2nd Encampment 2008 Olympics - Let the Games Begin!

That's right, the GSC Olympics have begun, coinciding with today's beginning of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In keeping with a worldly view, our Olympic theme is the Passport Bowl. The campers and staff were dismissed from the evening activity at 9:30, only to be woken up at 10:30. They were woken up by their Village Leaders, who were frantically scrambling and shouting about "missing their taxi" and "missing their flight." Then, a taxi driven by Uncle Adam K. and Uncle Maarten pulled up to pick up the Village Leader while the rest of the camp made their way to the Pavilion, which had now been transformed into an airport (airtraffic controllers, newspaper stands, concession stands, airplanes, waiting areas). Playing throughout camp, of course, was Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," the traditional signal that Olympics are breaking out!

Once the campers and staff arrived in the airport, they were welcomed to Slipper Airlines and introduced to eight possible destinations: Paris, France; London, England; Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Jerusalem, Israel; Beijing, China; Sydney, Australia; and Tokyo, Japan. After a presentation on each city, a set of officers were announced. At the end, Aunt Steph passed the GSC Olympic Torch to Uncle Tom, and he and Uncle Tommy O'Neill lit the symbolic Olympic Fire. With that, the games began!

Here are the four teams selected, along with their officers:

Team 1: Rome (Red)
Captains Aunt Lauren Elias & Uncle Devan Shimoyama
Lieutenants Adam O'Connor & Talia Nisenzon
Corporals Brandon Smith & Imani Herbert
Sergeants Harrison Mask & Alexandra Jmeniak

Team 2: Jerusalem (White)
Captains Aunt Elise Kravits & Uncle Jake Freedle
Lieutenants Frank Reviss & Steph Kates
Corporals William James, Jr. & Brianna Karabell
Sergeants Nadir Boone & Sylvie Cherry

Team 3: Sydney (Blue)
Captains Aunt Sami Magid & Uncle Maarten van Engelen
Lieutenants Brian Drach & Hanna Cohen
Corporals Billy Gilmore & Alex Lauria
Sergeants Deimantas Salininas & Megan Cline

Team 4: London (Black)
Captains Aunt Steph Cottman & Uncle Lee Segal
Lieutenants Casey Smith & Meghan O'Donnell
Corporals Seth Kardon & Patrice Pugh
Sergeants Voshon Mills & Lindsey Kornblau

Our current standings, after 1 day of activities are:
1st: Rome
2nd: Sydney
3rd: Jerusalem
4th London

Good luck to all four teams, and be sure to follow the fun through pictures and here on the blog!