Author: Elissa

It was carnival day at Chenny and we were all ready to play and have fun. There were dunk tanks, carnival games, water slides, marriage booth,  inflatable obstacle courses,  cotton candy, popcorn and so much more.  The camp favorite today was the foam pits. Campers were loving diving into foam and being covered head to toe. They looked like snowmen coming out of the pit and it was hilarious. It was such a fun day and a great way to celebrate the last few days of camp. Our new logo was a huge hit and everyone looked amazing in their new Chenny shirts. A perfect day to launch our new logo and everyone looked amazing in their new fly Chenny Swag!!

Our last Campers of the Week and Kind Campers of Summer 2024 were announced today. We celebrate them today and everyday for their incredible contribution and joy they spread around camp. Congratulations to our incredible campers & staff. They Rock!!!

Campers of the Week:

Freshman: Ava Steinman & James Ackerman

Juniors: Cali Ratner, Savannah Zeitel & Spencer Weinstein, Travis Karmitz

Middies: Sammy Mesh, Mia Pillersdorf & Remy Harris

Inters: Maya Park, Hannah Hochfelder & Spencer Braverman, Jackson Chaput

Collegiate: Mattea Seigel & Emmet Rosenberg

Senior: Brigette Rooney & Ryan Katz

Super : Jordana Poplock & Nick Einzig

GC: Amalya Berman & Jett Morgan

CIT: Callie Nadel & Owen Isaacson

Girls Side Kind Campers: Liv Heiferman, Dylan Lieberman, Iyla Pall, Amalya Bernstein, April Polirstock, Pauline Blash, Lila Korn, Sloane Lewis, Emma Shey, Zoe Ratner, Rachel Sklar, Brier Schwebel, Simone Singer, Dylan Lefokowitz, Brooke Kaplan, Maddie Klatsky, Kylie Park, Noa Dagan, Lyla Goldstein, Maddy Rosen, Roxie Bishop, Morgan Bassuk, Dylan Bloom, Lela Schlanger, Sammy Simson

Girls Side Kind Counselors: Bayley Brock (Bunk A), Hannah Brook (Bunk B), Daisy Barnwell (Bunk F), Lexi Galan (Bunk M), Jolie Krieger, Shaya Roth, Anna Clark, Jessie Locker, Madison Grabow

Boys Side Kind Campers: Davin Holzman, Spencer Cabat, Joey Goldman, Cameron Michaels, Gabe Barasch, Max Cohen, Henry Bellows, Cooper Merrill, Brandon Litinger, Everett Buscaglia, Austin Acree, Harrison Pilkington, Tyler Roth, Jake Marin

Boys Side Kind Counselors: Mo Patel (Bunk A),  Nathan Murphy (Bunk  A), Caleb Roberts (Bunk B), James Guy (Bunk H), Tighearnan Haughey (Bunk H), Fergus White (Bunk I), Louis Rogerson (Bunk K),  Blake Hanby (Bunk O)

The most anticipated evening activity of summer is Late Night with Leahy and tonights show was undeniably great. So entertaining , there is no other way to describe it other than beyond belief funny and fabulously entertaining. Brian Leahy creates the most entertaining videos and produces a show that is funny beyond belief and wraps up our summer with the most perfect late night talk show twist.  There are incredibly funny videos, dances, TikToks and Beats Headphones giveaways.  Campers and staff absolutely went crazy for the hilarity of what they witnessed tonight. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day and the ideal warp up to summer 2024. Ask your camper how Late Night was and we know they’d say, “best show ever.”

Two more days and a wakeup to go.

 

With the last day of Color War upon us, everyone was working hard, having fun and giving it every ounce of effort they had. It meant that much to all of us. Win or loose, each team put their heart on the line and played hard. Each field and court was full of Red and Gold spirit, chants and cheers. Everyone was giving it their all. To see groups of kids rally around one another in the true sprit of competition and do it in a way that is uplifting and encouraging is awe-inspiring. It’s the way it should always be and it exists here at camp.

After our morning games, it was one last push with an afternoon with Apache Relay. Everyone matters in Apache and every camper plays a key role. No matter if you are being wrapped in toilet paper, running around the quad track, painting an entire oak tag board or are heading into the School of Rock for the infamous “unknown”, you count. It is a race that includes EVERYONE. It is fun, it is intense and it is Apache. When you think of the true meaning of this camp wide relay, you understand how connected we all are and how each part makes up the whole. The intensity, the focus, the anticipation, it’s all there and it’s why we love Apache. It was and incredible day and we literally didn’t stop. We played hard today and everyone knows that the finish line is getting closer.

