Spring 2024 Sanborn Western Camps Alum News

2024 Camp Enrollment Information

BIG SPRING RANCH FOR BOYS AND HIGH TRAILS RANCH FOR GIRLS

Tuition: $7100 ($1500 deposit due upon enrollment)

First Term: Sunday June 9, 2024 - Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Second Term: Saturday July 13, 2024 - Monday, August 12, 2024

SANBORN JUNIOR

Tuition: $3700 ($750 deposit due upon enrollment)

First Term: June 9 - June 23, 2024

Second Term: June 25 - July 9, 2024

Third Term: July 13 - July 27, 2024

Fourth Term: July 29 - August 12, 2024

SIBLING DISCOUNTS: $100

ENROLL ONLINE AT WWW.SANBORNWESTERNCAMPS.COM

Colorado Outdoor Education Center

Sanborn Western Camps is a program of Colorado Outdoor Education Center, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

editor’s letter

Dear Friends,

Sandy used to say that camp was located in the “Banana Belt” due to our relatively mild, dry winters compared with much of Colorado. He would be wrong this year though! The snow continues to pile up after a Snowmageddon event on March 21-22 that dumped more than three feet of heavy, wet snow on the Ranch. Perhaps you have seen some of the social media posts of our resident staff heroically shoveling the stuff for days and days.

Of course, this is great for camp, promising green meadows and abundant wildflowers. It also reduces the wildfire risk and hopefully will allow us to cook our s’mores over campfires all summer. So we are happy about it. (Except, we wish it would melt now!)

We are grateful to all of you who contributed your news to this issue. I’m sorry to say that some of you who were here in the late seventies may be shocked to find that your news is now included in the Prehistoric section. We are deeply apologetic if this is upsetting to you but time marches on and there will have to be some “bracket creep” over the years.

Our High Trails Outdoor Education Program has just begun for the spring (our 57th year!) and it is great to have students hiking through the meadows and forests again. They don’t seem concerned at all about having to dodge a few snowdrifts. We have a terrific staff here to lead their adventures.

We are excited (and slightly panicked) that camp is less than two months away. There is always so much to do this time of year—finish facility improvement projects, hire our last few awesome summer staff members, collect thousands of required forms from our campers and staff (not exaggerating!), order everything from new backpacks and water bottles to arts supplies and sports equipment, bring the horses in from Fishcreek and get them shod, fly the Big

Spring tents and move in beds and mattresses, paint a whole bunch of stuff, plant flowers and etc., etc., etc. but we will be ready (somehow, we always seem to make it!) and look forward to welcoming our campers and staff to begin another wonderful camp season!

As always, we are incredibly grateful to you, our alums, for your friendship and support.

We wish you a very happy spring and summer. Please stay in touch!

Sincerely,

Send us your news!

alumnews@sanbornwesterncamps.com

Jane Sanborn

aka: The Editor

And the Oscar...OOPS... Distinguished Service Award... Goes To...Jane Sanborn!

We are SO excited to share with our Sanborn community that Jane Sanborn received the National Distinguished Service Award from the American Camp Association in February at the ACA National Conference in New Orleans.

This is the ACA’s most significant award (think Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe all wrapped up into one enormous Lifetime Achievement Award) and Jane MORE than deserves it after her multiple decades of volunteer work at both the local, regional and national level.

Jane was the longest serving National Conference Program chair for the American Camp Association. Over her decade-plus long tenure, Jane fundamentally changed the import and intention of our work as youth development professionals. By consistently recruiting some of the biggest names in business (Chip and Dan Heath, Adam Bryant, Adam Grant), education (Madeline Levine, Sonja Whittaker), and youth development (Dr. Debbie Gilboa, Wendy Mogel) while curating breakout sessions from leading experts in myriad fields, Jane helped summer camp professionals recognize their importance as a key part of a child’s education. She and the conference teams oversaw the creation of session “tracks” including the DEI “Camp Includes Me” track, a robust Executive Leadership Forum and a full ACA Research Forum, which now showcases the work of 35-50 select researchers who are demonstrating the true value of the camp experience through quantitative and qualitative data.

she has made on camp professionals who have worked alongside her. Whether it was as the chairwoman of the ACA Rocky Mountain Local Council of Leaders, or as a part of the national ACA Public Policy committee, or as a founding member of the new Colorado Camps Network, an advocacy group working with other Colorado camps to share information about and advocate for legislative and regulatory changes at the state level, Jane consistently is on the forefront of what is happening so she can do what is best for campers.

We know Jane has always been cutting edge: on the tennis court, in her Bermuda shorts, in her exceptionally on-point costume choices for the High Trails JC dinner, but this award demonstrates that she has been and is a top leader in this field. But she will never admit it.

Jane continues to be the humble, unassuming, hardworking, dry and wry Jane that we have always known (see her acceptance speech on the next page)--but what we didn’t always know was how much of an impact

At the end of the day, that is why Jane continues to do and to love this work: it is for the kids. Many of us ARE her kids in many ways–she is one of the supportive adults of our childhoods, adolescence and emerging adulthoods who truly knew us, truly cared about us and truly celebrated our accomplishments (and failures) with us.

We are excited that we have this opportunity to celebrate with her now. Congratulations, Jane!

Jane’s Acceptance Speech

Thank-you so much. I am truly honored. I want to thank all of the wonderful people I have loved working with on conference teams over the years, and all of the dedicated camp professionals I have met through our Government Affairs work. I am incredibly grateful to all my amazing friends in the Rocky Mountain Region— you are the best! And, of course, to my awesome colleagues at Sanborn Camps who have put up with me since dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

I also want to thank all of you—because by attending this conference you are showing that you are committed to camp. And we need to be committed to camp because summer camps are one of the best things on the planet for children and young people today. At camp, they learn and practice social and emotional skills which we know are the skills that will carry them into successful adulthood; they connect with the natural world in significant ways that have a profound influence on mental and physical health; they live with peers and caring adult leaders in a respectful community, and we know that these are the experiences kids today need.

