2019 Woodcraft Vedette: Issue 2

The

Vedette

Woodcraft

Issue 1 July 19th, 2019

1

Columnists

Columnists

Editors

Regina Castelan Jake Dolan Addison Dollahan Lyudmila Hallyn Preston Hensley Federica Hernandez-Barrull Ximena Ibanez Sierra Jones Silvia Jourdain Olivia Lacy Neil Marquell Ian McMaster Paloma Perez Diaz Alexa Rincon Victoria Lafontaine Lily Mangerson Yoye Selem

Jamil Sabag Lily Stevens Graham Young Zoe Young Sofia Aguayo Eston Armstrong Jimena Camara Taryn Casanova Eduardo Chen Matthew Collins Maggie Cooke William Dodds Lucie Flynn Helena Kelly Arianna Sorg Nate Ventura Alex Voltz

Arielle Pare Aaron Johnson Morgan Hofferth Anne Nowalk

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

The Slip ‘n Slide Bleed?

Arianna Sorg & Sofia Aguayo

get hurt on it, but some people just don’t think about it and slide down. I (Arianna) do the same thing—I just don’t think about it.

Overall, the slide was so much fun for me even though it can be a bit muddy. But, what do you think about the slide?

What would you call it? Slip ‘n slide or slip ‘n bleed? Everyone has a different opinion about this Woodcraft attraction. Some find it super fun while others think it’s extremely dangerous.

We asked different people around campus some questions about the slide. When we asked Cpt. Grzymski (B2) why she thinks they call it the slip n’ bleed, she told us that she thinks it is because “the slide is on a hill and when people put soap on their bottoms they go faster and can crash into other campers.”

Then we asked Valeria Aguirre (C3) if she liked going down the slide, and she said, “No, the last time I did it I got mud in my eyes.”

Ana Quijano (B2) said, “I had a lot of fun going down the slide even though the water was freezing cold.”

Then we asked Maj. Kelley (B1) questions about the slide’s past. She said, “I think the slide was placed here in Woodcraft about 5 years ago. It used to be where the Amphitheatre is, but I prefer the present location because now the hill is higher which makes everyone go faster.” We asked her who decided to put a a slip n’ slide in camp and she said, “I’m guessing Col. Spahn?”

In the end, some people don’t like the slide but others do; everyone has a different opinion. A lot of people think you can

Fencing Graham Young

Fencing is one of the many sports of culver, but it’s the one im focusing on.

First, I interviewed the lieutenants and Major Cameron, the head of fencing.

Q: When was fencing added to Woodcraft?

Major Cameron: “It was basic physical fitness and was always a part of woodcraft. It was added near the 1980’s when World War 1 happened.”

Q: What’s your opinion on fencing?

Major Cameron: “I love fencing; it’s a lifelong sport. The best idea wins not if you’re faster, taller, shorter.”

LT Casper: “I think it’s an amazing sport. It has a lot of individuality and teaming in it, and it helps with self-reliability.”

LT Chaoar: “I think fencing is a very different sport. You need dexterity. It’s also a co-ed sport as well.”

Camper from D6: “I took fencing because my dad took fencing, and my uncle took fencing with my dad. Also, because I like sword fighting.”

Q: How did you learn about Culver fencing?

Camper from D6: “I learned about Culver fencing from my grandpa who works here.”

Due to these reasons, I think you should take fencing, which is one of the many experiences offered at Culver summer schools and camps.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

2

Battalion/Regimental Staff Eduardo Chen

Do you want to be in Battalion? On the Regimental Staff? Well, here are some tips of how to become or get into Battalion and Regimental Staff! Just kidding, but to be honest, being in Battalion and Regimental Staff is something that a lot of people would want and wish for. So, I interviewed somebody who has been on Battalion and Regimental Staff to discuss the differences between the two staffs. To get into Battalion or Regiment, Beavers and Cardinals do a rigorous Review Board process, while Cubs and Butterflies, only do Review Board for final make, and the Unit commanders choose their Battalion Staff for the other weeks.

