THOUSANDS FLOCK TO UNIVERSITY FOR DIVERSE SCHEDULE OF SUMMER CAMPS

Thousands of youngsters descend on Southeast Missouri State University each summer to attend camps offering everything from volleyball to music.

In the past, the camps drew about 4,000 youngsters in all. But attendance has declined over the past two years.

Rising costs may have something to do with it. "We have kept the fees really low, and last year we raised fees and the number of campers was down," said Connie Heuschober of the university's budget office.

Still, the camps are expected to draw several thousand participants, university officials say.

Most of the camps are held in June and July, with some being held in early August.

Music, cheerleading and athletic camps offering training in everything from basketball to gymnastics have been popular attractions. Each of the camps lasts a week at most.

About 700 to 900 students attend cheerleading camps at Southeast. "Other sports camps can run anywhere from 100 to 200 (people)," said Mary Richards, assistant director of the University Center and the person in charge of scheduling the summer camps.

The camps make a slight profit. Last year the university estimated it would make about $25,000 but fell short of that goal because of declining attendance, Heuschober said.

While summer camps may be a major revenue producer for some universities, that's not the case at Southeast, she said. "It's a break-even type thing."

The camps offer more than just summer fun. For Southeast, it's a recruitment tool, said Richards.

Camps provide a way for youngsters to get acquainted with the university and its facilities.

"We use every space available. We use Parker and Houck and the Rec Center and the Show Me Center," said Richards. The softball fields, the University Center, Kent Library and Rose Theatre are also used by various camps.

Most of the kids attending the camps are in the 12-18 age range. But there are younger participants as well, said Richards

Most participants stay in university residence halls. "They come mostly from Southeast Missouri," said Richards.

"One of the volleyball camps in July is a national camp. We will be bringing some kids in from all over for this one," she pointed out.

Camp participants are not being housed in Towers West residence hall this summer because of renovation work being done there. That has meant the university has had to house campers at other dormitories on campus.

"With the Towers renovation, they have had to do a lot of really tight scheduling," said Joyce Penny, who coordinates all of the athletic camps except gymnastics.

Such camps annually attract over 1,000 participants. Penny said the fees charged camp participants are the same this year as last.

Attendance is up slightly over last year, she said.

"We have different camps for different age groups," she said.

The university offers several volleyball camps. "Volleyball is really hot in this area in the high schools because there are not a lot of girls sports," explained Penny.

Southeast's basketball camps are also big draws, she said.

This is the 36th year for Southeast's summer music camps. At one time, the camps attracted more than 2,000 students.

But attendance has declined over the past two years as fees have climbed. The fees have increased as operating costs have risen, said Sandy Wilson of the music department.

Last year the charge was $175 for a week of music camp, $50 more than the previous year.

This summer the cost is $190, a $15 increase. There are three, one-week camps running from July 11-30, involving students from fifth through 12th grades.

Last year's music camps drew about 850 students. This year's camps are expected to draw about 500 participants, said Wilson.

A dance drill camp put on by the National Cheerleaders Association and the Golden Eagles Marching Band auxiliary camp could push total attendance to 1,000, said Wilson.

While fees have climbed, Wilson said Southeast's camp charges are competitive with those at other schools. "We have checked with other camps in the state of Missouri and around this area. Most of them have gone up over the $200 mark.

"We feel like we are staying on the safe side by staying under the $200 mark," Wilson said.

So why is attendance down? "It may be the economy as a whole," said Wilson.

She said attendance reportedly is down at camps at other schools as well. "Everybody is suffering," she said.

A number of planned music camps at Southeast in areas such as keyboard, guitar and choral had to be canceled because few people signed up for them, said Wilson.