The camp where I work was founded 76 years ago— some of the camps where you work were founded more than a century ago. And I believe that the camping experience has never been more important for our

youth than it is today in 2024. And it will grow more important each year.

So, to all of you young people out there (and by young, I mean anyone under 70–it’s all in your perspective.) Stick with it if you can. The camping field needs the best and the brightest. And, I think you will find that there are few careers where you will take more responsibility, challenge yourself more, experience more sleepless nights, or problem solve more unique situations. But you will also laugh more, sing more, make the best friends, and have a transformative impact on lives. And, I promise you this. As you come to the end of a long career in camping…….you won’t regret it. Thank-you so much!

If you would like to also honor Jane in a way that honors her impact even more, please consider making a donation to the Sanborn 70 Scholarship Endowment fund. Thanks to generous alums in the past, there is an endowed scholarship in Jane’s name–but we would love to increase that endowment to help even more kids come to camp.

Jane and her entourage and cheering section at the ACA National Conference in New Orleans

The BRAIN BARN a.k.a The Interbarn

Who remembers fun times at the Interbarn? Blowing bubbles out on the deck, crafting a protective package to keep an egg from breaking when dropped off the deck, taking the elevator to the center of the Earth?

Did you ever scoop some slimy pond water out of the big aquarium and look at the creepy stuff under the microscope? Or bring in a fossil you found by splitting a layer of shale from across the fence at the edge of the Fossil Beds National Monument?

How about walking into a living plant cell and learning about the mitochondrion and golgi bodies? Hearing stories about mountain men trapping beaver while checking out the two kinds of hair in beaver fur? Watching a honeybee fly into the beehive with pollen on its legs?

Sandy and Laura were always passionate about nature and the outdoors. Early camp activities included butterfly nets, rock picks, telescopes, hand lenses and a Sense of Wonder. In the early 70s they had a vision to add a building that would celebrate the wonder of nature. In the planning stages, we referred to it as the “Brain Barn.” After some additional thought, we decided to call it the “Interbarn”, dedicated to demonstrating the interrelationships of all life on the planet.

Located between Big Spring and High Trails, the building is the architectural embodiment of our mission to celebrate a Sense of the Earth. It contains two levels of interactive displays, photos, maps, models, collections, and words of wisdom. Eventually there was a banner on the front that announced, “The Greatest Earth on Show.”

While brainstorming ideas, we thought it would be fun to have a fire pole to go from the upper level to the lower level. Better judgment prevailed and the western entrance became a ramp that opened on the upper level with the panorama of Pikes Peak to A Bluff.

The side panels of the ramp featured ceramic disks portraying Native American symbols of nature created by Adele Walters Carlson (Staff 70-81). At the bottom of the ramp is a rotating cylinder inspired by a Tibetan prayer wheel, “Not for myself, but for all mankind. Not for one life, but for all life. Not as one alone but as all together.”

Massive windows open to the south and frame the spectacular view of Pikes Peak. A giant walk-in plant cell was the focal point of the upper level. The first version was made of visqueen plastic sheeting and contained the nucleus, cell wall, mitochondrion, golgi bodies, and chloroplast. A group of 8-10 campers could come in and sit down and have a great discussion about one of the wonders of nature.

After traveling widely, Sue Springer Trummer (Staff 69-82) was inspired to create a five-foot diameter model of the Earth on which she mounted quotes from religions and cultures that demonstrated that humans around the world have more in common than differences.

Laura’s interest in astronomy led her to acquire a giant inflatable dome to create a planetarium on which images of the night sky were projected. She loved to point out the constellations and relate the legends of the ancient worlds. It could be deflated and stored to use the space in other ways.

The ground floor featured a large aquarium containing local pond life that could be studied with a battery of microscopes. A glassfaced beehive enabled you to watch a colony of honeybees at work on their combs as they flew in and out through a tube in the wall.

Outside was a large yellow globe on a pedestal representing the sun at the beginning of the Planet Path. Replicas of planets in our solar system were located along a trail to the south. Mercury was visible at the edge of the trees; Pluto was located at the Witcher Ranch. The other planets were placed proportionally and described in between.

At the foot of the stairs is a large three-dimensional contour map covering the 6,000 acres of COEC along with photos and a rack of “travel folders” describing places on the map (think sawmill, Witcher Ranch, spring tanks, tipi village, Lost Lake, trail to the Bat Caves, etc.)

In the geology area a glass case contains museum quality specimens of local rocks and minerals donated by the Colorado Springs Mineral Society. A nearby table was the platform for hands-on crystals and rocks inspection, interactive quizzes, scavenger hunts, and interpretive maps of the Lake George and Florissant quadrangles.

Another area showcases the unique Florissant Fossils: a mural depicting the local environment thirty-four million years ago, a spectacular fifteen-inch mounted fish fossil found by a group of campers many years ago (better than any specimen at the National Monument), petrified stumps, miscellaneous insect, leaf, and plant fossils, as well as a variety of fossils from other areas.

The star of the show on the ground floor was the operating seismograph built by Don Smith whose wife, daughters and granddaughters all attended or worked at High Trails. Don created and repaired hospital machines in the 60s and he built this seismograph, which measured and recorded earthquakes. Down the path from the Interbarn to High Trails, is the cement block building that housed the device mounted on bedrock that senses a tremor any place on Earth. A rotating drum within a frame inside the IB contained a pen which recorded the disturbance on paper attached to the drum.

It actually worked, and for several years we had records of earthquakes around the world. Unfortunately, it was very sensitive and required a lot of maintenance. The recording paper had to be changed frequently. Eventually more modern methods were developed, and we discontinued its use.

