HOBY (Oct 14, 2009)

(posted to Facebook, October 14, 2009)









I'm trying to write a short reflective essay about HOBY to submit for the compilation of the HOBY coffee table book. HOBIES, if you didn't see the email about this project, check your email; if you didn't get the email, tell me, give me your email address, and I will forward it to you. I want lots of participation from the CentralPA group, since we are the representative seminar of the program.

Essentially, this will be identical to the section of The Influence List devoted to HOBY, possibly shorter, maybe. I know I've written something like this before, but cannot seem to find it. Perhaps it's in my email?

Negative.

All I have so far is what I originally wrote for my biography in the Graduation
program:
HOBY. I attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar in 2007 as the Ambassador Representative of YHSA. The weekend program taught enthusiasm, leadership, and volunteerism and I haven’t been the same since. I am more willing to be publicly enthusiastic and expressive. I am more willing to take on the responsibilities of being a leader. I better understand the value of volunteering and take my service more seriously. Words cannot sufficiently express what HOBY means to me, but its influence should be evident by the fact that I have twice returned as an alumni volunteer and seriously plan to return every year for the rest of my life.

And the fact that "HOBY is everything I want to be" and "HOBY showed me that I am capable of being enthusiastic and being a leader" and "HOBY is the womb I live in (McKenzie Jones-Rounds)."

I simply do not want to sound cliche or insincere.

I consider myself an eloquent writer, but eloquence seems to be difficult when talking about HOBY. I wonder why that is.

Here goes...

Carina Botterbusch
HOBY 2007
Central Pennsylvania

HOBY means more to me than words can express, but I will try nonetheless. Although I, like most everyone that attends HOBY, had no idea what to expect, the experience of HOBY and the HOBY program now permeate every inch of my life. I never thought of myself as an enthusiastic person, but now, after HOBY, I am willing to be publicly enthusiastic. I considered myself to be expressive through written words, but HOBY has given me the confidence to express myself through speech, even if I am not the most eloquent speaker. Before HOBY, I tended to find myself in positions of leadership simply by default, but now I am more willing to actively take on these responsibilities. Throughout my life, I always volunteered in things I was interested because I wanted to, but now I better understand the value of volunteering and the positive impact I can have on others.

HOBY is everything I want to be. While I do not think words can sufficiently express this, it is evident in the internal commitment I have to HOBY, evidenced by the fact that I honestly plan to return to HOBY every year for the rest of my life. HOBY is what the world needs. This fact was most eloquently expressed during the Central PA Staff Reflections after the 2009 seminar when McKenzie Jones-Rounds said, "HOBY is the womb I live in. It's a very warm and cozy place to grow up inside." HOBY is the essential acceptance that everyone needs, most are looking for, and few find.

Aside from the contented seriousness of HOBY, HOBY is also fun. At the 2008 seminar, Team Alumni washed firetrucks for their Saturday service project. During the 2009 seminar, [writer's block].









Second try...
Carina Botterbusch
HOBY 2007
Central Pennsylvania
HOBY means more to me than words can express, but I will try nonetheless. Although I, like most everyone that attends HOBY, had no idea what to expect, the HOBY experience affected me deeply. I never thought of myself as an enthusiastic person, but now, after HOBY, I am willing to be publicly enthusiastic. I considered myself to be expressive through written words, but HOBY has given me the confidence to express myself through speech, even if I am not the most eloquent speaker. Before HOBY, I tended to find myself in positions of leadership simply by default, but now I am more willing to actively take on these responsibilities. Throughout my life, I always volunteered in things I was interested in because I wanted to, but now I better understand the value of volunteering and the positive impact I can have on others.

HOBY is everything I want to be. While I do not think words can sufficiently express this, it is evident in the internal commitment I have to HOBY, evidenced by the fact that I honestly plan to return to HOBY every year for the rest of my life. One of the criterion for picking a college was that the year’s end had to be before HOBY. The values and spirit of the HOBY program permeate every inch of my life. I’ve probably mentioned HOBY in every single one of my school essays that require life examples. Every time I make pizza or go to Taco Bell, I do the pizza and burrito cheers. I talk about HOBY all the time and my HOBY friends are some of my best. I wish that everyone could go to HOBY.

Aside from this reflective seriousness of HOBY, HOBY is also fun. In 2007, after going to the Harrisburg Capitol building, a student from my group told the rest of us how he ended up on the roof after going through a window that looked like a door in search of a bathroom. At the 2008 seminar, Team Alumni washed fire trucks for their Saturday service project and told students to “Leave room for Hugh!” at the dance. I got to relive the Ambassador experience as an Associate Facilitator in 2009 and my personal favorite part was the heartfelt and honest Staff Reflection on Saturday night. Reflecting on the past three years, how could I pick my number one HOBY high? The more recent experiences seem better simply because they are closer and more vivid, but every year of HOBY has been beyond anything else I’ve ever experienced. While it may not be possible to pinpoint the highest HOBY high, it is obvious that HOBY is my favorite and I try my hardest not to lose my HOBY magic. Do not lose your HOBY magic.



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I submitted the above "Second Try" and I definitely forgot to include McKenzie's quote and the fact that I do spirit fingers all the time and get lots of odd looks from my friends. Aw man. Oh well.

Let me know what you think, HOBIES.