Saturday at camp means sleeping in, followed by a mountain of traditional VAMPY activities. After lunch, the campers participated in the 2014 VAMPY Olympics, which consisted of three main events –dodgeball, tug-o-war, and a relay– as well as a series of side-events ranging from a water balloon toss to a trivia competition (Given the enthusiasm for academia found at VAMPY, the latter was extremely popular). Each counselor group was paired with another group of the opposite gender to make up a country, and then representatives from each country competed in the various events to earn points for their team.
Countries represented were Micronesia, Russia, Bhutan, Isle of Man, The Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, USA, United Kingdom, and Albania. Personally, one of my favorite parts of the day was listening to the different chants the campers came up with for their countries. Nearly every team had an unofficial “spirit master,” and ours, because we were Canada, developed the spirited (and well-informed) practice of yelling, “When I say, ‘Universal, you say “healthcare!”‘ Despite our enthusiasm, Canada did not place in the Olympics; the title went to an enthusiastic and well-deserving Micronesia.
Following the competition and dinner, it was time for my favorite camp tradition, Paper Theater, in which the campers are given a pile of newspaper, a roll of tape, and a marker and are told to recreate a “fairytale with a twist.” They choose a style from one pile and a story from the other, which results in such combinations as The Princess and the Pea in Russia and The Tortoise and the Hare in the South. The campers did a great job with the stories and styles they were given, and it made for a great ending to a hilarious and fun-filled day.