One of the favorite places in the IB is the freezer! On the west wall there is a small kitchen – stove, sink, refrigerator. Unfortunately, birds sometimes crash into the big windows in the building, and we find them on the deck. We began to toss them in the freezer, and it grew into quite a collection. In addition to the birds (hawks, crossbills, chickadees, hummingbirds, jays, woodpeckers, warblers, etc.) it became the depository for snakes, salamanders, a muskrat, a shrew, and a ninja squirrel. As the collection grew, we had to buy a separate freezer dedicated to the freezer zoo.

The human history of exploration, Native Americans, trappers, mining, and railroads in the Ute Pass region from South Park to Manitou Springs was portrayed on a piece of leather made from half of a cowhide on the wall using some of the historic terms such as Granite Canyon for Elevenmile Canyon and Topaz Butte for Crystal Peak. My favorite quotation from an early mountain man describes the fossil beds as, “Putrefied birds sing putrefied songs in putrefied trees.”

. . . and that’s not all! The Interbarn has always been such a wealth of information, ideas, mysteries, wonder . . . . . . Scattered around the building are/were also:

Shelves of nature books, slide shows, a display of Native American relics and a collection of National Geographic magazines spanning the years 1954-2017.

A six-inch slice of a Ponderosa tree with the growth rings keyed to historical events of the last 400 years.

A spiral timeline of the history of the Earth.

A simulated ride on the elevator to the center of the Earth passing through layers of geologic history.

A collection of animal pelts, a “possibles bag” carried by a mountain man, a beaver pelt stretched on a willow frame, 2 huge bear skin robes, and other relics from the Rocky Mountain trapper days.

A Geochron, a world clock which demonstrated areas of daylight and darkness on the Earth that changed with the tilt and rotation of the planet.

An herbarium with collections of local wildflowers and other plants.

A puzzle activity with movable continents demonstrating plate tectonics and continental drift.

Hanging shelves displaying skulls, bones, and antlers.

Map cases containing topographic, geologic, watershed, and historic trails maps.

A timeline on the wall and ceiling depicting geologic and human history since the “Big Bang” with the last 6,000 years comparing the complex cultures on the planet today.

It has been not only a memorable learning experience for hundreds of campers and staff through the years, but also an opportunity for staff members to develop exciting innovative ways to learn and teach about nature.

Each session of the outdoor education program in the spring and fall, students fill the building at “The Nature Carnival“ featuring 8-10 “stations” taught by the staff and high school leaders.

The Interbarn is a living organism itself -- always changing, adapting, and adding new concepts. To our knowledge there is not a facility like this in any other camp in the country.

Jerry McLain jerry@sanbornwesterncamps.com

prehistoric : pre-1980

definition according to an 8 year old: a time when your grandparents were young; coincides with the age of dinosaurs

TINA MOSCHETTI (HT Staff 70-71) McNew and husband, Byron, are still living in Montrose, CO, and “love the valley—close to alpine forests, deserts, lakes, you name it.” Tina continues to create her wonderful art.

CHARLIE SCHWEIGHAUSER (BS Staff 56,60) is still teaching, “this year a graduate level course on James Joyce.” (In addition to starting the astronomy program at the University of Illinois Springfield, Charlie was also in the English Department and the Environmental Studies Department.) “I was like a junk-yard dog—a little bit of everything.”

CHRIS BLACKMORE (BS 63-65) enjoys living in Bozeman, MT, near Yellowstone National Park. The church he founded celebrated its 50th anniversary last fall and he continues to teach Sunday School.

GAIL GALVANI (HT Staff 65) West enjoyed trips to Scotland, Long Island, and an Alaskan cruise of the Northwest Passage in 2023. When not traveling, Gail makes her home in Ft. Worth, TX, where she can spend time with her 6 grandchildren.

RON (BS Staff 72) and SANDY OLSON (HT Staff 6465, 72) Federspiel had a great year in Bend OR. Their highlight was a family reunion at a dude ranch near Stanley, ID, to celebrate their 55th anniversary.

JUDY SMITH (HT 65-69; Staff 70, 74-75) Schoedel and husband, Warren, had a quiet and uneventful year in 2023 (which they are happy about!) Judy likes to swim, craft and read, while Warren enjoys golf, an occasional run, and creative work in his shop. They are loving being grandparents to two-year old, Liora, daughter of son, TAD SCHOEDEL (BS 96-01) and his wife, Alina. Judy and Warren continue to spend summers in Buena Vista, CO, and winters in Lake Havasu, AZ.

JOE “JODY” JENKINS (BS 74-76; Staff 77-79, 92) is still living in Rhode Island and paddling 4-5 miles each day and recently travelled to India to attend the wedding of the daughter of his friends. He and daughters, Maddie and Nora, also organized a surprise 60th birthday party for wife, Stacey Nakasian.

Photo: Lindsay Williams Miller and husband, AJ, Keith Williams, Gary Missner and girlfriend, Ruth

RICH BUCHOLZ (BS 62, 64-66; Staff 71) and wife, Kathy, continue to work in medical fields in St. Louis. Rich remains clinically active in neuromodulation and is continuing work with companies developing medical devices. Kathy is working half-time with full retirement planned for May 2025. Rich and Kathy enjoy travel and family gatherings with their children and grandchildren.

DARCIE SWENARTON (HT Staff 65-68) Peet continues painting for galleries, various shows and occasional commissions. She especially enjoys being at the Broadmoor Hotel and the Broadmoor Galleries in July for their month-long “Art Experience” event with artists from all over the country. Husband, Barrney, continues working long hours with Grand Marais Hotel Co. in Grand Marais, MN. The Peets enjoy many outdoor activities including biking and tennis. Darcie even rode a horse again during our 75th Reunion in August!

