NAD YLC: And so it begins...

By: A Team

First group at the airport!

Enroute to YLC!

Second group at the airport being energized before going to YLC.

YLC at last! Our home for the next four weeks.

First experience at YLC!

Traditionally, YLC has 4 teams. Team A of L-E-A-D includes 15 members: Jad Gore, Austin Phillips, Emily Couch, Shayla Acree, Rachel Soudakoff, Emily Sidansky, Zachary Davenport, Franklin Stewart, Shania Strandberg, Casey Johnson-Pasqua, Sabina Shysh, Jose Zandoval, Dakota Meyer, Renate Rose, and Kate Williams. We started off as individuals, but after few days we began to include everyone to ensure we promote fairness and inclusiveness despite our insecurities and shyness. After all, this is what YLC is all about!

“When I first arrived in Oregon I was nervous. Who would be my friends? What would I learn? What would I do there? How would I like Oregon and Youth Leadership Camp?

Now I can tell you for sure that I fell in love with Oregon at first sight. Oregon is very beautiful—there’s green everywhere. The kind of green that you wouldn’t get tired of seeing every day. The air is VERY fresh at Camp Taloali - it felt so good to breathe here! There are trees almost everywhere in Oregon. It’s full of nature and beauty. The state of Oregon really did a good job preserving their trees and spreading nature awareness in Oregon.

Even extremely exhausted and ready to go to bed, I walked slowly so as to enjoy my view of nature. The ground in Camp Taloali is interesting—randomly you might find a patch of smooth rounded river rocks, even if the river was far away from the patch of the ground. Almost every rock that I’ve found in Oregon was smooth. The trees all come in a variety of shades of green, light green, moss green, dark green, and many more. The biggest irony is that the grass look like dried grass with patches of green grass, but it’s really mostly orange-brown moss, a different type than your usual soft moss, that covers most of the ground.

All in one, Oregon is a beautiful place to visit, live, and…host YLC!!”

- Renate Rose

Initiation Day

Once we had our first class, we learned that we weren’t campers and our staffs weren’t staff. We are the Leaders and they are the Builders. We are known as Leaders because each one of us is here to become a stronger leader. The term “camper” can come off as negative because it degrades us to be in less power than the Builders (staff members). Builders got their name because they are the ones that will build YLCers to become better leaders, unlike the term “staff” that refers to supervisors in a higher status than us, and that’s not the best way to encourage a leader. People may not recognize builders but they are the foundation of the leaders. Without them, we, leaders won’t be as successful. Builders are here to promote leaders to be a better leader and leaders promote builders to be a better builder and leader themselves.

Later in the day at Leadership Hall, all leaders waited for our Assistant Director Mark Ramirez to come up on stage. The first thing that Mark said was that we’re taking a test. All the campers reacted that we had to take a test on our first day of camp! However, the test was a psychology test to learn about what kind of leader we are. All the Leaders took the test and learned that we all have different types of leadership styles. There are direct, considerate, systematic, and spiritual leaders. By the end of the month, I’m sure that all of our leadership styles will change for the better!

Leaders taking the leadership test.

Here at YLC we, Leaders, had a spectacular time learning and socializing with new deaf friends. We learned and played many different games that can apply to our leadership skills. In the afternoon at Teets Field, we split into eight teams with eight members each. We got our first team building challenge: to build a catapult. The only resources we could use had to be from nature, not man-made, which meant we could only take what was lying on the ground and not kill it. YLC is very considerate with our nature or like the builders always say, “be mindful of the environment!”

Each team had only 30 minutes to find materials and assemble their catapult. Once 30 minutes on the clock ended, all the builders had a test for us to see who can throw a rock the furthest. Some catapults failed by breaking apart or throwing the rock backward. Some were successful; the highest distance was 69 feet! What an accomplishment! This activity taught all of the campers how to communicate and work with their teams.

Austin Phillips from Indiana ignites the release of the catapult by throwing a huge rock.

Dennis Williams attempts the release of the catapult for his team.

Food Section

We started the day with delicious scrambled eggs with bacon and a biscuit on the side. Everybody went crazy for a second biscuit! To top it all off, our chefs served us a new drink, white grape juice.

For lunch, we had an ol’ classic grilled cheese sandwich and a healthy bowl of tomato soup on the side. For those who enjoy vegetables, our chefs, Mickie and Jackie threw in cold pasta mixed with delicious carrots! Such a healthy, filling lunch!

Finally, for dinner, we were served beef lasagna with AMAZING homemade garlic breadsticks. Major props to our fantastic chefs! Nobody was in their seat when there was enough garlic breadstick for a second round.

Of course, our day wouldn't be complete without dessert! Our tummies were filled with delicious ice cream sandwiches made by Cuties. After dessert, all of us were ready to be tucked in!

Interview with Leaders

Q: How did you feel about initiation day?

A: "At first, I didn’t know what to expect for this camp. They started off with drawing game through communication, it was fun, learn how to be patience with people and the polish game was great!” –Jessica Rademacher

A: “On June 21^st, 2013 was not bad at the beginning of this camp. I learned about media, social justice and I also learned my team’s different experiences and met so many leaders here. It was so fun! Enjoy day!” –Kayla Deegan