So what is there to do in Athens during the summer months for high school students? This is the question that has left class after class of local high school students scratching their heads. In the summer Athens is desolate, “There is no traffic on Milledge and no wait at restaurants; it is like a ghost town really. It can be hard to find things to do, especially if you are under 18,” said 19-year-old University of Georgia (UGA) freshman Ian Dunne, an Athens, Ga. native and a Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School alumnus. It turns out there are many things to do, including music festivals, summer camps, college classes, weight lifting, and rock wall climbing. Let the following information serve as a guide to the upcoming summer in Athens, and never ponder the question of what to do again.
The Athens YMCA holds a group interview every February for summer camp counselors. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older. This year, 133 people applied for the program, and 36 were hired. Besides being a camp counselor, high school students can also apply to work in child watch, as lifeguards, or in the fitness center. Sarah Akinosho, an 18-year-old senior at HarrisonHigh School in Marietta, Ga., worked as a lifeguard at her local YMCA during her summer. Akinosho said, “As a lifeguard I learned about how to relate to different types and ages of people. For some reason everyone seems to want to talk to the lifeguard. So I got to know elderly people, middle aged working parents, other teenagers, and kids. I also learned how to cope with patrons and the issues they had.” The YMCA also offers a training program for 14 and 15 year olds. “The Leaders in Training (L.I.T.) Program is a great opportunity for young teens. It is a six-week program and is a lot of hard work,” said Shae Wilson, the Athens YMCA Youth Director. Volunteering is also an option at the YMCA, with opportunities in all of the summer camp programs, as well as in the office and in special events.
Another Athens area counseling opportunity is with Camp Twin Lakes, a non-profit organization with camping facilities in Georgia for children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other challenges. In Winder, Ga. Camp Twin Lakes at Will-A-Way is located at Ft.Yargo State Park , about a 30-minute drive from Athens. The camp has job and volunteer opportunities running from mid-May through mid-August in areas such as crafts, nature, waterfront, and sports. Staff members typically get Friday nights through Sunday mornings off, and live in an area known as “the porch” with one or two roommates and a private bathroom. “I worked in the kitchen and the office of Camp Twin Lakes for 5 summers in a row. I was able to talk about my experience at Camp Twin Lakes and how it opened my eyes to want to work with children in the future. It helped me realize that I wanted to teach and I was able to talk about this in my essay for my application to get into UGA's Early Childhood Program. Working at Camp Twin Lakes was an amazing experience and it really helped me grow as a person,” said 21-year-old Katy Ellard, a UGA student and early childhood education major.
18-year-old Clarke CountyHigh School student Abby Suddreth enjoys the opportunites for entertainment during summer in Athens. “I have always had a job over the summers, but there is a lot more to do than work. AthFest is just one of the events on the music scene that are fun in the summer; it is so fun to just get a group and go hang out and listen.” Athens is a famous music hub and the home of bands such as R.E.M. and The B-52s, so it should come as no surprise that the summertime is loaded with music events. AthFest is an annual music and arts festival that takes place in downtown Athens, and this year it is June 23 through June 27. It features an open air artist market and two outdoor stages with performances by bands from all around the southeast, as well as venues all around town hosting live concerts. Ciné and The Green Room are open to people of all ages, while many others including Square One, 40 Watt Club, and Farm 255 are 18 years old and up. Some of the events are free of charge, and others require a pass or have a cover charge.
As part of AthFest, a local magazine, Flagpole, will host the Flagpole Athens Music Awards on June 24. Michelle Gilzenrat, the music editor of Flagpole, believes that the event is for anyone who reads the magazine, plays music, or is a fan of local music. “All ages are welcome to the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, so this is a great opportunity for teens--especially the ones who can't get into clubs--to see some of the best music this town has to offer live on stage. In addition to the performances, we of course hand out awards to top local musicians, so teens who hope to one day become an active part of the Athens music scene might get a better idea about what this town has to offer, and the wide range of genres that exist here. It's a great introduction to the Athens music scene, and the perfect way to kickoff AthFest,” said Gilzenrat. The awards begin at 8 p.m. and the cost is TBA.
Another music-related activity for teens and people of all ages, Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn is a concert series celebrating its tenth year this summer. The concerts are held on the property of Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast, a five acre estate in Watkinsville, Ga. Concert goers are allowed to bring a picnic dinner and are encouraged to bring a blanket or low lawn chairs to sit on. “The concert is a great place for people of all ages,” said Dave Shaeron, an owner of Ashford Manor, “It is a great opportunity to see bands that would otherwise only play in adult venues late at night downtown. You can bring your own food and beverages, put down a blanket, and listen to some great music under the stars. It’s a friendly environment, and at $12 per ticket with a student I.D., a great date night.” The music style ranges from bluegrass to jazz, and the dates are Monday nights from May 3 through Oct. 18. This summer’s lineup includes Sons of Sailors, a Jimmy Buffet cover band, and Abbey Road, a Beatles cover band.
For Athens teens looking to take classes over the summer, joint enrollment with the University of Georgia is an opportunity to gain college credit. Students who do joint enrollment are jointly enrolled in college and high school. Patrick Winter, the senior associate director of admissions marketing and recruitment for UGA said, “The courses that they take usually count for both college credit and high school graduation requirements. There is a small number of students or apply for joint enrollment every year, and it can be a great option for students in the summer, provided that it is a good fit for them and that they are prepared to do the work expected of them in a college class.” Applicants must meet or exceed the average grade point average and SAT scores of the previous year’s freshman class. They must also have letters of support from a parent or guardian and from a high school counselor. The application can be found at UGA’s undergraduate admissions Web site.
For someone who is looking to stay active over the summer, Athens has a new climbing center downtown with daily specials and monthly or yearly memberships. Active Climbing is an indoor climbing gym built in an old ice house and boasts 20-foot tall roped walls and a 40-foot long traverse. Teens can learn techniques from owner and award-winning Romanian mountain climber Adrian Prelipceanu to refine or begin their climbing skills, and there are fitness alternatives like yoga and gymnastics classes. Prelipceanu said, “We just started the Georgia Spiders Youth Climbing Team. We have close to 15 kids on the team, and that is one of the main training outlets for the teens. They range from 12-15 years old. For other teens, we have a lot of groups from high schools come to take classes on basic techniques. We are just getting started, and we are trying as much as we can to cultivate a market in Athens for sports other than football.”
