Camp Nebagamon

Updates

News of the Camp Family – January 2024

Compiled by Louis Levin

This time of year, I am engrossed with year-end lists. Everyone is recapping their favorite books (mine was Everything for Everyone by Eman Abdelhadi and M. E. O’Brien), TV shows (Taskmaster), movies (probably Theater Camp, but it’s the only one I saw), albums (Mighty Poplar, by Mighty Poplar), and podcasts (If Books Could Kill). So, I thought I’d put together a year-end list for Camp Nebagamon in 2023. I’ve left a few categories off, such as best prank (setting up a tetherball pole in the middle of the Rec Hall) or best lost-and-found item (fake tooth), but I’ve got some good ones to share, so without further ado…

BEST THING I ATE: Some Lumberjacks knocked it out of the park at the Chef’s Cap outdoor cooking competition this year, and made a truly spectacular steak salad that I (not a Chef’s Cap judge) got to taste. We talk about Chef’s Cap a lot, and it bears repeating: it’s amazing what these guys can cook with just a box of raw food and a pile of firewood.

BEST SPORTS MOMENT: In 2022, we added a new event to Paul Bunyan Day called the Timberbeast Trek – it’s a spectacular relay involving campers from each age group to haul an enormous log up our sand dunes, split the log (ok, it’s already split and is tied back together with some nasty CNOC knots), and deliver a piece of the log into a roaring fire. This year’s relay was a tight one, and the athleticism of our oldest campers dragging this log up to the Upper Diamond was astounding.

BEST PIZZA NIGHT SONG: For perhaps the 10th year in a row, it’s Let It Go by Idina Menzel from Frozen. This one’s got legs. With all the sincerity they can muster, nearly our whole camp community belts this banger every Sunday night at the conclusion of dinner. Hard to imagine another song taking its place anytime soon.

MOST CHAOTIC MOMENT: It’s a tie between the Scramble (you can read about it here) and the twist from this year’s Grand Pursuit. Our second-session all-camp competition always has a big reveal twist, and this year’s was a sudden reveal of four brand-new challenges for each team to participate and try to score more points for their team. This sent basically all 200 campers running in four directions to try and score points for their team, making for the most memorable, and hectic, 20 minutes of the summer.

MOST UNDERRATED MOMENT: At the end of the last Council Fire of each season, the 9th and 10th grade campers in their last season present a living history of their cabins, sometimes called The Count-Up. Starting with their first years at camp, the campers organize themselves into their first Swamper cabin groups. They then go through the years, adding more and more campers and shuffling around until they ultimately present their current cabins. It’s frankly hard to describe the moment, kind of one of those you-have-to-be-theres. I realized at the end of the summer that we basically never talk about how cool it is, so, here I am, talking about how cool it is. We see the friend groups grow right before our eyes, watch as the boys introduce themselves to camp, and end up with groups standing before us, commemorating the camp careers on their last night of camp. I love this tradition.

That’s what I’ve got for 2023. I’m sure we’ll have some even more superlative memories from 2024, and I can’t wait to make them this summer!

We’ve got a few pieces of news to share this month, and with our reunion tour starting up again in the coming weeks, we’ll start to have much more to report soon. In the meantime, if you’ve got anything to share with the camp family, send me an email at [email protected]!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… Jonah and Elliot ran into Gabe on winter vacation in Florence, Italy!

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Theodore “Teddy” Baldwin Cohen for Michael Cohen (Savannah, 2005-’07, ’09-’10) and Emily Cohen.

WEDDING CONGATULATIONS GO TO… Todd Ahlers (Denver, 2016-’18) and Rebekah Ahlers (King).

New of the Camp Family – December 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

As I mentioned in a previous column this off-season, I am excited to share some success stories from the 2023 camping season – and while there are many to choose from, this month’s involved me pretty directly in a really fun way.

Each Spring, I have the pleasure of pairing up older returning campers and new 2nd through 5th graders as a part of our Big Brother/Little Brother program. For the new camper, having a Big Brother serves as a connection point for their first summer at camp, someone to ask questions to and familiar face to greet when they arrive at camp. And our Big Brothers take the responsibility seriously – for many of them, it’s their first opportunity to practice their leadership with a younger camper.

At the end of the 2022 season, an 8th grader approached me asking to be a Big Brother in 2023 as a 9th grader. This camper hadn’t really fit my own preconception of what makes a great Big Brother. It’s not that he wasn’t responsible, or that he would let a Little Brother down. I think my own bias was toward inviting campers who tend toward being gregarious around their peers and campers of all ages, and this camper exhibited more introverted behaviors at camp, keeping to himself a lot of the time. Of course, when campers ask for basically anything at camp, we work as hard as we can to say yes, and that’s doubly true when a camper is asking for more responsibility. We sat down to talk about why he was interested in being a Big Brother, and how it might push him out of his comfort zone. He recognized that interacting with younger campers can feel outside his comfort zone, but expressed to me that his desire to be a role model for a Little Brother felt like a positive challenge, one that he really wanted to achieve.

