25 Years in the Future

When I was an undergraduate student, I served as the president of Central Campus and the name of our organization was Central Campus Residential Government (CCRG). Sadly, when I was elected, it was the last year for Central Campus, as the long range plan called for it to be replaced by a new recreation center.

One of the things I did with the CCRG executive board was put on different programs to help celebrate the 50 years Central Campus was around. Our most exciting project was creating a time capsule to be opened later by the students who use the fitness center. We worked on the time capsule for a few months, and when we were done, we gave it to Housing to hold onto until the Rec Center was finished.

Well, three years later, the Rec Center is up and functioning, and Housing decided to plan a ceremony installing the time capsule we created. I was invited to serve on the planning committee and we planned things from the invitation list, the location, the program, and the speakers. I was so excited to have some say about the ceremony that would put my project into the foundation of the Rec Center! But that's not all - the director of Housing asked me to be a speaker at the ceremony!

So, on April 6th, a bunch of people gathered to celebrate Central Campus for the last time and to install the time capsule.

Vice President of Student Affairs beginning the ceremony


The director of Housing introducing the project and ceremony

Mary, an alum of Central Campus, speaking of her memories

Speaking my part of the ceremony - introducing the parts of the capsule and giving my memories

The director inviting me and the current Association of Residence Halls president to the front to unveil the capsule

The director of the Rec Center promising me that she will pass on the legacy that CCRG started and will keep the time capsule safe until it is opened.

Posing with the Central Campus Time Capsule cover!

The cover close up

Ok, this may have been a bit picture heavy, but I wanted to show all of the exciting parts of the ceremony! It was such a precious moment and I am honored to have been apart of it!

Wait. Does sugar come from a bush?

My all time favorite event at Spring Valley would definitely have to be Sugar Bush. It's an event that they hold to show the sugaring process of making maple syrup out of sap. Did you know that maple syrup is made out of the sap that flows in trees? It is basically another reason why trees are awesome.

Since I was like... 14 I volunteered at the Sugar Bush festival. I started out mostly doing the puppet show for young children. I did this for like... 5 years! It's a cute little show that teaches kids about how trees are tapped for sap. I loved doing it, but after awhile, the thought of moving puppets around on a stage and memorizing the dialogue did not sound exactly appealing anymore. So, I graduated to the interpretation stations out by the cabin and food tents.

I fell in love with the boil down station and have done it for quite a few years. I did it again this year! Luckily, I was able to apply for travel and it was granted. So this year, I relived my station again!

The evaporator that the sap sits in

Basically, my favorite station involves putting the raw sap, straight from the tree, into an evaporator and boiling off about 75% of the water. Sap is primarily water, and in order to get the color and taste that we all know, it needs to be boiled off.


We do that at Spring Valley by using a wood burning stove with an evaporator on top, as seen here. That chamber in front in where the wood is put in to keep the fire going.

Part of the interpretation is to discuss the different grades of maple syrup. Aaaand, here is an awful picture of me showing the different grades. Yikes!


Throughout the weekend, we had tons of visitors (I think upwards of 1500 people) come and learn. Here is me telling this little girl what I was doing!

I know, I know, another awful picture. I'm no good good at candid shots :)

So, all and all, it was a pretty awesome weekend! I love Sugar Bush and can't wait for it next year!!!!