Blog Editors: Andrew (2YC, New Jersey) and David (2YC, Colombia)

Everybody, welcome to the first sneak peek into the new season of Camp Rising Sun, the Second Session of 2019. This edition of the CRS Times is written by Andrew from New Jersey and David from Colombia, two of the 2nd Year Campers for this season. We are excited to tell you about the new experiences campers from all over the world are living right now. Enjoy the blog, and we hope you stay tuned for the next one!

First Day

After months of excitement and anticipation, the campers of the CRS 2019 Boys Session have arrived!

After getting to the Cloisters it was clear that campers had already started bonding. From conversations about culture, bonding over the things they knew about Camp, and just overall excitement, the new campers were showing their personalities and happiness of coming to this new environment from all over the place. Getting to Camp was hard, and after (approximately) 2 hours of bus travel, the difficult unloading of baggage, and dealing with the heat, campers finally settled into this new area of discovery and (maybe) mystery. Now, the new campers who will call this place home for a whole month are ready to discover what it means to be here at CRS.

David (2YC, Colombia)

The Sound of Music

Camp is a sacred place secured in its traditions through the talents of its sixty campers. Throughout the season, campers are encouraged to participate in activities familiar or otherwise, ranging from the humanities to sports. While in past years the adjustment to Camp has normally taken several days, the campers of the 2019 Boys’ session quickly adjusted, finding their calling in music. Every day, around 7:00, earlybirds storm the camper’s lounge to claim their prized instrument. Songs such as Imagine and Piano Man can be heard from Tent Hill, as a unique substitute to the traditional “Good Morning” song. One camper, Maverick (MN), plays upbeat rifts throughout the day, while Arjun (NJ) backs him up on the drums. One of the core reasons Freddie founded CRS was to foster diverse bonds between international leaders from around the world—as a time-old tradition, music has brought together thousands of campers throughout the years as a universal symbol of peace and love. While many are unable to play instruments, campers sing along and try out new instruments in what can only be described as a beautiful cacophony.

Andrew (2YC, New Jersey)

Coming Back

From our training (Burger Hill anybody? Check the picture for reference) to the whole entire first week, this experience has been completely different from everything I’ve done before, and I can say that this is looking to be a really good season for everybody.

For many 2nd Year Campers, it is weird coming back, and I guess for all of us, it was kind of the same. We all felt weird coming back, but having been here for a good number of days, we’ve settled into our home away from home again. This has been a whole experience, but in the end coming back is one of the best feelings one can have. It was hard the days before coming though. At least for me, the frustration of leaving all of my projects behind, and a whole world that I felt comfortable in was one that had taken me off guard. In the end, that is what Camp is, isn’t it? Going out of your comfort zone to confront the uncomfortable and the unknown to find yourself and maybe your purpose.

Now, being here, having everyone here, I know;

It's going to be a great season

David (2YC, Colombia)

One Classy Night

The first week is notoriously difficult for second year campers who act as Leaders of the Day and plan two evening programs in the duration. One of the newer traditions is a themed evening dinner coordinated by the 2YC’s this past Tuesday. For the entirety of self-structured time, approximately 90 minutes, the seven campers redecorated the dining hall turning it into (of my personal opinion) a Michelin-starred restaurant. The “waiters” were all dressed in their finest dress, with Andrew (NJ) greeting and seating each guest at their tables. Oskar (Norway), Kion (NY), David (Colombia) took orders while Jackson (LA) and Tuan (MN) plated each meal to match the aesthetic. Popcorn, more formally known as heated corn with sea salt, was served to each table at no cost to guests. Throughout the night, Johan (Sweden) and Tom (Counselor, Germany) played jazzy music on the piano and drums. When it was all said and done, the second years announced that kitchen and dining hall teamworks were voluntary; despite this, campers from every teamwork came together and cleaned up both areas, demonstrating the unbreakable bond formed in the first few days of Camp. In the following weeks, first-years will be able to create their own themed dinners and introduce other campers to their cultures and imaginations.

Andrew (2YC, New Jersey)

This Week’s Projects

Mural Project: Finishing the gym door
Sign Project: Country & tent signs, finishing girls’ signs
Lean-to Project: Stairs, curtains & flashlight holders for lean-to’s
Imagine CRS 2019: Painting the piano & music video
Table Renaming: Giving Identity to the Tables
+ Maintenance of Gazebo, fixing the swing, trailblazers

Finding Purpose

On Tuesday, counselors mysteriously sealed off the gym, working tirelessly as campers tried to peek in throughout the day. Later that night, the evening program was introduced with stations around the main building, including Drama with Lindsey and Music Exploration with Ana. Campers were then asked to form a circle outside of the gym where they took off their shoes and filed into the gym. Inside, string lined the walls as campers explored a ground canvas full of various objects. In the background, forest sounds simulated an abstract exploration that encompassed the evening program’s mission. Counselors occasionally splashed paint at the canvas, allowing campers to stay intrigued for the duration of the program. At the end, there was a five-minute writing session where campers were encouraged to share their feelings on a piece of paper. Later, they reflected on these same feelings in a group setting and gave feedback to the counselors. Like this evening program, Camp is a place to find one’s purpose and to explore the process in doing so.