I interviewed Ana Mendez, C1, who was Battalion Sergeant Major and Regimental Mess to find out what it’s like being in Battalion/ Regimental Staff. She said, “I felt excited and nervous because I knew with that position there were great responsibilities.” When asked if she could give future Battalion and Regimental Staff tips, she said, “Do your work, because it may affect others.” Ana Mendez said that she preferred both, and there wasn’t one that was better or worse. “Both were great because you got to help your Battalion and Regiment, so none were better or worse.”

I also interviewed Colonel Spahn, the director of Woodcraft, who was a Girl School Leader and Right Guide Cologuard on Battalion and Regimental Staff. She was asked about how being in Battalion or Regimental staff can change someone, and she said, “They are given responsibilities, and they make sure that the camp runs efficiently.” When I asked her about her own personal experiences of when she was a camper, she said that she did what was asked of her and followed the rules, and she didn’t realize at the time that she was a leader. “A leader is someone who help other people find success,” she said.

I chose this topic because many people want to get into Battalion or Regimental Staff, and I wanted to give different perspectives about Battalion or Regiment and how it affects or changes somebody!

Major Trickey Jr. James Dolan, Ximena Ibanez, & Alexa Ricon

Maj Trickey, like most majors, helps Culver to be a camp with values, leadership, and fun. We interviewed him to learn about his years in Culver and his experiences. We wanted to know some questions that we’ve always wondered. Major trickey is full of memories. We asked him some questions that we thought were important and that will help you to know about his life.

Q: When did you become a major?

A: “I became a counselor in 1976, and in 1984. I became a Division Commander of Division One.” Q: When did you start coming to camp?

A: “1959.” He explained to us that when he was two years old his dad used to bring him to work at camp.

Q: How did you find out about culver?

A: “Because of my father.”

Q: Why did you come to camp?

A: “Because I like working with young people,” he explained.

Q: How is your experience in Woodcraft?

A: “Three words,” he said. “Wonderful, outstanding, and rich.”

Q: What do you prefer, being Division Commander or Boys Director?

A: “Division Commander.” He explained that he likes to be busy, and that he doesn’t like to be bored.

Then we went to ask Colonel Spahn about Major Trickey: Q: What has Major Trickey brought to Culver?

A: “Major Trickey has brought Woodcraft Friends, and he brings a high level of leadership and fair competition,” she said.

In conclusion, we wanted to write about Major Trickey because he is a great Major and Boys Director. We really wanted everybody to know his story and to know his background.

“He hasn’t just impacted my (James’) summer, but my whole life in ways I can’t explain.”

3

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

C3 is one of Culver’s newest units, along with B3, founded in 2015.

The first major of C3 was Major Adams, but she only stayed major Olivia Lacy for one year. According to Major Thomas (Board of Operations), Major Adams left C3 to start training for the FBI! C3, Cardinal Wing 3, isn’t much different than the other divisions/ wings at Culver Woodcraft Camp, except we wear an aqua jade C3 was added for many reasons. It was added because there t-shirt. C3 is a girl’s unit with 61 girls, ranging in age from 11-14 wasn’t enough competition between the other Cardinal units. For years old. Cardinal Wing 3’s cabins are located closest to Cardinal example, on the boy’s side there are 4 Beaver units, so there is lots Creek, and its cabins are numbers 1-5. of competition involved when it comes to the Military, Marching, and Athletic Banners. C3 was also added because there were so I asked a girl in C3, Athena Lu, if she liked being in C3. Athena many girls who wanted to come to Culver but were waitlisted replied, “Yes, because we work well together as a wing and because there wasn’t enough room. everybody does fun things together.”

I also interviewed Major Tricky, the Boys Director and Major of While many butterflies who are Gold C’s now want to go to Division 5. I asked him if he was happy when C3 was added even Cardinal Wing 2, I interviewed a girl in Butterfly Wing 2 that though it didn’t affect him. Major Tricky said, “I loved it, because wants to go to C3 next summer. I asked her why she thought that more girls had a chance to enjoy the Culver experience. The more people wanted to go to C3. She said that she wanted to go to C3 kids we get, the better we are.” “because there are a lot of nice, accepting people, and in C3 there are many opportunities.”

