Peter Murray
Camper – Senior
August 2017

Hello everyone, my name is Peter Murray, and this is my ninth and final year as a camper here at SJC. I’m gonna start out with a quick story that may seem comical at first, but actually holds a deep meaning to me.

Yesterday during archery, Evan accidentally hit me in the jewels. During the time when I was on the ground writhing in pain, I realized something: Evan Pergeau is my best friend. You see, I would have been furious at any other person, but I felt absolutely no anger toward Evan.

At camp we forge friendships that ignore borders, ages and even time. It is here that I’ve made some of the best friends in my whole life.

SJC is a place where everyone is welcome no matter what they’re like back home. This is all part of the beauty of camp; we all love each other, respect each other and accept each other—regardless of how different we are.

As I stand here at my final closing campfire, trying to hold back the tears, I wonder—what is it that I’ll miss about camp? Its not the food, or the spiders, or even getting to dress up like a woman. It is without a doubt, the people. Coming from so far away, from my hometown of Chicago, makes it very possible that this is the last time that I will ever see some of you, and that thought just kills me. You are all the coolest funniest, most talented people I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and for that, I thank you all.

Thank you for coming to camp. I promise you, whoever you are, it wouldn’t be the same without you. You all have truly made this the best week of my life. My only hope is that I’ve done the same for you.

As a final thought, I want to leave you with some advice from a veteran camper. You get out of camp what you put in. In other words, take every opportunity you receive at camp. Go make a fool out of yourself during skit night. Go ask out the girl or guy of your dreams to the dance. Go perform a filler onstage and wow everybody. I promise, you won’t regret it.

I’ll see you all again someday. “