Playing for the Judges
Sunday, July 19th, 2026
TIPI CIRCLE circa 7:39pm—An unusual afternoon of cloud cover has quickened the onset of evening darkness, though the heat still lingers. Small groups of children populate the Tipi Circle, spinning poi or chatting on benches. In the nearby Stilt Field, the din of some dessert-fueled sports activity can be heard.
As I pass the Ringmaster’s post at the south end of the circle I am approached by a trio of girls who have repurposed the plastic packaging from several trays of Kings Hawaiian Rolls as skirts and tube tops. They demand a group photo which they stipulate must be taken while all three are jumping mid-air.
Today was Sleep-In Sunday, a cherished event that takes place at the midpoint of every two-week session. On these days, cartoons are screened in the Big Top and breakfast is extended to a 90-minute, drop-in buffet.
Though the first part Sunday morning is fun and leisurely, once 10:30am arrives, all of Camp is marshalled to the dreaded Mid-Term Tipi Clean-Up. It’s a good chance for tipi groups to address whatever smells they may have been tolerating up til now, but it also is a fierce competition to earn the coveted “Cleanest Tipi” award. Many counselors take pride in their lifelong wins with various tipis over the years. Today I’m spending time among the campers to hear their stories of Mid-Term Tipi Clean-Up, and to hear what advice they may have for future tipi cleaning competitors.
“My favorite part of tipi clean-up was the end,” says Thea, 11. “My least favorite part was sweeping the Leaf Grove. It was hot and it made my back hurt. I’m fine now. Afterwards I relaxed in the tipi and did some stretches. My advice is to sweep faster. I was taking my time and being too precise. Next time I’ll be ruthless—BAM! BAM! BAM!—no more leaves.”
“We were determined to win the inspection, but TQ got it,” laments Eliana, 14. “Don’t tell TQ, but our tipi was cleaner than theirs. There’s always corruption involved with the judges. Like three years ago we made a Sun Bum shrine, but we lost to Blue Tipi because they had a freaking shoe rack! My advice is to just look at Joaquin’s tipi and try to copy that.”
“I was rocking my iPod so that I could listen to my own music if I didn’t like what was playing,” says Iona, 14. “I also used it when I had to walk to the kitchen to get cardboard to use as a dustpan. My advice is to make a plan with your tipi the night before. Most of us have been in tipis together before, so the teamwork flowed nicely.”
“I survived by winning,” boasts Procyon, 13. “There was a lot of dust built up in some areas, but we got wet rags and just got in there with our fingers. Our secret was to cover everything in nice smells. We waved around deodorant sticks for like five minutes. Old Spice, regular.”
“My tipi mates were really cooperative,” says Seneca, 13. “We deep cleaned the floor and scented the tipi with vanilla perfume. We thought we were gonna win, so when we didn’t it was pretty sad. My advice is don’t get your hopes up.”
“I survived by taking the easy tasks like wiping mats,” says Peyton, 15. “Even though we didn’t win, I’m glad everything went down like it went down. TQ had classical music playing for the judges. It was a wrap after that; we didn’t stand a chance.”
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor