Shohola Activities

Cartooning

Skateboarding

Pottery

Web design

Waterfront
Basketball

Tennis

Hockey

Conditioning

Pike county games
Riding, rifelery + 
Ropes

Commtech
cartooning
Celebrate Cartooning
Eric Shansby is now in his second year of sharing some of his completely contagious enthusiasm for cartooning in the class better known as 'Martial Arts and Crafts'.

Sounds dangerous and it is. At the crossroads of wit and wisdom, the intersection of ink and intellect the precious young men of cartooning come together.
Cartoonists at Camp Shohola work inside and outside of class to hone their hand-eye-mind coordination. They learn the conventions of comic strips, animation and political cartoons using the tools of the trade.
From thought balloons to serif lettering to the elusive anatomy of the human hand, The subtle Art of Exaggeration is a wacky exercise in creativity.
Eric Shansby

Stick figures and sweet lettering
Eric Shansby's cartooning class is really fun. I used to draw stick figures, but Eric taught me how to draw them much better. He also taught me really sweet lettering. I really enjoy the class. I can't wait till I can take it again next year. I recommend that all campers take it.
Ben Lewis

4 weeks of fun
Cartooning is a fun class. The very qualified 'Shansbini' (Eric Shansby) makes this possible. At the beginning of camp
Cartooning by Ben Lewis

we all came up with goals that we wanted to accomplish in Cartooning. These goals will last us all month. We also drew a picture on the first day of class that we will compare to a picture on the last day of class. This is supposed to demonstrate our improvement during the four weeks of camp. I love cartooning and recommend it to everyone.
Matt Seskin


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skateboarding

Hungry?
The long awaited Skate Park
I remember my first skateboarding experience at Camp Shohola. It was six years ago when I was in Cabin eight. It was this experience that led to me discovering my own love of skating.
I remember one night when I was walking past the pavilion, the lights were on and there were three kids skating…
I sat and watched for a time and an interest sparked in me. In following years skateboarding at camp progressed. We set up logs, old beds and bed boards on top of mats. We skated anything we could find.
We were based in the pavilion but every chance we got we would sneak over to the hockey or basketball courts and set up shop.
Working Senior year for me (2001) was when things really took off. I had the idea of taking a trip to the local skate park. Little did I know I would be the one planning it! It was a huge success.
My first year as a Counselor I got some more things done. This was the first year (2002) that there was a skating class, a huge leap for Camp Shohola.
We got the pavilion and we had a quarter pipe, a bank and a rail to work with. We used our imaginations and made other elements and obstacles.
We also averaged one skate park trip a.week. This year the class is huge and with over 40 participants it has matched ranks with the most popular activities at camp.
With the addition of a mini ramp, a rail, two launch ramps and coping on elements things are looking up.
For the future I envision a large-scale expansion at the park and hopefully one day it will achieve the status that it deserves in the same way that Ropes once did.
I thank every person who helped me do all of this and I pray that it will be kept up in the future whether I am here to do it or not.
We've come a long way from what I have seen in seven years and it is good to know that all of the hard work has paid off.
Jamie Ayers

Nice and relaxing
This year when I arrived at camp I saw that there was a new skate park. It is very nice and is located next to the pavilion, where the old double tennis courts used to be. The park includes a new mini ramp. The class is taught by Jamie Ayers and is offered Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for three periods. During class time, we are all allowed to skate on our skateboards or roller blades. I like skateboarding class because it is nice and relaxing, I think it is the best activity offered at camp!
Phil Ayers


New tricks make coolest class

In skateboarding Jamie Ayers teaches us a lot of new tricks. Skateboarding this year is ten times better than last year. Instead of being in the pavilion, Shohola now has a Skate Park on the old tennis courts. We also have some new great ramps. I am spending a lot of time at the Skate Park since I take the class for 3 periods every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
With all my skateboarding classes, I have learnt more tricks than I ever imagined. This is by far the coolest class and I recommend any beginner or expert skateboarder to join this class because there are many trips and of course, fun filled fun.
Cody Umbel


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pottery

The NEW wheel keeps turning
A few words from Anne, who has bravely and successfully run her second year of pottery complete with plaster cast!

