.church and politics.

As part of the Feminism & Christianity course I'm taking this quarter, we write brief responses to the readings, posing questions for class discussion.  This particular reflection stirred some interesting conversation among my classmates so I thought I'd share it here.

In his article, “Black Theology and Solidarity,” James H. Cone discusses the emergence of Black Theology, which came about not in the universities and seminaries, but through political struggle for racial liberation and the civil rights movement.  He also illustrates some of the beliefs of Black Theology, emphasizing justice for all races and the liberation from oppression preached in the “good news” of Christ.  In addition, he discusses Black Theology’s connection to Third World Theologies and the growth of “Womanism” from black women’s rejection of patriarchy in Black Theology.  During his discussion of Black Theology he states that it “was defined largely by Martin Luther King, Jr., when he and other Black church people began to relate the gospel to the struggle for justice in North American society.  The majority of White theologians denied [this] relationship [and] claimed that politics did not mix” (38).  Having grown up in a conservative Southern Baptist environment, I was never quite sure the political stance of our church until election year came around, and even then there were brief suggestions (usually by deacons) to “pray for wisdom at the polls.”  Many "white" churches still seem to hold on to this idea that politics and church do not mix, but I can only count on my hand the number of church sanctuaries I’ve been to that didn’t have an American flag stationed below the cross.  Is the inclusion of the American flag not considered a political gesture and stance when displayed within a church?

.Can't help but LOVE The Help.

[Celia Foote and Minny were definitely my favorite characters, both in the book and the film]

photos from here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Baby Boom: Feminist or not?

The 1987 film Baby Boom was on television the other day and I couldn't help but tune in since it was one of the movies I watched as a child.  Horrific music, bad gender politics and all, I still couldn't tell you why I enjoyed it so much.  I was pretty precocious and preferred playing hotel manager and bank teller over housewife and mommy and my mom will tell you I only owned a handful of dolls in my lifetime.  So I guess the mom in a business suit attracted me, but now when I watch it I see it in a totally different light.  

If you've never seen it I'll bring you up to speed:  J.C. Wyatt, played by Diane Keaton, is a successful New York business woman on the brink of her career as a soon-to-be-partner of a multi-million dollar company called "The Food Chain."  Her "genderless" name is perhaps supposed to suggest she's trying her best to fit in with the male-dominated business market of the late 80s. At a business luncheon with her boss she expresses some of her "radical" ideas, professing she doesn't want to be married and definitely doesn't want kids - ever. It's only minutes after her "feminist tirade" that she gets an early-morning call from overseas informing her that a distant cousin has died and left her something in his will.   Of course, we all know what it is but she stupidly decides it might be money.

The next day she meets her "inheritance" at the airport - Elizabeth, a curly-headed toddler with a suitcase and diaper bag.  The social worker hands her off to the sulking J.C. who nearly has a breakdown (one of her many tantrums throughout the film) in the middle of the airport.  The next scene we're taken to a swanky restaurant as J.C. comes close to committing child abuse, lugging Elizabeth around like a briefcase, nearly banging her head in the door.  She hands her off to the woman at the coat check, proceeds to her luncheon, and acts oblivious to the sound of Elizabeth crying.

Later, at her apartment she leaves Elizabeth on a chair, telling her to "sit!" as if she's talking to a trained puppy.  And when her boyfriend meets little Elizabeth it's as if he's never really interacted with a baby before in his life, professing he's doesn't know how to hold her because he's never held a baby.   I'm sure there are people out there like this, but really, you've went your whole life without holding a baby?  And we see him reasoning with her like a small child, telling her to go to sleep because he has a big business deal the next day (I actually wouldn't have minded if she'd spit up on him there just a little bit, but I digress....).

Thankful for the clause found in her contract, J.C. seeks adoption for Elizabeth, but she changes her mind at the agency when Elizabeth starts crying for her - she's become attached after nursing her when she has a cold.  Her "mommy gene" has already kicked in and she's hooked for good.   But her boyfriend, as she knowingly suspected, is not interested in playing "daddy."

