NO PASSPORT REQUIRED! Reverse Roles Ages 81/2 - 17 Co-Ed Kosher Kitchen Close friendships turn former campers into counselors. Swimming & Canoeing Sports & Arts SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Music & Drama Israeli Song & Dance Hebrew & Games ilitAIDNIYI CA111115 TA.VOLR 59884 A.L. JONES RD., (R-3)•THREE RIVERS, MI 49093 Your local registrar! is: RON SUSSMAN CAMP REGISTRAR 3359 TACOMA CIRCLE, ANN ARBOR, MI 48108 (313)971-1147 SuperCam Gain powerful academic and life skills over 10 fun days through our Quantum Learning methods: Memory, Power-Reading, Creative Thinking, Test-Taking, Writing, and Communication. Pre-teen, teen and college-age residential programs held at Michigan's Spring Arbor College, and other campuses including Stanford & Yale Universities. • 4-to-1 student to staff ratio 66 A new breed of summer • 3 out of 4 graduates increase camp has sprung up around their grades • Students improve peer, teacher, and family relations • Over 16,000 graduates • All ability levels the nation, promising to turn mediocre students into scholastic achievers . . . 99 — Wall Street Journal Call 1-800-28-LEARN for details and a free video! I Children with,.. SPecicv KESHET Keshet is a redpient of a grant from the Max M. Fisher Community Foundation. Come join the fun as If you would like more members of KESHET information for family celebrate summer with arrangements, or available their families at a weekend scholarships, please call U) camp. A variety of Chaya Leah Tinman at the w activities will be planned KESHET office F- for all of our campers, (810) 258-9575. CC young and old alike. C/) Lti So mark your calenders for LU June 30 - July 2 76 at the Butzel Conference Center A dam Rosenberg, Eric Michaels and Jon Block knew each other in school, but it wasn't until they spent summers together at Camp Walden that they became good friends. First as campers and later as counselors, the three stayed close, holding on to their friendship while attending different colleges in Michigan and pursuing post- degree credits and work in Chica- go, where they now share an apartment. The importance of strong friendships is voiced by many campers- turned-counselors as the reason they transformed playtime activities into work- time responsibilities. "Camp is about making friends," said Mr. Rosenberg, 23, a DePaul University law student who spent nine years as a camper and four years as a counselor. "It's easier to make friends at camp because kids don't have to think about other things like school, homework or work. They are there to meet other kids, have a good time and not compete." Nikole Fine, 20, a University of Michigan (U-M) junior and Sea- Gull enthusiast, believes it was natural for her to make the progression. "Because so many of my friends were there for so many years, I just kept going with the flow and moved up," said the five- year camper and one-year coun- selor, who worked with 7- and 8-year-olds. In both capacities, Ms. Fine liked meeting people from areas outside her own neighborhood and with all kinds of personali- ties. She believes the experience was a good foundation for ad- justing to new friends from new locales sharing space at her soror- ity house. "When you're living with oth- ers, you learn respect for their pri- vacy and property," she said. After six years as a camper and three years as a counselor at Maplehurst, David Silver is con- vinced that interactions benefit from the relatively stress-free en- vironment offered during sum- mer getaways. 'When I started going to camp, I was homesick off and on for the first two years," said Mr. Silver, 21. "It wasn't until I was an old- er camper that I started loving it. What made camp for me was the friendships." A senior majoring in sociology at the University of California at Right: 1994 counselors Jamie Beser, Jesse Kaufman and Neil Rosenzweig. Below: Stephanie Lichten and Melanie Schlesinger. friends and work at the same time. Many counselors did not realize all the planning that would be involved in carry- ing out their jobs. `There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes," said Sam Harvvin, 20, who spent 10 years as a camper and three years as a counse- lor at Tamarack. "With our Stock Market Night alone, there is a lot of prepa- ration." Mr. Harwin, a sophomore - Los Angeles, Mr. Silver keeps in touch with youngsters who have at MSU, attends winter camp to stay in the "camp mode." He also been in his counseling unit. While Neil Rosenzweig, 18, a keeps up his interest through the West Bloomfield High School se- MSU Outing Club, which has nior, enjoyed his four years as a taken him caving and white-wa- ti Tamakwa camper, he really pre- ter rafting. Stephanie Lichten, 18, a U-M ferred the greater freedom he could bring to leading activities freshman who had eight years of camping and one year of coun- as a counselor. To assure positive relation- seling at Sea-Gull, also keeps up ships with the youngsters who with outdoor activities through- became his responsibility, Mr. out the year. She has gone on Rosenzweig thought back to the wilderness trips organized by Cranbrook. "I loved camp, and I always •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • knew I would be a counselor," she nteractions benefit said. "I think that it's important for counselors to realize their re- from the relatively sponsibilities and be under- standing." stress-free Across the board, campers- turned-counselors affirm they environment offered. have gained independence, team spirit, an appreciation for the en- vironment and the ability to communicate better with people of all ages. Eric Michaels, 22, a Loyola law years he was a camper and re- student who started as a Tamak- membered that point of view. So did Jeff Mindell, 21, a wa camper and moved on to Michigan State University senior Walden, remembers every coun- who spent two years each as a selor he had during his four years camper and counselor at Maple- as a camper. 'These were the guys I want- hurst. ed to be like, and I did my best to "I was aware that everything I said and did made an impres- try to live up to that and be a good sion on the campers, and I tried role model," said the four- year to show a lot of patience," ex- counselor, who often reflects on ( plained Mr. Mindell, who partic- summer events. "Camp really is ongoing be- ularly appreciated his counseling job because he could be with his cause it becomes part of us." Cl I (