GEORGINA BLISS (HT 78-79) Marshall and husband, Rick, had a busy year in 2023. Son, JAMES MARSHALL (BS 10-11, 13) married Nicole Prentice on September 23, in Ann Arbor, MI. Son, Charlie and his wife gave them their first grandchild in Boulder, Colorado. Daughter, ISABELLE (HT 10-11, 13-14; Staff 17) ran in the Chicago Marathon and Georgina met her at the finish line. And, Georgina celebrated her 60th birthday! Rick and Georgina live in Rocky Hall, MD.

ROB (BS 62; Staff 65-68) and CONNIE

MCWILLIAMS (HT Staff 66-68) FRIESEN traveled primarily to visit their children and grandchildren in 2023, although Rob did attend his Duke reunion and get in a few fishing trips. Connie again created a beautiful garden and maintains close ties with friends old and new. They continue enjoy spending time at their family cabin near Florissant.

KATE FRIESEN (HT 62, 64-66; Staff 67-68) and husband, Peter Westcott, continued their adventure travels in 2023 by hiking and biking in Spain, Arizona and South Dakota. When home in Carbondale, CO, they continue to be busy with the Cowboy Corral, their singing group that specializes in history and music of the cowboy era. Kate is also a new board member of the Thunder River Theatre Company.

MEG VOGT (HT 76-79; Staff 82) enjoyed another successful year with her packmates with DogsRule! She is excited to soon be revealing her long-awaited book, “Blue Dog Bus”. Meg and her partner, Deb, live in Portland, OR, and enjoyed travelling to Montana, California, and the Grand Canyon in 2023.

HELEN STEVENS (HT 75-78; Staff 82) took frequent breaks from working in travel health to hike and reconnect with old friends in various beautiful settings on the east coast, in Arizona, Switzerland and at our 75th Reunion last August! Husband, Semih Bulbul, retired after more than 34 years of working with United Nations High Commission for Refugees and spent the rest of the year enjoying time with family in Turkey and the US, writing a memoir about his career, and biking. He and Helen raced together in the 85-mile Gran Fondo NY biking challenge in New York City. Son, KAYA BULBUL (BS 10), is living with his girlfriend, Amelie, in Lausanne, Switzerland and working with the World Economic Forum. Daughter, SERA BULBUL (HT 10-13; Staff 16) trained with Fenerbahce’s rowing team in Turkey and came in 2nd at the national championships and was promoted at her job at the Hunger Project. The whole family connected for two “unforgettable” trips in 2023: to Istanbul for a nephew’s wedding and to Italy for a bike trip across Tuscany.

dark ages : 1980-1995

definition according to an 8 year old: a time before you were born, but your parents seem to recall quite clearly-the Florissant Fossil Beds were formed about this time.

JEN SUNDGREN (HT 85,87; Staff 89) Brull and husband, Chris, moved from Kansas to Ft. Collins, CO, in 2023. Jen continues to work full-time as vice president of clinical engagement at Aledade Medical Group and is now the president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Despite their busy schedules, Jen and Chris found time for lots of travel adventures in 2023, and Chris has already explored multiple bike paths in Ft. Collins.

KATHY RYDEN (HT Staff 84-85,87) Larson and husband, Mark, spent the winter in Clearwater, FL, following Mark’s retirement from The Graham Group. The rest of the year they are at home in West Des Moines, IA. They celebrated Thanksgiving with a big family gathering including their three children and a new granddaughter.

SUZANNE GEPSON (HT 86-90; Staff 92, 94) Hagen teaches yoga classes and chair fitness classes. She plans to celebrate her 50th birthday next summer backpacking with 6 other High Trails alums, including sister, CATHY GEPSON (HT 84-86; Staff 88-91) Burnham, and cousin, MOLLY HARMON (HT 8689) McIntyre. Suzanne’s husband, Chris, works for

pharmaceutical company Abbvie and enjoys dreaming up great vacations for the family. Son, Timmy, is 14 and taller than his mother—he works hard at multiple dance classes. Son, WILL, 11, (BS 22-23) loved his second summer at Big Spring and plays cello, basketball, and video games.

CARRIE BROWN (HT Staff 86-88)-Wolf and husband, Dan, “visited Tunisia and Southern France last year, worked, played, heard lots of music (Dan took the family to the last (?) Grateful Dead show) and bought a condo in Denver.” Carrie also began another creative venture (www.carriebrownwolf. com). As usual, their children are adventuring around the globe. ELLIE (HT 07) teaches skiing, worked and learned to cob in Bulgaria. TYE (BS 09) lives in San Francisco, consults for BCG, and is heading to Singapore. OLIVIA (HT 11-12, 14-15, 17) graduated from UCSC, earned yoga certification in India, and romped through Nepal.

MIKE (BS Staff 86,88) and JENNI MORTON (HT Staff 86,88) AZBELL have been busy traveling, camping and fishing. They especially enjoyed traveling in Europe last year. Son, CHRIS (BS 12-13, 15) is in his second year of Law School at Washington University in St. Louis. He is looking forward to a summer internship in Washington, DC. DANIEL (BS 15-17) is working on a masters degree in mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. The Azbells live in Dillon, CO, but are rarely home!

JEN SCHOFIELD (HT 85-90; Staff 93-95) Law and family had a busy year. Jen continued in her role as VP of Human Resources for Vail Health. Daughter, EMILY LAW (HT 14-19, 21) graduated from high school and joined her sister Jacqueline at the University of New Hampshire. Jen and husband, Pete, an attorney, visited Boston for Jacqueline’s 21st birthday and Bar Harbor, ME, to see Pete’s family. They also enjoyed “river trips and many adventures near and far.”

MARLA BUCKLES (HT Nurse 83) and her husband are both retired and living in Ft. Worth, TX. They enjoy travel and keeping up with two active dogs. When she left camp, Marla taught at TCU Harris College of Nursing until 1989. She then spent 25 years in the Air Force and retired as a Colonel.