A couple weeks go by like one might suspect after being thrown into the stresses of motherhood: she struggles to find a trustworthy babysitter, the men around her start giving her odd looks when she has toys delivered to her office, and the young man she's been training for several years is now being promoted, while her dreams of becoming partner are quickly slipping away.

Rather than cutting back a bit at work she drastically decides to leave New York and the company behind, purchasing a 60+ acre estate in Vermont - if you can't play with the big boys, go home, right?!  In Vermont, it plays out like most "city mouse goes to the country" plots - the house starts needing repairs and she doesn't know what to do about it.  She breaks down into another tantrum, professing she can't live there anymore, she needs civilization and sex!

And then "the man" enters, the one who's going to save her from her single-motherhood status and repair all her broken pieces.  On cue, just seconds after her "I need sex" line, she's lying on a doctor's table staring at a middle-aged veterinarian.   You're just hoping she'll at least keep it together, but the New York high-lifer she was and still is comes out as she sits and spills her dilemmas, reminiscent of a therapy session.

Desperate to leave the end of civilization and return to New York she decides to sell her homemade baby food.  Her small company, "Country Baby," becomes successful to the point that her old company in New York wants to purchase it for several million dollars.  Caught between the prospects of staying with the country vet and returning to New York, she decides to pass on the business deal, and the movie closes with her return to the vet and little Elizabeth in the country.

From the beginning, I feel, we're not meant to like her character.  She's selfish, a bit delusional, and she's a stereotypical "yuppy" business woman.  As an audience we're almost relieved to find that she's going to be taking care of a baby, if only to bring some of the attention away from herself.  The fact that she's playing this type of character is problematic in itself when trying to consider this film as feminist.  Why is she such a disagreeable character when she's a working woman and non-believer of marriage and motherhood? And why is it that we're only allowed to warm up to her once she has a baby in her arms? This seems to only suggest you become a better woman when you enter the throes of motherhood.

So, while I appreciate the attempt at feminism in this movie, it's hard to watch films like this one that might profess to be "feminist" or at least a consideration of radical gender politics.  In my opinion it falls short and the attempts can only be called "cute."  Though C.J. does succeed in her small business and the men who rejected her decide she's quite a business woman after all, she's making organic baby food of all things, which in itself suggests women might only truly succeed when they're linked to motherhood.  Furthermore, her story is reminiscent of the sexist fairy tales we all know and love where a man saves the day - in her case, filling her desire for sex and knowing how to hold a baby.

While it does address the problems and conflicts of women and mothers in the working world, it doesn't seem to provide a great answer for them.  Instead, it suggests, as a fellow blogger asserts, that perhaps they should just give in to the roles of motherhood, find a job better suited to a mommy's schedule (i.e. making homemade baby food) and find a man who can ease the pain of loneliness.

While we might be able to blame the politics of the movie on its time period, I'm falling short to even come up with a great example of a present-day feminist motherhood movie.  Any suggestions?

Though I still can't quite grasp why I enjoyed this movie as a child, I can appreciate it for Keaton's performance, but that's about it. And overall while I understand I might not be taking every point of this movie into account, I don't feel this film can be labeled "feminist," but I'd love to hear anyone's else's thoughts on the movie!

*pictures from here, here, and here.

.bestsellers...new and old.

This past week I've been able to sit inside reading all day without feeling guilty because of the stifling heat and I've been lucky to find a few captivating books to keep my attention.

I borrowed Emma Donoghue's Room from the library and quite literally couldn't put it down.  I devoured it in two afternoons and decided to take it straight back to the library just so someone else could have the pleasure of reading it (I usually take my time to return books which is not a good habit, I know).  I checked it out because I pretty much just wanted to see what all the hype was about and it's definitely one of those books that deserves the attention it's getting, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was turned into a movie very soon!  For some readers it might be a bit morbid but I'm always up for a little challenge.  I highly recommend to anyone looking for one of those books you just can't put down and trust me, it won't take much out of your life to read but it'll stay with you for a while.

