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17 July 1998 Vol. II, No. 2 Feature Article Postcards from Sargent Camp Life lessons for inner-city students in BU college-prep program by Brian Fitzgerald Loc Tin straps on his helmet and steps into his harness. Facing a 35-foot-high climbing wall, the Boston Latin School senior knows that there is nowhere to go but up -- and the only person who can prevent him from falling is a classmate holding the other end of the belaying rope. It becomes clear that he is not so much learning how to climb as he is discovering the meaning of trust. Three's a crowd, but Efe Omoruyi, a senior at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, (top right) seems to have the best chance of grabbing this rebound. Tin is taking part in Upward Bound/Project Achieve, a BU School of Education year-round college preparatory program that provides both academic and social support for inner-city high school students in Boston. For six weeks in the summer the students live in the Towers residence hall on weekdays, studying and attending lectures. However, at the beginning of every July they are northward bound, living at Boston University's Sargent Camp in Peterborough, N.H., for three days of fun, study, and such challenges as the formidable climbing wall. "The wall and the ropes course, another exercise in which students depend on their partners, is a perfect way to begin the program," says Lois Smith, director of Upward Bound/Project Achieve. "They only moved into Towers three days ago and most of them are just getting to know each other. This 70-mile trip is a perfect opportunity to do that." Tutor Tina Hall: "The college admissions process is getting much more competitive. The bar keeps rising, and we're helping the students climb over that bar." Michael Dennehy (CAS'92), academic coordinator for Upward Bound/Project Achieve, agrees. "They come to Sargent Camp as individuals and leave as a group," he says. Standing outside the 850-acre property's main lodge, Dennehy points out that life at the camp is not all canoeing, swimming, hiking, and basketball. "Believe me, they bring their work with them," he says. "They are developing rigid study habits that prepare them for college -- many of them are ready for advanced placement courses." Smith says that the program, which operates with federal and state funds, placed nearly 100 percent of its students in postsecondary education in the past few years. "We give them a taste of college dorm life for a month and a half," she says. "Quite a few of them end up going to Boston University on scholarships." But at the moment, it's doubtful that college is on Loc Tin's mind as he grabs the climbing wall's handholds and anchors his feet onto pegs. Clambering next to him are Boston Latin classmate Lynn Huynh and Thai Vien, a junior at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury. "C'mon Lynn! You can do it!" yells an onlooker. "Don't worry, we've got you!" barks a belayer reassuringly. "A little more slack on the rope!" commands Vien above the din of shouts of encouragement from the crowd. The expressions on their faces quickly change from apprehension to determination. The three are indeed upward bound, and they are working up a sweat in the hot sun. Tin, the first to scramble up the wall, enjoys the view with a satisfied smile, but his glimpse at the program participants on the ground is fleeting. He has three words of advice to his fellow climbers as they near the pinnacle: "Don't look down!" A loud cheer erupts when they reach the top. An exercise in trust: on the 35-foot climbing wall, three belaying ropes are the lifelines for (from left) Boston high school students Loc Tin, Lynn Huynh, and Thai Vien. A stroll across the field -- past a spirited soccer match and a basketball game on an asphalt court -- ends at Halfmoon Pond, where students are launching canoes at the waterfront. A boating excursion soon turns into a swimming exercise for two students, and their efforts to get back in the overturned canoe are hampered because they are laughing so hard. Near the shore, other students spray on mosquito repellent -- a necessity after June's heavy rains -- and prepare to hike on Sargent Camp's 15 miles of trails. At night, however, the mood is subdued as Upward Bound/Project Achieve tutors meet with the students. "They also receive help in filling out financial aid forms, online scholarship searches, and even essays on college application forms," says Smith. "Remember, many of them will be the first in their families to attend college, and they aren't familiar with the process." The program also provides career planning workshops and guest lecturers, including CAS Biology Professor David Shepro and Kenneth Edelin, associate dean of minority affairs at the Boston University School of Medicine. The city does indeed seem 70 miles away when you're canoeing on serene Halfmoon Pond -- so named because of its lopsided crescent shape. All photos by Kalman Zabarsky Efe Omoruyi, a senior at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, believes the program will give him a head start in college. He plans to attend either Boston University or Boston College and pursue a career in medicine. "I was in this program last summer as well," he says. "I needed help in algebra and chemistry. My grades got better, and now I'm involved because it provides a structured environment in which to study. Because the routine is ingrained into my daily schedule after school, it will be easier for me to snap back into this habit in college. Students who don't know how to budget their time once they graduate might struggle a bit during their freshman year making the adjustment -- and that's time we can't afford to lose." Back at the climbing wall, it is now tutor Tina Hall's turn to don the helmet and harness. Defying Loc Tin's advice, she looks down at the students. "Let's have a little encouragement!" she yells, and the audience whoops it up. After successfully scaling the wall and rappelling down, she explains that the activity fits in well with the philosophy of Upward Bound/Project Achieve. "The college admissions process is getting much more competitive," she says between breaths. "The bar keeps rising, and we're helping them climb over that bar." Shoeless soccer: some players are faster on bare feet.