Academic Programs

Who are the campers? Voices from the 2007 forestry camp

Susan Nawbary

Transfer student. Triplet. Lives with sister and commutes to campus. Forestry major hoping to get a Ph.D. in ecology. Parents came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 1982.

When I got to camp I understood that there was a sustainable way to cut trees. But I didn’t realize how it was actually necessary. It’s not evil. We have really dense forests. There are supposed to be 150 trees per acre, depending. Right now they can go up to 400 trees per acre. They’re really unhealthy, because they’re overcrowded. I made really good friends at forestry camp. I’m going to hang out with them in Berkeley. You get a lot more privacy at home; it’s not as loud.

Rolandas Gimbutis

Senior. Swam for Lithuania in the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games, and for Cal. Height: 6'10".

During forestry camp I found out about the Plumas Swim Team, and I asked if I could join them. I coached for six weeks. My goal
when I came to Berkeley was to swim on the Cal team. I showed up, and I said “Hey, I want to swim.” And the coach said, “Not so quickly, buddy. You need to be in school first!” It’s kind of exciting: in Europe — or anywhere in the world — once you graduate from high school, you have to choose one, academics or athletics. Here it’s possible to combine both.

Alvaro Casanova

Transfer student from Los Angeles area. Double major: conservation and resource studies, and society and environment. Hopes to study environmental law.

Getting into Berkeley has been the greatest accomplishment of my life. I’m the first male in my family to go to college [his sister is a Berkeley alum] — the first to graduate high school, for that matter. I was a troubled youth. I lost my eye to gang violence; I used to be a gang member. I have a lot of old friends that are in jail or on drugs. They say “you’re a tree hugger.” I don’t think they understand what I do. I really enjoy college and the atmosphere and what I learn.

Cathy Cockrell photos