'Five Days' aims at character building
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Ice-blue T-shirts, dry ice explosions, and ice-cube tosses were part of the first of "Five Days in Dayton on I.C.E."
I.C.E. stands for Intelligence, Character and Enthusiasm, and is the theme of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's vacation Bible school.
Unlike many vacation Bible schools, this one encourages participation of teenagers, with an eye to preventing substance abuse.
Melissa Hawes, co-director of the event, said the emphasis is on encouraging youth to make the right choices, and take responsibility for themselves.
The message to the teens, Hawes said, is "we encourage you to stay in school, and take responsibility. Act responsibly, eat responsibly and pay attention."
About eight teens attended Monday. Leader of the teen group is Chris Drake, who is using Holga 135 cameras as a way to teach the daily themes of creativity, responsibility, initiative, self control and patience.
Each student was given a camera and roll of film, and a lesson in basic photography, then dispatched around the church grounds to practice the lesson.
Drake hopes to secure a venue to display the students' photos.
One new photographer, Becky Peterson of Dayton beamed as she searched for subjects. "I've never taken pictures before," she said.
The morning's schedule began at 9 a.m. with a play and story in the church sanctuary. Attendees were divided into four age groups, and they began to make their way through the morning.
The first adventure for the 4- to 6-year-olds was a demonstration by Ice Man Larry Smith.
On a table in the parking lot, Smith talked about dry ice. Colder than frozen water, he dropped a piece in a bowl of water, where it bubbled and emitted a fog.
The fog display was followed by a demonstration of pressure built up by the ice inside film canisters. After a few moments, the canister lids sailed skyward with a loud "pop."
The youngest group then assembled in the foyer, where "Loonly" Leslie Sweetwood gave a lesson in healthy snacking.
She passed around bowls of chopped onions, sweet peppers and tomato. None of the children admitted they would eat the raw vegetables.
Then Sweetwood combined the vegetables, along with pre-cut coleslaw, salt and some ready-made salsa. Passing it around again, the children agreed the mixture smelled better than the individual vegetables.
Each child was served a bowl of the mixture, along with some tortilla chips.
As the kids munched their snack, Sweetwood told them that as they grow, their tastes change, and something they once disliked might begin to taste good. "It's always fun to taste just a tiny bit of something new," she said.
The healthy eating theme continued in the craft tent outside the church kitchen. Each child chose a basket, lined it with colorful tissue, and filled it with a selection of fresh fruit. The baskets were wrapped for the trip home, where the children were to share the fruit with their families.
Hawes and her husband Leland recently moved to Dayton. Leland Hawes is the lay pastor for the church, which has not had a full-time pastor for around 16 years, Melissa Hawes said.
The church operates a school, which had nine students last year. Presently a teacher is being sought, Hawes said.
The Five Days in Dayton on I.C.E. continues through Friday, and new participants are welcome. The church is located at 1525 S. Fourth St. New attendees should arrive a before 9 a.m. to register. There is no charge.
"We encourage you to stay in school, and take responsibility. Act responsibly, eat responsibly and pay attention."
Melissa Hawes,
event co-director
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