Had someone asked me four years ago
what I’d be doing over my Spring Break, organizing a camping trip for
twenty-six of my dearest friends would have never even entered my mind. In
fact, I had never been camping until three years ago, when I went on my first
ever camping trip—an outdoor adventure at Joshua Tree that I always describe as
being one of my favorite memories of my college, TBS, and PsiEK experience. It
was the event that fully emerged me
into the joint Bond between Epsilon Kappa and Psi; it single-handedly set the
tone for the rest of my active membership. I remember looking at Erin Cubbon,
by Big Sis and current Director of Brotherhood/Sisterhood Relations for EK at
the time, and being so proud to be her Little. I couldn’t even imagine trying to
put on this event myself. And then there I was, three years later, snuggly
nestled in her shoes.
I
have been truly blessed. Of the myriad events the DOBSRs put on, this always
seemed the most daunting to me, not only because I have very little camping experience,
but also because of the tremendous amount of logistics involved. Suddenly,
there was this huge responsibility on my shoulders: I had to make sure we had a
place to stay, that all food and supplies were accounted for, and that rides
were organized, with the added bonus of having to reassure any wary parents
that their son or daughter was not going to fall off the side of a mountain.
But, as I said, I have been truly blessed. None of this could have happened
without the hard work of my DOBSR counterpart and Little Bro, Kelsey Chesnut.
It has been an incredible year getting to work with her, and I could not
imagine a better counterpart for this office. She made planning this event as
stress free as possible. We both pride ourselves on our “chillaxed” mentality
and approach, and we have proven to each other, time and time again, that
everything will work out. Although Kelsey has always been an amazing
counterpart, she blew me away in the way she took initiative when I became
overwhelmed with academia. This was definitely a whole new learning and growing
experience for the both of us.
There
is a major trade-off when it comes to organizing B/S Camping: to manage the
event effectively, you are forced to miss out on some of the activities;
however, the greater effort you put into ensuring the success of the event
directly correlates to amount of fun you will have and the incredible memories
you will make. So despite the fact that we had to bear 40mph winds that broke
three of our tents and rains that kept us in tents for much of the first
evening, we were able to bond over PB&J assembly lines and delivery
services as we crammed into the remaining tents. Nothing could bring these
Bruins down, and to sit around a roaring campfire, eating s’mores in a desert perfumed
by fresh rainfall… It was all I could ever ask for. The stars put on a show for
us that night.
The
following day I can hardly put into words .We began with a breakfast buffet of
bagels, cereal, muffins, fruit, milk, juice and an array of Nutrigrain bars for
the hikes. Half of us split off to hike until sunset, while the rest of us went
for a morning hike and came back for lunch and activities. This was the part of
the trip I had been eagerly awaiting, because this hike was the event that
cemented my love and appreciation for my Brothers and Sisters. Helping one
another climb mountains, overcome obstacles, strive for the highest—this is the
epitome of both of our organizations. I often found myself in a parallel state
of conscious activity and complete reverie, lost in a world of déjà vu,
remembering the moment when my Big Brother, Eric Kveton, reached out for my
hand and pulled me onto the next plateau. This time I had the support of Chris
Carandang, Brad Scott, Amanda Young, and countless other Brothers who were
always there with a helping hand. Out of the events of the entire trip,
however, nothing made me more proud than to watch Briana Popeney go through the
same transformation I went through three years ago, from timid rock climber to
fearless mountain explorer. My next favorite B/S Moment of the trip had to have
been the impromptu cabbage adventures. Kelsey and I had accidentally left three
heads of cabbage in the refrigerator crisper back in Westwood, and we needed
them in order to make dinner properly. Thus, Kelsey, Robyn Monroe, Alanah
Nowotarski, and I set off to find cabbage in the desert. Ask me and I’ll tell
you the rest of that story. ;)
PsiEK
B/S Camping this year was one of the most rewarding experiences of my time as a
Sister. Once again, it brought me closer to my Brothers, but this trip was
different. I truly felt myself come into my own. I was finally the type of
Sister I had always looked up to and aspired to be. The love and support of my
Brothers and Sisters has carried me through my entire UCLA career and it will
continue to propel me forward as I take on the new responsibilities of district
office. I can honestly say that without B/S Camping, I would not be where I am
today. Thank you to everyone, past
and present, who made this all possible.
MLITB!
Marlee Newman, Alpha Nu
Director of Brotherhood/Sisterhood
Relations, 2011-2012
Western District Vice President of
Special Projects, 2012-2013
