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1. Rick Eisenstat
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Rick Eisenstat was selected as the inaugural Alumni of the Week!
Rick don't get mad! (He said no uniform pictures!)
With two of his cousins who are also apart of our community
Here is why Ricky was selected:
1. He is one of my best friends in the world who remains passionate about camp five years after he left.
2. He has done one of the most honorable things a citizen of our nation can do and served our nation in The United States Navy.
3. I think you'll see why when you read through this...
-Brian Murray
Editor's Note: Ricky went so far as too add footnotes. Yes, he had footnotes, don't ask. For ease of reading they were inserted directly after his notation and italicized.
Who are you?
Rick Eisenstat
How old are you? Birthday?
25. 3-3-83
Where did you live when you were at Ramaquois?
Suffern, N.Y.
Were you a camper?
I was a camper from 1986-1998. I can’t recall the name of the groups for junior camp. It is possible I was either a Care Bear or a member of group JC86-02 (who really knows how they were organized.)
Were you a staff member?
1999-Warriors 5
2000-Seniors
2001- Sabbatical
2002- Trip Executive, though I spent a fairly unusual amount of time with the Super Grens.
2003- Maintenance professional (Prior to Camp Opening)/ Boy Side Consultant, with a 5 week exclusive contract with the Grenadiers. 2004- Retired.
Who was your favorite staff member(s)?
As a camper:
My mom. This seems easy to justify given the fact that she brought me into this world and also fed me for most of my time in it. It also has the added benefit of allowing me to answer the question without running the risk of leaving anyone out. However, I feel the need to name Bob from maintenance as a close runner-up. The reason Bob was almost my favorite staff member is because I am literally afraid he may actually kill me if I don’t mention him. Editors note: Bob probably wouldn't want to kill Ricky if he hadn't messed up everything he touched, but Ricky was a heck of a painter...
Did you ever win Ramagames? Tell us more than yes or no if you want!?
In 16 years at Ramaquois I was on Gold approximately 93% of the time and won Ramagames only once. Don’t tell me that it’s not fixed.
Ricky during bucket brigade. He was not on Gold.
Did you ever win Song and Cheer? Tell us more than yes or no if you want!?
Yes. Well since you asked… I came onto the Ramaquois music scene in mid to late 88. I was just getting started out and, honestly, spent most of my time as a pioneer drinking juice. But in early August a counselor of mine-recognizing potential- got our first group together and entered us all in some new competition called Song and/or Cheer. We did a cover of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (which I think was originally recorded by Earth, Wind, and Fire) and were long shots going against established Boy Side Groups. But we were cute, we gave out Cracker Jacks, approximately 65 percent of the group was made up of staff kids, and surprise, surprise we won. The rest, as they say is history.
Similar to many child TV stars, this incredible victory at such an early age had some negative side-effects. The group was blinded by success and distracted by fame, (also bonzo ball, graham crackers and glue. There really isn’t much of an attention span with 6 year olds.) I don’t remember much of 1989 and I think we finished towards the bottom half of that summer’s Song and/or Cheer when we came to the competition literally without a song and/or a cheer.. In hindsight, I mostly blame our management at the time who for some inexcusable reason expected a group of 6 year olds to write a song and/or a cheer.
That humiliating defeat really humbled us and the group went through a lot of personnel changes in the early nineties. We had some repeat success in 92 and 94, with songs sampled from show-tunes that were incredibly pleasing to the judges and commercially successful, but left a tremendous artistic void. Then, in 1997, heavily influenced by the likes of Jared Gelb, Jared Gelfond, and David Bowie and under new management with Adam Greene and Ira Goodman, the group, now seniors, entered their “legend” phase. The 1997 seniors were the first to intertwine the skit technique seamlessly on top of a medley format. This sketch comedy approach proved to be years ahead of its time, and provided the creative spark for the two group members who would eventually go on to create Saturday Night Live. Source unknown.
We easily repeated in 1998 during the “Drive for Five” tour and formally broke up soon after. To date though, the 98 CAPS were the most talented I have ever worked with and as far as I know the first group to be labeled a Super Group after Rolling Stone coined the term in a 2002 cover story.
