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Wyoming reminiscing
Alumni of the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences spent
three days in early July returning to their summer field camp roots at
the department's permanent field station in Wyoming.
- As soon as the story started coming out of her husband's mouth, Karen
Watney started to roll her eyes.
In fact, Lynn Watney, a 1970 and 1972 (master's) graduate of Iowa State's
geology program, didn't even get the opportunity to finish his tale of life
at the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Science's field camp.
His wife told it as well as he did.
"I know all the stories," she said. "I should, since I've
heard them just a few times."
In spite of recognizing the story, Karen Watney had to travel to a remote
location in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains to see what all the fuss was about.
"I had heard so much about this place that I had to come and see it
for myself," she said.
The Watneys were just two of the more than 150 alumni of the field station
and their families that attended a first-ever reunion at the department's
permanent field station near Shell, Wyoming. For many it was their first
time back at the camp that held so many memories.
Memories of significant birthdays spent at the camp. Memories of Darvin
Rehms and Dennis Martin, who were part of the first Wyoming field camp in
1957.
"Ours was a test case," Martin said. "Half of the majors
went to the old camp in Colorado an the rest of us came here."
Memories of lunches at a remote geological site.
"The one thing I remember to this day is we had a choice of peanut
butter or baloney sandwiches with mustard," Martin said. "I quickly
learned that peanut butter was the choice to make. I eat so many that to
this day I can't stand to eat another butter peanut sandwich."
And memories like Mike Sweat's.
"I spent my first wedding anniversary alone here at the camp,"
Sweat said. "My wife wasn't too happy about that."
For the past 45 years, majors in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric
Sciences have spent a good portion of one summer at the field station. And
despite the obvious hardships (little connection with the outside world
or outdoor toilets), it's an experience many relish.
"It was the best college course I ever took," said Jim Zalesky,
who participated in the camp in the 1970s. "It was the summer of my
life."
Zalesky and the other alumni relived some of those summers during the three-day
reunion with story telling and reminiscing. The reunion also featured several
excursions to nearby geological landmarks, many of which the alumni had
covered in years past.
A field component is a requirement of all Iowa State geology majors, with
students staying at the Wyoming field camp for six to eight weeks each summer.
The coursework features short one- or two-day projects. Students learn to
recognize and evaluate various geologic phenomena and problems and learn
geological reasoning on daily excursions to nearby geological sites.
Standard field techniques, ranging from note taking to photogeologic analysis,
are introduced along with the latest methods of acquiring and recording
field data.
Another constant for the past 35 years has been Carl Vondra, Distinguished
Professor of geology and the longtime director of the camp. The alumni recognized
Vondra's contributions to the field camp (he has directed it for almost
35 years) by unofficially naming the field camp in his honor.
"Nothing I can say can come close to expressing the amount of influence
Carl (Vondra) has had on the field camp and on to man of you," said
Carl Jacobson, professor and chair of the Department of Geological and Atmospheric
Sciences. "The field camp and Carl Vondra's leadership has really made
an enormous impression on all of us."
Vondra has retired from teaching, but has continued his duties as the director
of the field camp.
"You wouldn't know that he has retired," Jacobson said. "He
still teaches classes, conducts his research and of course directs this
field camp – all on a volunteer basis."
Vondra acknowledged his fellow faculty members in the department and all
of the students who have attended the field camp for the past 40 plus years.
"All of you have had a big part in making this field camp what it is,"
he said. "All of you contributed to what I am and I owe you the world."
Around LAS Alumni
Fall 2002
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