Let's Talk Dirty
Well, maybe not dirty, let's just say messy. I'm referring to clay.
Last year (winter of 2001) Kit decided that the previous "Arts & Crafts" program just wasn't up to par with most of the programs offered at Camp Shohola. A couple of the counselor's convinced him that a pottery program might be a good addition to the craft line-up.
So, during the winter Kit went in search of a potter to explore the idea and after much discussion the old arts & crafts building was transformed into a mighty fine pottery for the summer of 2002. But, much to my chagrin, I've discovered that there are many campers, CITs, and Counselors who have NEVER visited the new pottery.
Well let me tell you what you're missing! We have 4 electric potters' wheels, 2 electric kilns, a slab roller, and a thousand pounds of clay just for us! We use a reddish/brown stoneware that is specially formulated to provide a clay with nice plasticity (this means really gooey) suitable for both wheel throwing and slab building. And this year we're going to be doing an open pit fire as well. Now I ask you, where else can you get the chance to play in the mud, dig a big hole in the ground, and light a BIG fire without getting into trouble?
And, one last note: chicks dig guys that know how to throw pots. So, check out Shohola Pottery. It's really cool.
Anne Dilker

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web design

Mastery of web design immerges at Shohola
Alex Lee, newly anointed Web Design Master, reflects on the emerging magic of web design that has not been missed by Shohola.

One day, not so long ago, a squabble of children appeared at my Commtech lesson. They said to me "I wish to be graced with the unstoppable powers of Web Design".
I looked at their dulled faces, into empty eyes, laughed and said, "Thou look like the most ignorant group of dirty children I have ever had the misfortune to see! Thou will never have the strength and the courage to comprehend the immense powers of Web Design".
But they begged and cried, cried and begged until finally I gave in. Within the first lesson I saw the change. I saw a new spark of life in their eyes, a new spring in their step and the sound of new life in their voice.
I could not believe what I then saw. Within the space of a few weeks we have not only had these children create a web page, but also created links, added pictures and videos, published them on the internet, created logos and animated pictures with unbelievable skill.
These skills include using Macromedia products Dreamweaver 4 and Fireworks. These both are available on Demo and can be downloaded from www.macromedia.com.

These new clean and lively children were not the same ones I pulled in from the dark porch at Commtech. They have been blessed with the powers of web design, a power which will stay for life, a power which can bring wisdom and a power that can be used to create GOLD.
Alex Lee

Web pages that people like
I really enjoy doing web design. It's a great way to show what you like to
everyone. I learnt a lot making my web page. You have to put things on your web page that people like, such as links, pictures, animation and anything someone would like to see. It is so fun and I definitely recommend it to others.
David Poznansky

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waterfront


Boom!
Kevin Wright and Jane Flemming teach sailing, my favorite of the waterfront activities. On the first day we learned how to raise the sails and catch wind. We learned how you use the rudder to steer the boat. Jane and Kevin also taught us how to raise the boom, which is named for the sound it makes when it swings across and hits you in the head!
Chris Woods

Rolls and trips
Kayaking is a fun class, taught by Triin Sokk and ‘The Hammer’ (John Hammer). Once you master the basic skills of the water exit, you can paddle all the way out to Blue Berry Island and back. In the lake, you can do Eskimo and barrel rolls and many other fun things. You can also go on fun trips to places like the Delaware River. If you didn’t kayak this year, learn next year!
Ian Slater

Not boring boating
One of my favorite activities is power boating. If you think rowing is boring, I’d say you are wrong. In power boating you get to row around the lake, play tag with water balloons and many other fun things. At one point, we even get to go to Blue Berry Island.
One thing I like about rowing is how easy and peaceful it is when you row. The only bad thing about rowing is that it’s only offered for the first period on B-days, which are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I hope you choose power boating next year
Ben Meissner