The last person I interviewed was Major Lynch, the Woodcraft Athletic Director. I asked her how Cabin Games worked. Cardinal Wing 2 and Cardinal Wing 3 both have about 60 girls in their unit, but Cardinal Wing 1 only has 48 girls, which means they have one less cabin than the other wings. On Mondays when it’s time for cabin games, one of the cabins from C2 or C3 that is playing C1 doesn’t count. Major Lynch stated that the chosen cabin that doesn’t count is alternated. Everyone who participated still gets the points, but that one chosen cabin will not count for the athletic banner.

History of C3

So why doesn’t Woodcraft just add one more cabin in C1 to make it equal? Well, Woodcraft is not allowed to add any more cabins on the girls’ side until Culver adds another bathroom, which is going to happen soon once Woodcraft gets the funding, according to Major Thomas.

Equitation Regina Castelan & Paloma Perez

The class of equitation is very popular because you have the opportunity to get along with horses. The director equitation is Mr. Stubblefield; he said that one of the best parts of being in equitation is riding different horses.

Culver decided make equitation a class because they wanted to give students the opportunity to ride different horses. Equitation came to Culver in 1897, and the horses in 1898. Equitation is located in the Jud Little Riding Hall.

How do you make a horse love you? Give them attention, pet them, groom and brush them.

How many times a day do horses eat? Miss Giffin, a teacher in equitation, said that the horses eat 3 times a day.

How many years do the horses live? Miss Giffin said around 20-30 years.

Our favorite horse is Buster. He is brown, big, friendly, strong, and beautiful.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

4

Ice Hockey Helena Kelly

Ice Hockey is an amazing sport that you can do here at Woodcraft. There are lots of campers that do Ice Hockey. The Ice Hockey class is located at the Henderson Ice Arena.

I interviewed Mr. Quella, the instructer of Ice Hockey, and one of his students about Ice Hockey.

I asked Mr. Quella why he thinks his students like Ice Hockey, and he told me that he thinks they like Ice Hockey because it is one of the coldest places on campus and students like to cool off because its very hot in Culver. Healso said he thinks that they also like Ice Hockey because it is a really fun sport and they enjoy skating.

I asked him when the Ice Hockey class started. He replied, “around 40 years ago.”

I said, “do you know who started the Ice Hockey class?”

He responded, “I think Al Clark”.

Next I interviewed one of the students named Makenzie Helms, in B1, who took Ice Hockey for two years, and is still taking it .

First I asked Makenzie why she likes Ice Hockey and she said that she likes it cause it’s a very fast and fun sport and its also fun to skate.

I asked her what some of the pros and cons are and she said that the pros are all the friends you make and the cons are all the pads and gear you need to put on, cause it takes a long time.

I hope you take Ice Hockey because it’s a really amazing sport!!!!!!!!!!

Homecoming Lily Mangerson & Will Dodds

Lakefest, the Cub & Butterfly Dance, and the Garrison Parade.

Those are just a few things included in Homecoming week. We interviewed Dr. Lare, the Summer Schools Alumni Association executive about Homecoming. These are the questions we asked him.

“Who founded Homecoming?” we asked.

“The Summer Schools Alumni Association created the Homecoming Weekend concept. The inaugural event was held in July 1925.This year’s edition will be the 94th annual event,” he explained.

“What is the main part of Homecoming?” we asked.

“Many look forward to the Garrison parade, of course, but each visitor brings with them expectations drawn from their own life experiences and their memories of their Culver experience. For some, the highlight is sailing on the lake, going to the Chapel, hearing a Big 15, or simply seeing their cabinmate or roommate, or their former counselor. Those will be the most important part of their weekend.” He answered.

“Where is the main location for Homecoming?” we asked.

“This year, Homecoming Headquarters will be in Sallyport in the North Barrack, but many events will occur in the Woodcraft Camp because of the Drum & Bugle Corps Centennial,” he said.

“Why do we have Homecoming?”

“Homecomings provide an opportunity for visiting alumni, parents, and friends to recapture their youth, rekindle long time friendships, and form new relationships with people who have the common bond of the Culver experience,” he said.

“How do you prepare for Homecoming?” we asked.

5

“The date is set 12-18 months prior to each Homecoming. Planning begins 10-12 months ahead of the event. For special anniversaries like the Drum and Bugle Corps 100th, we started 18-24 months ago,” he replied.

