A Day in the Life a leap of faith Visiting the Past

A photo essay captures the A firsthand account from a Photos and stories from camp’s
hustle and bustle of camp four-year Woodsey early days

Ucla unicamp |
 UniCamp MAGAZINE
A PUBLICATION OF UniCamp
UCLA’S OFFICIAL CHARITY

Camp Executive Director Wally “Pops” Wirick

Director of Program Enhancement Jason “Mr. Woooo” Liou
Director of Camper Recruitment Brad “Huckleberry” Ostrander
Site Manager Ed Bellante

Editorial Director Michael “Muffintop” Lowe

Designer Yoko “Panda” Sakao Ohama
Contributing Writer Summer “Winter” McCullough

Board of Trustees

President Mr. Rey Cano

Vice President Mr. Brad Schy
Treasurer Ms. Lisa Pierozzi
Secretary Mr. Irwin D. Goldring

Trustees Peter J. Rich, Esq.

Ms. Stella Allan
Mr. Ashwin Batra
Mr. Jay Bloom
Jenny Cheung, Esq.
Mr. David Clausen
David G. Ducar, Esq.
Ms. Debra Hunter Holloway
Mr. Olaf Kilthau
John Reilly, Esq.
Ms. Clair Schlotterbeck
Mr. Jeff Silver
Mr. Evan Shulman
Mr. Martin Mai
Mr. Jeffrey Lyu
Mr. Cord Green
Ms. Wendy Motch
UniCamp 900 Hilgard Ave. Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310)-208-8252
Long before volunteers meet their campers, they are preparing and
planning day in and day out. Volunteers go through rigorous training
during spring quarter including weekly two-hour meetings, an on-site
orientation at camp and a weekend retreat. Here, during the last days
before camp, volunteers go over last minute preparations, load the bus
and leave Westwood for the mountains.
On the Cover
The entrance to Camp River Glen
is shot during the waning hours of
light in the San Bernadino Hills.
Just past this wooden sign, the dirt
road weaves through tall pines
and dives across a bubbling brook
into the UniCamp campground.

ucla UniCamp Online © 2009 by UniCamp. All rights

Read more about UniCamp’s reserved. Reproduction or use in whole
stories and get involved online. or in part without written permission
Visit UniCamp.org for recent is prohibited. Please e-mail questions,
events, past stories and future comments, or requests for more
happenings. information to: jliou@unicamp.org
A Lasting Impression
We always say UniCamp is for the kids, and it is.
But to say UniCamp only affects campers would be
shortsighted. In 2008, over 60 percent of the 26,536
undergraduates attending UCLA were from families
with an annual income of $45,000 or higher. Zero
percent of UniCamp’s campers can say that. UniCamp
serves a unique demographic—a demographic most
UCLA students don’t interact with on a regular
basis—yet year after year, over 300 volunteers travel
to the mountains to become mentors, role models and
friends with over 1,000 campers from low-income
areas around Los Angeles. The result? A mutual
learning process. Campers leave with an unforgettable
experience away from the inner city and volunteers
leave with new perspectives about the communities
around them. The effects of UniCamp go far beyond
the limits of camp and continue long after each session
comes to a close. It may not be apparent immediately,
but after 75 years, we like to think we’ve made a
lasting impression.

