The Christian Way Forums / The Christian Way Forums / Principia, College Orgs, and Other College Activities Related to CS

WHAT ABOUT PRINCIPIA?

Anonymous — Mon, 02 May 2005 18:59:30 GMT

I really enjoy reading the posts on this excellent website. I've learned a lot, thought
a great deal, and processed many emotions, both positive and negative, about CS.

As I was educated in a secular university, I've always been curious about Principia,
the CS prep school and college. How large is it? Growing or declining? Solid or
ho-hum academic standards? How pricey? Do most of the students really follow
the CS "no smoking, drinking, or drugs" rules, or are they more "liberal" on these
issues? I wonder approximately what percentage of graduates actually stay in
CS during later adult life? Any other info? It's the only college for CS students,
but I don't know much about it. I'd like to learn more.

Cedars Camp Alumni

Jill in Michigan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:59:25 GMT

Are there any alumni here? I was there form 1974-1980.

jill

The AU camp in Colorado

IleftCSin74 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:21:52 GMT

Hi everyone:

I attended the AU Sky Valley CS summer camp twice back in the early 1970s. I believe that the years of my attendance were 1970 and 1972. In 1972 I was there in August. In August of 1974, a friend that I met there in 72 died trying to scale a 14,000 ft peak while on a camp-sponsored climb. I wonder if anyone out there attended either Sky VAlley or Round-Up Ranch in either 72 or 74 and would remember Tim Carlson or the circumstances of his death. Tim had blond hair as I recall. My counselor was Steve Terwilliger one of my two sessions there.

I had some good times at AU, like rafting in Brown's Canyon on the Arkansas River, or learning to rock-climb and rappel. Tim and I climbed Mt. Princeton together when we were there in 1972. Mt. Princeton is over 14,000 ft. high. Maybe we were just young and dumb back then. The chance of an injury or medical issues arising in that kind of an environment are fairly high, especially among a group of teenage campers mainly from very low elevation. In the age before cell phones it could have taken many hours or even days to reach emergency medical services or have mountain rescue teams reach the victim. Serious injuries would probably have had to be left on the mountainside while help was brought to the site. The FAA is so worried about the effects of high-altitude that pilots and passengers of unpressurized aircraft operating above 12,500 ft for more than 30 minutes must be on oxygen. The story that I heard was that the camp ignored high-altitude emergency oxygen regulations and at a fairly high elevation my friend began to suffer breathing issues followed by either axphixia or related low-oxygen heart issues. No oxygen supply was available, and it was several hours before a supply was brought to the scene, by which time it was too late. Eventually Tim's body had to be hand-carried off of the mountain. Now I am having great trouble verifying Tim's death.

I was hoping that someone could offer additional insight from their experiences at the AU camps.

Thanks,

Mark

At Prin on 9/11

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:24:08 GMT

With all the attention on yesterday's 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks I was thinking back to where I was that morning. It was my sophomore year at Prin and they used to always have the TVs in the concourse tuned to CNN. As I walked through the concourse on my way to class, I briefly caught a glimpse of something about an attack but didn't see enough to know the full extent of what had happened. There was a little bit of buzz about it in my economics class that morning. One student ran out of the class in tears after learning that the Pentagon had been hit, because her father worked there and she didn't know if he was ok. However, class went on without her. When class was over I had to walk through the concourse again to go back to my room. By then, there was a huge crowd of students watching CNN. Overall it was quiet in there but you could see the horror on people's faces. Suddenly one girl stepped out of the crowd and announced that we all needed to pray about this and we shouldn't stand there and be mesmerized by error.

I can remember how fiercely angry I was with that girl that morning. I wanted to yell at her to shut her mouth and have some sympathy for all our fellow Americans who had just died. I wanted to tell her she was an idiot for thinking that wasn't really happening. Unfortunately, I said nothing, I just followed everyone out of the concourse and went back to my room. No classes were cancelled that day and it seemed like everyone was pretending nothing had happened. I think they had a candle-lit hymn sing in the chapel that night, but I was too mad to attend.

In a strange way I am glad I was at Prin on September 11, 2001. The cold and unsympathetic CS community response to 9/11 was one of the reasons I began to question and dig into the religious teachings I had been raised on.

Courtney

Prin Alums "On Track"

Anonymous — Thu, 18 May 2006 23:13:20 GMT

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find this site!

It has been so reassuring to read everyone's stories and know that we have a common bond.
A tape came to me from "Christianway" while attending Principia College. Six years later during grad school the tape finally made it to the car stereo on a road trip. Three years after, grace came to me and I became a Christian. One of the biggest challenges was the immediate loss of CS community before setting up a new network. Having attended both Principia Upper School (86) and College (90), along with being a counselor at Camp Owatonna leaving the CS world was a big departure. A lot of growth and fun was had during those developmental years at school and camp, inspite of the obvious unhealthy mental constrictions. By and large the educational heart seemed to be in the right place but the hypocracy was nerve racking. It is so freeing to realize that "I am not perfect", so I can toss that weight off my shoulders with a clear conscience and release the cognitive dissonance!

My favorite quote from the past is "The time for thinkers has come." I could not agree more. My two favorite days in life have been witnessing my brother's baptism and then being cleansed myself. Our paths have been difficult but God was with us all along and through the Holy Spirit Christ has found us all. (Sorry to be a little preachy but the last six years have literally been a re-birth.) By actually thinking, for a change, the chains and anguish of CS are starting to fall away.

It would be great to connect with others whether Prino's or not.
You all are doing a great thing by honestly communicating here!

(If any one is in the SF Bay Area, it might be fun to get a group together some time to support each other and revel in our collective progress.)

Cheers,
Paul

Attending Principia re-unions

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 13:55:43 GMT

I would like to hear any ex Prin alumni tell of their experience attending a Prin re-union. I graduated from Prin College in 1975, and have thought of attending many times, but since I no longer practice CS, I have decided against it. Does anyone else have the same hesitations? Even though I do not practice CS, I still would like to see the many friends I made during my time there, but feel that I would be out of place now. Has anyone tried it? Can you go back after leaving CS, and have a good time?
I'm anxious to hear.

Prin Alum 1975

Tell Me About Principia

surferforjesus — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 19:35:20 GMT

I was on the Principia Website... very very nice and looks like a real high end prep school like the ones I grew up around in New England.

Please tell me about it? Is it well run? Do they teach Biology? Is it well endowed?

Are there kids from outside CS there?

Also, is enrollment in decline like the rest of CS is?

Thank you

SFJ