 

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He totally rose to that challenge. He got paired up with a Little Brother who was going to push him a bit, a new 3rd grader that had more energy than he knew what to do with, and when he came bouncing off the bus, our intrepid Big Brother impressively equaled his energy and enthusiasm. A year ago, it felt like an unlikely match, but throughout the first night of camp, and into the first week, I saw the Big Brother check in on his Little Brother at a few different points, getting him excited about projects, and beginning the process of mentoring him to succeed at camp. The two got along well, and I was blown away by the leadership this new Big Brother exhibited throughout the season. And, I got to see firsthand how camp is the perfect place to challenge yourself, push yourself out of your comfort zone, and become the person you want to be.

As for Arrowhead news, as Adam outlined last month, our reunion tour is in a holding pattern, so we’re a little light for the time being. If you have anything you’d like to share, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… A group of campers and staff celebrated Bradley Rittenberg’s Bar Mitzvah – attendees included Henry Kramer, Jacob Wallenstein, Joel and Zander Aronoff, Joey Rivkin, and Ira Lit.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW… Tucker Slosburg’s (Seattle, 1993-’99, 2002-’10) company, Lyceus Group, won “Best PR & Communications Firm” for the Institutional Asset Management Awards.

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Theodore “Teddy” Andrew Briggs for our Associate Director, Joe Briggs (Columbus, 2012-2024) and Kate “Katay” Briggs (Columbus, 2017-’19). It’s a boy, Graham Mason Schmidt, for Clay Schmidt (Oceanside, NY, 1999-2003, ’05-’07) and Samantha Schmidt.

 

Welcome to the Camp Family Teddy!

News of the Camp Family – November 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

As a boy, I learned how to camp thanks to Camp Nebagamon, but ultimately, it’s really thanks to my parents. Our Wilderness Tripping program opened an enormous door for me, and my parents held that door open by sending me to camp each summer, well equipped for the journey. Initially, I was a little nervous about going on wilderness trips. I hadn’t done a lot of camping prior to Nebagamon, nor had my siblings, or my father. My mom grew up car camping with her family on looping road trips across the US, but the style of camping taught at Nebagamon was totally new to me. Two vivid memories of my experience with the tripping program stand out — first, I remember Adam Kaplan sitting me down in the Rec Hall to quell my fears about going on a cabin trip in my first few years of camp, from the fear of missing home even more than I already did, to the unfounded fears of what was out there. And, I persevered through the fear to take advantage of the tripping program, learning how to set up my tent and sleeping bag, and make it feel like home for the night. And second, later in my camp career prior to my 8th grade summer, I remember my mom taking me to the outfitter and buying the hiking backpack, hiking boots, and sleeping bag I would take with me on my Isle Royale big trip. The salesperson pointed out to us that the backpack was quite adjustable, and that it would fit me for many years of adventures to come.

That’s the pack!

The salesperson was right. This past month, my wife and I did a 60-mile, seven day backpacking trip on the Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, and, no joke, I hiked in those same boots, carried that same pack, and slept in that same sleeping bag that my folks gave me as I prepared for my first trips nearly 15 years ago. The boots still fit! I used all the camping skills I learned in my time on trail at camp; how to read a map (pretty necessary on the Tonto!), how to safely filter water (what water we could find in the Arizona dessert…), and how to cook pesto carb, jambalaya, and Vigo burritos. And, perhaps more importantly, I felt comfortable in the wilderness knowing that I had such a strong base of skills from camp to rely on. But it was only with my parents encouragement that I got out there in the first place. Sending me to camp with the gear I needed didn’t just ensure I’d be well equipped for my trips. It enabled me to foster a love of camping that has endured well past my Isle Royale and Quetico trips, to planning big trips of my own.

As we have had to delay the road show for this winter, our main source of news, reunions, has run dry! If you have something to share with the camp family, please send it my way to [email protected]!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… David Levick is going into his second year of gymnastics, competing in all six events. He and Levi Budin met up recently to go indoor skydiving! Judah Gladstein‘s baseball team, the Redbirds, won the St. Matthew’s Little League Major Championship last week. Harrison Yale starred in his pre-school’s Halloween Play as Ryder from Paw Patrol. He… didn’t love the limelight.

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Lindsay Kopman, for Lewis Kopman (St. Louis/New York, 2002-’07, ’09-’12, ’14-’15) and Genevieve Yam.

News of the Camp Family – October 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

We’re coming off an incredible summer at camp, as I think anyone who spent their summer up north in 2023 would tell you. So, I thought I’d use a few of my Arrowhead columns this winter to share some stories from the most recent summer – stories about successes our campers accomplished, obstacles they overcame, and the things that camp helped campers achieve.