With my performing years behind me I began producing Song and/or Cheer acts beginning in 1999. My years on staff allowed for a new found freedom to explore creative avenues that had been blocked earlier in my career. For example, in the closing years of the 20th century, I experimented with a seventies singer/songwriter folk theme which was both rich in harmony as well as story-telling and then overlayed it on a new-wave sampled techno beat. When that didn’t work I wrote another song that was also good but ruined by the fact that it wasn’t finished until mid February. Early in the new millennium I went back to the 97/98 format but was frustrated by groups of great campers but really awful singers. Perhaps the greatest song and/or cheer ever written came in 2003, when –for the first time- the genre of gangsta rap was taken on in a serious way. Though many said it could not be done, the 2003 Grenadiers -in collaboration with Timberland- adapted The Notorious B.I.G’s seminal work: Juicy. The Grens executed to near perfection. Sadly the judges were distracted by either bonzo ball, graham crackers or glue and did not hear a word of the performance. After years spent on painful reflection this is the only possible explanation I have come up with for the disappointing 3rd place finish within the division. While these years were not met with initial success (if you define success as “winning”) they were rewarding in many other ways and will maybe one day be appreciated as the works of art they were.
Ricky in 1997 during Song and/or Cheer
What was your favorite activity? Describe why?
See above.
What was your favorite lunch?
Pizza.
And drink?
I don’t remember much of a drink selection. I think I know what you’re trying to get me to say and I refuse to play your game.
Fine. Bug Juice. Are you happy now?
Did you go on any trips?
Yes.
What do you remember?
Many, many waterparks.
10 words or less to describe your experience through the years at Camp?
My experience through my years at camp in ten words …damn.
Editor's Note: That's eleven words...
What did you learn or experience at Camp Ramaquois that prepared you for the rest of your life? School teaches you math and writing, what did we teach you?
You mean besides how to build a Gnome III rocket?
Well, I think Camp Ramaquois really teaches children at a young age how to interact with each other in a dynamic social community and through that interaction build a level of trust and cooperation that can be carried over -in some degree- to all future relationships. This in turn fosters the attributes needed to be good global citizens in the 21st century and contribute to the creative problem solving required in our current culture of constant crisis.
But really, I think the Gnome III rocket was more important. I’m not sure if I would have picked that up on my own.
Where do you live now?
A giant steel ship in the middle of the ocean. I do however have an apartment in Japan where I keep my stuff.
High School: Suffern HS
College: Tulane University.
Where do you work? Where have you worked?
Division Officer, USS MAHAN. 2005-2007
Division Officer, Amphibious Squadron 11, embarked USS ESSEX. 2007-Present. Though probably not for much longer given how many working hours I’ve devoted to filling out this form.
Have you been back to Camp since you left?
I have and I think it is still great. Obviously there have been a lot of changes, just like the changes that were going on while I was there. At times they may have seemed a little off but change requires time to get used to. When you take a step back, you realize that Ramaquois is constantly reinventing itself to stay current while at the same time remaining true to the fundamentals that separate it from all of its competitors and allows it to be a special place to so many different people. In this regard, Ramaquois is a lot like Madonna. Though Ramaquois is obviously worth a lot more money.
Do you still have Ramaquois clothing? Do you still wear it? How soft is it? How many people as you what is Ramakwaaaa?
I’ve given most of them away so they can be enjoyed by new generations. I have, however, kept a few that can no longer be washed without disintegrating including one ringer tee that must be kept in a climate controlled glass case in order to preserve it’s molecular structure.
I also have a red staff softball jersey with the name “Steinhouse” on the back. I am offering a cash reward to anybody who can provide information on who Steinhouse is.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
If I were asked that question 5 years ago my answer would bear very little resemblance to what I actually do today. I think, in that spirit, I can only say that I have no idea what the future holds but I am excited to find out. Unless of course the future holds me getting fired for spending so much time filling out this form. That wouldn’t be exciting at all.
Is there anything else you want to tell us that you think we'd like to know?!
Not so much anything I want to tell you but really something that I would just like to ask. I hate to keep focusing on it, but honestly, what were the judges thinking in 2003? I mean, were they even there? Did they listen to the song or were they engaged in conversation. My back was turned so I don’t know. I’m serious. What happened? Any light you could shed on this would be most appreciated.
I give you a word, you give me the first word that comes to mind!
Camp: Ramaquois
Counselor: fun
Lake: fish, dead
Softball: A chance for both campers and counselors to imagine what it must feel like to be good at baseball. (I know its more than one word, but it’s true, isn’t it?)
Boy's Side: pride
Girl's Side: girls
Junior Camp: snack
Bus: short
Shirts: many
Sports: fun
Crafts: water
Friends: good
Ramaquois: fun
Our Website: improving
Well thanks for reading all the way to the end! Hope you've enjoyed it. I'd like to thank Ricky for his participation and proving to me why he would be a great selection for our first Alumni of The Week!
If you'd like to contact Ricky- feel free to email him through this link.
Rick Eisenstat
If you have comments or questions, or suggestions for upcoming people, contact Brian Murray through this link!
Brian Murray
Rick Eisenstat
How old are you? Birthday?
25. 3-3-83
Where did you live when you were at Ramaquois?
Suffern, N.Y.