“What is your favorite part of Homecoming and why?” we asked.

“Seeing friends re-connect or alumni re-connect with staff who were important to them. Of course, it’s not hard to be moved by the site of former Naval Bandsmen joining the band during their weekly concert as they play Colonel Payson’s remarkable composition, ‘1961 Band’, or Anchors Aweigh,” he said.

No matter what started it, who started it, or where it started, Homecoming is just an amazing thing to see, be a part of, and experience at Culver Summer Schools and Camps.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

The Idea of Top Notch Vedette Addison Dollahan

As you know, there are many Top Notch classes including Top Notch Scouting, Top Notch Indian Arts and Crafts, Top Notch Arts and Crafts, and Top Notch Rocketry. But what about Vedette? Every trimester, kids go around busily interviewing people for the Culver Vedette which is always passed out at the end of a two-week class period. For some, the idea of a Top Notch Vedette could seem silly, but to others, the idea is an amazing one. Recently, I interviewed Lt. Pare, the teacher of Vedette, and Milla Hallyn, C1, on what they think of the idea of Top Notch Vedette.

The first question that I asked was, “what’s your opinion on the idea of Top Notch Vedette,” and they both answered positively. Lt. Pare’s answered, “I think it would be a good idea because it would give Gold C’s a chance to go above and beyond. It would also give Gold C’s a chance to be honest and responsible and develop skills like leadership, writing, and communication.”

For my second question, I asked Milla, “Do you think there could be a Top Notch Vedette eventually?” She answered, “Yes, and I totally support the idea.”

For my last question, I asked Lt. Pare, “what do you think the patch would look like?” She answered, “I think that it would maybe have a newspaper on it. Or maybe, something with a fancy pen, or a more modern newspaper.”

All in all, some people believe that Top Notch Vedette is a good idea.

Rocketry

Maggie Cooke

Every two weeks at the end of classes, you’ll hear some loud noises and maybe even some clapping. If you keep watching, you’ll see as rockets shoot to the sky, painted in all colors.

Rocketry is a two-week long class that you can make two rockets in. I talked to Lt. Swisher, a Counselor from B3 who teaches rocketry, about what she does in rocketry. She said, “I observe the class building rockets, I paint their rockets, and I launch their rockets at the end.”

Finally, we asked if she would recommend rocketry? “Yes,” Faith After this, I asked her what it is like to teach Rocketry. “It’s super said, “It has the best counselors, it’s really fun, and you get to build fun,” She said, “I get to meet different kids and see the creativity rockets!” in what they make.” Next, I asked her about the safety measures in rocketry.

Then, I asked Kai Johnson from D3 his opinions about Rocketry. “I have always loved rockets, so this is a great class!” He said. Next, I “The counselors control the sharp objects. They also make asked him what he likes about rocketry. sure the campers are in the right zone when it comes time to the launch.” For the last question, we asked who was in charge “I like rocketry because it’s the freedom to soar, and it’s going to fly of rocketry now, and Lt. Swisher said that Major Peppers is in and work because you put so much work into it.”

Administration. The new Major of Rocketry is Major Kopp.

Then, I asked him how long it takes him to build a rocket, “It takes Next, I talked to Faith Cordel from B3, and I asked how me three days for an easy rocket, but for a harder rocket, about a Rocketry is as a class. She said, “I love Rocketry! It’s one of my week.’’ top two classes.”

We then asked him if he would recommend rocketry to a camper. “I We also asked Faith If Rocketry is fun. “Yes, because you get to would recommend rocketry,” he said, “because you can think when it see all of your hard work shoot off into the sky. You know that flies: that’s my rocket and it started out as nothing but became such a you worked hard on it.” great thing to me.”

When asked how long it takes to build a rocket, she replied with, Rocketry is such a fun class, and you can’t find another camp that lets “It takes about four days depending on the rocket.” you blast off a rocket that you made.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

6

Culver: The Military Aspect Sierra Jones & Lilian Stevens

Have you ever wondered why Culver was a military camp? Well, we have too, and this is our article about it. We had two interviews— one with Major Brun and one with Major O’Brien. They were very helpful in this process, and this wouldn’t be an article without them. We’re going to start off with our interview of Major Brun.

