By Nate Jones

Staff Writer

Like most high school students who don’t have a whole lot on their plate once school is out, Scarborough students Tory Armishaw, Patrick McKeown, Collin Pierce and Dani Minsky all applied for enrollment in a three-week summer camp based in Otisfield. Little did they know that enrolling in the Seeds of Peace International Program – recommended to the students by the school athletic director – would change their view of the world forever. 

“It was the best three weeks of my life,” McKeown said. “I can’t even begin to explain it.”

Minsky, Pierce and Armishaw were the first to arrive at the Otisfield campus and said they realized just how different their summer experience was going to be when busloads of Afghan, American, Egyptian, Indian, Israeli, Jordanian, Pakistani, African and Palestinian campers – 168 in all – arrived and began to filter into their respective bunk houses. 

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Minsky said.

For the next three weeks the Scarborough students would eat, sleep, play and learn with the middle-eastern natives and participate in two-hour discussion sessions; divided into two groups, American Delegates addressed national issues while Maine Delegates discussed local topics. McKeown, the only Scarborough student to enroll in the American Delegate program, said topics ranged from campers’ personal experiences with security checkpoints to the difference between freedom fighters and terrorists. McKeown said some of the discussions were as foreign to him as America was to other campers not used to life in the United States. 

“They were really surprised they couldn’t see any security at the Maine Mall because where they’re from security is everywhere,” he said.

The rest of the Scarborough students enrolled in the Maine Delegate program may have discussed issues closer to home, such as conservation efforts by Moosehead Lake and the effects of the current economy on Mainers, but still learned a lot about their friends from away. 

Minsky, born in El Salvador, said she became particularly touched by a group of campers from Africa who had witnessed the genocide there and eventually fled to Rwanda. 

“It really put things in perspective,” she said. 

The entire camp had a taste of what living outside the United States is like on the Fourth of July holiday when a fireworks show went off close enough to the camp to be heard. 

“They all jumped a little, then everything was cool,” Armishaw said. “That’s when it hit me.”

McKeown said although the camp programs are focused on resolving differences, the three weeks in Otisfield weren’t without some conflict between campers from warring countries. 

“There was some screaming. [Americans] don’t know hatred like them, their countries have been at war for years and years,” he said. “But if you come to know your enemy, they are no longer your enemy.”

Minsky said she realized the effect Seeds of Peace was having when she saw several campers, who previously argued passionately with each other, playing basketball and laughing outside her window.

“Even if you think you already know, it’s the process. Somehow you figure out how to love everyone,” she said.

The bonding experience came to a climax when campers were divided into two groups: the green and the blue teams during the final days of the program. Pierce said although the two groups competed in a number of different competitions – including a talent show and competitions “in every sport known to man” – they had learned to overlook their different nationalities. 

“It was really competitive, but by the end winning didn’t really matter,” Armishaw said. 

Tears welled up in the Scarborough students’ eyes as they described the end of the competition between the blue and the green team; both groups raced to a lake on the campground where they held each other, sang songs and said goodbye after a long three weeks. 

“You can tell people the best day of your life was running into a lake and no one will get it,” Minsky said. “It’s hard to explain.”

Pierce said by the end of the green versus blue competition he was surprised to see many campers who had argued the entire three weeks sad to see each other leaving.

“You can shout at each other and think different things, but everyone still does the same things,” he said. “When it gets down to it we’re all the same person.”

Now the Scarborough students are using the internet and wireless phones to stay in touch with their new friends from around the country and overseas; Pierce said he may even take a trip to Los Angeles to visit some people he met at the Seeds of Peace camp and they all agree the experience has shifted their educational priorities.

“When you learn Spanish it just because you have it fourth period,” McKeown said. “Now I want to learn Arabic so I understand my friends.”

McKeown isn’t stopping at learning the language; he’s teamed up with the other campers to begin raising money to visit the Middle East, a trip the Seeds of Peace organization will help coordinate. The effort has inspired all four students to be more involved in their school and community not only raise the $15,000 necessary to visit their new friends but to raise awareness for the Seeds of Peace program as well. 

“I thought I was doing a lot before but it wasn’t really anything,” Armishaw said. “I’m going to do a ton more stuff this year.”

When it comes to applying for either the American or the Maine Delegate program, all the students agreed the best thing upcoming “seeds” can do is “not even think twice.”

“People should think of it as a privilege,” Minsky said.

To learn more about the Seeds of Peace program and how to apply visit their Web site www.seedsofpeace.org or call 212-573-8040.