Were you a camper?
I was a camper from 1986-1998. I can’t recall the name of the groups for junior camp. It is possible I was either a Care Bear or a member of group JC86-02 (who really knows how they were organized.)
Were you a staff member?
1999-Warriors 5
2000-Seniors
2001- Sabbatical
2002- Trip Executive, though I spent a fairly unusual amount of time with the Super Grens.
2003- Maintenance professional (Prior to Camp Opening)/ Boy Side Consultant, with a 5 week exclusive contract with the Grenadiers. 2004- Retired.
Who was your favorite staff member(s)?
As a camper:
My mom. This seems easy to justify given the fact that she brought me into this world and also fed me for most of my time in it. It also has the added benefit of allowing me to answer the question without running the risk of leaving anyone out. However, I feel the need to name Bob from maintenance as a close runner-up. The reason Bob was almost my favorite staff member is because I am literally afraid he may actually kill me if I don’t mention him. Editors note: Bob probably wouldn't want to kill Ricky if he hadn't messed up everything he touched, but Ricky was a heck of a painter...
As a staff member:
I remember that there were plenty of great people there. Some names that stand out due to how much fun they made “working” at Ramaquois are Marv Portnoy, Jared Gelb, Phil Rainone, the Posner Brothers, the Shure Brothers, the Levy Brothers, the Greene Brothers and the Green Brothers, the Lehman Bothers, Corey Cohen, Brian Murray, Mike Zamalkany, and many more. Another name that stands out due to how much he still scares me is Bob from maintenance.
I remember that there were plenty of great people there. Some names that stand out due to how much fun they made “working” at Ramaquois are Marv Portnoy, Jared Gelb, Phil Rainone, the Posner Brothers, the Shure Brothers, the Levy Brothers, the Greene Brothers and the Green Brothers, the Lehman Bothers, Corey Cohen, Brian Murray, Mike Zamalkany, and many more. Another name that stands out due to how much he still scares me is Bob from maintenance.
Did you ever win Ramagames? Tell us more than yes or no if you want!?
In 16 years at Ramaquois I was on Gold approximately 93% of the time and won Ramagames only once. Don’t tell me that it’s not fixed.
Ricky during bucket brigade. He was not on Gold.
Did you ever win Song and Cheer? Tell us more than yes or no if you want!?
Yes. Well since you asked… I came onto the Ramaquois music scene in mid to late 88. I was just getting started out and, honestly, spent most of my time as a pioneer drinking juice. But in early August a counselor of mine-recognizing potential- got our first group together and entered us all in some new competition called Song and/or Cheer. We did a cover of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (which I think was originally recorded by Earth, Wind, and Fire) and were long shots going against established Boy Side Groups. But we were cute, we gave out Cracker Jacks, approximately 65 percent of the group was made up of staff kids, and surprise, surprise we won. The rest, as they say is history.
Similar to many child TV stars, this incredible victory at such an early age had some negative side-effects. The group was blinded by success and distracted by fame, (also bonzo ball, graham crackers and glue. There really isn’t much of an attention span with 6 year olds.) I don’t remember much of 1989 and I think we finished towards the bottom half of that summer’s Song and/or Cheer when we came to the competition literally without a song and/or a cheer.. In hindsight, I mostly blame our management at the time who for some inexcusable reason expected a group of 6 year olds to write a song and/or a cheer.
That humiliating defeat really humbled us and the group went through a lot of personnel changes in the early nineties. We had some repeat success in 92 and 94, with songs sampled from show-tunes that were incredibly pleasing to the judges and commercially successful, but left a tremendous artistic void. Then, in 1997, heavily influenced by the likes of Jared Gelb, Jared Gelfond, and David Bowie and under new management with Adam Greene and Ira Goodman, the group, now seniors, entered their “legend” phase. The 1997 seniors were the first to intertwine the skit technique seamlessly on top of a medley format. This sketch comedy approach proved to be years ahead of its time, and provided the creative spark for the two group members who would eventually go on to create Saturday Night Live. Source unknown.
We easily repeated in 1998 during the “Drive for Five” tour and formally broke up soon after. To date though, the 98 CAPS were the most talented I have ever worked with and as far as I know the first group to be labeled a Super Group after Rolling Stone coined the term in a 2002 cover story.