One of my favorite stories from the summer highlights a camper who was away from home for the first time. We have our fair share of adjustment issues in the first few days of each session of camp. It’s a normal and natural part of leaving home and joining a new community, and it tends to follow some familiar beats, but there was one moment from the past summer that really stuck out. On the first night of camp, one camper was missing home so much that he couldn’t gather himself enough to head into the Rec Hall for dinner. His counselors, and then village director, patiently sat with him, walked with him, and talked through the situation straight through dinner. It took a few different people trying some different strategies to best comfort this camper on his first night away from his folks; one thing that really made the difference was finding a peaceful place to sit down and sort out his feelings. The staff talked him through what the next few hours of camp would be like, instead of the next four weeks, helping him focus on the immediate instead of what felt to him like a whole daunting summer. He went from talking about how, no way, no how, is camp right for him, to talking about how, well, let’s just get through the rest of this evening. So, after a long chat with a couple different administrators at the rowing benches overlooking the waterfront, our camper got to the point where he had had enough talking, and begrudgingly, was ready to head up for dinnertime.

Well, dinnertime for him, that is!. At this point, the rest of camp had finished eating, cleaned up their tables, and were listening to announcements. So, when the camper walked into the Rec Hall to get some dinner, they were greeted by some hardworking (and exhausted!) kitchen staff wrapping up their first full meal service of the summer. And of course, those incredible staff knew just how important it was to make the camper feel comfortable, particularly when he wasn’t too excited about camp. They put together a plate of food just for him, set a place for him with the rest of his cabin, and ensured he would enjoy a big helping of spaghetti, just like the rest of camp. Seeing how those staff and his cabin welcomed him into the Rec Hall for dinner put a smile on his face for the first time that day – and he was able to finish off his meal and head off with his cabin for the first night of camp. It was a truly heartwarming moment.

Throughout the next few days, he got increasingly more comfortable, discovered the activities at camp he enjoyed, and really found his place at camp – just like every case of homesickness we encounter at camp. In this particular case though, the support of so many different people and parts of camp came together to help this camper learn to love camp, and that moment with our kitchen staff really solidified in my mind how everyone at camp, regardless of their job, is excited to help kids succeed.

We’re starting up our news of the camp family as well — if you have something to share in the next issue, please reach out to me at [email protected]!

WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Andy Cohen (St. Louis, 2004-’10, ’12-’15, ’17, ’19, ’21) and Julia Katzman, and to Matthew Myer (St. Louis/Denver, 2006-’11, ’13-’16) and Caroline Brown.

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Daniel Robin Blumenfeld, for Jacob Blumenfeld (St. Louis, 2001-’05, ’08-’11, ’13) and Katie Beth Smith. It’s a boy, Fredric Alexander Wile, for Rob Wile (Chicago/Miami, 1997-2001, ’03-’05) and Stephanie Wile. It’s a boy, Ellis Mendelsohn, for Dan Mendelsohn and Steph Hucker. It’s a boy, Sullivan Gerstell for Daniel Gerstell (DC, 1999-2005) and Chelsea Gerstell.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW… David Palmer (Deerfield/Boston, 2004-’08) received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a part of their Geometric Data Processing Group.

News of the Camp Family – June 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

This winter, I watched a handful of episodes of an old Japanese show that popped up on Netflix called Old Enough! It was fairly popular, but if you haven’t seen it the show’s premise is both simple and charming: Japanese toddlers embark on their first solo errand, walking and riding public transit to pick up groceries for their family, with a film crew following behind. Most of the trips are pretty formulaic, and include a bit of preparation, followed by embarking on the journey, and some sort of hiccup (the toddler gets turned around, or they miss home, or they forget something they were supposed to do). The toddler works out the trouble, completes their task, and returns home triumphant. It’s very consumable, feel-good TV, and is as cute as can be.

I’ve been working with our new parents for a few years now, helping them prepare their campers for their first summer at camp. And while four or eight weeks away from home for the first time can be more daunting than an afternoon stroll to the corner store for an extra gallon of milk, I delighted in some of the similarities between our campers and parents, and the journeys on Old Enough! A classic shot on Old Enough! is the nervous parent hoping the journey goes ok, juxtaposed with the confident toddler leaving the house alone for the first time. Similarly, a refrain I’ve often heard from some of our new families is that the person who will have trouble this summer isn’t the camper, rather, it’s the nervous parent back at home. Perhaps on the show, a toddler gets lost and turned around, and luckily, there’s a helpful shopkeeper ready to assist in helping the child find their way. Just as at camp, when a new camper is having trouble picking projects on the first day of camp, the helpful cabin counselor is looking out to help them design their day. And every so often, a toddler fails on their mission – they return home empty handed, or with the incorrect grocery, or not having even found the correct store. But the toddler picks themselves up, gives it another go, and after another try, reaches success. A lot of new campers and parents are nervous about failure as well – failure to make friends, or to make camp feel like home, or to succeed at a new activities. Luckily, I know of no better place to practice failure than Camp Nebagamon, where the support of our community encourages campers to pick themselves up and give it another go.

It seems to me like growing up, striking it out on your own, and taking that big risk has a familiar shape to it, whether you’re a camper embarking on your first trip to summer camp, a parent sending your camper away for the first time, a staff member taking on a new summer job, a camp administrator trying to write a monthly column for the first time, or a Japanese toddler, uh, picking up a bouquet of flowers because Grandma is coming over tonight. I’m excited that in just a couple weeks, a few hundred firsts are about to happen, and I’ve been waiting all winter, watching these mini dramas play out on TV, looking forward to the adventures that are about to begin.

