Compiled by Louis Levin
As you may have seen on our social media, last week Stephanie, Briggs, and I attended the American Camp Association National Conference. In one session, we heard from psychologist Dr. Kira Mauseth from Seattle University, and of the many great things she taught us, she made clear to me for the first time a real benefit of camp that I hadn’t fully recognized until that session. Dr. Mauseth made the point that one negative impact of the pandemic on schools was the loss of peer modeling at school, particularly in children that missed transition years from one school setting to the next (e.g., elementary to middle school). In other words, 6th graders couldn’t learn what it means to “be” 6th graders from the 7th and 8th graders at their new school. This lead to 6th graders returning for 7th grade in 2021 or 2022 and exhibiting behavior that we wouldn’t consider “age appropriate,” not because they missed important classes or because they watched one too many episodes of Tiger King, but because they had missed out on valuable interaction and relationships with students from different age groups.
Funny enough, at camp every summer these valuable interactions happen every single day, and last year we saw a really cool example of them. At camp last year, when campers tested positive for COVID they moved into Club Med, which unlike our normal cabins at camp was an all-ages affair. These campers participated in activities as a group regardless of age, all-day every-day until they returned to their age-sorted cabin. Something special happened for those kids in Club Med who were living together and going through a challenge at camp all at once. Younger kids developed deep friendships with and learned from campers a few years older than them, campers who had been around the Rec Hall once or twice. And older kids got an opportunity to model everyday age-appropriate behavior, helping and mentoring and also laughing with campers a few years younger than them. While these campers were dealt a hard hand last summer, I do believe they all came out the other side with something really valuable, something they had been missing at school for the past few years. They came out having learned what it means to really act their age.
As for news of the camp family, we just finished off our reunion tour for this winter — those tours are our main source of Arrowhead news! If you have something you’d like to share next month, please send me an email at [email protected]!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… In California, we have a ton of athletes moving into their spring season. Danny Schottenstein is playing club basketball for the Tigers, Hudson Soofer is playing club lacrosse, and Ryder Meisel is playing point guard for his club basketball team. Leo Susser and Ishaan Balaji are on their respective school’s tennis team, Noah Penson is an outfielder for his high school’s baseball team, and Ben Hall is playing basketball and hitting the trails on his mountain bike. His brother Miles Hall is a two sport athlete, playing both tennis and baseball, and speaking of brothers Matan Radwin and Ori Radwin are both rowing crew. Matan runs track and cross country, while Ori is active in his local chapter of BBYO. Evan Friedman is working hard to achieve his Eagle Scout rank with his local troop, and he’s almost there! Jacob Carlin is portraying Kevin G in his school’s production of Mean Girls the Musical and Nate Rothman is taking photos of birds and mountain biking — hopefully not at the same time! Matt Wilhelm and Sean Kennedy are both artists in residence at the Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project, and Drew Smith is Student Body President of his High School this year, as well as captain of the tennis team.
Good boy Stanley!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW… Ben Kersten (Los Angeles, 2003-’09, ’10-’12) is working toward a graduate degree in Art History at UCLA. Greg Minisman (Boulder, 1984-’86, ’89-’91, 2003) is a life science researcher with Google. Brayden Levy (Walnut Creek, CA/San Francisco 2006-’11, ’13) is an engineer with Garmin.
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Leo Murphy Hutchence, for Bailey Aro Hutchence (Duluth, 2008-’10, ’12) and Joe Hutchence (Preston, UK/Duluth, 2007-’12).
IN THE BARKS AND MEOWS DEPARTMENT… Joining us for his first summer at camp is Stanley Briggs! Stanley is very excited to spend his summer running around camp and living out on the range with Joe, Katay, and Hannah! I don’t think our baby onesies will fit Stan…