I've currently picked up Markus Zusak's The Book Thief which is an old YA Lit bestseller and was suggested to me quite a while ago.  I'm so glad I finally got around to picking it back off the shelf because it too is an interestingly original work, weaving poetry and prose in a truly accessible way for young readers, but touching on some difficult subjects and cultural commentary.  When the narrator is Death, what else would you expect, right?  I could see this being taught in a thoughtful high school classroom.

Some other titles I'm interested in checking out soon:

[I saw this one today while browsing the tables at the bookstore and thought it would probably be interesting.  I'm becoming more interested in creative nonfiction lately, especially after taking Feminist Memoir last quarter]

[The school where I teach will be using Dave Eggers' new book as its common text this year so I'll definitely be checking this out soon!]

As always, happy reading!  What have you been reading lately?

.the power of laying on hands.

I've been wanting to write about this experience since we returned from vacation, and after reading more of Barbara Brown Taylor (yes, I'm a little obsessed) I've found the words and motivation to share my experience with laying on of hands.

Scott and I stayed at a small bed and breakfast within walking distance of downtown Savannah and while there we talked with the owner, an older man in his late 70s enjoying the everyday "chores" of life which included replacing the fresh magnolias in the parlor and walking "Gordie," the master mutt of the house.  In the mornings we would have delightful conversations with Robert over granola, fresh fruit, and coffee, and he suggested almost every restaurant where we dined during our trip.

One morning when Scott and I mentioned we attend an Episcopal church in Ohio he told us about a Thursday morning service held at the Episcopal church on the next block from the b&b.  We decided we would go to the intimate gathering having missed church at home and found it to be both delightfully simple and complex at the same time; simple in its small chapel setting and complex because of the extra liturgy we were not necessarily used to.  But though we might have fumbled with the booklet and tried to rise up from the prayer benches without a loud creak (we tend to always do that for some reason), I was moved by the blessing and laying on of hands in the middle of the service.  Each person in the small gathering went up to the alter and kneeled while the priest laid his hands and gave blessings to each of us.

I had never really done this before but I have to say I absolutely loved the intimacy and I felt that these hospitable southern "Savannah-ians" were part of my close family afterwards.  We all kneeled at the front and bowed our heads, listening to the quiet murmurs of the priest as he gave his blessing to each one.  His voice grew louder as he made his way down the line, drawing closer to Scott who was kneeling next to me.  After each blessing we replied "amen" in unison.  When he came to me the priest placed his hands softly on each side of my head, resting them right above my ears.  But what was amazing was that Scott and Robert laid hands on either of my shoulders so that in that moment I felt enveloped in Christian love and fellowship, more than I could have ever imagined from such a small gesture.

In her memoir, Leaving Church, Taylor writes, "By offering people a place where they may engage the steady practice of listening to divine words and celebrating divine sacraments, church can help people gain a feel for how God shows up - not only in Holy Bibles and Holy Communion but also in near neighbors, mysterious strangers, sliced bread, and grocery store wine.  That way, when they leave church, they no more leave God than God leaves them.  They simply carry what they have learned into the wide, wide world, where there is a crying need for people who will recognize the holiness in things and hold them up to God" (166).

In that moment among "mysterious strangers," I gained "a feeling for how God shows up" in the small things - in the soft touch from strangers, in a brief hug from a friend, and the holding of hands during prayer.  Though physical touch is sometimes something we often shy away from in our culture, it's sometimes in those soft, brief moments we stop and "feel," sensing God and recognizing holiness.

.finding altars in the world.

As some of you know my blog used to be called "A Room of My Own," referring to Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (1929) and the importance for women to have money and space of their own to create and write.  But in the last few months I have discovered the writings of Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest who has recently left the Church.  I've yet to find out why exactly but I'm reading her memoir Leaving Church so surely I'll find out soon.  But I'm sure it has a little to do with what many of us find frustrating about Church -- it's not what God intended.  I started with An Altar in the World which is a delightful read that profoundly touched me in so many ways. It's broken down into sections/chapters that deal with different areas - or altars - in the world where we can worship God.