We had a couple questions for Major Brun, and when it came to answers, he was helpful in this process. When we asked Major Brun about the banners, we got some truly shocking answers that some of you might not know. Banners started around the time Woodcraft began and were created to honor the units with the best military skills. However, the military achievement banner started out as a ribbon that you would pin onto your wing/division banners.

Military achievement started in 2008 and officially became a banner in 2011. When we asked about the battalions and how many there were, he told us, “Well, we’ve increased the number of units, so we made more battalions.”

Meanwhile, Major O’Brien told us that in the 80’s and 90’s the girls (Cardinals and Butterflies) only had one battalion. Major O’Brien helped us with learning about the arrival of the girls in 1977, and we learned a lot of interesting facts. One thing Major O’Brien told us was that when girls first started at Woodcraft, they had some separate classes from the boys, but most were co-ed. When we asked when the girls started marching, she told us, “Upper camp girls started marching at least during the second year of the Summer School for Girls being established, or 1966.

Woodcraft girls started in 1985.” One more thing Major O’Brien told us about was the girls unit colors. “In 1986, girls got sashes and wing colors for the first time.” This is when the girls got their own individual wing colors, like purple and pink. Before that, girls had windbreakers (also known as rain coats) to show off their patches and medals instead of sashes. At first, the girls just mixed up colors of red and blue shirts and shorts. Sometime after, people decided girls should have specific uniforms with red and blue. The two cardinal units had all red and all blue, and the butterfly units had red shirts and blue shorts, and blue shirts and red shorts.

So why do we have military? Why does it matter? The military aspect teaches us leadership, teamwork, and discipline. Maybe it’s to teach us and help us grow up.

Indian Crafts

Taryn Casanova

7

The Big Book of Indian Crafts is what we put our crafts in when we’re done with them. Major Kamrow teaches Indian Crafts—he loves history, so here is a piece of history about Indian Crafts. It started in almost the beginning of camp according Jeff Kenney, Culver historian.

Lucie Flynn, B1, says, “I enjoyed it because you don’t spend too much time on one thing, and you get to do a lot.”

After finding out history about Indian Crafts, I asked some kids what they liked it about it. Kaylin Myers, B1, says she enjoyed it because “he was nice, and the crafts are fun.”

I believe that it is the BEST class ever. I hated crafts, but last year when I got home I had so many friendship bracelets. I have taken Indian Crafts every year, so I believe you should too.

Lt. Fleener says, “It was one of my favorite classes. Everyone was so helpful.”

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

Master Dancer Matty Collins

Dun dum..dun dum..the beat of the drum echoing through the council ring. Master dancer/Circle IKWE is a very special award that only 9-12 kids get each year. Some people might ask: what is so special about Master Dancer/Circle IKWE anyway? Well... according to Major Z. “We pick the best of the best of the best.”

When he says best of the best, you might be wondering what you need to be the best of the best. He says, “You have to be a good dancer, cooperative, and a good leader in division.” Another question you may ask is: what happens when you meet those expectations? “You become a better person and live up to those expectations,” said Major Z. I talked to LT. Rice, and he said, “You have to be respectful.” I asked him about some tips to get Master Dancer or Circle IKWE, and these were his answers: 1:Be respectful 2:Dance well 3:Teach others 4:Take class 5:Flow with the moves Master dancer is special because it makes you become a better person and a bigger part in the rituals. You also become a better dancer.

Have you ever wondered what that huge castle-like building is when you look from the parade field? That building is the Jud Little Riding Hall.

The Riding Hall Eston Armstrong

I interviewed Mr. Frank M. Stubblefield, Director of the Summer Horsemanship, about the Riding Hall. Mr. Stubblefield said, “We have stalls for 94 horses, and we have 93 horses.” He also said, “Horses are fed at 6 am, instructors arrive at 8am, stalls are cleaned at 8:30 am, staff gets an hour and a half off for lunch, they also go out on recreational rides, and so their day ends approximately around 5:30. They also get mornings on Saturdays off, so we work about as much as the campers.”