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 Letter from the Director
Greetings,
I was taught that simplicity is the most difficult thing
to design. Yet, UCLA UniCamp started as a simple
idea and, for 75 years, has made us and those around
us, well, simply stated, better people.
It’s been said that a UniCamp experience is a week
that lasts a lifetime and, once you’ve experienced
UniCamp, I think you’ll agree that the desire for
more is endless. It seems to hold true time and time
again that we need each other more and more each
day and the UniCamp experience reminds us of the
possibilities that may follow once this simple reality is UniCamp experiences that challenge us to grasp
recognized.
UniCamp is about discovering those relationships
and, simply put, the more we give, the more we
take away. Understanding what the wants, needs
and desires of the campers we connect with is a
study in true compassion and a quest to expand our
relationships through shared experiences.
Every day, relationships are explored between
campers and volunteers, campers and campers,
volunteers and parents, and between those who
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are different. But also between those who are
on their way to college degrees and those who
run the risk of being lost, between those who are
willing to share and those who are willing to trust,
between the comforts and complications of the city
and the wonder and freshness of the wilderness.
Relationships create the basis of our understanding
and UniCamp allows us to understand those
relationships in ways we may have never known.
Each year we help UCLA students design and conduct
what may be beyond our reach trusting that we will
gain the courage, the know-how, the relationships
and the resources needed along the way. We examine
what already is, and how to better it. We learn from
each other and explore the unknown together. We
question and then ask why? And, yes, we work to
build bridges towards better relationships.
Here at UniCamp the possibilities for tomorrow are as
countless as the stars in tonight’s sky. Come join us
for a week that will last a lifetime — and beyond.
Wally “Pops” Wirick
From the 3A-frames used to be the cabin of choice

Archives
at UniCamp. Now, cabins at the new
camp site are going through a face
lift—while still open air they have
BIFFYs that flush and showers, ensuring
UCLA UniCamp has gone full compliance with health, safety and
through a few changes since park standards.
its first official session in 1935.
It’s changed locations several
times, it’s expanded its programs
to include older campers and
leadership development and it
became an independent non-profit Campers and volunteers
organization. stand during line up at the
old “upper” site in front of
However, despite its constant kthe previous Lodge building.
evolution, at the heart of UniCamp
will always be longstanding ideals
and traditions.

UCLA UniCamp’s mission is

to create a continuum of care
allowing kids from underserved AArts and crafts have always been
communities to become campers, a classic pastime at UniCamp.
campers to become volunteers,
volunteers to become community
leaders and leaders to contribute
to the success of underserved 3A vintage-looking bell tower
communities. has replaced this freestanding
model, although the same bell
It is a circular investment that has remained.
never stops benefiting the
community around UCLA and
beyond. It is an investment in the
future.

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 UCLA UniCamp Hall of Fame
Woodsey Alumni profiles

From left:
Raymond Cardenas
and Janai Humphrey.

raymond Cardenas

In 1942, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Raymond Cardenas was just another excited camper attending
UniCamp for the first time. Cardenas, who was the son of a Mexican immigrant, was born in 1931 in Lompoc,
California and moved to West Los Angeles as a young child while his father labored on the West Los Angeles
railways.

Cardenas attended camp for three years as a camper and found success as an all-Western high school tailback
and Student Body President, eventually finding his way to UCLA where he would make the transition from
camper to counselor. In 1959, Cardenas graduated from UCLA Law School and after practicing law for 14
years became a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge.

Although Cardenas was one of UniCamp’s first campers, his story is not dissimilar to the stories of campers
today. Like Cardenas, many campers come from underprivileged backgrounds but, at camp, are given the
chance to explore their potential and experience life outside the city. Cardenas’ outstanding story may be
rare, but the beauty of UniCamp is that you never know what might happen.

Janai Humphrey

Every year, for ten years, Janai “Pinecone” Humphrey made the trek to UCLA UniCamp and for ten years
Pinecone was exposed to college volunteers and college life. “It was almost like osmosis being around that Woodsey
environment year after year,” said Pinecone. “Their college talk, the way they spoke, learning college terms, Alumni
being around that kind of environment, the positive outlook. I just wanted to be like that.” Association

Pinecone first came to UniCamp as an 8-year-old from Compton and left destined for University of California, The Woodsey Alumni
Berkeley and a student volunteer for UniCamp. Over her ten years of camp and experience as a volunteer, she Association is a new UniCamp
would become a sort of icon and more than familiar within the UniCamp community. project that will effectively keep
past alumni of the program
After being accepted to the John F. Kennedy School of Law in the San Francisco Bay Area, a fellow volunteer, connected with current staff
Gonzo, helped her with a loan and two former counselors and successful lawyers, Shamrock and Tigger, and student volunteers. The
helped her with personal letters of recommendation during admissions. Association will create a cross-
generational community for
“UniCamp made a really huge impression in terms of me thinking about going to college,” said Pinecone. “I Woodsey’s past and present and
was able to see it first hand, see the dorms, see the campus, put a picture to what everyone told me about host reunions and other social
growing up. As a youngster, this was the lasting impression of UniCamp—college.” opportunities.
Want to get connected? Go
to UniCamp.org and click the
“Alumni” tag.
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A Day in the Life of
UCLA UniCamp
UniCamp gives kids a chance to be kids. It’s an escape from the
every day and an adventure into a community unlike any other.
Over the course of 5 one-week sessions, nearly 1,000 kids from
the Los Angeles area and over 350 UCLA student volunteers will
convene at camp and together they’ll discover the possibilities.