Skiing crash course
It is fun to go water skiing. You need to lay backwards in the water, put your arms around your legs, put the rope between your skis and then the toes of your skis should be a little bit above the water. Don’t stand on your own, let the boat pull you up and when you are up, put your arms out straight. Put your weight on your left ski and you will go right and vice versa. It is really hard to swim with your skis on. At first you will fall down. But then you will get the hang of it and you will start to have some fun.
Alex Nealon

basketball

Well worn favorite
Of all the sports played at Camp Shohola, basketball is the most popular. So far, the 13-Under basketball team has started off with a great record of 2-0, both games coming ‘down to the wire’.
Bryan Henrick and Frankie Spellman, both new additions to the team, have helped the other veterans, Alex Piperis and Marshall Rader, excel this year. Thanks to great coaching by Ruben Ortiz and Jordan Holtzman-Constan , everyone that wanted to play had their opportunity.
With upcoming games against Greeley and Pine Forest the 13-Under team hopes to take their winning score to 4-0. When they play these games, they will need to step up and show us that they can play ball. The 13-Under basketball team is looking forward to these games with an optimistic attitude and hopefully will come out winning.
Bryan Henrick and Alex Piperis

Undefeated and improving!
Basketball is one of the most popular sports at Shohola. Our under-13 basketball team is undefeated so far, due to the fact that our coach taught us team work and how the game is all about fun. Here at Shohola every one plays and gets better, even those who haven’t played before, mostly because of the drills. This has been a good summer just because of basketball.
Frankie Spellman

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tennis

Improvement in tennis too
Tennis is a very fun class. We always have a good time and learn skills to improve our game. Simon, Josh and Elias all help us with our serves, volleys and backhands. They are all really cool and I'm glad they lead my class. I really enjoy taking tennis at camp because I don't get to play at home and I always improve my game tremendously. Some times we play doubles or other fun games like 'King of the Court'.
Lucas Muller

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hockey

Year round hockey
I think roller hockey is one of the best activities at camp because it lets people like me, who plays ice hockey during the winter, keep my skills up. In addition, I like that my friends who don't play ice hockey can play competitively with me during the summer and have a great time. I take roller hockey two periods each day. I never get tired of it.
Eric Green

Street hockeyshots in position
Street hockey is a great sport. You learn a lot of different things. You learn how to shoot and how to be a defensive and offensive player. There are three different types of shots. They are the slap shot, snap shot and the wrist shot. An offensive player tries to shoot on the opposite goal; a defensive player defends his own goal.
I love this sport and I am pretty good at it. If you learn it you will be good at it too. There are also positions to play. They are left wing, right wing, center, right and left defense and goalie. There are three types of hockey you can play; ice, roller and street hockey.
Kyle Schiff

Hockey class blast
Camp Shohola provides a great number of fun activities. One of my favorites is the street hockey program. Mark McAuliffe and Michal Stransky teach the kids drills, technique and other cool stuff. In the beginning of most classes we start out with drills. We form lines next to the goal and a person from each line runs, passing the ball and shooting the ball at the net. Shohola offers street hockey games against other camps in the Pike County. They put teams together for different age groups. We all have positions and we play a game against the other camp's team. It is a lot of fun playing against people you do not know. Street hockey at Shohola is a huge thing that everyone enjoys. We have great Counselors and a lot of fun.
Max Steinberg

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conditioning

Getting into shape
Getting into shape is the main goal of conditioning class. Our class always consists of running around the soccer field for 10 minutes. This works your whole body. Then we usually stretch out for a couple of minutes. Next we do as many push-ups as we can in three minutes. This is hard work. After this we do as many sit-ups as we can in three minutes.
After both of these, we usually do these sit-up things where we lie down in sit-up position and at different angles lean on our backs. This works your abdominal muscles very well. Then we lie down on our backs again and put our legs straight up. Another person will push your legs down and the person on the ground has to keep his legs from hitting the ground. This activity is difficult. This point is usually the end of the class. Conditioning is a very fun class.
Paul Schneider