I asked him what he thought was most special about the Riding Hall.

He replied, “The horses, because they don’t lie, cheat, or steal. The horses already have the character traits that we expect of our campers.”

After, I had asked how old the building was. He replied, “This is the second riding hall. In 1916, the original one burned down. Shortly after, they moved into the new one. The lounge in the riding hall was finished in 1972. They built the new walls for offices about 2007, and was rededicated in ‘09.”

I asked, “How do they evaluate the campers between Advanced, Intermediate, and Basic Equitation?”

He replied, “The first day of camp, instructors give out riding evaluations and assign them horses to their abilities. Horsemanship is one of the most competitive classes to try out in. In Woodcraft, there are 12 spots in Advanced, 10 spots in Intermediate, in Basic there are 50 spots, and in Foundation there are 54 spots.” That means that there are 126 spots in total! Mr. Stubblefield also said that there are four girls and one boy who were riders and have already graduated from woodcraft to upper school.

In conclusion, the Culver Riding Hall is a very interesting place. If you ever get to see it from the inside, you will never want to leave.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

8

Campers and Counselors Victoria Lafontaine & Jimena Camara

Do you like to meet new people and be in funny classes and do fun activities? If so, Culver is perfect for you because there are a lot of things to do, you are never going to be bored, and the people here are super cool. You’re going to love it. We asked some counselors and campers questions about how they feel at camp.

We interviewed Lt. Mendoza, who is a counselor in B2. She is so cool and such a great counselor. Last year she was a JC (junior counselor). We also asked a camper of B2, Bronze C, Ana Quijano.

First, we asked Ana what she likes about Culver? She said, “I like culver because I meet new people, I make new friends, and I learn English.” Then, we asked her at what time she feels ready to come to Culver? She said, “I don’t feel ready to come until two weeks before camp because before that moment, I don’t feel good being away from my family, but now I love Culver and I know that I’m going to see my family soon anyway.”

We asked some other questions like: how did she find out about Culver? She answered: “Because some people in my family come to Culver, and my sister is now a C3, Ines Quijano.” We asked she if she would prefer to be in B,1 B2, or B3? She said, “I love B2! It is the best, and all my life I want to be at B2. I have a lot of

9

friends there.” We asked about why she wants to come to culver. She said, “Because I want to meet new people to learn English, and to have new experiences.”

Then we went with Lt. Mendoza and asked some questions.

The first question was: why did you decide to be a counselor at Culver? She said, “Because I love to be able to have such a positive impact at such a young age.” Then we asked, what do you like about being a counselor? She said, “I like to remember how it was being a kid, and I love to inspire my girls to do new things.” We asked, where did she want to be the next summer? She answered, “my summer plans next year are still in progress, but I would love to see my B2 girls again.” We asked her how she found out about Culver?

She answered, “My brother came to Culver as a counselor a year before, and he invited me to come to Culver.”

We asked some other questions like, do you like Culver and why?

She said, “Who doesn’t like Culver? Every day you get to learn something new in a beautiful place!” Then, we asked if she wants to come back to Culver as a counselor, and she said, “It depends on how good my B2 girls behave at the end of the summer.” We asked if she came to Culver as a camper and, if so, what year. She said, “I wish I had the opportunity to come to this incredible place at a young age, but I think being a counselor is almost like being a grown camper!” We asked her if she preferred being a counselor or a JC, and she said, “I think both jobs are amazing, but still, the responsibility you have as a cabin counselor and the adventures you get through it has been the best decision I ever made.”

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

The Gold Star Men of Culver Ian McMaster & Neil Marquell

Have you heard about the Gold Star Men of Culver? Chances are you haven’t. The story of the Gold Star Men of Culver is not Culver’s most famous story. You’ve probably heard of stories like Clubfoot or Zeke, which are some of Woodcraft’s most famous stories, but the story of the Gold Star Men is not a myth or a legend. It is a real-life story about Culver men who sacrificed their lives for their country.

