Students return from summer camp with unique experiences

Aaron Glazer, Editor-in-Chief|September 12, 2014

Seeking new opportunities every day, a few Homestead students left home this summer to work as camp counselors. “I was a Counselor-in-Training at Camp Interlaken this summer,” Micah Rubin, senior, remembered. “They called us Ozrim, which is Hebrew for ‘helper’.”

While serving as a counselor, the students had many different responsibilities. “We would run certain activities while the campers were at the activities at camp. I was in charge of tennis, soccer, and other sports,” Daniel Wichman, senior and fellow Camp Interlaken attendee, noted. “I taught people how to rock climb,” Carolyn Rossman, junior and Camp Minikani counselor, added.

Also, they had responsibilities in the cabin, such as helping with homesickness. “I had one camper that was homesick. She cried for three days straight before we finally got her to open up more around the other girls. Homesickness is always a problem,” Rossman recounted.

Reflecting on the summer, the students feel that being a counselor allows for a special impact. “Your whole job is based on making kids happy,” Wichman said. “I spent eight years of my life looking up to counselors and it is fun being that person for my kids,” Rubin declared.

However, being a counselor is not always easy. “I had seventh-grade boys, and sometimes they would get into fights with each other. They are entering an interesting stage in their lives,” Wichman verbalized. “I had to problem-solve. If it [was] raining, I had to think of other activities to occupy the kids,” Rossman proclaimed.

In addition, the balance of being a counselor and a friend to campers has its challenges. “It is hard to get the kids to listen to you while earning their respect and trust and becoming friends with them,” Wichman recounted. “It’s one of the hardest jobs I can think of, but it is very rewarding.”

Overall, many lessons were learned. “I learned to be patient, especially with younger kids. I also know that with problem-solving, sometimes the resolution does not come right away, and that you need to work through it,” Rubin voiced.

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Daniel Wichman (white shirt standing in circle second from left) and Micah Rubin (plaid shirt), seniors, lead a group of campers in preparation for a nightly skit at Camp Interlaken JCC. Rubin and Wichman have attended Interlaken for eight summers, but this was their first as counselors. “It is one of the most rewarding jobs,” Rubin stated. Photo provided by Micah Rubin.
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Micah Rubin, senior and counselor at Camp Interlaken JCC, poses with Jacob Florsheim, one of his campers, and Michael Dooley, his co-counselor. As a counselor, Rubin learned many different skills both inside and outside the cabin. “I got to become a lifeguard, which was fun because I could be at the lake,” Rubin recounted. Photo provided by Micah Rubin.
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Posing with his campers, Micah Rubin, senior and counselor at Camp Interlaken JCC, shares a smile. Rubin’s campers were entering seventh grade. “I would make sure all of my kids were feeling well and at their activities. If they were homesick, we would help them as well,” Rubin voiced. Photo provided by Micah Rubin.