Despite fear about social distancing, the most terrifying thought is the idea that camp might not happen at all. After years of spending my summers with my best friends, I can’t even imagine what a summer without GUCI would look like. I have so many memories of spending days in the pool or singing old camp songs, and as this is the last summer before I can become a counselor, so I am especially looking forward to one more year of these magical moments. 

Cydney Platt’21, both a peer and fellow cabinmate, said, “My camp friends are my best friends. However,  because this camp is out of state, so are most of my friends. This means that camp is the only time that I get to see them for an extended period of time throughout the year. As COVID-19 continues to spread, so does the fear that I won’t be able to see my friends anytime in the near future.”

Like Cydney, most of my friends at GUCI live several hours away, with some as far away as Colorado and Hawaii. If camp is canceled, this means it will be two years before I can see them again. 

I know this fear is universal for all campers across the nation. For most of us, camp is more than a place to have fun and share laughs: it’s a haven.