She attests that we do not necessarily need a building with a steeple (see all the people); instead, "the last place people look is right under their feet, in the everyday activities, accidents, and encounters of their lives. What possible spiritual significance could a trip to the grocery store have? How could something as common as a toothache be a door to greater life?"(xvi).  She ponders these questions and many others, and in reading this philosophy I've tried to better notice and pay attention to the "acorn underfoot," hence the name of the blog.  I'm not sure if I've done a very good job putting this new attention to work, but I'm certainly trying to be more aware/thankful/content/knowledgeable of the small things underfoot and in my day-to-day.

What has been so amazing about this book is that it has always seemed to help me in the times I've needed it most.  The sections are divided into "practices" - - "The Practice of Waking Up to God," "The Practice of Paying Attention," "The Practice of Walking on the Earth" - - and I simply kept the book on my bedside, reading it section by section and not on any particular schedule.  I'd go several weeks without reading it and then get the feeling I needed to open it again and it always seemed the next section referred to something going on in my life.

When I got to "The Practice of Encountering Others" I had been struggling at that time with "encountering others," and her words of encouragement helped me be more aware of my struggles and apprehensions.  "At its most basic level, the everyday practice of being with other people is the practice of loving the neighbor as the self. More intricately, it is the practice of coming face-to-face with another human being, preferably someone different enough to qualify as a capital 'O' Other - and at least entertaining the possibility that this is one of the faces of God" (94).  I had never really thought of the simple day-to-day encounter with others as a way of expressing love for God and practicing "loving thy neighbor as thy self;" the simple act of looking someone in the eye or listening to their story is a way of living out a commandment.  Perhaps you might have thought this all along and maybe I sound quite silly, but I'll admit I needed a little reminder of this and got it at just the right time.  I won't say I've even improved in this area but I'm definitely more aware and trying to work on it.

Another "practice" that came along at just the right time was "The Practice of Living with Purpose," which discussed vocation.  At the time I read this section I had just agreed to start my own Mary Kay business thanks to my friend Ellen who has been doing it for over six years.  Ellen has come to be a dear friend in my life and I'm sad that she'll be moving to Texas in two weeks.  One reason I started was I saw what a blessing she is to so many women (including myself), because she's good at her job and (more importantly) she loves it! She brings joy to others in sitting with them, talking and listening to their stories, and pampering them for an hour or two.  In a way she lives out this idea Taylor poses in taking time to slow down, look in the mirror, and notice the soft lines left from years of smiling, the shape of the eyes, or the feeling of skin.

I had been apprehensive about starting a Mary Kay business (and I'm still working on my goals and finding my "purpose" with it) but I'm thankful for saying "yes" to the opportunity.  Taylor begins her section on living with purpose listing all the jobs she's ever done in her life, both paid and volunteer.  And then she writes, "I have no defense for this largely frivolous list except that every job I have ever worked has brought me into contact with a crowd of people I might never have discovered any other way.  Every job has required me to learn things that have opened up whole new dimensions of reality to me.  Every job has revealed some ability I did not know I had, just as it has exposed some clumsiness I was pretty sure I had" (108).  In her honest reflection of her job experiences I find comfort that whatever job I decide to hold (and I hope to have many in my lifetime) I will find purpose and learn more about others and myself.  As I'm still trying to set goals for my small business and learn what it is I'm wanting to "get out of it" it might not necessarily be my choice what I get out of it, but what God wants to show me about myself or others along the way.

"Every one of these tools gave me ample opportunity to choose kindness over meanness.  Every one of them offered me the chance to recognize the divine in human form, inviting me out of myself long enough to engage someone whose fears, wants, loves, and needs were at least as important as my own," she writes (111) and I'm truly excited to see where this "ample opportunity" takes me.

You might not agree with all of Taylor's philosophies and you might definitely shy away from reading about a priest who has left the Church, but I definitely recommend An Altar in the World if only to help you practice the little things in life, paying attention to the things around you, and knowing that "even something as small as a hazelnut can become an altar in the world" (34).

