Staff Spotlight: Thomas Fies

Thomas Fies is returning for his sixth summer at Northstar. Thomas lives in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. He just finished hus senior year of high school (very bittersweet) and will be attending Washington University in Saint Louis next year. Thomas swam and played water polo in high school, and plans to play club water polo at Wash U. Thomas was a decorated water polo player and ended his career as Evanston’s career scoring leader. Last summer he went on a month-long backpacking trip in Alaska through NOLS, one of the few summer experiences he has had that rivals camp.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?

If I wrote an autobiography, the title would be “I’m Telling You Mom, That Grade is Going to Come up. Seriously.”
What TV show or movie are you ashamed to admit that you love?

I’m ashamed of how much I love the movie Wall-E.
Where is your favorite spot at camp?

My favorite spot at camp is the Council Ring or the big fire pit in the Villa. What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation is either to New Zealand, a private island in the South Pacific, or going back to the Alaska Range in Alaska. 

If you had a super hero power, what would it be?

If I had a superpower, I would be able to fly.

If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see?

If I could witness any historical event, I would witness whatever happened to the dinosaurs (from a safe vantage point, of course).

What is your favorite quote from a movie?

My favorite quote from a movie is, “E.T. phone home.” 

What’s your favorite restaurant in the Hayward area?

My favorite restaurant in the Hayward area is Angler’s Haven.

What is your hidden talent?

My hidden talent is my ability to catch food in my mouth.

What advice would you give to someone coming to North Star for the first time?

For somebody coming to Northstar for the first time, I would say to always make sure you’re doing something. There are activities at camp that you won’t be able to do anywhere else (or at least that aren’t as fun anywhere else), so get outside of your comfort zone, try something new, and stay active.

Share one notable camp memory:

My favorite memory from camp is the Canadian. It was such an incredible trip that I will never forget.