As for Arrowhead news, we’re on hiatus until October, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty news to share over the summer. Keep the news coming to [email protected], and have an incredible summer — for you lucky folks coming up to camp this year, I’ll see you soon!

Go Kyle! Think he’s going to make pop-can chicken?

Wedding congratulations go to… Spence Myer (St. Louis, 2002-’07, ’09-’12, ’14) and Kristen Herbst, and to Sam Muzik (St. Louis, 2004-’08), and Sammy Schlessel.

Engagement congratulations go to… Michael Tolan (St. Louis/Cambridge, MA, 2003-’07, ’11-’12) and Nikki Haddad.

In the bibs and diapers department… It’s a boy, Eugene Baldwin-Yates, for Sam Baldwin (Chicago/Oakland, CA, 1996-2001, ’03-’05) and Lisha Yates. It’s a girl, Eloise Judith Scharff, for Adam Scharff (2000-’04) and Kayleigh Scharff. It’s a girl, Lainey Mae Scharff, for Jimmy Scharff (2002-’08, ’11-’12) and Brianna Moreland.

In the where are they now department… Ben Edmunds (Portland, 1993-’97, ’99-2004, ’07-’08) was honored with the 2023 Russell Shcerer Award at the Craft Brewers Conference, the industry’s highest honor in brewing and innovation. Kyle Hopkins (Kansas City, 2002-’06, ’08-’09, ’12) is appearing on this season of Fox’s MasterChef, a reality cooking competition airing Wednesday nights at 8/7c. Luke Herzog (Pacific Grove, CA/Amherst, MA, 2011-’16, ’19) won the John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play at the Kennedy Center Amercian College Theater Festival for his original play, Pulling the Switch.

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News of the Camp Family – May 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

I’m truly excited about the incredible group of folks who will be counseling our campers this summer. I thought about how to best explain to our Arrowhead readers the quality of all these amazing individuals, but I realized that the staff themselves put it best in all the interviews I conducted this winter. The final question I ask all our applicants is “what would a successful summer look like to you?” I combed through my interview notes and put together a handful of responses for you to read here…

  • “I want to be a role model, I want to be there for my campers, and I want to have their backs. This summer would be successful if all of my campers knew I was on their team, rooting for them.”
  • “Camp’s community is really important to me. I am a former camper, and helping campers feel like they fit in in the community and helping them belong to our community would feel really great.”
  • “I want to have fun this summer! Being a counselor seems really rewarding. I don’t think the job is going to be easy, and I don’t really want it to be easy, because I want to learn and grow this summer. Most of all, I want to make the kids happy and help them have fun.”
  • “This summer would be successful if I can connect with my campers. I’m someone who is close in age to them, so I can share their unique perspective, and relate to them in a different way than their parents.”
  • “I want to shape who my campers are as people. I want to help them grow positively, and help them find out who they are at camp.”
  • “Camp would be a success if I was able to teach campers something new this summer. I want them to learn about new skills, but also, I want them to learn about themselves.”
  • “I learned so many important skills as a camper that help me now, and I want to pass those skills on to the next generation of campers. Camp made me the person I am today, and hopefully I can give back by helping the campers this summer.”
  • “I want to help kids solve problems this summer. Getting a solution right with a kid helps them feel great about themselves – I had some experience working with kids in the winters and helping them engage a problem and find a solution was great, so I want to do that at camp.”
  • “I think if every kid went home and told their parents that they want to come back the next summer would be a success. That means they had such an amazing time at camp, they want to do it again, and hopefully, want to have me as a counselor again.”
  • “Camp is my favorite place in the world. It’s my happy place. I want other people to love camp as much as I do.”
  • “Camp would be successful if I saw kids make progress over the summer. It is rewarding to work with children over a long period of time and see them grow. I really want to laugh a lot too!”

We’ve got a great team assembled for the summer, and we’ll publish the full list in the June Arrowhead Newsletter. Based on all the interviews, references, and meetings and phone calls I’ve held with the staff over the past few months, I’m confident this group of folks will achieve all the successes they described to me during their interviews.

We’ve got a few news pieces to share with you this month – if you have an update for the next Arrowhead, send me an email at [email protected]!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… Ezra Maidenberg has been active on his schools fencing team, competing in the foil category. En garde! Walt Schiffer is playing right field and first base on his local baseball team. He had three hits at three at bats in the season opener. Over the winter, he skied his first double black diamond run in Beaver Creek (and survived!).

IN THE WHERE ARE THEY NOW DEPARTMENT… Birch’s on the Lake Brewhouse & Supperclub, owned by Brewmaster Brennan Greene (Long Lake, MN, 1993-’98, 2000-’05) won two awards at the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s Brewers Cup Competition, including best Hazy IPA in Minnesota.

