Super CIT Spotlight: Samson Hurwitz
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018
Welcome to the year 2018 Birch Hillers! We are starting off this brand new year in style with a Super CIT Spotlight featuring Samson Hurwitz. 2017 was Sam’s fourth year at camp and he came blazing in for his CIT year with kindness and confidence that inspired everyone around him. We were so impressed with Sam that we caught up with him to hear his thoughts on his summer as a counselor in training at Camp Birch Hill.
Tell us about your experience as a CIT:
I learned a lot from being a CIT. I was honestly a little surprised about how much I learned with respect to being a counselor this past summer. Not only did I learn how to function as a CIT, I started to really see things from a counselor’s point of view. How they handle things, and how they operate. Started to see the benefits and burden of it all in a better way. The CIT program really sends you in the right path to be a counselor. Besides that, like every year, I gained a whole lotta life knowledge in general. Which always happens. Camp really inspires me to do a lot in my every day life, which is awesome.
Would you want to be a counselor at Camp Birch Hill? If so, why?
I totally want to be a counselor at camp. I always have. I see myself being a counselor for several years. I think I would make a pretty good counselor. I just don’t want to have a summer where I don’t go to camp, at least for a bunch more years. It wouldn’t be right. Being a counselor seems awesome, and just being around camp and all the people is a must have for me.
Why do you think camp is an important experience for children to have?
I do. I really do. The effects that camp has for everyone is simply indescribable. It’s really the people though. The people at camp have inspired me in so many ways, like where I want to go to college, my appearance, my actions. Every day. I would still have short hair if it weren’t for camp. I wouldn’t call my self a wakeboarder, a pickleball player, a RampShot / Birch Ball prodigy. I wouldn’t be on my school’s ultimate frisbee team. I’m getting off topic- I could go on and on. Often times when I’m just chillin’ in my room, I think about what wouldn’t be there if i never went to camp. It’s like half. Clothes, pictures, everything. Camp has taught me so many life lessons, I can’t list them all. I would be a completely different person without camp.
What is your favorite memory from camp?
Oh gosh, my favorite memory. That’s a tough one. I could name hundreds of amazing camp memories. I can’t really narrow it down to one- but I can tell you probably the best day ever I’ve had at camp- between July 4th this past summer, and when I shadowed Emmy with the help of Toshi and Zeeky. On July 4th, the Galen-led Cabin 10 took the trip up to FunTown SplashTown, USA, in Saco Maine. After a fun and chaotic van ride where ‘Yellow Car’ was introduced- a legendary game- we all had a great day. Just the word “fun town splash town” bring back lotssss of memories and jokes. To everyone who was in that cabin. That night, we did a hoe-down, throw-down, my favorite EP, and had fireworks. That was a great day. When I shadowed Emmy, and Toshi “shadowed me”, we had a super chill, fun day, where we all got a lot closer, even though Zeeky left in the morning to go rafting. I can bet that none of us forget that day, and all consider one of the best days at camp. But when I think about the best memories- the first thing that comes to mind is just hanging out in the cabin/ the Dude Ranch. Or playing pickeball and ping pong with Toshi.
What did it feel like to be a role model that so many campers looked up to?
To be looked at as a role model at camp was the best feeling. I still remember always looking up to CIT’s when I was a camper like Nacho, Chris Gong, Cowan, Cedar, and more. It was super cool to be a guy like that this summer. I loved it. I strive to spread the Birch Hill spirit all the time, and to be acknowledged as doing that successfully meant a lot.