.vacation in Savannah recap: part 1.

For our second summer vacation as a married couple Scott and I chose Savannah, GA as our destination of adventure.  Scott had never visited the "host city" and I had only been when I was younger so we enjoyed exploring together, eating southern cuisine, browsing eclectic shops and galleries, and reading on the beach at Tybee Island, "Savannah's beach." (these are the first batch of photos...more to come!)

[The bridge going to Savannah]

[The B&B where we stayed, walking distance from the galleries, cafes, and shops downtown]

[The Lady and Sons  - Paula Deen's restaurant]

[Heading to dinner our first night - we had shrimp and tilapia tacos at the Kayak Kafe]

.women, violence & Rhianna.

One of the blogs I frequent is called WIT: Women in Theology, and it usually includes an array of posts about gender, feminism, Christianity, theology, etc. And since there are several women bloggers who contribute they tend to be interestingly different in subject matter and form.  I'm a little behind on my reading but this morning one of the recent posts really caught my eye and I thought I'd share it here.  It's a post discussing the contradictory rules for women and violence in the media, particularly looking at Rhianna's newest video, "Man Down,"portraying a girl who shoots her rapist.

To me, Rhianna is a particularly interesting artist because I always seem to keep her music on when I hear it on the radio (because the music is pretty good) but I can't stand how sexualized she allows herself to be (I'm particularly thinking of her performance of "What's My Name" on SNL; I wanted to scream: "stop gyrating already and just sing!).  Even though I know many people - some feminists included - would argue that Rhianna perhaps chooses and is in control of the image she presents to the media and public, I think it can also be argued that she is buying into the over-sexualized female object, becoming a poster-child for the objectified woman.  I let my students argue about this in my ENG 101 classes last fall and it was very interesting how quickly both the guys and gals agreed that it might not have been her choice to become a sex object, although now she's playing her part quite well.

What I found so compelling about the WIT post was that it discussed the implications of the song/video she duoed with Eminem, (don't get me started on him) "Love the Way You Lie," and how there is a contradictory "double-standard" for women and violence in the media (hence the title of the WIT post).  While her rap duet with Eminem was clearly violent it was the man acting out his frustrated, passionate love, which is clearly okay since, as the WIT writer concludes, no one seems to have a problem with it.  On the other hand, "Man Down" has received criticism because of its implications of "premeditated murder."  Here's the double standard - - it's okay for men to be portrayed in a violent manner because they're just showing their obsessive love  and affection, but it's bad for women to commit a violent act toward someone who has raped them (at least as far as this media argument goes).

In the same ENG 101 classes mentioned earlier I had my students watch "Love the Way You Lie,"(a video I'm sure many of them had seen already on VH1 or MTV) asking them to analyze and critically assess the messages portrayed through image and word.  It was amazing to see college freshmen thinking critically about sexualized images of violence that I'm sure they had never considered before (and I'm really hoping they carried these considerations out into the world with them - specifically their dorms).

So for those of you (feminists included) who feel that Rhianna is just taking control of her body and liberating herself from "good girl" roles "gone bad," I have a real problem with Rhianna, but I do agree with the WIT blogger's comments that perhaps this time, at least in regards to her newest video, she might be getting a bad rap.  

*[I didn't discuss the racial implications of the post which discussed the similar messages present in Rhianna's song and Martina McBride's "Independence Day" but that is definitely an interesting topic/problem to consider as well.]

.The Kite Runner.

Thanks to two of my students from this spring quarter I moved Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner up on my summer reading list, and boy and am I glad I did! I know I'm a bit late in catching on to all the enthusiasm, popularity, and hype it received but it's better late than never, right?  It's been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long because I just hadn't found the time to devote to it (I actually picked up my copy in a FREE BOOKS bin at Scott's school - can't beat that!)  Truth is, it didn't take much time to read because I quite literally couldn't put it down and consumed it in just two days!

