Travels

Handong Global University Chapel

July 24, 2003

News from my neck of the woods:

washingtonpost.com

Camp Counselors Charged with Promoting Fights

Reuters
Thursday, July 24, 2003; 6:29 PM

ROCKY M0UNT, Va. (Reuters) - Prosecutors accused three teen-age boys on Thursday of promoting fist fights between boys who were in their care at a summer camp and charging other campers admission to watch the boxing matches.

Franklin County prosecutor Cliff Hapgood said the charges against the three volunteer counselors at the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H camp included assault and battery, child abuse, disorderly conduct and felonious bodily injury.

"We haven't found anything like this before," Hapgood told a news conference in Rocky Mount, about 150 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. "I'm sure there have been fights between campers, but nothing like this."

The fights on July 2-3 involved eight boys aged between 10 and 12 at the camp run by 4-H, a nonprofit group that promotes rural values and agricultural lifestyles.

Quoting witnesses, Franklin Sheriff W.Q. Overton said the counselors, aged between 15 and 16, had charged $1 admission and placed bets on the outcomes.

One young boy forced to fight fractured a wrist, and the fights came to light after a parent complained that his son came home from camp with a black eye and a tale about being forced to fight five times by counselors.

Complaining to his parents, the boy said those who did not want to fight were sent to their rooms. Some others did not find out they were picked to fight until the last moment when they were expected to enter the ring.

Hapgood would not say how the fights took place at the camp, which employed 22 adult volunteers and paid staffers and 50 teen counselors.

Mission

The mission of the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center is to provide dynamic, research-based hands-on learning experiences for 4-H youth, other youth, and adults that will enable them to become self-directing, contributing and productive members of society.

Most definitely hands-on and dynamic.

Empty First Class seats from Pohang to Seoul

July 27, 2003

I'm writing this at 19,000 feet over the Korean Peninsula. The flight is only an hour, so this will have to be quick. I start my teaching tomorrow, not looking forward to it. Jessica drove me to the airport and then she's on her way back to Busan. Bad news: my trusty old Polaroid digital camera is sick. We bought a new one that is pretty cool, it records video so I'll post some "action shots". The photos are all date stamped and I can't figure out how to turn it off. We are running into a bit of turbulence, click here to hear the stewardess in Korean and English. We've started our descent. I'll post some more once I get settled in.

...

Made a stop at Carrefour, one of the stores Jessica and I frequented when we lived in Spain. It is about 5 minutes from the Samsung Complex. Made it safely to our "campsite". It's one of the Samsung Hotels, 14 stories high with gym, pool, sauna, etc.. Should be interesting. My roommate (which I didn't expect to get) is Rob, he's from Canada and seems ok. I'll get some photos tomorrow.