JANN HARRIS (HT Staff 80-82) Kinney and husband, Kraige, experienced a fabulous trip to Alaska last May complete with many wildlife sightings, clear views of Denali, and a Joni Mitchell concert. They were joined for part of the trip by Jann’s co-AC from her camp days, LINDA MARR (HT staff 80) Trousil and husband, Bob. They also were joined by their daughters, Meredith and Annabelle, for a trip to Dublin, Ireland in August. When not traveling, the Kinneys are at home in Eagle, CO

JULIE HESS (HT Staff 81-82) Farnham and husband, Stu, have had a fun year of travel since Stu’s retirement in September, 22. They visited Wellington, New Zealand to visit daughter, Elizabeth, and her family (including 1-year-old daughter, Raia). They also visited the East Coast and the West Coast. A highlight was visiting son, BEN (BS 99) and his wife, Crystal, in Coupeville, WA, to meet their new granddaughter, Noelani.

RON FISHER (BS Staff 1983) and wife, Denise, are traveling a lot in retirement. They visited daughter, Anne, in Japan and Seattle, WA. And went to Alabama

several times to visit son, Jack. When not stalking their children, the Fishers live in Woodland Park, CO.

BETSY FRIESEN (HT 85, 87-88, 90; Staff 92-93, 96-97) McMichael, husband, Malcolm, and family continue to enjoy life in the Roaring Fork Valley— camping, hiking, skiing and biking. Betsy teaches Social Studies at the middle school. Son, ANDY (BS 21-24) is enjoying high school, especially the baseball and mountain biking teams. DEAN (BS 2122) graduated as valedictorian of his class at Roaring Fork High School and is now a freshman at Colorado College.

KATIE FRIESEN (HT 88-93; Staff 95, 97-98)

Reneker’s Carmel Berry Co. continues to grow in Carmel Valley, CA. She and husband, Ben, also stay busy with their sons’ school and scouting activities. ROY (BS 22-23), 17, enjoyed his Outbacker year at camp and enjoys participating on the Robotics team at Carmel High. HENRY (BS 21-22, 24) , 14, continues his drum lessons, plays for school productions and is an amazing cook. The Renekers spent spring break in Japan in 2023 and travelled to Europe for Thanksgiving.

LAURA FRIESEN (HT 83-88; Staff 90, 92-94) lives in Denver where she practices hot-style yoga, studies health topics and rearranges her furniture. Although she missed her annual trip to New York City in 2023, she traveled to visit Katie and Betsy.

New MOPQ Washhouse Coming for Summer 2024

With a few tweaks and refinement the new MOPQ washhouse echoes the STUW washhouse. Ready to go June 2024!

olden days: 1996-now

SIMMS EHRLICH (HT 08-17; Staff 21-23 ) is living and teaching in Madrid, Spain. She spends most weekends traveling across Europe and is loving living abroad. Brother, WHEELER (BS 13-22 ) is graduating from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in May with plans to play collegiate tennis for the University of Dallas and pursue a Business degree.

TAD SCHOEDEL (BS 96-01) and wife, Alina, bought their first house in Roanoke, VA, where Tad is an ophthalmologist. They have a two-year old daughter, Liora.

definition according to an 8 year old: The time preceding right now-pioneers still churned butter and made candles during this period.

ETHAN BUCHOLZ (99, 02-05) and wife, Catherine, welcomed a new son, Emmett, in August. He joins his brother Zeb, 4. The Bucholz family lives in Ft. Collins where Ethan is the forest monitoring program manager for the Colorado State Forest Service.

ELLY BUCHOLZ (HT 97-02; Staff 05) married Justin Cordes last May and they bought a new house in Logan Square, Chicago, where they live with Justin’s children: Madeline, 9, and Mason 6, and Ellie’s whippets, Abe and Ben. Ellie accepted the role as the assistant clerkship director for the 3rd year surgical clerkship and has enjoyed working more with medical students and giving back to Loyola. Justin manages Butch McGuire’s downtown.

PATRICK HUBER (BS/SWC Staff 94-00) and EVAN SCHMIDT (HT 90-03; Staff 96, 99-00, 02) are excited about their move into a new home in Davis, CA. Daughter, Isis, is enjoying her senior year of high school and son, Ambrose, started junior high and is having fun playing competitive soccer. Patrick and Ambrose had an amazing adventure to Rwanda last summer. We loved having a visit from the SchmidtHuber family in 2023!

RICK FRIESEN (BS 96-99; Staff 02-05) and wife, Nicole, are busy with their careers at Children’s Hospital in Denver and with raising Arlo, 2. They travel a lot to visit friends, so Arlo is an experienced flyer who has visited beaches, mountains, and big cities.

MADELINE “MADDY” JENKINS (HT 08-10; Staff 13,15) graduated from George Washington Law School last May and was sworn in as an attorney in December. In November, she married Kyle in a beautiful ceremony in North Kingston, RI. Sister, NORA (HT 16-18; Staff 22), was Maid of Honor at Maddie and Kyle’s wedding and is in her third year at the University of Virginia in the Honors Politics and distinguished philosophy programs.

PAUL BRULL (BS 10-17; Staff 19-22) graduated from CSU in May, traveled to Costa Rica in June, and moved to New York in August. He works as a care navigator at the Institute for Family Health in New York City. Sister, MAGGIE (HT 13-19) is thriving in her sophomore year at ASU, where she is serving as a teaching assistant for a freshman honors class and working as a peer mentor in the teachers’ college.

NIGEL DANIELS (BS 04-08) was recognized last fall at the Colorado State University Homecoming celebration and received the Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award. Nigel graduated from CSU in 2014 and then served as special assistant to US Senator MICHAEL BENNET (BS 78-79) in Washington before returning to Colorado to work on Bennet’s 2016 re-election campaign. He then served for 7 years as special aide and senior advisor to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. He earned his JD from Denver University in 2022 and is now with the legal firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber in Denver.