Tonight was a silent meal and never was The Lodge so quiet. It was oddly silent as this is the place where we dance and sing but tonight in Color War tradition, we ate silently.  The campers wanted more than anything to talk but knew that every word spoken would loose points for their team. Try and visualize The Lodge full of campers and counselors that just don’t speak. It was a sight to see and nothing to hear.

As both teams entered into Shields Hall, everyone know what was on the line. This is the last event from Color War 2024 and both teams wanted the win badly. This was it, and everyone knew it. The scores were so close it was all coming down to SING. Each team presented their plaque and banner and they were truly works of art. True art master pieces that took our breath away. It was time for Sing and both were ready to perform the songs they worked so hard on and had so much meaning in every verse. There were tears when both teams sang their Alma Mater as this signifies that the end of camp is close. So much emotion, so many feelings and tonight we all felt it.

In a Chenny tradition of musical chairs, the last Judge to grab his/her seat was Red and that relayed the winner of Color War 2024 was Red Pop. There was only 12 points between the teams and in our history there has never been this close of a Color War. Congratulations Red Pop, you earned it but Gold Country, you got pretty darn close.  There was joyous elation throughout the Red team but just for a moment as we hugged our friends and then busted out in a giant dance party. Joys of winning Color War and tears from defeat were replaced by intense and over the top energy that literally was explosive and electric. We could have moved a mountain with all that energy and then the realization that camp is nearing its end – the tears started to flow. So many feelings flooded us all and now with Color War behind us, summer 2024 is just about done.

We walked into Shields Hall tonight as two very separate teams but came out as One! The love we all feel and the connection we have formed is transformative and experiencing Color War 2024 was icing on the cake. What better way to celebrate the end of camp than with a Carnival and that is exactly what we are going to do tomorrow. When you think it just can’t get better, it does.

 

There is nothing that would get in the way of our Color War and with the last day of rain for our summer (yes the next 5 days are going to be gorgeous ) we got to business with some pivots. That is why having the best team on the planet who can create a day of competitions independent of the rain, made today amazing. There were points to earn and our campers were ready for it and there is always time for Song practice.

By free play the skies were blue and the rain was gone. The energy is high here and the campers are in it. They have been putting all their energy into their games but tonight it our was brains that we relied on. Quiz night brought out the braniacs and the more you know the better. It was our version of Jeopardy and not only do we have strong and competitive athletes, we have incredibly smart and academic kids and staff. Impressive on all fronts. At the end of Quiz night and after all the events thus far, 18 points separate these two teams (Red Pop 1,666 vs. Gold Country 1,648) with thousands of points still out there. We are halfway through this Color War and regardless of how tired, exhausted, wet, run down we are this is where we dig deep and keep on moving forward. The team depends on all of us and each of us depends on the team. We can’t do it alone and we wouldn’t want to. This is where champions are made.

It was a day of games and even when the rain came, we played. Gaga in the rain  is something special and the fun that the kids had was so special. Yes it rained, yes it was wet, yes we jumped in puddles, yes we got muddy and yes we had the greatest day. Every summer I learn a lot from our campers and jumping in puddles and playing in the rain is one of them. There is something to be said to be so carefree that playing in the rain, sliding in mud and a game of waterpolo in the pool with a downpour of rain just makes you happy. There is no care about how wet we are, what our hair looks like and how messy we feel. All that matters is how much fun we are having and how each of us is pulling for our team and giving it our all. That is how your kids are approaching this Color War. I heard one camper said to another, ” If Taylor Swift can perform in the rain, we can too”. Today was a celebration of hard work, lots of spirit, a desire to win and a lot of wet clothes and smiling faces. From Basketball to Newcombe to Wiffleball to Flag Football and more, it was a full day of competitions and your kids had an absolute ball. Our campers brought the focus, they brought the fiercenesses and they definitely brought the fun!

At tonights evening lineup, the scores were read and only 1 point separates them. We know that it is only the first day of competitions but this a sign that our splits were really really good. There was a Super girls basketball game happening in Shields Hall and everyone playing gave 10000%. The gym was packed with campers who had finished their games and came to support and watch the game. The girls put it all out there on the court and played their hearts out. It didnt matter that they were literal bunkmates, this was a competition and no matter if your bestie was on Red Pop and you are on Gold Country, they battled it out on the hardwood. Red Pop to the W this time but there are more competitions to go. It’s just the beginning.

Our campers spent the evening cheering on their counselors as they played basketball, soccer and a wiffleball game. It was Staff Game Night and all our courts and fields were full of campers watching their counselors and cheering them on. A perfect way to end an amazing day by watching our incredible staff and cheering them on. Best news, we get to do it again tomorrow!