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1986 Penn State Geosciences Field Camp

The Twister shown on the T-shirt really happened.  The vans had parked, as usual, below the steep east face of the cinder cone, with associated lava flows, on the eastern edge of the Black Rocks field in central Utah.  Without warning, a small dust devil or twister came from the west over the cinder cone and then over the vans.  Every loose paper in the vans was swept upward and eastward.  Then a rain of ash and cinders commenced.  Some students ran into the vans, some covered their heads with map cases and crouched, and others tried to stick their heads under the van wheel wells.  Afterwards an inch of ash and cinders had to be swept out of the vans.

Becky Jaquish Jones (June 2006): "Thanks so much for putting this website together.  I found out about this website from folks at work (Rob Lux, Steve Urbanik - field camp 1983 or so). There is quite a community of PSU geologists who have either passed through or still work at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.  In fact, I am going to Gil Oudijk's wedding in Brazil next month.  If you remember Gil, I'm sure that you'll remember that there's a story to that!  Thanks again for the memories!"
     Becky adds (2007) that "I can definitely tell you that I worked much harder in the Geosciences program than I ever did getting my MBA [at Rutgers]. I also remember that one of the grad students, who went to Columbia for undergrad and was in some of my 400 level classes, couldn't believe how hard we had to work as undergraduates. At the time, I just looked at him like he was from Mars, not knowing any different from anywhere else (except for that summer camp that's called the YBRA Field Camp). We undergrads didn't realize how hard or comprehensive the program was at the time, because we had nothing to compare it to, but I can tell you that it was really good preparation for having to think your way through problems.  Thanks!"