The culmination of weeks of camp prep and anticipation… Color War 2024 is here!
Sooper team leaders are read at the Color War break
On Girls Side, the break happened on Thursday when campers returned from lunch to find that their water bottles— which had been collected for a deep cleaning (shoutout to our amazing kitchen staff!)— were returned to them not just cleaner but also with a new addition: a Color War 2024 sticker!! The stickered water bottles had been placed in divisional crates on the HC porch, and it did not take long for the initial discoverees’ screams to reach all of campus! Quickly, girls camp gathered in front of Kerri’s bunk, with the Soopers — our leaders for the next week— eagerly seated in the front row. Judges Katie Pargament, Cara Howe and Emma Krasner read the Color War pledge, and we were off to the tennis courts for dodgeball and team splits.
On Girls Side, team Generals and Lieutenants— 4 Soopers who are voted for by their peers— first play a doubles tennis match to determine who gets dibs on color, Green or Grey. Ultimately, Fallon and Marissa beat Jess and Summer, and they chose GREY! Then, divisions are called one at a time for a dodgeball match: Soopers, Juniors, Seniors, Jinters… etc. and as campers are eliminated they line up in front of the Chief Judges and have their team color read. Green gathers on one half of the tennis courts, Grey on another, slowly growing and growing until each camper is on their respective side.
Al Viva once full teams are assembled
On Boys Side, the break happened Tuesday at evening lineup. As Mark made his pre flag-lowering announcements— acknowledging the amazing August weather, a roll call of various soccer league finals— a fire broke out in the garbage can in front of the Pixie House, just next to the lineup circle. Flames reaching over the edge of the can, counselor Emmett Miller sprung into action. Fire extinguisher in hand he put the fire out to a thunderous applause from boys camp (many people by now catching on to the break). Mark continued with his announcements but then…. smoke billows out of the Dining Hall door! Just as campers start to react, Moises and Upper Senior DL Justin Zucker burst through the Dining Hall with green and grey confetti poppers… “It’s Color War!”
To the A Court!
They haven’t finished shouting the words and everyone is already dashing to the A Court, where dodgeball and splits take place. On Boys Side, the sequence is similar: divisions are called up one by one for a dodgeball match and as campers are eliminated they line up in front of their DL who reads aloud their team colors. Grey assembles on one half of the court and Green on the other, with Upper Seniors and the Captains and Co-Captains called last. On Boys Side, beyond the Upper Seniors each team has three counselor Generals who serve as coaches and team leaders. The six Generals are revealed last, each one introduced by a peer and then making a “surprise entrance” (running in from some secret location, on a golf cart, to pump up music, etc.) and greeted by a loud “Al Viva” cheer from their team. The teams now fully assembled, and dinner in the Dining Hall way past done, the entire boys camp assembled on the ball fields for a BBQ “Tailgate” before Upper Senior Flag Football (the first, official, Color War event).
The next 4 days of competition encompass a little bit of everything. On Girls Side, Green Wreck it Ralph will face off against Grey Smurf Village (girls side does themes) in the Sing tonight— a presentation of songs, skits, and art projects. Other highlights include “Novelities” (small, fun, full team competitions like jump rope, and ball balance); The Relay; Track, Swim and Boat Meets; All Star Games (Softball, Volleyball and Basketball); Scavenger and Trivia Hunts and so much more. On Boys Side, top events are Mass Softball; The Relay; Swim Meet and Boating Regatta; The A Game (Upper Senior/ Senior Basketball) Rope Burn; Chicken Fights.
Perhaps the best parts of Color War are not the individual events, but the intangibles. Watching Soopers and Upper Seniors as leaders, encouraging and motivating younger campers. The all-out, earnest effort in each aspect of the competition, especially the ones that feel “absurd” to describe in writing: whether it’s blowing a ping pong ball across the tennis courts in The Relay, or sprinting to move blocks in the inexplicably named “Potato Races,” or filling a pitcher with water using nothing but your hands in Water Toting. The way teams burst into cheers, campers of all ages huddling up, after a win. How in a moment of downtime, perhaps on the walk back to the bunk after an activity, bunkmates on opposite teams come together and share a moment of laughter, entirely unrelated to the game that just ended. The heart and tears of the final night.
We’re excited to share photos of the next 4 days. Peek team splits and the full program below!