Pillow Fight!

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Games

The news the other day reported that pillow fights are now banned. They are causing too many injuries.

 

No, this was not about pillow fights at the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, or the local junior high schoo pajama partyl. And it was not Victoria's Secret banning pillow fighting photo shoots - heaven forbid. It is coming from the superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

 

Yes, West Point. It turns out that pillow fighting among cadets has been a long standing way of buildings camaraderie among cadets at the beginning of their plebe year. And those cadets are getting hurt.

 

My mind races back to the summer of 1961. I was a small, cough-prone and skinny six year old, sent away to sleep away camp in the Poconos for eight weeks. One of the activities we had was Golden Gloves. Two six year olds puting on boxing gloves and wacking away at each other while the other kids cheered. My luck, I had to fight the big fat kid. I was scared of Golden Gloves and wondered why they made us do that. I would have been very happy to have pillow fighting as an activity instead.

 


Comments

Fred Klein

I remember my camp boxing match. So scary

Submitted by Janet_Adler on Sat, 11/28/2015 - 21:45

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Janet Adler

I don't remember having pilliws in camp.
Rona Gura

We were too busy trying to figure out how to sneak into the boys' bunks at night or raid the kitchen for pillow fights.

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Sun, 11/29/2015 - 01:06

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Like Rona, I remember more benign raids than the ones that are associated with boys camp, but my brother remembers "nuggies" and "bunk battles" that were supposed to help build camaraderie...
Corey Bearak

No recollections at all here -- possible deep inside some hidden recesses? Just think there were always other fun things to do back in those days.

Submitted by Lucas_Meyer on Mon, 11/30/2015 - 00:07

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Lucas Meyer

Ah, camp! I went from the time I was 7 until 15. A couple of my cousins from South Carolina were there (four and eight years older than I am), and the only reason the camp let me in (eight was the youngest age they accepted) was that the older of the two was a CIT (counselor in training for the uninitiated) in the eight-year-olds' bunk, and he was charged with keeping an eye on me. LOVED camp!

I am still in touch with one of my friends from Camp Skycrest, Colin Kellogg. We hadn't seen each other in way too many years, so I tracked him down, and he came to the house. We sat in the sunroom for hours, and our memories were far from perfect, but no matter. He says he'll be back in New York in the spring, and promises we'll get together then...

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