You’re Invited To the Annual AlumWork project day

Join us for a day of projects around Big Spring, High Trails, and The Nature Place including painting, setting Big Spring up for camp and projects like tree slash removal to reduce our risk of wildfire.

Saturday, April 27, 2024

8:00 - 9:00am - meet at the nature place lodge to make a sack lunch and get organized into highly efficient work crews

9:00am - 4:00pm - Work with your crew to complete your project (Definitely enjoy a lunch break sometime in the middle)

5:00pm - super fun barbecue to celebrate our accomplishments

Wear old clothes (if you still have some with green paint on them, that would be perfect), sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves and water bottles if you have them (no worries if you don’t - we will provide them).

RSVP to jane@sanbornwesterncamps.com

(We need to know by April 22nd so we can plan the projects and be sure to have enough cookies!)

vital statistics

marriages, births & adoptions, life celebrations

births:

Beau and HANA BUCHOLZ (HT 96-04) Larson, a daughter, Emi Rae, May 15, 2023, in Crested Butte, CO Grandparents: BOB BUCHOLZ (d) (BS 56, 62, Staff 66) and Mary Beth Ezaki

Jason and ELISE LEVY (HT 93-94) Bueker, a daughter, Reese Madison Bueker, September 15, 2023, in Leawood. KS. Grandparents: Peter and ALICE ROBINSON (HT 64-5, 68-70; Staff 73) Levy, Leawood, KS

CAROLINE TUTTLE (HT 06-11) Craigmyle and Nick Craigmyle , a son, Bennett Allen Craigmyle, September 6, 2023, in Fort Collins, CO

BRYAN (BS Staff 11-14) and JAMIE OLIVETTE (HT Staff 12-14) BELSEY, a son, Everett Oxford Belsey, October 6, 2023, in Silt, CO

Neel Butala and EMILY BUCHOLZ (HT 94-98, 00, 02) a son, Aiden Kai Butala, October 10, 2023 in Denver. Grandparents: BOB BUCHOLZ (d) (BS 56, 62, Staff 66) and Mary Beth Ezaki

Casey and JANIE COLE (HT Staff 11-13; Year-Round Staff 14-16) Miller, a son, Robert “Bobby” Russell Miller, October 16, 2023, in Durham, NC

Adam and ALLEY WELSH (HT 94-97, 99; Staff 02) Olshansky, a daughter, Piper Mae Olshansky, November 7, 2023, in Chelsea, MA

JACKSON (BS Staff 11-12; Year-Round Staff 13-15) and MOLLY RADIS (HT Nurse 14-15) BLACKBURN, a daughter, Hazel Jean Blackburn, November 21 ,2023, in Bend, OR

JEFF (BS Staff 08; HTOEC Staff 10-11) and STACY ROBINSON (HT Staff 11; HTOEC Staff 10-11) JOYCE, a son, Porter Curtis Joyce, December 4, 2023, in Kensington, MD

BRIAN “PICK” (BS Staff 08,11) and MAUREEN “MO” NASH (HTOEC 09) PICKNALLY, a daughter, Lucy Nash Picknally, December 27, in Oreland, PA

ABIGAIL SMITH (HT 02-07, Staff 10) Dias Ferreira and Pedro Dias Ferreira, a son, António Maria Smith Dias Ferreira, February 10, 2024, in Chamusca, Portugal

Chris and SARAH MILLER (HT 06; Staff 11) Vaughan, a daughter, Elizabeth Parker Vaughan, February 19, 2024, in Aspen, CO

SARAH (HTOEC 11-13, 16) and CHRIS “BC” MILLER-McLEMORE (BS Staff 0708; HTOEC 09-14) ULIZIO, a son, Amos Ellingwood Ulizio, February 29, 2024, in Colorado Springs, CO

weddings:

LAUREN ERIKSEN (HT 09-15) Kennedy to Ned Kennedy, September 2, 2023, in Alexandria, VA

JAMES MARSHALL (BS 10-11,13) to Nicole Prentice, September 23, 2023, in Ann Arbor, MI

MADELINE JENKINS (HT 08-10; Staff 13, 15) to Kyle Gervers, November 11, 2023, in Newport, RI

SARAH UTTERBACK (HT 12-15; Staff 18) to Steven Sanders, March 10, 2024, at Cross Creek Ranch, TX in memoriam:

HOWARD GREEN (BS 69-72; Staff 73,76) October 20, 1955—July 26, 2023

BETTY ERICKSEN (HT Nurse 62-67; 69-70) February 27, 1938—September 2023

DIANE ZIEGLER (HT Staff 64-67) LaViolette

August 29, 1945—December 17, 2023

KRISTEN FOSEID (HT Staff 68) Robbins May 20, 1945—January 13, 2024

Photos top left to bottom right: Hana and Emi Larson; Caroline and Bennett Craigmyle; Jamie, Bryan and Everette Belesy; Aiden Butala; Janie and Robert Miller; Jackson, Molly, Jet and Hazel Blackburn; Jeff, Stacey and Porter Joyce; Abigail, Pedro and António Dias Ferreira; Sarah, Millie and Elizabeth Vaughan; Amos Ulizio; Lauren and Ned Kennedy; Madeline Jenkins and Kyle Gervers with sister Nora Jenkins (HT16,18,19 Staff 22) and father Jody Jenkins (BS 74-76, Staff 77-79, 92)

making a difference

Jessica Gelman:

JESSICA GELMAN (HT 85-88; Staff 95), CEO of the Kraft Analytics Group and co-chair of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, is an incredible, aspirational leader; a camp-loving mom and a phenomenal individual with a remarkable sense of wonder, curiosity and play.