The art of becoming martial
In martial arts we learn self-discipline and how to defend ourselves. We also have to work out by running laps around the soccer field and doing push-ups and sit-ups. We also do a variety of stretches.
Bryan Hill

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pike county games

Pike County League definitely the best
David Schneider steps up to the plate. He grins as the pitcher winds up. A big softball lobs itself over the plate, right down the center of the field. Perfect! Schneider slams it for a double!
Pike County Athletics is a big part of Shohola because of that thing in the back of everyone's minds saying, "What if I make the winning home-run, catch, etc.?" The softball games are almost always wins for Shohola this year because so many ball players come to this camp.
We try our best to win, whether it's against Lake Owego, New Jersey "Y" or others in our league. Our coaches play us at just the right positions so it's almost impossible for us to lose but unfortunately every team usually has at least one loss. We have great players like Max Steinberg and Phil Ayers. Probably our best win was when Phil scored in overtime, so our camp celebrated like crazy.
Basketball is a new story. Players like Jonah Bromwich and the Working Seniors rock the courts. It's fun to watch them play Pike County because they are so good. Juan Manuel dribbles past one defender, then another.
Being the most popular sport in the world, soccer is also taken to a new level at Camp Shohola. From Juan Jose's victory back flips to winning 15 and under games 5 to 1, Camp Shohola can kill in soccer because of it's amazing foreign and American soccer players. Pike County League is the best.
David Poznansky and Ben Lerner

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riding, ropes + rifelry

From beginners to Horsemen
Riding at Shohola is one of the best activities available. It is available to all campers of any skill level. The levels offered are Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Intermediate and Horseman.
The goal of almost every rider is to become a Horseman, because of the privileges Horsemen receive. As a Horseman myself, I can account for privileges and assure you they are no myth. Of course the only way to find out is for you to become a Horseman. In return for privileges a Horseman must help by cleaning out the barn.
Aaron Insler

Teamwork ties
This class is not only about having strength and balance, it is also about teamwork. Teamwork is what you do in ropes class. You go through the elements only if you get the meaning of teamwork. You start off making a name for your class. Once you are done with that, you practice teamwork by going on the low elements. You might think its sounds easy, but it is hard to do if you do not work as a group.
Jonathan Selub


Chancing shots
Riflery is one of the most exciting activities Shohola has to offer. When the class begins we sit on the dark brown wooden benches waiting eagerly for our chance to shoot. When the instructor tells you it is your turn to shoot you step up to one of the four guns and lay down beside it.
Next, you put on the safety goggles and earmuffs. The instructor hands you five bullets. When he gives the command to fire you put a bullet into the chamber and fire at the target, sometimes soda cans. In my opinion, riflery is the most fun activity.
David Noble

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Commtech

Radio Days
Radio is a great class to do. You learn how to cue a record and how to sign on the aim and other fun stuff like that. Madison is a great teacher and I have learned a lot. Radio is fun because it's full of hard work that definitely pays off. Do you listen to Y100 or 99.5? The DJ on that radio station started off the same way as me! Choosing radio is the right decision.
David Poznansky

Electronics
In electronics there are many kits to choose from and many nice people to learn from. They know many things to help you learn. Electronic kits are very fun and exciting to make because you can become smart. You can make many things, from light up kits to robots that are solar powered, such as the 'Turbo 2000'. It comes in electric, battery and solar power. That is what I have to say about electronics.
Jonathan Selub

Technology links us to home
At Commtech you are able to keep contact with the outside world. You can talk to your parents with emails or see how your home sport team is doing. You can look at new websites to see what is going on around the world. During the day you are able to talk to your friends by IMing them. By having five computers and allowing ten minutes of
surfing, Commtech allows many people to go online and have their time on the internet. At Camp Shohola when you are away from home, technology can help you to have a small piece of home with you.
Matt Rumack

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