 

 

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News of the Camp Family – April 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

Toward the end of each summer, I spend a couple days interviewing a few random campers to ask them about how their summer went, how they grew over the season, and the things they accomplished in their time at camp. At the end of last summer, one comment struck me as particularly exciting – a camper beaming with pride, having stood up on one water ski for the first time. I had luckily caught him on the actual day it happened, and hearing him share about hitting a major milestone in a project he loves was heartwarming.

There’s something important in the way this camper tells his story. It’s not just a celebration of an accomplishment (although, rightfully so, there’s plenty of that!), but includes a good deal of build-up. When he first came to camp, he wasn’t too enthusiastic about waterskiing, but through hard work and perseverance, the camper fulfills a goal he set for himself. The hard work makes it that much sweeter.

Setting goals for our summer enables us to get the most out of our time at camp. When campers go into the camp season with clear goals, it helps them measure successes at the end of their summer. Knowing what they are capable of at the beginning and the end of the year enables reflection on the ways in which they grew in their time at camp. Goals also provide motivation and focus; in the previous example, standing up on one waterski is difficult, it takes some serious effort, practice, and commitment. Setting sights on a goal encourages campers to learn how to overcome adversity, gain grit, and reach their objectives. And perhaps most fulfilling, accomplishing a set goal provides a huge boost in self-confidence. I mean, just look at his smile!

None of these benefits happen at the end of the summer without thoughtful work at the beginning. One of the forms we ask parents to fill out before their camper arrives at camp is on their camper’s objectives and personality. Our objectives form is open ended, and allows the camper and his family to design their own goals, from skill-based objectives like program achievements, to social and emotional goals like handling homesickness or getting to know new friends. Having a meaningful conversation with your camper about what they want to accomplish this summer enables those achievements, and letting us in on that conversation helps our all-star staff support your camper in his efforts. The discussion you have in the spring enables exciting and fulfilling stories like the example above in the fall. So… what goals do you want to set for your summer?

If you have any news updates you’d like to share with the camp family, please send me an email at [email protected] – we’ve got fa lot to share this month, and I’d love to highlight your accomplishments in the next Arrowhead newsletter!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… Zander Aronoff has spent his winter on the slopes, as well as playing drum kit for his 7th grade jazz band. Drivers beware: Cameron Louie is working on his learners permit, and hosted a mini reunion with camp friends Asher Corndorf, Myles Rontal, Dylan Scissors, and Jonathan Schiff Lewin this spring! Same More was awarded the City of Chicago Juniors Bowling Championship (1st place, Individuals), knocking down 666 pins. Gabe Fisher and Ben Hesser represented their middle school at the International Geography Competition Regional Finals, and have qualified to compete in nationals in June! Ben Laytin played on his high school’s freshman basketball team and Nate Rothman has been practicing his fishing skills you on the Pacific this winter – he’s looking forward to putting them to use in the Northwoods this year. Jonah Tone made his stage debut this winter, starring in his school’s critically-acclaimed rendition of High School Musical: The Musical (the critics are also his parents). Ari Held played point guard for the KK Adriatic Basketball Club this winter, and won an international regional tournament featuring teams from Rome, Venice, Zagreb, Rijeka, and Pula.

WEDDING CONGTAULATIONS GO TO… Shayna Rosenbloom (Nashville/Louisville, 2019) and Nathan Earl (Louisville).

BAR MITZVAH CONGRATULATIONS GO TO…. Edge Levine

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… it’s twin boys, Atticus Haavik and Booker Haavik, for Haley Haavik (Houston, 2010-’12) and Brittany Haavik. It’s a girl, Marifer, for Maria Flores Alonso (Puebla, MX, 2021-’22).

News of the Camp Family – February 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

Of all the incredible places our wilderness tripping program brings our campers, none are as unique as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The BWCA consists of over one million acres of canoe country, two thousand lakes, and nearly one thousand portages – it’s a vast section of national forest, almost all of which is only navigable by foot and canoe. There has been a continuous effort over the last 100+ years to prevent the exploitation of the BWCA for its natural resources, from timber harvesters at the turn of the 20th century, to modern attempts to mine copper in the BWCA watershed. Camp Nebagamon’s tripping program flourished in lockstep with the protection of the BWCA. As the first Big Trips made their way through Sawbill Lake in the 1930s, the Minnesota Forest Association took it’s first steps in preserving the land. And as those efforts continued through the history of Camp, generation after generation of campers experienced life-changing wilderness trips to this precious, protected forest.

Last week, these most recent conservation efforts culminated in the Department of the Interior implementing a 20-year mining ban on federal land adjacent to the BWCA, protecting the BWCA watershed from harmful mining runoff. This ban is crucial in maintaining the beauty and character of a place so important to the thousands of Nebagamon Campers who have adventured and explored there in our 94 year history. In the words of current Trip Staff member, Salma Schwartzman (Boise, 2021-’23), “It was not until I heard my first loon call, while paddling across the windswept waters of Brule Lake, that I truly realized how impactful this raw expanse of nature is to the outdoor education provided at Camp Nebagamon. It is only when we experience such natural wonders, untouched by human influence, that we gain a visceral appreciation of the outdoors.”

