2018 Staff Spotlight - Bryce Fenlon

Since the end of last summer a few things have changed in my life. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in December, with a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology. I have also moved back home to Rochester, Minnesota in order to cut costs and live with my family for a little bit. It’s always nice to be back home, even if most of my time is monopolized by hunting for a full-time job and starting a career. Since being home I have started working for Huntington Learning Center as an academic subject and ACT tutor specializing in the life sciences, math, and physics.

I just recently wrapped up a trip to Hungary to see my girlfriend, and I plan to go again for a month when camp is over this year. Hopefully I can get that tourist visa changed to a work visa, as I will also being searching for employment there throughout the year. However, future planning aside, I am so excited to be coming back to camp this summer! I have some fun ecology programs on the drawing board, so come check it out!

More about Bryce

What is your favorite camp meal?

- Every Friday night meal. The sense of camaraderie is so amazing every week.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?

- A pangolin. Most importantly because they are one of the most heavily trafficked animals on the planet, and secondarily because they are impossibly cute.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):

- I have recently been binge-watching Blue Bloods on Netflix. Gotta love a serial crime drama.

Where is your favorite spot at camp:

- I am going to have to say that my favorite spot at camp is right by the water in the counsel ring, where a bench dedicated to Vicky now lies. It’s beautiful and calm there.

What is your dream Job:

- Conservation and/or ecology teacher. I already get pretty close to that at camp!

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:

- I am going to have to say Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and Robert Goddard. I would love to hear their individual opinions on the future of space travel. Musk and Goddard are/were considered pioneers in space travel (during their respective eras), and Stephen Hawking, though recently deceased, worked on, and many would say defined, the cutting edge of theoretical physics. It would be interesting to get them in the same room together and see where the conversation goes.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:

- My favorite presents that I have ever gotten are books. Nothing special, I just absolutely love to read.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:

- My favorite subjects in school were ecology, biology, physics, and math.

What are your top three movies of all time:

- Blade Runner (though Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Philip K. Dick novel on which it’s based, is better), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and The Godfather.

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:

- I’m going to have to say the peanut butter cup pie.

What sports teams do you root for:

- I am a Wisconsin fan, through and through. Packers, Badgers and Brewers.

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:

- After all the biology and ecology that I have learned, I still enjoy learning about different programming languages. I am currently working on Python to supplement my thorough understanding of R.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Jacob Hruska

Jacob Hruska grew up in Mora, MN which is actually less than two hours west of North Star. He grew up hunting and fishing, so it makes sense that he's going to be one of our trip leaders this summer.

Jacob is at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where he's majoring in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies. He's a big climber and works at the campus climbing wall where he's the head route setter. He's worked at other camps as well as the local rec center. He's an experienced outdoorsman, having taken plenty of trips on the North Shore of MN as well as climbing trips all over the place. 

More about Jacob

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?
- I learned about North Star Through a Recreation Career fair on campus at MSU Mankato.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- I would want to be a wolf, because they are strong, majestic, and wise.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- My guilty pleasure tv show is The Big Bang Theory.

What is your dream Job:
- My dream job is to be a professional rock climber.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- I would have dinner with my great grandma so that I could listen to the some stories about growing up in the 1920’s and 30’s. Next would be president John F. Kennedy because he seems like he was a wise and smart leader of our country that would be amazing to talk to. The third person would be Sheldon cooper from big bang theory because he would be funny to talk to.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- Rock climbing gear.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Outdoor recreation and PE

What are your top three movies of all time:
- Avengers, goonies, grown ups

What sports teams do you root for:
- I don’t follow any sports teams but if I was to watch football or hockey I would say the Wild and the Vikings.

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- I worked at a camp ground in Mora, Minnesota as a cook and at ITS at MSU Mankato.

What did you do last summer?
- Last summer I worked as a lead facilitator on a high ropes course.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Max Goldberg

Hey everyone! My name is Max Goldberg, and I'm super excited for camp this summer. I just started the third trimester of my freshman year at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. That's just south of Minneapolis.

At school, I sing in the chamber choir and play club volleyball with Holden Greenberg, an NSC alum, and of course many others. I'm on track to major in Computer Science with a minor in Music Performance. I've also been playing a lot of guitar and piano in my free time!

This will be my 11th summer at North Star.

More about Max

What is your favorite camp meal?
- Mac and cheese and mini sausages.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- I would be an aquatic creature- not sure which one. But they have a lot more of Earth which they are able to explore.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- Curb Your Enthusiasm

Where is your favorite spot at camp:
- The health center porch- during the Friday night music practice.

What is your dream Job:
- Something in software design-but I'm not too sure yet.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- Richard Feynman, Benjamin Franklin, and Elon Musk

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:
- All of my family coming together.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Computer Science and Classical history/languages

What are your top three movies of all time: From several different categories:
- The Incredibles, Forrest Gump, Back to the Future.

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:
- Peach Praline. Yum!

What sports teams do you root for:
- Nebraska Football and Creighton Bluejays- basketball

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:
- Within a few hours after I was born, I was in an advertisement for the hospital because I was such a cute baby. They lifted me up like Simba in The Lion King, and I believe we still have the original tape at home.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Simeon Lee

Coming all the way from Peterborough in England is 1st year counselor Simeon Lee. Sim is a student in Hull, where he's studying history and politics. He began playing drums at 13 and started a band with friends. He's a big outdoors guy and obtained his Duke of Edinburgh award and he enjoys hiking. 

At camp you'll find Sim on the waterfront. He obtained his RYA level one in windsurfing and has some sailing experience as well. Knee boarding is one of his specialties and we're looking forward to having him teach campers some different tricks here.

