Explosives Camp

By Deirdre van Dyk

Some campers roast marshmallows. Others detonate chickens. At the explosives camp run by Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo., 60 high school students, some from as far away as Hawaii, come to learn about explosives engineering. To warn kids about improperly handling detonators, the one-week sessions begin by setting off a blasting cap tucked inside a defrosted chicken--talk about a powerful demonstration--and end with a student-produced pyrotechnics show that rivals any city's Fourth of July offering. In between: trips to quarries and mines to witness blasts and the chance to blow up a watermelon. Eat your heart out, Gallagher.