With my performing years behind me I began producing Song and/or Cheer acts beginning in 1999. My years on staff allowed for a new found freedom to explore creative avenues that had been blocked earlier in my career. For example, in the closing years of the 20th century, I experimented with a seventies singer/songwriter folk theme which was both rich in harmony as well as story-telling and then overlayed it on a new-wave sampled techno beat. When that didn’t work I wrote another song that was also good but ruined by the fact that it wasn’t finished until mid February. Early in the new millennium I went back to the 97/98 format but was frustrated by groups of great campers but really awful singers. Perhaps the greatest song and/or cheer ever written came in 2003, when –for the first time- the genre of gangsta rap was taken on in a serious way. Though many said it could not be done, the 2003 Grenadiers -in collaboration with Timberland- adapted The Notorious B.I.G’s seminal work: Juicy. The Grens executed to near perfection. Sadly the judges were distracted by either bonzo ball, graham crackers or glue and did not hear a word of the performance. After years spent on painful reflection this is the only possible explanation I have come up with for the disappointing 3rd place finish within the division. While these years were not met with initial success (if you define success as “winning”) they were rewarding in many other ways and will maybe one day be appreciated as the works of art they were.
Ricky in 1997 during Song and/or Cheer
What was your favorite activity? Describe why?
See above.
What was your favorite lunch?
Pizza.
And drink?
I don’t remember much of a drink selection. I think I know what you’re trying to get me to say and I refuse to play your game.
Fine. Bug Juice. Are you happy now?
Did you go on any trips?
Yes.
What do you remember?
Many, many waterparks.
10 words or less to describe your experience through the years at Camp?
My experience through my years at camp in ten words …damn.
Editor's Note: That's eleven words...
What did you learn or experience at Camp Ramaquois that prepared you for the rest of your life? School teaches you math and writing, what did we teach you?
You mean besides how to build a Gnome III rocket?
Well, I think Camp Ramaquois really teaches children at a young age how to interact with each other in a dynamic social community and through that interaction build a level of trust and cooperation that can be carried over -in some degree- to all future relationships. This in turn fosters the attributes needed to be good global citizens in the 21st century and contribute to the creative problem solving required in our current culture of constant crisis.
But really, I think the Gnome III rocket was more important. I’m not sure if I would have picked that up on my own.
Where do you live now?
A giant steel ship in the middle of the ocean. I do however have an apartment in Japan where I keep my stuff.
High School: Suffern HS
College: Tulane University.
Where do you work? Where have you worked?
Division Officer, USS MAHAN. 2005-2007
Division Officer, Amphibious Squadron 11, embarked USS ESSEX. 2007-Present. Though probably not for much longer given how many working hours I’ve devoted to filling out this form.
Have you been back to Camp since you left?
I have and I think it is still great. Obviously there have been a lot of changes, just like the changes that were going on while I was there. At times they may have seemed a little off but change requires time to get used to. When you take a step back, you realize that Ramaquois is constantly reinventing itself to stay current while at the same time remaining true to the fundamentals that separate it from all of its competitors and allows it to be a special place to so many different people. In this regard, Ramaquois is a lot like Madonna. Though Ramaquois is obviously worth a lot more money.
Do you still have Ramaquois clothing? Do you still wear it? How soft is it? How many people as you what is Ramakwaaaa?
I’ve given most of them away so they can be enjoyed by new generations. I have, however, kept a few that can no longer be washed without disintegrating including one ringer tee that must be kept in a climate controlled glass case in order to preserve it’s molecular structure.
I also have a red staff softball jersey with the name “Steinhouse” on the back. I am offering a cash reward to anybody who can provide information on who Steinhouse is.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
If I were asked that question 5 years ago my answer would bear very little resemblance to what I actually do today. I think, in that spirit, I can only say that I have no idea what the future holds but I am excited to find out. Unless of course the future holds me getting fired for spending so much time filling out this form. That wouldn’t be exciting at all.
Is there anything else you want to tell us that you think we'd like to know?!
Not so much anything I want to tell you but really something that I would just like to ask. I hate to keep focusing on it, but honestly, what were the judges thinking in 2003? I mean, were they even there? Did they listen to the song or were they engaged in conversation. My back was turned so I don’t know. I’m serious. What happened? Any light you could shed on this would be most appreciated.
I give you a word, you give me the first word that comes to mind!
Camp: Ramaquois
Counselor: fun
Lake: fish, dead
Softball: A chance for both campers and counselors to imagine what it must feel like to be good at baseball. (I know its more than one word, but it’s true, isn’t it?)
Boy's Side: pride
Girl's Side: girls
Junior Camp: snack
Bus: short
Shirts: many
Sports: fun
Crafts: water
Friends: good
Ramaquois: fun
Our Website: improving
Well thanks for reading all the way to the end! Hope you've enjoyed it. I'd like to thank Ricky for his participation and proving to me why he would be a great selection for our first Alumni of The Week!
If you'd like to contact Ricky- feel free to email him through this link.
Rick Eisenstat
If you have comments or questions, or suggestions for upcoming people, contact Brian Murray through this link!
Brian Murray
