As Camp Nyoda alumnae, I´m quite sure we all share many “favorite memories” from our days on the Hill: the smell of the pines, the feeling of joyous anticipation in a rambunctious Dining Room before a thunderstorm, the exhilaration at hearing your name sung after the words “Oh, there is a girl and she´s known in these parts…”, the warmth of a “squeeze” at Goodnight Circle. I am constantly amazed, every time I meet a new-to-me Nyoda alum – our shared experiences, though often not shared simultaneously, create for me an instantaneous, profound connection to a woman I´m meeting for the very first time.
In this series, we would like to share, as an Alumnae Community, some of the memories that stand out in our minds and hearts as most significant. Sometimes it´s the little things that bring those Nyoda memories flooding back – a smell, a sound, a visual image. Very often, our most momentous memories have, at their center, a person that made a difference to us at an important juncture in our lives, or that modeled the Nyoda Spirit for us in a special way. We hope you enjoy these first few Nyoda memories, and invite you to contribute yours!
Mary Armstrong Spitzer, Tiamalia 1960:
My first year at camp, in the junior bung, I was put into the shallow end, much to my chagrin. I worked hard all summer to pass the deep end test, and I was doing just fine until it came to the diving test. I spent an hour or so bent over the dock trying to dive in, but was too scared to let go. Came back the next day, spent another hour bent over on one knee, arms stretched out toward the water, and finally went in! Big celebration from everybody, but I knew that the only reason I went in was because I got a tap and a gentle push. No one let on that I didn’t do it all by myself. Thank you to whoever the counselor was who helped me pass that first swimming test. I ended up swimming counselor.
Anonymous:
On the way to the Dining Room for lunch, Anne Swayze, Head Counselor at the time, swooped me up onto her shoulders (she was so tall and strong!) when I was in Okpe. Nyoda offers such an opportunity for mentoring and learning from peers and elders, and it’s helped me in my professional career as well as in parenting.
Anna Kupin, Tiamalia 1993:
We were all having lunch in the Dining Room, excited for Visiting Day, which was only a few hours away. A big RV pulled up the driveway and stopped under the pine trees by the picnic tables. Ginner made her appearance at the door and, as soon as we caught sight of her, every last camper and counselor in that dining room stood up and cheered and sang for her, as if we had planned to do just that all along. I had only been at Nyoda for a few years with Ginner before that, but remember her as such a warm, joyous person. Even as a young camper, I loved to sit and chat with her on the Farmhouse porch. Her artist´s eye penetrated her vision of the world, and her abundant Nyoda Spirit was easily recognizable in her quiet, peaceful smile, and in her ability to make even the newest camper feel welcomed and loved. I look back on her legacy at Nyoda, and that lunch, with such fondness and gratitude.
Jess Wajbel Roer, Tiamalia 1996:
My favorite Nyoda moment happened every summer when I first arrived at Nyoda, and it happens each time I visit. It is the moment that I get that first whiff of Nyoda. The gorgeous smell of old, wet wood and earth floods my brain with memories. And that is my best.
Danielle Tandet, Tiamalia 1996:
The summer of 1991 was my first summer at Nyoda. I was extremely homesick, would write letters to my parents and cry while writing them, tears would fall onto the letter and I would circle them to show my parents how sad I was (future drama major in the making! haha). Liz Jones was one of my counselors, and truly took me under her wing. I remember her being so patient and loving, and it really made my time that first summer so great. I eventually grew to love Nyoda and also grew out of my homesickness, but I will always remember Liz as the one who truly supported me when I was upset.
We´d love to hear about your favorite Nyoda memory!
Please send your stories with Anna Kupin (srannamartina@yahoo.com).