Here, in photographs, is a typical week of UniCamp in one

action-packed day, from the first hints of sunlight until well after
nightfall.

photographs by michael lowe

6:15 AM FIRST LIGHT
A peacefully empty camp is a rarity as,
in just under an hour, the sounds of
counselors and campers will be filling
the air.

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 7:01 AM GOOD MORNING
The day begins with the traditional
bell ring in the heart of camp, sending
clanging echoes across the 11-acre
campground.

7:12 AM Work Horse

Work never really stops around here.
Even before the camp becomes alive,
Special Ed works on replacing a
window frame for the lodge.

7:17 AM BIFFY RUN

Campers and counselors get ready
for the day by brushing their teeth at
outdoor restrooms known as BIFFYs,
or Bathrooms in the Forest for You.

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7:47 AM ROLL CALL
Before each meal and during special
activities, the entire camp lines up in
front of the “Rainbow” Arts and Crafts
deck for roll call, to sing songs and
show off their unit pride and Woodsey
spirit. Friendly competitions (e.g.
dance-offs, best animal impression
and rock, paper, scissors) are held to
determine who goes to meals first and
just for kicks.
7:40 AM TRAILBLAZERS
Unit 6 takes the short walk from their cabin to
morning line up. Units can have up to ten campers
and are divided by age group and gender. Behind, a
new cabin is under construction in an ongoing effort
to improve camp facilities.
7:55 AM ON THE CLOCK
The kitchen staff prepares around 200
trays of food each morning, afternoon
and night. The staff is usually, if not
always, current or alumni Woodseys
reinforcing the feel of community. On
the menu this morning: cinnamon
buns, peaches and milk.
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 8:10 AM BREKKIE
The empty lodge quickly fills with the
clanking of silverware and the chatter
of hungry campers. While half of the
camp eats in the lodge, the other half
enjoys their meal in the open air on
picnic tables.

9:15 AM DUTIES
For most of the day, campers enjoy nature and have fun, but that
doesn’t mean camp isn’t without its responsibilities. After meals,
units are assigned chores such as cleaning the dishes, sweeping
the lodge or picking up trash on the ground. Although not always
enjoyable, it’s an effective way to teach campers responsibility
while maintaining the pristine nature around them.

9:23 AM LOVING NATURE

Kissing a tree is the harmless and
often entertaining consequence for
campers who throw sticks or let slip
curse words. Counselors are often seen
kissing trees as well after saying a
fellow counselor’s real name instead of
their Woodsey name.

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 9:30 AM SPEED DEMONS
Unit 12 speeds across the bridge separating camp
and the main road on mountain bikes accompanied
by their counselor and specialists. At least two
specialists are in charge of each rotation activity and,
over the course of the week, each unit gets a chance
to participate at each station depending on age and
ability.

9:42 AM WOODSEY BLING

Specialist Daisy teaches a camper
how to make a yarn necklace. The idea
behind “Woodsey Bling” is simple.
Once you make it, you’re supposed
to give it to someone else reinforcing
the ideas of community, sharing and
generosity.

9:43 AM DETAILS, DETAILS

Dee Dee concentrates meticulously on
her friendship bracelet. Arts and Crafts
rotation gives campers a chance to
relax and focus on their own creative
projects. During each camp session,
they will have made everything from
necklaces to sand art or, a UniCamp
favorite, tiger’s eyes.

