Even though school is out for the summer, inquisitive high school students from upstate New York and New York City are keeping their minds sharp at a unique camp on Colgate's campus.

Colgate's Science and Sports Camp was featured this week on the front page of the Observer-Dispatch (Utica).

It's one of the first ways that students living at Colgate identify themselves: "I'm on the third floor of Andrews." Or, "I live in East."

When students arrive on campus each August, they bring their excitement and enthusiasm. They also bring duffel bags brimming with clothes, crates of PowerBars and macaroni and cheese, photographs, and iPods.

Geology professor Connie Soja and 13 students in her Core Distinction course recently had a "wonderful conversation" with the great-great grandson of Charles Darwin, even though some 3,444 miles separated the participants.

Soja's students could see and interact with Randal Keynes, who spoke to them via a software program called Skype and whose image was projected on a screen in 209 McGregory, a room specially outfitted to handle video conferences.

A student with a passion for video worked closely with a student who loves the outdoors on a special project that shows a sampling of what life can be like at Colgate.

Sam Torrey '09 was one of 18 students who took part in the Upstate Institute Field School this past summer.