Wilderness tripping in the BWCA teaches our campers life-long lessons: working together in a group to accomplish a goal, persevering through a tough portage, and that visceral appreciation of the outdoors Salma references, just to name a few. Right as the Department of the Interior made their announcement last week, we were in the process of securing permits to once again send campers to explore, adventure, and learn in the BWCA this summer. We are proud to say that we are offering these lessons once again in 2023, and plan to do so for generations to come.

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… In Minneapolis, we have a lot of campers hitting the slopes: Matthias Braude is cross country skiing with a ski league this winter, brothers Cole Moscoe and Kane Moscoe have been downhill skiing on top of playing matches with their tennis club, and Logan Siegel is skiing as well as playing basketball for his school. Will Schwarz was the center and long snapper for his high school football team this fall, and Asher Corndorf is joining his varsity lacrosse team in the spring. Sammy Waxelman and Drew Malk have lent their voices to their school choir (and they gave a rousing rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at our 4th of July softball game last summer!). And Max Kennedy has been highly involved with his local improv group, as well as his high school’s art club and musical. In Chicago, Sam More is averaging a 222 on his high school’s bowling team, Gabe Fisher is playing drums in his school’s musical production of Freaky Friday, and Johnny Wallach was selected to be apart of the youth Second City ensemble.

IN THE WHERE ARE THEY NOW DEPARTMENT…Peter Orner (Nowrich, VT, 1987-’88, ‘90, ’92 ’97, 2001, ’04, ’10) published a new book, Still No Word From You: Notes in the Margin. It was recently long-listed for the The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Walter Fromm (Kansas City/Minneapolis, 2006-’12, ’14-15, ’17, ‘19) is managing volunteers for Take Action Minnesota.

ENGAGEMENT CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Andy Cohen (St. Louis, 2004-’10, ’12-’21) and Julia Katzman (St. Louis), and to Jonny Gerstell (DC, 2005-’10, ’12-’15) and Elisabeth Davis (DC).

BAR MITZVAH CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Nathan Massel

News of the Camp Family – January 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

It’s been said, I couldn’t tell you by whom, that we all become our parents one day. While I think I have a few years before I am totally, undeniably, 100% identical to my father, one thing he’s passed on to me is a love of news articles, and in particular, thoughtfully sending his loved ones articles that remind him of them. This is a lot of lead-up to say: I have an article I want to share with you.

In the publication Vox this past year, Alex Hazlett published a handful of great articles about children and parenting, and the most recent column in his series is on the importance of mentorship and community in a child’s upbringing. In it, he discusses Stephanie Coontz’s new book on the varying influences of family on children, and how relationships with adults who are not a child’s primary caretakers instills different skills, like new kinds of problem-solving skills and ways to form relationships. I won’t summarize the whole article for you, and if you have been at camp before, or sent a camper, I’m not totally sure you even need to read it, because I think you already see the benefits of exposing children to different adults. (Don’t worry about it, though, there are plenty of articles my dad has sent me that I haven’t read!)

At Camp Nebagamon, campers spend weeks away from their parents and, instead, with the mentorship of our counselors and administrators. A camper who may have trouble learning new skills at home might benefit from having a new canoeing instructor, one he looks up to in a different way than his parents or teachers, who has a different style of teaching, or whose classroom is hands-on: hands-on-a-paddle-in-a-canoe-on-the-lake. A camper who might find it hard to form new relationships with peers might find an administrator’s unique advice helpful in discovering things in common with his bunkmates to create deeper friendships. A camper who has difficulty doing chores at home may understand their group responsibilities more when they see responsibility modeled by a cabin counselor who is close in age, and even has chores at home too.

That trope I mentioned about becoming your parents isn’t always painted in the best light; my father also passed on a love of those Progressive commercials about becoming your parents. You know, the ones that make it seem about as un-cool as possible and portray becoming your parents as the worst imaginable fate. I’m too early in the process of becoming my parents to give you a full review just yet, and certainly it’s not all bad. But if the ads have a kernel of truth in them, then I think one of the clearest benefits of Camp Nebagamon is the non-parent relationships that Hazlett and Coontz stress as being so important. Camp is a setting in which campers learn how to be themselves under the careful guidance of a community of mentors who aren’t their parents. That growth is made possible by both the strength of the counselors they’re surrounded by, and the wisdom of the parents who see the opportunity for new community that camp affords.

