Always an Adventure

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By Ariella Kushner and Celia Rubien

Every Friday night and Saturday morning, campers mention the tower in their speeches without fail and with good reason. The kids are able to define their summer through the tower and their other adventure experiences.

Starting in Carmel and continuing in Sharon, campers get the lodium (low-medium) ropes course all to themselves. It serves to introduce them to the challenge, patience, and thrill of trying something outside of your comfort zone. In Kineret, they graduate to medium ropes which connects to the big zip line. Being 20 feet higher off the ground than lodium, medium ropes offers campers a chance to test their limits and feel an even greater sense of accomplishment as they zoom down the zip. In K’far, the campers’ adventure opportunities expand even further with high ropes. Some even start to experience more thrill from climbing the tower tied together and blindfolded. This adds teamwork and active cooperation to an already nerve-wracking experience.

Despite the unit or age, adventure brings out the compassion and determination that lies in every camper and bunk. As campers wait for their turn to climb, they cheer on their friends. When they joke about the extremely fashionable blue hairnets, they find common ground. They create a supportive community that they then bring back to the bunk. They are able to push through unique challenges unlike anywhere else but then use what they’ve learned in other areas of camp and the real world. As adventure counselors, it is amazing to see campers step outside of their comfort zones. Seeing their smiles, showing their sense of accomplishments after reaching their goals, is what it is all about.

Ariella Kushner from Edison, New Jersey. She completed her freshman year at the University of Michigan. During the year, she is involved in Hillel, the UM Rock Climbing Club, Relay for Life, Delta Phi Epsilon, and volunteered at Glacier Hills Senior Living Community. This will be her twelfth summer at Harlam.

Celia Rubien is from Malvern, Pennsylvania. She finished her first year at Tufts University where she plans on studying Biopsychology. During the year, she worked at a nearby preschool and research in a biochemical lab on campus. In her free time, she loves hanging out with she friends, baking, enjoying the outdoors, and exploring Boston! This summer will be her second summer as an adventure specialty counselor and her 9th summer at camp overall.