As a former Harvard basketball player, Harvard’s Female Player of the Year, and recognized in 2018 as an Ivy League Legend, sports have always been part of Jessica’s life. She co-founded the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in 2006 with Darel Morey of the Philadelphia 76ers, and it is now the most impactful and well-attended conference of its kind, with over 2500 attendees and speakers from across the sports industry. Even within the numbers, this conference is unique in the industry: over 45% of the speakers for the March 1-2, 2024 conference were women. The conference is also a student-run non-profit, and features a mentorship program “geared toward people who wouldn’t normally have access to the sports industry.”

That desire to educate and empower is integral to who Jess has always been: supporting her teammates, motivating campers to the summit of 14ers, and being a thoughtful, committed mom of two boys while also breaking down gender barriers in sports. Right now, like many people across a variety of industries (including camp!), this dynamic CEO of Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR) is trying to use data to find new ways to help people be more present and to create opportunities for more people to engage with and within the sports industry.

In a recent article authored by Shlomo Sprung and published on Boardroom TV (www.boardroom.tv), Jessica shared that, even in the live sports industry, there is a need to find a balance between “visual, immersive” screen-based experiences for fans and making the sporting event the actual experience. “The worry for all of us is our ability to disconnect from always being on and enjoying the experience itself…I look at my kids who are often watching something,

and then they’re also on devices doing something else, and they probably learned that from me and my wife, who do the same thing. So that divided attention and being in two places will increasingly be what we’re trying to figure out as an industry.”

“Divided attention” is a problem to be researched, analyzed and solved for the enjoyment of the sports experience. We are all fortunate that Jessica Gelman is helping shape the fabric of our culture through her understanding of the influence and impact of sports upon all of us…and we are even more fortunate that she is doing this with a sense of wonder and possibility that was partially born in the Colorado mountains, disconnected from technology, but fully connected with the world.

Thank you, Jess, for being our favorite kind of influencer: a camp mom and a vocal advocate for the camp experience as well as just a humble, kind and funny friend!

From the top: Jess and LAIRDEN ROGGE (BS14) at 2024 Sloan MIT Conference; Jess and Ariella Rogge: co-counselors in 1995; Chip off the Old Block: Rees & Jess

CampWell: A Model for Well-Being at Camp

As youth development professionals, we have seen the impacts of the youth mental health crisis at camp. From campers who find themselves lacking coping skills to deal with conflict to the staff member who struggles to disconnect technologically and feels overwhelmed and fragmented, we recognize that most people arrive at camp with more baggage than their literal trunks and duffel bags.

Fortunately, we all know that camp–with time spent in the natural world, building authentic connections in a safe, supportive, tech-free space–creates opportunities for campers and staff to discover new ways of thinking, being and growing. Even though the research didn’t exist yet, it is what Sandy and Laura knew and felt 76 years ago: these connected experiences in the outdoors help develop resilience skills, allowing us to overcome (and appreciate) the challenges we will face over our lifetimes.

Our mission, “To live together in the outdoors, building a sense of self, a sense of community, a sense of the earth and a sense of wonder through fun and adventure” provides us with a solid purpose and direction. “Well-being,” which is characterized by physical, mental, social, emotional, environmental and/or spiritual health at the individual and organizational level, is the lens we apply to help

everyone feel safe, supported, connected and able to contribute to the experience in unique and positive ways.

With the heightened focus on mental health and overall well-being, Sanborn continues to be on the cutting edge of this work in the camp environment. Last summer, SWC was one of nine camps in the country that piloted a “digital empathy” tool that hoped to include more “youth voice” in the camp experience. The tool helped us understand some of the areas of concern for our campers as they were arriving at camp, including making friends, how they would sleep and what they would eat. This information has helped us be more intentional over the winter with the information we are sharing with families and has led us to create new pre-camp materials specifically for campers. We were also very excited to learn that many of our campers were not concerned about camp and felt they would have a positive experience and also that the large majority of them did not feel they would miss technology at all while they were at camp!

This is why we are choosing to be a “CampWell Camp” this summer. We want to provide our staff with tools and teach our campers strategies so they can feel “safe, supported, connected and contributing” throughout their time at camp and beyond. We want them to be

secure with themselves and others; to be able to grow and learn individually and within the community; to be open to meeting new people and exploring new ideas; and to discover new ways they add value to their own lives and to those around them. We will do this by staying focused on our mission while adding thoughtful strategies and intention to our interactions with everyone in the community throughout the summer.

Over the last 25 years, the amount of data regarding the positive impact of a camp experience has grown exponentially. Interest in camps’ unique contributions in the field of youth development has drawn more research funding from the educational, medical, and organizational leadership sectors…and the research is overwhelming: high quality camp experiences prepare campers to thrive in academics, their future careers and life. We are looking forward to the upcoming summer and to all of the ways we will continue to learn and grow together!

Secure with self, secure with others, and secure in the ecosystem.

Outcomes

Give to self, give to others, give to the ecosystem

Grow in self, grow with others, grow through the ecosystem Safe Supported Contributing Connected

What’s in Your Backpack?

Power of the Pause: Don’t feel like you have to respond immediately during discussions, stories, or interactions with others. Allowing time for people to process the information allows for greater understanding. Be prepared to sit in silence, listen and not offer advice.

Ask or Wonder: WTF? What is The Function of this behavior? Guide them through the three Rs: Regulate, Relate, Reason

Validate Feelings & Hold Space: Most often people need to feel heard and validated. We are not focused on the fix but rather to be present and available to those sharing their stories.

Connect with self, connect with others, and connect to the ecosystem

Building & Modeling Authenticity:

Be Self-Aware – Do your words match your actions? Be Respected versus Liked – wisdom and courage are characteristics of those who chose respect

Be Real – avoid desire to embellish or overstate your accomplishments; show quiet humility; comfort with yourself

Be honest – in a kind, constructive and respectful manner

Engage Others – listen; care about others more than yourself; ask questions; Practice reflective listening

The Antidote is Camp from

You may have already picked up on the buzz: smartphones and social media are having a deleterious effect on our kids, schools, communities and culture. For over a decade, we have seen an uptick in parents seeking out a camp experience to help their kids be “unplugged” for part of the summer. Screens are ubiquitous in our daily lives, and the distractions, fragmentation and discord they cause feel challenging at best and dangerous at their worst.

