What was your first year at camp, and who or what brought you to WEHC?
My first year at West End was 2012 and I stayed the first 4 weeks. The reason I ended up at camp was because my stepdad, Steve Pearl, went to West End in the 70s.
Do you have a nickname at camp?
“Wolf”
How many years have you attended camp as a camper and counselor?
7 years as a camper and this will be my 4th on staff.
What are your first memories of West End?
My first memory of camp was during Desert War in 2012 when Capture the Flag got rained out, so we had to resume the next morning. It was such a weird atmosphere at breakfast because everyone was so exhausted from the day before, and a 2-day Desert War had never happened.
What were your favorite camp activities as a camper? As a counselor?
I think the obvious answer is Color War as a camper, but I loved activities like Walking Dead, Elections, and especially any intercamp sport. As a staffman nothing beats Watermelon. With that being said, running a really good night activity like ESPN Night is definitely up there.
What is your favorite meal in the mess hall?
I have a lot of favorite meals over my 10 years at camp. To name a few; chicken patties, chicken alfredo, and my favorite of all Thanksgiving.
What is your favorite camp memory?
My favorite memory has to be winning the 2018 Color War. In general that was probably my favorite summer of them all and to end the summer with a win as an High Senior Camptain and not to mention I won Watermelon that summer, shoutout Chagne’s.
What is it that keeps you coming back to WEHC?
I think it’s just the brotherhood and the relationships I have made. Especially for me living in Florida, I only see these kids maybe once a year out of camp, so getting to spend 2 months with them is something I could always look forward to.
What is the best Color War memory you have?
The best color war memory is the Freedom Hustle Senior Football game that “ended in a tie.” I’ll leave it at that.
A life lesson you learned from going to West End House Camp?
A very important skill that you get from camp is learning how to deal with other people with all different ways of thinking. Having to live with 12 other boys for 8 weeks really matures you and will help you years down the road. I think camp does a great job empowering kids and staff to be independent in certain ways which goes a long way for young kids.
Bill Margolin means a lot to so many people, how has he had an influence on your life?
To me, Bill represents everything that is good about camp. No matter what Old Timer you talk to they always have a great Bill story. My time at camp didn’t exactly coincide with Bill’s prime years as a director, but I can still see the impact he had on everyone’s lives that were there.
What does it mean to be ‘one of the boys’, and how important is that to you?
It means everything. It means that I could not talk or see you for 10 years, but as soon as we’re back it’s like 1A 2016 all over again.
Can you give an example of a random West End run in or connection you’ve had outside of camp?
One day I was playing basketball at the rec at my school and I saw this kid who looked so familiar, but I couldn’t figure it out right away. It took me a few minutes, but I finally figured out that this kid actually went to Robin Hood and played in a House Game against me, so once I put it together we had a whole conversation about House Games and 13U tournaments.