The first thing that you need to know is who the Gold Star Men were. We interviewed Robert Nowalk, the curator of Crisp Visual Arts Center, who said that the Gold Star Men are 85 Culver men who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country during the First World War. After the war was over, Leigh Gignilliat, the Superintendent of Culver Academies, felt that the Gold Star Men should be honored. He didn’t have pictures of all of the men, and he wanted painted portraits, so he found photos that an artist could work from. He hired an artist named Hugh Poe to make colored pastel paintings of the Gold Star Men. The artist made the drawings of the Gold Star Men, and they were hung up, but in the 1950s the paintings were taken down, and they were lost until the Centennial of Woodcraft (Spring 2012). Mr. Nowalk found the Gold Star Men portraits under the stage of Eppley Auditorium. Now, they are hanging up for viewing at the Crisp Visual Arts Center.

We then interviewed Lt. Haley, a Division Four counselor, about the Gold Star Men. We first asked Lt. Haley whether he enjoyed the Gold Star Men exhibit and why. He said, “As a winter school grad who has been a part of many Gold Star ceremonies, I have always respected the sacrifice those young men made serving their country.”

Then we asked him which was his favorite part of the exhibit and why. He responded by saying, “My favorite part of the exhibit is the portraits themselves. Seeing the faces of the men is a somber experience. Some of those men were the same age as me now. It puts life into perspective.”

Our final question to Lt. Haley was: what made you decide to go to the exhibit? He said, “Teaching our campers the Culver values and ideals is an integral part of what we do here. To show those campers how the values and ideals translate into real world service was an important lesson in their growth.”

Our next interview was with Mr. Nowalk, the curator for Crisp Visual Arts Center. We first asked him to tell his favorite story. He answered with a story about a man who lived. His name was Leo Dawson; he was a pilot. One night, he went on a voluntary patrol of German lines (he flew over and observed the German military), and he was spotted and attacked by seven German pilots. In the beginning of the fight, his gun jammed, so he crawled onto the front of the plane and fixed it while seven men were firing at him. In the end, he fixed the jam, and took out a fighter. The others ran away.

The next question that we asked Mr. Nowalk was: what do the Gold Star Men mean to you? He then responded by saying, “They personify what is best about Culver. People at Culver do small, heroic acts. Waking up and saying ‘hi’ to a bunkmate or being nice to a classmate. I think the Gold Star Men learned that here.”

We think the Gold Star Men are very inspiring. They were just normal men, but Culver shaped them into men who would sacrifice their lives for their country. If you want to see the men, you can go to Crisp Visual Arts Center.

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

10

Water Ski Alex Voltz & Lucie Flynn

Do you like being on two sticks and being pulled by a rope on the water? Then water Ski is perfect for you! Water skiing is a very popular sport here and is hard to get into. Yet, it’s not very hard to do, so it’s a win-win! All you have to do is bend your knees, straighten your arms, and pull back. Water gets into your nose sometimes and stings, but it is fun when you are back on the boat. The boat needs to go a certain speed for you to stand up, so it’s pretty fast.

According to USA Water Ski, the sport was invented in 1922, and people still love it! In the class, you get to actually do it and not just sit there and talk about it.

“I like it because when you stand up it’s like you are walking or gliding on the water,” said Taryn Casanova, B1. “When you first start, you always fall off because you are not used to it.”

We liked hearing about the class from a kid’s point of view but we also wanted one from an adult. We interviewed our cabin counselor from B1, Lt. Molina.

“I teach water ski because it’s fun. I love it, and it’s a big part of my life,’’ she told us when we asked her why she teaches water ski.

Water ski is fun, healthy, and great in general. That’s why water ski is important.

Council Fire Recordings Milla Hallyn, Zoe Young, & Addison Dollahan

Council Fire is a weekly camp tradition that consists of a storyline based on Native American life. They also have dances performed by some of the campers taking the Indian Dance class offered here at Culver. Each one has a pre-recording. We were curious about the history of these pre-recordings, so we asked Maj. Kamrow, the head of Indian Arts and Crafts, a few questions about them.

First, we asked who the voice in the pre-recordings is. He said that there are many different voices. One of which was Col. Lane, the old summer camp director (1977-1978). Second, we were wondering when they were made. He told us that most of them were made from the mid-60’s to the early 70’s, but the latest one was made about ten years ago. We then asked him where they keep the recordings. He replied that Maj. Zimmerman, the head of Indian Dance, takes them home with him during the winter.

