Conrad Liu

I first discovered Camp Kesem when I was walking on East Campus Quad with my Snap and Crackle and I heard there was a barbecue. Naturally, we ended up there because we wanted the free food and ended up talking to the counselors there and applying for Kesem. What was initially a quest for food became the happiest accident of my freshman year as I fell in love with Kesem. 

Before I went to camp, Kesem just seemed like a great way to learn how to fundraise and gain leadership skills with the added reward of being a counselor at a really fun summer camp. You don’t really know the motivation behind Kesem or why you’re really in it until you get to experience that yourself. And I didn’t get a sense of what that was until I attended my first training. During that training, I remember driving up with Snap and Crackle and getting there that first night and spending 5-6 hours doing some training and then having a dance party before going to sleep. And then we wake up again in the morning to do some more training before heading home. That night of training was so memorable, I remember hanging out, relaxing, and dancing with all the counselors and just over time we all grew closer as counselors. I don’t remember too much of that first year but I’ve seen how we’ve grown from there. What started as 30-40 counselors grew to 60 and then 120 and then the 180 counselors we have today. This past year of training, we had so many people that we literally had to sleep side by side in the dining hall. That was a huge contrast from when I first joined where people had so much space but it’s so exciting to see this community grow and know that it will only continue to do so in the following years.

I personally am not affected by cancer and that’s not why I got involved with Kesem. But I feel like that’s the story of 90% of people involved in Kesem. The reason why I’m involved is the intangibles of Kesem, the things that can’t really be described with words. The love and community that you feel both at camp and outside of camp with the campers and counselors and that love you feel all week is truly indescribable. To have a safe space and a group of people who you are actually friends with that will listen to you and feel that love and connection because of camp is amazing. I’ve always been a people person and love creating community so those intangibles are what drew me in.

My first week of camp was my only week as a counselor. I remember that first day just being so exciting, everyone is out at the parking lot jumping up and down as the campers roll in and I remember I was so excited that when I heard “Crackle, your camper is here” I literally sprinted down to the pavilion from the parking lot before realizing that I wasn’t Crackle but that’s just how excited I was from the first day. That day is just pure excitement and even though there might be an initial awkward period when you first meet your camper, within 30 minutes it already feels like you’ve known each other for days because everyone is hanging out and already excited and there’s just so much excitement and energy for the week. That’s been something that’s been building up since fundraising and training and now it’s finally here where we can finally just be kids and hang out with these kids and have as much fun as possible.

I remember my camper, Evan, was the best camper ever. He was such a star, such a good kid, especially in our age group. Being in the 12-13 age group was perfect because they’re just becoming teens but they aren’t too cool yet and are still down to have fun and are so energetic. I remember particularly when we had cabin chat and he shared with us his story and I just learned so much from him. You think that as a counselor, you’re there to be a role model and to teach them but what these kids go through at home is something else and the love that they have for the world and for all the people at camp because of that, it really does inspire you and connecting with Evan throughout the week, finding out what he liked, who he is at school, all that really did make a big impact on me.

Empowerment also had a big impact on me. I remember a lot of kids, especially the younger ones, called Empowerment a Cry Day because everyone cries, but that’s not all that it is. There are a lot of emotions that day and a lot of vulnerability as people share really persona stories but you also feel the support of everyone right next to you. That’s what makes Kesem different from other summer camps, experiencing that vulnerability and that community in both larger and smaller contexts through this shared connection that these kids have with a parents cancer, a connection that they aren’t able to share with others in their own schools because most kids don’t have that and don’t know what it’s like at home. So I think Empowerment and that day is when most campers make those lifelong friends because that’s when they realize this community is for them. And it’s at Empowerment that the counselors realize what Kesem is all about. Through the years, I’ve been able to see the different bonfires and sharing as a member of the admin team and each one of those is magical. It’s why Kesem counselors have a passion for their ages groups, there are 12-13 fanatics, HAP fanatics, you know it. But really this love for the campers comes for those smaller empowerment ceremonies and bonfires where you get to experience the love that the kids have as a collective age group. These are the moments where those friendships are truly solidified.

Over the years, my appreciation for the counselors of camp has also been solidified as I’ve served as an admin team member and an exec board member. You just being to understand the incredible dedication and hard work that these students put in to make sure that one week of camp occurs. In these new positions, I got to see and do so many different things: fixing the schedule, delivering snacks, making sure there was always water, but all these positions really highlighted the hard work that these counselors put in to make sure camp works and you truly appreciate that dedication and passion that they all have for Kesem.

It’s that passion and dedication that keeps me going, that’s what makes the magic possible. I’m not quite sure when I myself first felt it, but I knew I felt the Kesem magic in my first week at camp. Whether it was the first day when everyone started coming in or on that day of Empowerment it remains clear that that Kesem magic is something that you definitely feel and know to be true at camp and it comes alive. So when that last day does come, you are a little emotional because you feel so close to these kids and you don’t want it to end. This final week of camp was extremely emotional for me because I got to know all the campers across all the age groups and formed relationships with them. It’s emotionally charged but you feel happy and see all the smiles everywhere because you know everyone else is happy and you know that the relationships that the campers and counselors created this week are genuine and that they know have a community to fall back on as we tackle the next big thing. IT’s just so powerful because everyone is so happy and so loved.

Kesem is a real community. I’ve said that word a lot but I really mean it. A community can be a family or a group of friends and at Kesem they’re both there: a safe space for our campers to share and be heard and a place to be silly and fun. This isn’t unique to just our chapter but as a whole, nationally, all the chapters of Kesem share that same magic and mission and that one goal and one love. That is what makes Kesem a real COMMUNITY. So commit, to these people and this community because I guarantee you will find the magic that we’re all talking about. I’ve found some of my closest friends at Duke through Kesem and I have not found a more loving and caring community. This is real, this is more than just a week.

To new counselors, be patient for training day when you get closer to your fellow counselors. Be patient for summer camp because you will know and feel that Kesem magic during that week of camp and even though it’s a long time between recruitment and camp it’s totally worth it. To returning counselors, make the most of camp and Kesem throughout the year, it’s truly a community that you can fall back on and everyone shares that same love and commitment to the Kesem magic. It’s a hell of a ride, but it’s something that you will carry on with you forever.

- Joe “Pop” Lee, Duke University Class of 2020

To hear how Snap Crackle Pop began and about life on the A-Team, check out the full interview with Pop below!