, the next few weeks went by in a blur. Before I knew it, it was the first day of camp.

My dad parked the car and I slowly stepped out onto the dusty dirt. I thought of Connor and Jai and imagined them running off to start their all-sports-all-the-time summer camp. My own feet dragged as if I were Atlas carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders as we headed over to the check-in table. I quietly looked around. Across the grassy field, I saw a group of kids holding familiar-looking shields made with cardboard and duct tape. They must have watched the same YouTube video as I did. A couple of kids passed me.

“I’m in Athens and my brother got put in Sparta,” I heard a girl say. “Which makes sense since I’m smarter than him and he just wants to fight me all the time.”

I couldn’t help but smile knowing exactly what she meant. I said goodbye to my dad and decided to run the rest of the way to check myself in. My feet flew like they belonged to Hermes, god of speed. Maybe I’ll have an epic summer after all.

The Colosseum

For fun, many of us watch sport such as football, basketball, and hockey, to name a few. Currently, sports fans go to stadiums/arenas to root for their favorite team and players. Early Romans had a similar pastime. They loved to cheer for a favorite person or games. Over 16 centuries ago, it was a much different kind of competition. Roman gladiators used to battle each other with swords, and sometimes they would fight wild animals for entertainment. These fights would occur with thousands of spectators watching and cheering. All of this entertainment occurred in the Colosseum. The Colosseum is located in Rome, Italy and still stands today.

Building the Colosseum

Romans began building the Colosseum in 70 AD, and the construction took 10 years to complete. Building the Colosseum began by digging 40 feet deep into a lakebed. Next, the workers poured concrete tunnels that would serves as the underground holding spaces. This space was used by gladiators and animals to be contained until the battle began. From there, construction went level by level until it reached 157 feet tall. After the competition, the arena could hold between fifth and eighty thousand people. At the time, this was the largest arena ever built!

Coming to the fights

Are you bored on the weekends? If you were an early Roman, you went to the Colosseum in your free time to watch the competitions between gladiators and/or animal fights. It is estimated that over one million animals died while fighting other animals or people. Wild animals such as lions, elephants, crocodiles, and ostriches were involved in the fights. Purchasing a ticket was necessary to go to the games. Tickets to the Colosseum were made from pottery. Your ticket would determine at which gate you would enter the Colosseum. The high up in society you were, the lower your seat was in the stadium. The upper level seats in the stadium were for lower class individuals.

The Colosseum Today

Every year, approximately four million tourist visit the Colosseum in Rome. Tours are held daily, and you can actually walk through parts of the stadium. Going to see this structure is truly amazing. While on tour, you will climb the steep steps of this building. If you look down, you will be able to view where the fights took place centuries ago. Inside the arena, you can clearly see the mazy of spaces that were under the podium. Life was definitely different in Roman times compared to the way it is today.

The Lost City of Atlantis

Deep beneath the sparkling waves of the ocean lies a secret waiting to be discovered. It's the legend of Atlantis, a magical city that is said to have vanished long ago. Imagine shimmering building made of fold and silver, street lines with pearly, and gardens blooming with exotic flowers. Atlantis was unlike any other place on Earth. Demarian places his bookmark inside his library book. He knew he was supposed to be studying but couldn't but the book down. "Ill just read a little more," he thought.

Opening the book to a new chapter, Demarian continues reading. legend has it that Atlantis was ruled by a wise king names Poseidon. He was powerful and kind, loved by all who lived in the city. But one day, something unimaginable happened. The ground shook, and the water roared as a great earthquake struck Atlantis. The mighty city sand beneath the waves, disappearing from sight forever.

Extensive research has been conducted to uncover the mysteries of the lost city of Atlantis. The city was destroyed by an earthquake over 12,000 years ago, and for centuries, people have searched for it in hope of finding its secrets. Some believe the sea swallowed it, while other think powerful forces destroyed it. However, the truth remains unknown, waiting to be discovered by adventurous explorers. Demarian was astonished that this historical even had yet to be solved. He glanced at his science study guide lying on his desk and knew he was wasting precious time. Nevertheless, he wanted to learn more about this fascinating event. "Demarian, dinner is ready!" Mom called out. Demarian placed a bookmark inside his book and left it on his bed.

During dinner, Demarian was enthusiastic about sharing his fascination with his family about the lost city of Atlantis. He couldn't stop talking about how the city was made of pure gold and how abundance overflowed in Atlantis with its grand statues and plentiful wealth. He mentioned that the city was said to be larger than Libya and Asia combined, but mountains lined the city's exterior.

Mom interrupted and reminded Demarian that he had a science test the next day and needed to study. After finishing his spaghetti, Demarian went to his room, picked up his science study guide, and opened it to the pages his teacher had told him to review. He read the vocabulary words on the page to ensure he knew each. After turning to a few pages, he felt he had a good grasp on his science and decided to call it a day.

Demarian gazed at the book about Atlantis lying on his bed. He rushed towards it, turned the next page, and resumed reading. The book mentioned that the lost city of Atlantis is believed to be situated close to the Strait of Gibraltar on the western edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Nowadays, scientists use modern technology to explore the ocean's depths and search for evidence that may reveal the existence of Atlantis. They deploy submarines equipped with cameras and sensors to capture images of the unexplored world beneath the sea. As Demarian finished reading the last pages of his history book he couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness for the unresolved mystery.