11:00 a.m.

Yesterday could only be described as bittersweet. After the Camp Ayandeh closing ceremony, and a sentimental slideshow of pictures from throughout the week, campers began to go their separate ways. 

The remainder of the morning and the whole afternoon was a blur of laughter and tears. Campers, counselors and staff alike were exchanging phone numbers and emails, determined to stay in touch with one another.

Once the final bus to the airport had left campus, the reality that the end of camp had arrived finally hit us. “I cannot wait to come back next year,” exclaimed first-time camper Nima Abtahi.

A week of discussions, debreifs, and dancing has come to a close. But as Arman Carter put it in his Fifth Anniversary celebration speech, “Camp Ayandeh stays with you even after the week is over”.

Thank you to all who read the blog this week. On behalf of the PR team, it has been a pleasure!

9:04 a.m.

The high spirit that spread throughout the camp during yesterday’s vasati game, resonated throughout the remainder of the day.

After the Zamboorz defeated the other counselor groups in the Camp Ayandeh Team Challenge, a staff-initiated water balloon fight broke out on the university campus. I never realized how sneaky some of our counselors and campers are!

The positivity of the day was celebrated after dinner at a special concert event. The Yellow Dogs, a rock band composed of young Iranian musicians, stars of the film “No One Knows about Persian Cats” volunteered to perform a set for IAAB’s Ayandeh campers.

“To end yesterday with the Yellow Dogs was awesome,” said Tara Golshan. “I had the best time!”

Camper Shayan Malta opened for the band with a recitation of a thoughtful poem he had composed during Arash and Narges’ first writing workshop, while Saeed Vossoughi and Kevin Ehteshami closed the show with their beat-boxing.

Today’s focus is that of accomplishment and celebration. Campers will be spending the morning debriefing on any of the past week’s discussions and activities, and preparing for tonight’s talent show event.

Then, over a lunch of Chelo Kabab, we’ll tune into ESPN to watch the World Cup Final. There’s nothing like good food and soccer to bring these Iranian Americans together!

2:17 p.m.

Last night’s jam session was nothing short of phenomal. While Arton Falahati impressed us on violin, and Daniel Duffin and Rameen Vafa serenaded everyone strumming guitar, Kamran Partovi and Tina Paik electrified the crowd with their piano playing.

The jam session ended the day with a strong sense of community and togetherness amongst the campers, staff, and counselors.

This morning began with a few more commemoratory speeches from campers celebrating memories of years past and Camp Ayandeh’s fifth anniversary. Then, we all moved out onto the fields for a camp-wide game of vasati; campers versus counselors and staff (blue shirts)!

Who won, you ask? Well, let’s just say we were all winners in the end…

Later this afternoon counselor groups will compete in the team challenge, which is an obstacle course including physical and academic challenges. Good luck, campers!

7:23 p.m.

“Leadership is nothing if not meant for the collective purpose.”

These are the words of Martin Luther King Jr., as read by Lizette Ortega Dolan this afternoon at her workshop on gender and leadership.

IAAB was lucky enough to have at Camp Ayandeh, Lizette, a teacher at Athenian College Preparatory High School and a Ph.D. student studying education. She began by reading a Robert Frost poem, and then by challenging the campers’ focus of mind.

Can you alternate between pointing your index finger with one hand, and giving a thumbs up with the other? It’s tough!

Lizette next asked the campers to think about what kind of leaders and followers they are. She facilitated short activities such as choosing a partner, and following his or her palm with your face. She also asked the campers to categorize themselves as an animal that would reflect their personality and leadership types. They chose between a turtle, fox, rabbit, and a hawk.

“I realize that I am a rabbit, because rabbits don’t like confrontation,” said first-time camper Michelle Nozzari.

Lizette’s workshop allowed campers to deepen their understanding of their own leadership skills.

And tonight, a few of our young leaders will show camp their musical talent in another jam session! Be sure to check out the blog tomorrow for this loving critic’s thoughts on the show.

1:41 p.m.

After completing another writing seminar with Arash and Narges this morning, the campers participated in an identity and anti-oppression workshop.

On 20 note cards, campers wrote down personal qualities, preferences, and experiences that make them Iranian, and that define who they are. Then, they taped the cards to their clothes.

Standing in a large circle, campers were asked to remove a card or two each time they took a step closer to the middle. A few steps later, the campers were clumped within a tight circle, with only a few cards remaining taped to them.