10:12 AM STRETCH ARMSTRONG

Batman, supported by his unit which is acting as a
counterweight, reaches for the goal; in this case,
a plastic water bottle. Using only a single piece
of wood, they must, as a unit, retrieve the bottle
without letting the plank or more than four body
parts touch the ground simultaneously.

Ucla unicamp | 9
 10:22 AM LET LOOSE
At the far edge of camp, Mrs. Carter
lets an arrow fly toward the target at
the archery range. Campers can earn
prizes for hitting bull’s eyes or an 8 x
10 piece of paper with written goals
on them such as “Make new friends”
and “Get good grades,” cleverly called
“Goal’s Eyes.”

10:24 AM IN FOCUS
With the target in sight, a camper
draws an arrow from her quiver.

10:50 AM play ball

You’d be hard-pressed to find the Rec
Court not filled with a game of prison
ball during rotation. Here, a unit
challenges a group of counselors and
specialists who rarely show mercy.

11:07 AM GO FISH
Unit 10 drops lines into the Santa Ana
River that runs along the edge of camp.
Every once in a while, a camper will
snag a fish which, if desired, is served
to the camper during dinner.

11:18 AM STEP BY STEP

Campers enjoy a laugh at their
unsuccessful attempts to advance
wooden logs beneath their feet in
unison during I-Games. I-Games
are activities engineered to foster
cooperation and leadership as units
attempt to achieve tasks.

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 11:32 AM BE OUR GUEST
Sunlight filters through the trees highlighting the
outdoor dining area before lunch.

11:37 AM CRASH BOOK

A head counselor assistant looks over her crash book
before lunch line up. Crash books are a volunteer’s
best friend as they outline the entire week in detail
and often include inspirational or humorous quotes.
However, lose your crash book and you may end up
dancing to Beyoncé, performing an impromptu rap
or discovering it frozen solid in a basketball-sized ice
cube.

11:56 AM KEEPING CLEAN 2:20 PM TO THE TIPPY TOP

Mr. Clean Rock is a coveted camp staple who stays
with the chosen cabin of the day. However, if left
unguarded, any other unit may claim Mr. Clean Rock
for themselves.
WALL returns from their 4-day, 26 mile hike to the
summit of San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest peak
in Southern California. On their journey, they will
learn how to survive in the wild while testing their
limits, both physically and mentally.

3:07 PM big air

Panda Express goes big during the belly-flop event at
the Water Olympics. Campers look on from outside
the pool area during an array of events including
noodle races and water bottle boat flotation
contests. At stake: unit pride.

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 3:32 PM SAFETY check
An Alpine Tower specialist checks the security of a
knot. For this challenging rotation, specialists receive
extra training to learn the ins and outs of proper
knots and climbing protocol.

3:44 PM CLIMB ON
An Alpine Tower specialist holds her rope as a camper
begins to scale the fifty-foot tower.

3:53 PM IN THE CLOUDS

A camper collapses in relief after making the ascent
to the top platform. While a successful climb always
feels good,the goal isn’t to make it to the top, but to
challenge the limits of campers and getting them to try
something they normally wouldn’t.

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 4:02 PM HOIST THE MAINSAIL
Snowman, a UniCorps camper, pulls
the mast upright in preparation
for cast off. UniCorps is a service
learning program for high school-aged
campers who can gain service hours
by assisting in duties around camp.
As older campers, they also have the
opportunity to become important role
models for younger campers.

3:54 PM AYE AYE!

The Woodsey 3 is hitched to the back of the truck on
the way to Big Bear Lake located just 18 miles from
camp. In 2009, UniCamp incorporated a sailing
program for its Older Camper Program—UniCorps .

4:45 PM
ANCHOR’S AWAY
UniCamp’s two of the
five sail boats shoot the
breeze in Big Bear Lake.

Ucla unicamp | 13
 5:01 PM Woodsey Ha-Ha
Volunteers are Woodsey Courted
on the last full day at camp. To the
entertainment of their campers,
counselors and specialists are subject
to penalty by ice cold water for
frivolous crimes such as wearing make
up or thinking they’re too cool.

