Camp Casey 2024 is coming slowly yet surely this year and applications are now being accepted! This year seems to be different to many students this year though. Students have started connecting the dots between who has been approved as a Camp Casey counselor and who has not. Many who have not are upset, predictably so, although have noticed vast differences between themselves and the people who were honored with an acceptance. The differences that stand most noticable are those that would not normally qualify someone to take care of kids versus those who are, there have been instances where people who do not seem to qualify are being honored with the acceptance that those who are completely qualified are not recieving.
One lucky junior that got accepted to be a counselor this year named Stella Barry admits that “Camp Casey was unfair to genders because almost all boys got in but then it was more competitive for girls.” Barry believes that “if they made the requirements and standards more clear [] it would’ve been more fair and achievable.” She continues to report, “I am very grateful I got in and happy about it but it makes me sad that people who actually like kids and were easily qualified to be in, were not accepted. I hope more people who deserve it get in in the future but I’m overall very excited.” (Barry)
A student who was not accepted this year as a junior, named Camille Kellogg, observed that her sophomore boyfriend who has “20 unexcused tardies” (Kellogg) was accepted to be counselor over her. She offers the idea that “they should have interviews where we go talk to them and it’s 5-10 minutes per student at lunch or outside of school and then they also look at our grades and attendance.” Her disappointment shined through when stating, “I’ve been waiting to do this since I got out of camp casey in 5th grade.”
Students who were asked around Tahoma campus about their opinions on sophomores being given the chance to be counselor, most responded with “they should not.” Kellogg passionately explained, “I do not think sophomores should be given the chance to apply to be counselors if there are enough applicants as is. They are barely old enough to drive, being given the chance to take care of children seems a bit ridiculous.” (Kellogg)
Overall, excitement and disappointent has spread among Tahoma’s camp councelor applicants due to the system that is in place for electing our fifth grade class’s “suitable” counselors for an experience of a lifetime.