More about Sim

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?

- As a student in England, I was looking for a camp to work at in summer and North Star was the stand out option for me. I applied to contribute to something special and have the summer of a lifetime!

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
-It's got to be a giant manta ray, they're basically just a massive floating table that drifts through the ocean.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- Ibiza weekender

What is your dream Job:
- If it could be absolutely anything I'd be a drummer in an indie-rock band.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- Winston Churchill would be number one, he was an incredible and very rare man who'd have a lot of interesting things to say. King Chulalongkorn of Siam (now Thailand) would also be fascinating because he was saved his country from many threats. Lastly it would be my old music teacher Mr Turner as he always made me laugh and was full of insights.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- A table tennis table I got a few years back, I used to play it all the time.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- History and economics have got to take the top spots (revealing my inner geek here!)

What are your top three movies of all time:
- Kung Fu Panda, Saving Private Ryan and Surfs Up.

What sports teams do you root for:
- I don't follow much sport anymore, but I used to be a big Arsenal fan. Internationally, I try to keep up with England rugby.

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- I was a cleaner at my school for a few months covering a cleaner who'd broken their arm; best job I ever had.

What did you do last summer?
- I went to Croatia and the Dominican Republic, then worked for a short while in Next.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Erick Sells

First year counselor Erick Sells comes to camp from La Crosse, WI.  In high school he was involved in cross country, track and field, choir, and musicals. He's also a percussionist and was the section leader  in Marching Band. In 7th grade he joined a local waterski team where he also learned to wakeboard and barefoot.

Erick didn't go to far from home for college, where he's a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He wants to become a Physical Therapist and he's a part of the PT club as well as jazz band at UW-L.

More about Erick

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?
- I learned about North Star at a job fair that was held at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. I applied because I wanted to spend my summer outdoors while building connections with the youth and sharing my experience and knowledge with them.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- If I could be any animal, I would choose to be an otter because of the environment they live in, their semiaquatic capabilities, and their tendency to be very playful animals!

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- I don’t think I necessarily have a guilty pleasure TV show, but I will admit that I love watching Disney musicals!

- What is your dream Job:
My dream job is to play drum set in the pit orchestra of a Broadway musical.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- If I could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, they would be Stephen Hawking, Neil De Grasse Tyson, and Bill Nye the Science Guy. I would choose these three people because with their combined intellects, they could answer virtually any science-based question that I asked them.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- The best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten was a trampoline that was given to me and my siblings by my parents.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- My favorite subjects in school were physics, chemistry, and band.

What are your top three movies of all time:
- There are tons of great movies out there, but some of my favorites include The Princess Bride, The Prestige, and Aladdin.

What sports teams do you root for:
- I do not have any sports teams that I actively root for, but I enjoy following the sports of triathlon and running.

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- I was a drum set teacher for about three years while I was in high school.

What did you do last summer?
- Last summer I spent my time working at the Boys and Girls Club, playing in the pit orchestra for a musical, and practicing on a waterski team

2018 Staff Spotlight - Danny Levy

I recently began my last trimester of my senior year at Homestead High School. I live in Mequon, Wisconsin, and still am deciding which university I will attend next fall. At my high school, I recently played the role of Shrek in our production of Shrek the Musical, and I am currently assistant directing for the spring play Blue Stockings.

Outside of school, I do many music-related extracurriculars. I play piano and trombone and I sing. I am preparing for my senior recital on June 3rd along with other performances. I am also a student composer and am composing a piece for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra along with a piece for Homestead’s choirs.

After a long and stressful year filled with physics, calculus, and college applications, I cannot wait to return to North Star for my tenth summer!

More about Danny

What is your favorite camp meal?
- Sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- I’d be an otter because they always seem happy.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- House of Anubis

Where is your favorite spot at camp:
- The end of the ridge

What is your dream Job:
- Movie/videogame composer

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and a Russian Translator

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:
- a jar of nutella

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Music, math, and physics

What are your top three movies of all time:
- Chinatown, Django Unchained, and Mulan

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:
- Butterfinger (duh)

What sports teams do you root for:
- The Vienna Philharmonic?

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:
- I hate Mozart

2018 Staff Spotlight - James Herity

Since I returned home to Ireland after the last summer at North Star I've been studying Actuarial and Financial Maths as a 2nd year student. I'm studying at Dublin City University in County Dublin. I've taken up a new hobby in wake-boarding on Wednesdays with the surf and sail society at my university. I had a few opportunities at camp last summer to try wake-boarding for the first time and discovered it's something I love.

Last December I had a reunion with some of the North Star 2017 staff in Dublin. It was great to see the lads again who are only a short flight or drive away. Currently I am studying for my second semester exams after a successful first semester. As well as studying I work part time at the Cliff at Lyons as a part-time waiter and shall work there up until my departure for camp.

More about James

What is your favorite camp meal?

- Breakfast muffins

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?

- A dog, because I love dogs.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):

-  Desperate Housewives

Where is your favorite spot at camp:

- Swim Point, it's the best place to be when the weathers very hot

What is your dream Job:

- To own my own business one day.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:

- My oldest brother Paul, because I'd love to see him again,  Wes Anderson, because I love his movies and have questions for days for him &  Will Ferrell, Because he seems like he'd be a fun dinner guest

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:

-  A GoPro, I take it with me where ever I travel.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:

- Maths, Economics and Music

What are your top three movies of all time:

- Tough to say but up there is Isle of Dogs, Blade Runner, Logan.

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:

- Reese's Peanut butter cup pie

What sports teams do you root for:

- Leinster Rugby

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:

- I competed in Pole Vaulting for my school at national level when I was 16 and 17. My record is 3.3 metres.