5:12 PM On Call
Angel works on routine paperwork inside UniCamp’s
infirmary, Cloud Nine. Angel, who has been with
UniCamp for the last 10 years, is a school nurse and
treats everything from scrapes to the occasional bee 5:50 PM Top Dogs
sting. Each session has a Leadership (fondly referred to as LShip) generally consisting of one head
counselor and several head counselor assistants. Here, they lead a song during dinner line up.
LShip is responsible for providing training for volunteers prior to camp and making sure session
runs as smoothly as possible.

6:12 PM Good Eats

Rib Night is easily one of the most
memorable dinners during camp.
Close to 200 pounds worth of ribs
are prepared each session. They are
smothered with a homemade barbecue
sauce and grilled over an open flame
until the meat falls off the bone.

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7:32 PM STANDING ROOM ONLY
Joker stands in front of a packed Lodge crowd during
the Talent Show. During the two-hour show, campers
dance, sing and perform skits to the cheers of fellow
campers.
7:40 PM NINJA ATTACK
Two UniCorps counselors perform a skit to introduce
the next act. This session, UniCorps is responsible for
being the Master of Ceremonies for the entire Talent
Show. Here, they get to show off their creativity and
leadership while having a good time.

7:55 PM BUST A MOVE

Campers from Unit 4 break it down to the latest beats. More often than not,
campers, not counselors, are the experts when it comes to the latest songs and
dance moves.

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 8:15 PM FLASHING LIGHTS
Campers and counselors cross
the bridge to the main road at the
beginning of their night hike which is
often a camp highlight. Campers are
taken to areas where they can view the
night sky at its clearest without the
distraction of inner city lights.
8:55 PM BOOGIE NIGHTS
The Lodge is illuminated by green
light as campers dance to the latest
tunes. Tonight is the one night where
campers get to dress up and get down.
However, if campers get too close,
volunteers shine flashlights between
them and remind them to “Keep it
Woodsey.”

9:20 PM CLOSING CAMPFIRE

The last night at camp concludes with
the Closing Campfire where units
perform skits under the stars. It’s an
exciting yet bittersweet activity. In
the morning, campers and volunteers
will pack up their belongings and head
down the mountain and back into the
city.

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10:32 PM WRAP UP
Before bed, units discuss their
high and low points of the day. This
gives campers a chance to reflect on
the day’s activities and share their
experiences with the rest of the unit.
11:28 PM AFTER HOURS
Once campers are all tucked in,
volunteers attend Counselor Campfire
while specialists look after campers.
Normally contraband food (e.g. potato
chips, candy and soda) is passed
around the circle and, here, counselors
can slow down knowing their kids are
safe and asleep.
12:17 AM LIGHTS OUT
A single light above the Lodge’s main door glows in
the crisp, still night. Campers peacefully snooze after
a long day and counselors unwind in their sleeping
bags. All is quiet at UniCamp. Until tomorrow.
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 A shot in the Dark

A camper recounts a hike through the dead of night

summer “winter” Mccullough

When I first set foot outside the city and into UCLA Slowly, my friends began to fade into the darkness
UniCamp, I was 12 years old. I, like many other first- one by one. It was impossible to tell where they were
time campers, came to camp with a closed mind. I going.
figured we were going to play in the woods for a week
and come back unchanged, sort of like a vacation. I tried to prepare myself but, soon enough, it was
my turn. This was the test UniCamp challenged me
Now, four years later, UniCamp has become a big part to take. It wasn’t just a big hill I had to overcome
of who I am today. UniCamp has allowed me to follow physically, but a big hill I had to overcome within
my interests by teaching me to set goals for myself myself. Each step into the darkness became a test. It
and has taught me invaluable lessons that may not be was just me and my thoughts and, with every step I
available to us at home in the midst of city life. took, I told myself, “I can do this, one step at a time.”
Every glow stick I passed, I congratulated myself. I
In 2009, I would be tested in a way that could only had to trust myself and my instincts, and it paid off.
be done at UniCamp. Our counselors had set up a
challenge for us that year in which we hiked a trail At the end of the hike I was overwhelmed with
individually, at night, alone, and without the use of triumph. Stepping head first into my fears taught me
flashlights (mind you, there are no streetlights in the to trust my thoughts and believe in myself. When
woods). For safety reasons, our counselors placed nobody else is around, I now know I can trust myself
glow sticks on certain trees along the path so we had to do what has to be done.
a sense of where we were going, but there was no
other help besides that. It’s unbelievable to think about how lucky I am to
have been a part of the UniCamp experience. This
I was petrified. was just one of the many life lessons I learned at
UniCamp. It takes a strong program with a strong
Being in the woods hiking alone in the middle of the group of people to teach lessons like these to
night, couldn’t be good idea. When the sun had finally underprivileged kids in the city­—UniCamp is that
gone down and the moonlight shone through the program.
trees, we began the walk to the beginning of the trail.
Reluctant to enter the darkened forest, I tried my best
to stall by walking slower and slower as we got closer
to the trail.

