Above all else, the Tuscarorans of 2014 excel at one thing: being themselves.
The Tusc staff and I came into the summerwith the drive to be the best Tusc staff we could possibly be. What did that mean? As a fairly inexperienced staff, there was certainly a nervous sentiment, but the remedy seemed simple: be enthusiastic, caring, push the campers’ limits and helpthem grow as individuals and a group. And as the days went on, we realized that the remedy was fairly simple, but we had the wrong medicine.
These campers have forced the 9 of us to rewind and redesign our approach to the summer. We had to learn to respond to the attitudes, interests, habits and personalities of these 54 campers, in order to get to where we are today. This may seem obvious, every group is different and must be treated as such. But when you come into Tusc as a staff member the bar is high above your head and the phrase “best summer ever” lurks in the back of your mind every second of every day. As such, we plan, we analyze, we plan some more and we push. In Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga and Cayuga, this may suffice as the ingredients for a successful summer, but what I am slowly learning is how insufficient it is in Tusc. What no one else but the campers have taught me this session is that the beauty of Tusc comes in the unknown. It comes in versatility and the ability to adapt and trust that if our hearts are in the right place and we let the campers do what they do best, they’ll stand high above the Tusc bar on August 20th.
Luckily for us, its only July 23rd. We’re not there yet and we shouldn’t be. The Tusc campers have immense growth still to come. The best part? This growth is going to be their own trajectory, not the one the Tusc staff and I defined for them during orientation. I am SO excited to spend the next month together and help each camper learn to appreciate each moment, big or small.
Rachel Rosenbaum- Tusc Unit Head