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Dear Friends and Family of the Vermont Semester,

Coming to you live from the sick bay, the last update of the 2008 Vermont Semester Program. We spend so much of our time here at Kroka making circles of different kinds that for some reason it wasn’t a big surprise when, just three days from graduation, sickness struck again, our first week at Kroka and our last. John and Joey are the only survivors on this round and they have held strong, doing the heavy work of camp chores. Chris, Andy, Hannah and Tom have shifted back into more of a guiding role, cooking and being a big part in the functioning of camp in the last few days and we all are very appreciative of this last big and unexpected effort that our amazing teachers are making.

The past two weeks have been packed with exciting activity, beginning with our trip to the Youth Environmental Summit in Fairlee, VT. The Summit is a three day conference for high school students which focuses on many environmental issues as well as working together, community building and, as Gandhi said, being the change we wish to see in the world. The VSP students opened the event by leading a half-day wilderness emersion, teaching fire building, coal burned spoons and cordage making. It was great to be a part of the event and to share our ideas on what it means to be an environmentalist. The rest of the three days were filled with workshops on everything from whether Wal-Mart is going green or not, to the technicalities of converting a car to run on used fryolator oil. When not in a workshop, we played ultimate Frisbee in the rain, sang songs together and on the last night, we had a big contra dance. We left our many new friends with much joy and a feeling of being able to accomplish anything we set out to do.

Back at base camp we jumped into the next big project: rebuilding the Cree lodge. Chris, Ashirah and baby Owen joined us again and we got going right away, first taking apart the existing lodge, and then carefully building it again. We cut and peeled one hundred additional spruce and fir poles for the structure and added more saplings to the supporting ring. We also began cutting sod each morning and hauling it, with the help of Britta the horse, to the lodge so we can use it as the outer insulating layer. Mid way through the lodge project, Kroka had their first big open house and we all took part in showing the neighbors how we live here. We had spoon carving and cordage making workshops and basket making and bow drill fire demos. Friends of Kroka from here and there and a couple semester alumni showed up to help and share in the festivities and the amazing Kroka cooking.

Last Tuesday, Grandfather Ray visited us again and we spent a day preparing poles and rocks for a sweat lodge ceremony. I can’t begin to put into words this experience other than to say how amazing it was, and what a great gift it was for us all at the end of this great journey. Now as I sit writing this last update, I am filled with too many final thoughts to share, so I have decided to share a bit from everyone, in the form of quotes from our final essay projects. I hope you have enjoyed “reading along” on this journey with us all and I would like to give a big final thank you to everyone who has had a part in the Vermont Semester, from our parents support to Kroka’s amazing staff, to all of the guest teachers and strangers met by chance along the way. Thank you for an amazing six months that will never be forgotten.

Until next we meet, this is Jesse the Scribe.

“People such as Keith Morris, Grandfather Ray Reitze, Chris Knapp, Andy Paonessa and many others have taught me lots of nature’s secrets. Through this, combined with my personal experiences, I have discovered a template on which the rest of my life can be based.”
-Eric Hall Reindel

“I hope to never work with hate, for I’ve learned that my work creates my life, and life is beautiful.”
-William Altman

“I will carry on my love for understanding others.” I now know that with hard comes appreciation for food, rest and nice days.”
-Joey Becker

“Simply discovering that an energy can flow out through my hands to create something beautiful out of wood has made me believe I have something artistic within me.”
-Celeste Beyer

“My only path is to trust in the plan, then I too may be gifted, I to may learn how the sands may be shifted. How the angry may learn, how the weaker may be lifted.”
-Nicholas Newman

"I will run for the joy of running and swim in rivers and streams to remind myself of the greatness of Mother Earth. I will teach from my heart, sharing my knowledge with joy. I will be open to the world and what it has to offer, knowing the truth the my learning will never end."
-Jesse Logan Cottingham

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