In Straight inc we all sat in a really big room with row upon row of blue chairs. On one side of the group were the bathrooms and in between the bathrooms was a water fountain. This water fountain was fully functional with nice cold water to drink. The water fountain was a constant reminder of what you needed and wanted but couldn't have. Sometimes after a really intense Exercise Rap we would all line up at the waterfountain. 200 kids lining up at a single water fountain. Then each phaser was allowed a drink from the fountain. This usually consisted of a sip lasting a couple of seconds. A staff member stood by the fountain regulating the duration of the sip we could receive. That is the only times that fountain was used. The fountain would sit there for days without anyone ever being allowed to drink. I see now why it was there. A source of constant torment. Like holding a steak in front a starving dog and never letting him have a bite. Just another way to beat you down. Does anybody remember stuff like this from other programs? Please respond.
BTW I can only speak to what was in the Atlanta Straight building. I am curious whether or not the other buildings had a water fountain as well. Straightlings?
The Gandy bldg in St. Pete, which was built specifically by and for Straight, had the exact same setup and they'd use it the exact same way. Dixie cup of water with "lunch" and,
if staff felt like it, we'd be "rewarded" with a
SIP from the fountain and yes, even after a marathon or exercise rap. For those that don't know, "marathon raps" lasted anywhere from 2 - 6 hours or more. We were made to dress in warm, layered clothing, including sweaters plus coasts/jackets....the heat was turned up as far as it could go (we're in fucking FLORIDA mind you) and we were sectioned off in a smaller part of the building. 300 - 450 kids "motivating" (ughhhh, I can hardly even begin how to describe it...does someone have a video quick at hand?) to get called on to "confess" their worst sin, or more often, confront someone who wasn't "being honest" with confessing
their worst sin. It created so much humidity in the room that the walls were sweating. They brought in the big, industrial sized garbage cans - ahead of time because they knew this would happen - for kids to vomit in from the overheating.
It seems to be one of the common threads amongst these places to withhold either food or hydration or both....especially in the "wilderness camps".