One of the first images that comes to mind as my thoughts wander off to CSL during the off-season, is the dining hall. It is a paragon of organized chaos, as campers and staff alike scramble for seconds and the vegetarian option, all while dancing to the beat of the newest hit song. There are rules in this place however.
Rules that go above and beyond "you kill it, you fill it". Rules that are unwritten and unwaivering. Rules that no one questions simply because they have been around for so long. I hope to dive into some of these unspoken laws over the next few weeks of the July session.
The first of these dining hall norms that has always stumped me is the definition of a serving. Those of you who have never been to camp may not know that when someone finishes a plate of food in the dining hall, they are then entitled to bring said plate of food up to the front of the hall to refill the plate. To avoid the simple walk to the front, everyone will leave just as little as they possibly can in the dish so that it counts as a serving so they can avoid filling it. No one is sure where this came from, or why it is so horrible to fill something, but regardless it is one of the biggest burdens one could have at camp.
The servings are all different...one waffle counts but one pancake does not. It might be a spoonful of mac and cheese but not a spoonful of tomato soup. These differences become universal principles as the summer goes on until campers and staff both old and new understand and abide by this unwritten rule.
It is just one more way the whole camp comes together in a way that is almost never discussed.
Until next time,
Nate Grossman
Stay Hungry.