We have a bunch of news from our December camp reunions to share with you! If you want to share an update with the camp family, send me an email at [email protected]!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… Seth Starhill and Nathan Starhill are both heavily involved in their club soccer teams out in Boston, while their sister Nora Starhill‘s university ultimate team is ranked 25th in the nation. In New York, Joe Vespry is a two sport star on his school’s soccer and basketball teams, and Sagiv Siegel is playing every position for his travel baseball team. His brother Matan Siegel got a new job on top of his positions on the cross country and basketball teams: he’s a fish monger! He should talk with Theo Schiff, who has been doing some fishing himself. He recently caught a record Iberian Barbel. Edras Duarte is practicing his Karate, and Icarus Vargus got his yellow belt in Judo. Icarus is also a member of his school’s creative writing club. Ryan Mack has caught onto that national craze: Pickleball! (It’s seriously everywhere, right??) We’ve got a lot of runners in New York: Logan Hoffman, Kase Atkinson, and Jasper Braunschweiger are all on their local cross country teams. Kase is supplementing his running with some jumping as well, as he’s been doing parkour this winter. And after succeeding as a part of our Big Brother Little Brother program at camp, Jasper Braunschweiger joined his school’s chapter of Best Buddies where he also has a Little Brother! On top of Jasper Teuscher‘s regular piano practice, he’s been playing a lot of D&D this winter. Ronin Brandler is also big D&D player, and his brother William Brandler is on the chess team — both Brandler brothers are playing on their local flag football teams. In DC, Jorn White is playing ping pong and ultimate, and rows crew for his school. Jonah Tone is the point guard for his school’s basketball team, and Alex Levin is is playing both basketball and baseball. Alex has company on the diamond in DC; Eli Winkler and Emmitt Gerstein are both ball players… sounds like they should try out for the Nats, they could use the help! There are a couple of budding musicians in DC as well; Oliver Strauss has been practicing guitar this winter, and Josh Desenberg is playing trumpet in the school band. Henri Kauders has been helping produce his school’s morning news TV program, and his brothers Max Kauders and Eli Kauders have spent their offseason building some huge Lego projects, and running around on the soccer pitch. Ethan Mack is excelling at both football and soccer, or American Football and football… you get the idea! Simon Kessler‘s cross country team finished 2nd in his conference — he personally finished 1st among 9th and 10th graders! In Dallas, Mason Pedroza has been practicing for Paul Bunyan Day on his local Quiz Bowl team, as well as participating in ceramics and “cooking” club… I guess that’s what they call M.O.C.A. outside of camp? Ari Foxman is a part of his robotics club and is scoring goals for his soccer team. And in Houston, it seems like all our campers are keeping really busy: Henry Kramer is playing tennis, basketball, and wrestling, Philip Slosburg is playing basketball, baseball, and soccer, Reuben Katz is playing baseball, basketball, and swimming, Max Goldfarb is playing soccer, tennis and swimming, Will Goldfarb is playing soccer and swimming, and Arthur Kramer is playing basketball and swimming. Did you get all of that? I see why all our swimmers live in Texas!

Teaching climbing and math have some similarities, right Charlie?

IN THE WHERE ARE THEY NOW DEPARTMENT… Eli Fromm (Kansas City/New Haven, 2006-’10, ’12-15, ’17-’19) is finishing his PhD in mathematics. Bud Schram (Needham, MA, 1954-’59, ’61-’69) serves on the Needham, MA Human Rights Committee, and is involved with the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Greater Boston. David Gibbs (Wellesley, MA, 1963-’67, ’69-’71) is working for Jewish Volunteer Services designing leadership programs. Andrew Schram (Chicago, 1994-’99) is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago. Charlie Fromm (Kansas City/Boston, 2009-’15, ’17-’21) is earning his teaching license from Harvard University in mathematics. Ben Platt (New York, 2011-’16, ’19) is soon graduating from Williams College with a degree in public policy, and working on a masters program in China next year. David Garfinkel (1975-’78, ’82-’83) is producing the upcoming Broadway ballet Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker. Simon L’Tainen (Philadelphia/NY, 2010-’16, ’18, ’21) is working for Forget Me Not, an NYC restaurant. Danny Sickle (Chicago/NY, 2009-’15, ’17) is working for Barron International, a hospitality investment bank. Andy Mack (DC, 1973-’78, ’80) was profiled on Voice of America for his company Agromovil, you can watch the profile here. Adam Hirschhorn (LA/DC, 2008-’13, ’15, ’17) is working for Capital One in DC. Teddy Shapira (Chicago/DC, 2006-’12, ’14-’17) is a Law Student at George Washington University. Jon Ringel (Atlanta, 1978-’83, ’85) is working with the American Gastroenterological Association on governance. Danny Hensel (Chicago/DC, 2006-’11) is a producer for National Public Radio’s program Weekend Edition. John Desenberg (Arlington, VA, 1978-’82) is the Principle Business Strategy Analyst at MITRE corporation. Jay Sternberg (Bethesda, MD, 1982-’86, ’89-’90, ’95) is the Senior Director of Marketing for the Global Campus of the University of Maryland.

BAR MITZVAH CONGRAGULATIONS GO TO… Max Goldfarb and Sagiv Siegel

News of the Camp Family – December 2022

Compiled by Louis Levin

This month, I have two news items to share with you about camp: alongside my new co-worker, Jason Yale, we will be hiring and assembling the Camp Nebagamon staff for 2023!

