Six UC Students Attend 2nd Youth Summer Camp 2011

By Chhay Daroth

Six students from the University of Cambodia (UC) were invited to join the 2nd Youth Summer Camp 2011 from July 13-19 in Siem Reap province. Two hundred and sixty-four students from public and private higher education institutions attended, as well as some Khmer expatriates and volunteers. The theme of the youth camp, which was hosted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), was “Cambodia, My Motherland.” The opening ceremony was held in the Cambodian Cultural Village and was presided over by H.E. Im Sethy, Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport, and President of Youth Summer Camp Inter-Ministry Committee.

Six outstanding UC students

The six students representing UC were Chhay Daroth, Eung Kimmuyly, Mon Doungmonyrath, Phlook Radet, Pisal Chanty, and Sam Sovorleak. Three of the students were selected by the UC Student Senate (UCSS), while the other three students were selected by the UC Speech and Debate Society (UCSDS).

The objectives of the youth camp were as follows: to deepen participants’ knowledge on the spirit of national identity; to educate participants to better understand their motherland, national heritage, traditions, culture, and national developments; to broaden and strengthen the network and cooperation between Cambodian expatriates and local youths; and to participate in the development of the country.

Students Participated 2nd Youth Summer Camp 2011

During the seven-day camp, the students participated in several educational and cultural enrichment activities. They visited the Cambodian Cultural Village and Bayon Temple during the first two days and, on the third day, learned about Cambodian history, specifically the creation of Khmer temples and the role of the Apsara Authorities to protect the temples. Students also visited Angkor Wat, a part of the Angkor World Heritage Site which many Cambodian citizens consider to be the soul of the country. Afterwards, students visited Ta Prohm Temple and were then divided into four different groups to learn about Khmer poetry, Khmer pop dance, Rorbam Nesat, and Koh Angre dance. On the fourth day of the camp, students participated in an environmental cleaning activity and planted 600 trees in a zone protected by Apsara Authorities. They also visited Norodom Sihanouk Angkor National Museum to learn about the culture, civilization, and traditions of their Khmer ancestors, and enjoyed a drama performance about Javaraman VII performed by Cambodian Cultural Village artists. H.E. Touch Choun, Director General of Youth Department for MoEYS lectured on “Personal Ability Development” to the students on the fifth day. Students then participated in a talent show, visited a silk weaving center to learn more about the craft and silkworms, and toured West Baray. The following day, students learned about important historical sites during their visit to Kulen Mountain National Park, Banteay Srey Temple, and Bakheng Mountain. On the final day of the youth camp, students listened to a presentation by H.E. Chey Chab, Secretary of State for MoEYS, on “Morality of Youth.” They also viewed an exhibit of creative art work that teams of students created during the camp.

participated in a seven-day leadership camp.
During the event, they learned about Khmer culture and history,
participated in community service activities, and listened to
presentations by high-level officials,
including H.E. Chey Chab, Secretary of State for MoEYS,
whom the students posed with for a picture.

 During the closing ceremony, H.E. Chey Chab said he believed that students received good knowledge and that the Youth Summer Camp 2011 was a success. He encouraged students to continue to be good children, good students, good friends, and good citizens for the benefit of their families and society. The closing ceremony was presided over by H.E. Chey Chab, H.E. Touch Choun, and Mr. Mao Vudy, Governor of Siem Reap province.

The six UC students who participated in the camp are to be commended for their participation and leadership potential. A few of the students were also recognized during the camp. Mon Doungmonyrath, a UC student and UCSS member, was selected by the Camp Committee to be the host of three different programs: the tree planting ceremony, the visit at Norodom Sihanouk Angkor National Museum, and the closing ceremony. She and another student, Sam Sovorleak, were also selected to be Deputy Leaders of their respective teams in the camp. Additionally, Phlook Radet and Pisal Chanty were selected to be group leaders, while Eung Kimmuyly was selected to be a dancer in the Khmer pop dance.

“Youth Summer Camp was an event of a. . .[lifetime], and taught me a lot about how to learn and share together, live together, and work together,” said Mon Doungmonyrath. “This is such a great program for youth to put what they have learned from the camp into real life practice.”

Among the many honors the UC students received,
Mon Doungmonyrath was selected to be
the host for the closing ceremony

She added that she could not describe her feelings on the last day of the camp, only that she did not want to be away from her new friends and that many students were sad when they said their good-byes.

“I will never ever forget about this. . .[for] the rest of my life,” she said.

Source: UC Bulletin September 2011, Page 28