Once campers had taken a look at the cards they had remaining, a discussion was formed about how had they been standing next to different people, in a different environment, the words on the cards they had left would not be the same

“Camp Ayandeh is a safe space,” commented Tarlon Badiee. “I am more open here than I am anywhere else.”

The activity conveyed the truth behind the notion that to become a part of the majority people either embrace or hide aspects of who they are depending on the people who surround them.

The second part of the workshop focused on oppression.

Campers were shown a series of video clips in which Iranians, women, and people of other ethnic communities are disrespected and degraded by others both in the United States and abroad. The message that Nasser Mensah articulated yesterday resonated again with this workshop; the belief that we, as people of Iranian heritage, are ambassadors of our image.

2:51 p.m.

When PARSA representative Nasser Mensah took the stage this afternoon and asked campers why they came to spend a week here at Camp Ayandeh, 17 year old Nima Sadri explained how he didn’t expect to love camp as much he did his first year.

“Returning to camp was my decision,” Nima replied. “I love the community.”

IAAB was honored and excited to have Nasser with us here today. He talked to the campers about his own experiences in and outside of Iran. He emphasized the importance of civic engagement amongst the Iranian American community.

“It is upon all of us to bring about a positive image of our culture,” Nasser said.

Campers got a chance to talk to Nasser afterwards, about his experience as a first generation Iranian American.

Right now, Nasser is watching as a camper from each counselor group is trying to “ta’arof” better than another, in Camp Ayandeh’s annual Ta’arof Tournament. This competition is how IAAB playfully pokes fun at a principle factor of Iranian culture.

…

Wait, what’s going on? What’s all that applause for?

It looks like Daniel Duffin is the winner of the tournament! Go team Meymoon!

10:07 a.m.

“For 51 weeks, all I look forward to is Camp Ayandeh,” exclaimed Arton Falahati this morning after breakfast. “And when camp is over, I always wish I could go back.”

Arton, a third year returning camper, got the ball rolling today with a short speech celebrating Camp Ayandeh’s fifth year anniversary.

“Camp Ayandeh is a family.” Arton said. “Anywhere you go in the world, you’ll know that you’re not alone.”

Following breakfast was a poetry workshop conducted by IAAB’s co-founder Narges Bajoghli and first-time counselor Arash Davari. The two facilitated a discussion on the purpose of poetry, and with collaboration from the campers, explored the work of Iranian poet Solmaz Sharif.

Arash and Narges next asked the campers to do some writing of their own. They were assigned the task of answering a question that one of Solmaz’s professors had once asked her: What does it mean to write with the knowledge that you were born with?

Later this morning, campers will participate in an activity entitled “The Game of Life”.  The workshop is an interactive version of the board game “Life” where campers will be able to visit different stations to do something like go to school, find a job, or buy a home.

However, the twist to IAAB’s version of the game is that each person will represent a different ethnicity or character type. For instance, all ex-cons, high school drop-outs, one African American, and one Latino person will be denied at the education station.

The purpose of this workshop is to bring to life the realities that other people within different communities face, and to try to overcome obstacles.

Later today, I’ll keep you posted on what comes next!

Taara

10:52 p.m.

Once some campers mourned Germany’s loss in the World Cup semi final, and others had celebrated Spain’s victory, former Ayandeh counselor Neda Maghbouleh had the floor with her presentation on the Iranian diaspora.

Neda, who is spending the week conducting research on the social impact of Camp Ayandeh, led a group-wide discussion on the history of the Iranian diaspora, its future, and Iranians who are unique in their accomplishments and who are breaking stereotypes throughout the world.

Following Neda’s presentation, another special guest took the stage. Shirin Vossoughi, a Ph.D. student from UCLA and an acting activity within the camp. As an expert in “Teatro”, Shirin worked with camp team to introduce this style of performing arts to the campers, while also addressing issues such as isolation from social groups, bullying, and dishonesty. Some pictures from the performance can be found under “photos” at the top of the page.

Afterwards, in their counselor groups, campers thought of and acted out their own scenes concentrating on different social issues they themselves have faced.

Before dinner, counselor groups recited their team names and chants for the rest of camp. The campers’ creativity shined as their team spirit was reflected in their delivery of chants, such as for teams “Sumac”, “Pink Palang”, and “Zamboorz”.

The night came to a close with a jam session under the stars. Campers enjoyed the musical stylings of counselors and staff singing and playing daf, tombak, and guitar. The blog team’s own Sepanta Mohseni graced NDNU’s campus with the melodies of classic Iranian songs and even his own original work.

Of course, the jam session eventually converted into a dance party.

Tomorrow morning, campers will reflect individually about the goings-on of today.