First, we are so excited to bring on Jason as a member of our year-round staff. Jason will be working part-time for camp during the winter in support of his role during the summer as Trip Director. Many of you know Jason well, from his time as a camper, counselor, trip staff, and as trip director, and should be familiar with his phenomenal skills out in the wilderness, and his passion for and expertise in child development. Outside of Nebagamon, Jason has lots of experience leading tripping programs – he was the National Program Director for Big City Mountaineers, a non-profit that provides outdoor experiences for disinvested youth, and the Director of Outdoor Education at the Dunn School, a boarding school in Los Olivos, CA. After 20 summers at camp, Jason is joining our team to hire the 2023 trip staff, line up our wilderness permits for the summer, and plan and execute a phenomenal year of camping trips for our campers next summer!

Which brings me to the second piece of news – Jason and I are going to work together to hire the 2023 staff! Personally, I am really excited to take on this aspect of planning for camp. I have always loved keeping in touch with camp people, chatting on the phone, and hearing about all the cool things our camp community is up to during the off-season. And so far, hiring has felt exactly like that. I find myself asking folks “What are you up to this summer?” all the time, and now I can help those folks see the best answer to that question is “working at Camp Nebagamon!” Already, I’ve been holding interviews with new applicants, and chatting with returners from 2022 (and earlier!), and it’s been really fulfilling to get to show people why I love working at camp, and why they will too. And so, this is really all to say: we’re hiring! Come join our amazing team in 2023, and help us change campers’ lives. Jason and I are so excited to talk to you!

I have a slew of news to share with you this month as well – you can share more news with me via email at [email protected]!

IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… Daniel Brick is running cross-country and playing basketball in Kansas City – he’s pretty fast, just like Sam Montag, whose cross-country team won the Georgia High School Association state championship! A few other notable showings in high school athletics include Chase Herbert, the fullback for his state-tournament qualifying football team, Alexander Averbuch’s 10-0 season on his football team at Montgomery Bell Academy, and finally, Eli Zelvy’s water polo squad finished 5th in state! Along with his brother, Aaron Zelvy is playing water polo too, with some lacrosse mixed in, and Nathan Eiserman is playing soccer and basketball – what a smattering of sports in Cincinnati! We’ve got all sorts of athletes in Atlanta – Cameron Louie plays tennis and spends a lot of time shredding the trails on his mountain bike, as well as his involvement with his local chapter of BBYO. And here’s another unique one – Sam Vincent in Nashville has taken up CrossFit. In Memphis, Sam Cohen is competing for the MUS swim team, Riley Kaminsky is scoring goals on the soccer pitch, Max Levy is splitting time between his wrestling team and his robotics club, Ben Hackney is rucking, scrumming, and mauling on his local rugby team, and Eitan Kaminsky is gaming at home! We’ve got some musicians in Memphis too — Holden May is belting out tunes on his saxophone in his school band, and Kosten Goldberg did a summer tour with his School of Rock band! In St. Louis, Bernie Goldstein is playing on two soccer teams, club and for his school, Griffin Scissors is swinging a club and a racquet on the golf course and the tennis court, and he rallies often with his brother Dylan, also an avid tennis player. And rounding out our athletes, Patrick Meehan is a defensive back and the kicker for his football team.

Congratulations Joel and Stephanie!

IN THE WHERE ARE THEY NOW DEPARTMENT…  Brian Bauer’s (Nashville, 1998-2000, ’02-’03) company Bauer Entertainment was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by the Nashville Business Journal. Jeffrey Burnstein (Glencoe/Atlanta, 2005-’10, ’12-’14) is working in commercial real estate with the Bridge Investment Group. Ben Montag (Atlanta, ’12-18) is studying sports management and playing baseball for the Rice Owls. Rand Shapiro (St. Louis, 1965-’69, ’71-’75, 2008-’11, ’13-’15) is a homebound teacher in St. Louis, educating students who cannot attend school in person. Edgar Rothschild (Nashville, 1962-’66) just finished a 450 mile bike tour of Sicily (that’s 724km!), and Jonathan May (Memphis, 1994-’98, 2000-’06) recently completed a half-Ironman triathlon. Andy Cohen (St. Louis, 2004-’10, ’12-’21) started a new position as Sales Manager for the Ritz Carlton, St. Louis. Michael Deutsch (Atlanta, 2006-’11, ’13-’14, ’16-’18) is a Data Analyst with Ernst and Young. Brothers Spence Myer (St. Louis 2002-’07, ’09-’12, ’14) and Jackson Myer (St. Louis 2004-’09, ’14) were both inducted into the MICDS Hall of Fame as hockey players. Sam Rezaei (Chicago, 2011-’15, ’17) is walking across the country from New York City to Los Angeles to raise money for unhoused Chicago residents. He is almost finished with his journey – you can track his journey and donate on his Instagram page here.

WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Ben Deutsch (Atlanta, 2002-’07, ’09) and Sophie Koff (Scarsdale, NY).

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Cooper Sircus Rivkin, for Joel Sircus (Chicago, 2001-’07, ’09-’10, ’14) and Stephanie Rivkin.

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