But Dr. Jonathan Haidt has a solution…lots of them, in fact, and one of our favorites he talks about is “sleepaway camp.”

Published at the end of March 2024, Haidt’s newest book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness says, quite directly, that GenZ and iGen individuals (like our campers and emerging adult staff) who are given opportunities to be fully disconnected from the “online world” and fully immersed in free-play in the “real” natural world are more likely to have better mental health and find ways to thrive.

His thorough research reminds us that:

All children are by nature antifragile. Just as the immune system must be exposed to germs, and trees must be exposed to wind, children require exposure to setbacks, failures, shocks and stumbles in order to develop strength and self-reliance…kids must have a great deal of free play to develop and they benefit from physical play, which has anti-phobic effects. Kids seek out the level of risk and thrill that they are ready for, in order to master their fears and develop competencies.

Beyond the staggering mental health impact statistics, Haidt dedicates over a ⅓ of the book to solutions for what seems like a currently intractable problem: improving children’s mental health by taking collective action to reconnect children with the “real” world by dramatically decreasing the time they are spending in the “online” world. With strategy and calls to action to everyone from governments to tech companies to schools to parents, Haidt celebrates many of the strategies and outcomes that make camp such an important and positive developmental space for children of all ages.

We particularly enjoyed this paragraph under his list of “More (and Better) Experience in the Real World”:

Find a sleepaway camp with no devices and no safetyism. Many summer camps offer children and adolescents the chance to be out in nature and away from their devices and the internet for a month or two. Under those conditions, young people attend fully to each other, forming friendships and engaging in slightly risky and exciting outdoor activities that may bond them together tightly. Avoid camps that are essentially summer

school, with academic work and internet access, or camps that do not provide children with any communal responsibilities. Try to find a camp that embraces the values of independence and responsibility. If possible, send your child there every summer, from third or fourth grade through eighth or ninth grade–or all the way through high school if they want to transition from camper to counselor. Bonus points for any camp that promises not to post pictures every day on its website. Summer camp is a great opportunity for parents and children to get out of the habit of constant contact and, especially for parents, constant reassurance that their kids are okay.

Over the last few months and weeks, Haidt has been interviewed by news media, podcasts and on TV shows as broad ranging and diverse as CNN, The Ezra Klein Show, The New York Times, Real Time with Bill Maher, Simon Sinek’s podcast, The Joe Rogen Experience, The Hidden Mind, Christianity Today and PBS. He makes the point, through sifting through an enormous amount of research, that “overprotecting” our kids in the “real” world while “under protecting” them in the “online” world is having major societal and cultural consequences.

Just like the seminal book by Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods, published in 2005 that made the case for the important health benefits of time in the outdoors; Haidt’s book offers both a dire warning about the mental, social, emotional and physical health impacts of operating in an online, anxiety inducing “defend mode” versus a real, brain-developing “discover mode.”

We are spending so much time in online spaces that we lose sight of our internal social contracts which allow us to appreciate, respect and deepen our sense of wonder for the world we actually live in. Instead, social media algorithms designed to feed on our fears and insecurities dominate our days and interrupt our nights—keeping us in a hyper alert and fragmented state—and are especially damaging to the mental health of children’s and teens’ developing brains.

But, fortunately, he also demonstrates conclusively that connected communities, child-driven free play, opportunities for independence and authentic, distraction-free relationships are the antidote.

Thus the antidote truly IS camp.

This is your next book club read, the next podcast you share with your kids’ school administrators, the next conversation you have at the dinner table (without phones) and the next book you will share with your friends, relatives and anyone who is interested in “how to reclaim human life for human beings in all generations.”

We highly recommend this book—a five star, accessible, motivating and inspiring read—but we won’t be tweeting about it…we are going outside to play.

SANBORN Alumni Vacation Home

Forget-Me-Not Ranch

Our new Alumni Vacation Home is now open and ready for visitors! And, we have finally landed on a name, which we hope will evoke memories of camping out among alpine wildflowers. This experience is a lot more luxurious than camping out, however, and you won’t have to carry a backpack or pitch a tent.

Located near the Potts Meadow spring tank, the home has two bedroom suites upstairs, one with a king bed and one with a queen. There are two additional bedrooms downstairs—a bunk room and large suite with a king bed and half bath, as well as an additional full bath. A modern kitchen with all appliances will make meal preparation easy and while you won’t be eating with 200 children who are chanting and cheering. You will still have a great view of Pikes Peak, though. The kitchen blends into an attractive great room with spectacular views in all directions. In the evening, you’ll want to relax on the wrap-around deck and watch the sunset or marvel at the night sky.

The possibilities for hikes on the camp property are endless and there are many mountain biking options right out your front door. We’ll supply tubes in case you would like to travel to the nearby Platte River for a day on the water. Nearby attractions include the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, the old mining town of Cripple Creek, Mueller State Park and 11-Mile Reservoir.

Each season has its own appeal. During the summer, the days are warm and the nights are cool. The fall brings our spectacular golden aspen show. During the winter and spring there may or may not be snow but don’t worry because the sun still finds a way to shine.

There is a three-night minimum stay at Forget-Me-Not Ranch. For additional information and rates, please visit the website. If you are interested in dates through July, you can make your reservation at https://www.coec.info/alumnihouse.html or by scanning the QR code. If you are interested in dates after July, please contact Martie Jones Martie@thenatureplace.net

We hope to see you soon!

PO Box 167

Florissant, CO 80816

www.sanbornwesterncamps.com