Once we had finished our interview with Maj. Kamrow, we asked a few campers what they thought of the pre-recordings. One camper, Jamil Sabag from D&B said, “I wish the characters had dialogue and not as much narration. I think his voice is slightly monotoned.”

Sylvia Jourdain from B2 said, “I think it’s a little boring.”

Crystal Yeo from C2 said, “I like the background music; it fits the narration well.”

In conclusion, there are a lot of different opinions about the Council Fire pre-recordings, some good, some bad. Either way, it will always be a part of the Culver experience.

11

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

Clubfoot Silvia Hordain & Federuca Hernandez You might wonder, “Who is Clubfoot?” Some people think that a tree fell on his leg in a storm, so he cut his leg off and put a club there in replacement, and then he went after everyone.

Well that isn’t true. We interviewed Maj. Tricky, and the real story is that his leg got cut off by lightning. They couldn’t fix it, so they put a club in his leg. Beavers bullied him, but D2 bullied him the most because of his leg. As karma, at night he would scratch his club on the ground to scare the campers who bullied him. One night, after scaring the kids, he was smoking a cigarette on his way home. Then, while lying in bed, he fell asleep, and the cigarette fell and burned his house down. Then another night, a counselor named LT. Blutouska was surrounding the cabins to see who was the one scratching the floors to scare the kids, so he grabbed a flashlight and went out to check. The noises where getting louder and louder until… you don’t want to know what happened to him. It was so scary that no one even knows what happened except for the counselors. There were only 2 days left of camp, and all of the campers where so scared that none of D2 ever came back, and the last division commander buried a metal box a card from the last division commander and the D2 banner. That is why there is no Division 2. If you were wondering what the D2 t-shirt color was, it was white, and the color of the banner was red.

We also interviewed some campers and counselors about what they think about Clubfoot. We asked Capt. Sanchez from D7 if he knew who Clubfoot was. “Yes,” he answered. We asked him what he thought the story was. “When I was a camper, they told us that in Beason, Clubfoot would come out at night and make a noise, and everyone would get scared. He had his leg amputated when a tree fell on his leg in a whether hold since he was naughty and wasn’t behaving.”

Parade Roberto Selem

Let’s be honest, not many people love parade, but I had the opportunity to interview some people that we all know to understand why we do it. Let’s start with Major Trickey. I asked him who invented Parade, and he said that Culver copied the U.S Army and Navy because they do parades. Since Culver is military, they decided to do them too. Then I asked when parade was invented, and he said, “In 1893.”

I then talked to Col. Spahn, and I asked her what parade is. She said, “Parade is the time when all the campers are inspected.”

Then, I talked with some campers. First, with Eduardo Chen from D3, and I asked him why he thinks we have to go to parade, and he said that parade is important because it gives people a reason to stay still, and it gives some kids discipline. I asked more kids from Beavers the same question. Zach Dylete from D1 said, “It gives more points for banners and also shows how bad or good divisions are.”

I asked the same question to Riley Steputis from D1, a six-year Gold C, and he said, “Because it gives people leadership positions and a chance to be recognized. It also gives points for the banner.”

I asked one of my friends, Valentin Ruiz from D4, and he said that he thinks we have to go to parade because it shows the campers’ self-discipline, and it give points for banners. So, after all the interviews, I think parade matters because it teaches kids discipline.

We also interviewed Jose Ramon Chedraui from D7 and he said, “Yes the one that had a club in his foot!” Then, we asked him what the story was. He said, “He was playing golf, and a kid hit him in the leg with a ball and broke it, and they couldn’t replace it. Clubfoot, with the golf stick that the boy used to break his leg, took his revenge.”

Luis Yanez from D7 said, “Yes, he was a boy from D2 that was inside of a cabin in a storm, and when he got out a tree fell in his leg, and he replaced it with a golf stick!”

Fun facts 1- Maj. Trickey saw Clubfoot with his own eyes 2-This happened on August 15th, 16th, and 17th of 1968

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

12

Woodcraft Woodcraft Crossword Crossword

13

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

The Vedette / / Culver Summer Schools & Camps

14