As a Cayugan staff member who was once a Cayugan camper, it is very interesting to see the similarities and differences in the village from then and now.
As a first year oldest Cayugan in 2006, I came to camp from New Jersey, only knowing a couple of people. I entered a bunk with first year counselor, now Mohawk unit head, Max Krieger as my bunk counselor. My bunk mates and I came equipped with baseball cards and lacrosse sticks, and we became friends with people who would become friends for life.
Nine years later, the meaning and importance of Cayuga is still the same. Things have certainly changed as campers now come packed with Diablo yo-yos and their iPod touch's, but the things I enjoyed so much as camper, like CHL and time in the village with my bunk mates and staff, still seem very much the same.
I am now co-workers and friends with people who gave me flashlight time and yelled at me to shower when a stubborn 9 year old Corey didn't want too. The sense of nostalgia is impossible to miss when living in the village, but it is this nostalgia that helps us remember what our counselors once did for us, and it allows us to pay it forward to the next generation of Cayugan campers.
As we approach the midway point of the session, the morale in Cayuga has never been higher. The campers and staff are enjoying the day to day schedule of camp, also preparing for Fight Song with great intensity, and even though at times camp life can get tiring, it is the foundation and memories many of us had as campers in the village that keep us going.
Regards,
Corey Ansell
C-2 Activity Counselor