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In 2009, Winter attended her
fourth UniCamp session as a
member of UniCorps. She hopes to
study psychology at UCLA.
Ucla unicamp |

“I can’t do it. I’m just gonna fall,”
said the camper known as Stream as he meekly sidled up to the
edge of the wooden beam. He looked down at his knees—they
were visibly shaking. No way was he about to attempt a jump if he
couldn’t even control his legs.
“Don’t worry,” said his counselor, Pumba. “We’ll help you
across. Just try!” Stream looked skeptical and continued to hold
his ground. Previously he had made a couple courageous, yet
lackluster attempts, quickly dropping to the wood shavings below.
As a unit, they were to help each other from one beam to the next
without touching the ground or the vertical pillar until they were all
on the next log.
One by one, the campers of Session 2’s oldest unit made the
crossing without much difficulty. Stream was the only remaining
camper and was getting restless. The longer he waited, the farther
it seemed.
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Closing Campfire
He looked at his feet, rechecking his footing. The beams weren’t
far off the ground, maybe one or two feet, but that didn’t make it
any less intimidating. It was something Stream had never tried
before—taking a leap of faith—but that’s what UniCamp is about.
Success or failure, it’s making that first step, pushing boundaries
and exploring limits. It’s taking a deep breath and trusting yourself
and the people around you to pull you through.
With six hands of support and the cheers from his unit surrounding
him, Stream made the leap and achieved something he never
thought he would even attempt. Unit 14 erupted as Stream stood
in bewilderment still holding his breath.
His unit clapped him on the back and dished out high five’s while
Stream remained in shock. As he began to register what had just
happened, a wide smile slowly started to spread across his face.
It was a smile that seemed to say, “What next?”
UniCamp
900 Hilgard Avenue, ste. 301
los angeles, ca 90024

How to get involved

Become a sponsor: Send your kid to camp:

Send check or money order to: For eligibility requirements, camp dates, and application process
900 Hilgard Avenue, Ste. 301 go online to unicamp.org or call 310-208-8252
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Become a student volunteer:
Donate Online at:
www.unicamp.org Applications are released in the beginning of winter quarter and
phone interviews are scheduled towards the end of winter quarter.
ASUCLA or UCLA staff payroll deducation: If accepted, volunteers must attend weekly 2-hour meetings, an
Have a portion of your check automatically designated to UniCamp on-site orientation at camp and participate in fundraising.
by calling 310-794-8827
For information, go online to unicamp.org and click the “Student
Vehicle Donation: Volunteers” tab.
Donate a used car and proceeds will go directly to UniCamp.
Contact Jason Liou at 310-208-8252 ext. 11. Become a trustee:

Gifts in Kind: UniCamp’s Board of Trustees is always seeking Woodsey Alumni

UniCamp is always looking to improve camp and its facilities. If you
have any construction tools, camping supplies, or arts and crafts
materials you no longer need or use, we would love to take them off
your hands. For inquiries please call 310-208-8252.
All donations are tax deductible and highly appreciated.
that are interested in staying involved. Board meetings are
quarterly with committee meetings intermittent between.
If you would like more information about becoming a Trustee
contact Wally Wirick at 310-208-8252 ext. 16.

| unicamp.org