The "Alton" Experience
Posted: Wed May 29, 2002 3:27 pm
Fellow Altonites: I attended Alton for approximately seven years, late 50's through mid-60's. My younger brother, Peter, also attended Alton for many years (he died several years ago of AIDS).
Peter and I both felt very strongly that, notwithstanding all of the positive aura associated with Alton, all of the tradition, all of the comradery, long-lasting traditions and relationships, there was also very clearly (to us) a dark side to the Alton experience.
Alton was, by any reasonable analysis, an intensely competitive, sports-oriented place. This, despite the many varied non-competitive activities (e.g. crafts, nature, etc.) that were included in the total program.
In our opinion(and we discussed these concerns in depth with Peter Guralnick during a visit back to Alton years ago), Alton embodied an overriding sense of a classic Brittish boarding school, with hazing, overreaching favoritisism, a relative disregard by both the more popular campers, and counselors, for the less competitive, less "in" kids.
Such emblems as the Chief reading a passage from the Old Testament every morning at the Rocks, immediately followed by his announcement of the current cumulative Gray-Green score, reflect qualities of Alton that, in my opinion, make it both a somewhat unique Summer camp as well as grist for Saturday Night Live.
Over the years, I have told Alton stories to friends who often listened in disbelief, stories such as "bad" campers being stuck in the woods during flagrush, or bunks with low morning inspection scores having their personal belongings thrown in the lake later in the day (to teach them a lesson), all with the tacit approval of counselors who, after all, still felt an allegiance to "their team" and to the spirit of Alton traditions. The possibility that these were sadistic acts never seemed to enter the staff's radar screen.
It was mainly years later, after I left Alton, that I began to fully reflect on these issues and articulate this darker side of Alton which, to my memory, traditionally thought very highly of itself, perhaps to the point of arrogance including an inability to fully reflect on some of its possible shortcomings.
I was not a nurd. I was, and still am, a pretty good athlete, at age 51. But I was never the Alton "A" Team type, usually B, sometimes C, and with a pretty good dose of pre-adolescent and (later)adolescent lack of confidence, coupled with self-consciousness. I was not unusual;just a regular boy who did not normally excel at sports or, forwhatever reason, lacked the required amount of self-confidence (whether real or fabricated) and aggressiveness to break into the true Alton "family".
I honestly believe that Alton neither had the insight, nor the capacity, to adequately address these sorts of very normal childhood issues. Alton catered to the seemingly (and sometimes really)talented, often (but not always) arrogant campers, and the same, sadly enough, could also often be said of the counselling staff.
Alton was indeed a "family", but my experience was that many campers, including myself, were not wholly part of that family. We were kind of guests; the "family" consisting of more of an "in-crowd" of both campers and counselors.
I will be very interested to hear feedback on this message. I expect denial, criticism, and even anger. The "Alton Experience" from my observation, contains a heavy element of self-righteousness and self-protectionism based on tradition, bravado, a very strong "old-boys" network and, ultimately, an element of pure ignorance and insensitivity. Alton had a rather high percentage of entitled, often talented but meanspirited (supported by the staff!)campers. I know about that stuff; I grew up in Newton, Mass. like many other Alton boys did!
Cheers,
Roger Medoff
Assistant Attorney General
State of Maryland
rjom@erols.com
Peter and I both felt very strongly that, notwithstanding all of the positive aura associated with Alton, all of the tradition, all of the comradery, long-lasting traditions and relationships, there was also very clearly (to us) a dark side to the Alton experience.
Alton was, by any reasonable analysis, an intensely competitive, sports-oriented place. This, despite the many varied non-competitive activities (e.g. crafts, nature, etc.) that were included in the total program.
In our opinion(and we discussed these concerns in depth with Peter Guralnick during a visit back to Alton years ago), Alton embodied an overriding sense of a classic Brittish boarding school, with hazing, overreaching favoritisism, a relative disregard by both the more popular campers, and counselors, for the less competitive, less "in" kids.
Such emblems as the Chief reading a passage from the Old Testament every morning at the Rocks, immediately followed by his announcement of the current cumulative Gray-Green score, reflect qualities of Alton that, in my opinion, make it both a somewhat unique Summer camp as well as grist for Saturday Night Live.
Over the years, I have told Alton stories to friends who often listened in disbelief, stories such as "bad" campers being stuck in the woods during flagrush, or bunks with low morning inspection scores having their personal belongings thrown in the lake later in the day (to teach them a lesson), all with the tacit approval of counselors who, after all, still felt an allegiance to "their team" and to the spirit of Alton traditions. The possibility that these were sadistic acts never seemed to enter the staff's radar screen.
It was mainly years later, after I left Alton, that I began to fully reflect on these issues and articulate this darker side of Alton which, to my memory, traditionally thought very highly of itself, perhaps to the point of arrogance including an inability to fully reflect on some of its possible shortcomings.
I was not a nurd. I was, and still am, a pretty good athlete, at age 51. But I was never the Alton "A" Team type, usually B, sometimes C, and with a pretty good dose of pre-adolescent and (later)adolescent lack of confidence, coupled with self-consciousness. I was not unusual;just a regular boy who did not normally excel at sports or, forwhatever reason, lacked the required amount of self-confidence (whether real or fabricated) and aggressiveness to break into the true Alton "family".
I honestly believe that Alton neither had the insight, nor the capacity, to adequately address these sorts of very normal childhood issues. Alton catered to the seemingly (and sometimes really)talented, often (but not always) arrogant campers, and the same, sadly enough, could also often be said of the counselling staff.
Alton was indeed a "family", but my experience was that many campers, including myself, were not wholly part of that family. We were kind of guests; the "family" consisting of more of an "in-crowd" of both campers and counselors.
I will be very interested to hear feedback on this message. I expect denial, criticism, and even anger. The "Alton Experience" from my observation, contains a heavy element of self-righteousness and self-protectionism based on tradition, bravado, a very strong "old-boys" network and, ultimately, an element of pure ignorance and insensitivity. Alton had a rather high percentage of entitled, often talented but meanspirited (supported by the staff!)campers. I know about that stuff; I grew up in Newton, Mass. like many other Alton boys did!
Cheers,
Roger Medoff
Assistant Attorney General
State of Maryland
rjom@erols.com