Needless to say I highly recommend it as a summer read (if you've not read it already, of course, and if you have I'd love to hear your thoughts on it).  To me, it was so powerfully written because of the honesty of the narrator.  He knew he had done wrong and he is quite unsympathetic for much of the narrative.  I told my husband while we were reading together on the porch, "Gosh, I could just slap him," referring to the narrative, Amir.  And I loved it, too, for the same reason one of my students expressed, "It's filled with wise quotes that stay with you long after you've put down the book."  I couldn't have put it better myself!

The two students I referred to earlier are both originally from Afghanistan and were such joys to work with.  During our one-on-one conferences I felt like I was talking to my peers, rather than students, because of their maturity and understanding of the world.  In one part of the book the narrator says that he feels like a tourist in his own country, and both students mentioned this line as one that stuck out to them as Americans who have since travelled back to Afghanistan and Pakistan, experiencing a similar feeling.  For me, it helped me understand the wars and controversies in the Middle East (if only a little better) because it made it a more personal story, one that affects fathers, sons, brothers, wives, daughters, husbands...

Add it to your reading list - you won't be dissatisfied! But a little word from experience: don't go watch the trailer because it gives a detail away that you'll want to read first.  Although now that I've finished I can't wait to watch the film!

.out in the sticks.

Today Scott and I ventured out to one of the Metro Parks to see Patrick Dougherty's "stickwork."  Scott got the opportunity to meet Dougherty in April and hear him give a talk at the Dayton Art Institute.  He bought his new book so I'd already seen a lot of his work.  But it's nothing like seeing it in person.  For more information or pictures of his work the New York Times had a very interesting article about his log cabin home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Here are some pictures from our excursion.

.Visual Analysis.

One of the assignments for our ENG 101 students requires them to write a visual analysis.  I was very excited to begin searching for some visuals for the service-learning class, centered around the African refugee experience/social work/interest.  So here are just a few of the ones I found (I kind of got carried away and I have two whole pages of links, but I'll probably be weeding through some).

Brilliant friends and readers, please give some feedback/analysis of one (or more) of these visuals! I'd be interested in reading what you think about them.

[People in Need ad]

[Keep a Child Alive - this one has already caused quite a bit of controversy]

[Advertisement for End Poverty 2015 campaign]

[Millennium Promise Organization]

[Care.org]

.summer reading = fall course planning.

Even though my summer break could start any moment (if I would only finish grading that small pile of portfolios) I can't help thinking about the service-learning classes I'll be teaching in the fall.  So I've been reading like a madwoman trying to find some good material for my students.  Since the class will be mainly focusing on the African refugee situation I've begun reading Dave Eggers' What is the What and I think I've already found the excerpt I'll be sharing with my students.  I also plan to assign a chapter from Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah and Little Bee by Chris Cleeve (if you haven't read them I highly recommend both!)

My professor of the Writing and Social Activism class suggested two other books that I'll be checking out soon: Say You're One of Them? by Uwem Akpan and They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak.  And The Lost Boys of Sudan documentary is currently sitting on the coffee table ready to be viewed.  If you can't tell, I'm very excited about the course!

***

This weekend I watched The Stoning of Soraya M. and even though it wasn't necessarily "enjoyable" to watch it was very powerful; the women and their stories have stuck with me.  I don't understand how we live in a world where this kind of violence still occurs and where women have no rights whatsoever. It's often easy to forget about these kinds of atrocities but they need to be in our reflections and prayers.  I only first learned that stoning was still in practice in my Women's Studies class in undergrad - yes, not until I was 19 did I learn that women are still punished unjustly for crimes by stoning (before then I only knew about it from the Bible when Jesus says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" (John 8:7)  - it's not acceptable that our culture can turn such a blind eye to this issue.  Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is another issue I did not learn about until college, and I know that high school might not be the place for this kind of education, but young people - women especially - need to be aware of these occurrences around the world.

.Block Party for the Refugees.

Last night we had a block party for the African refugees we've been working with this quarter.  It was held in their neighborhood and it was a huge success!

[Scott counting the jump ropers]

[There was lots of sidewalk chalk drawing hop-scotch, bubbles, and jump roping for the children and corn hole for the adults.] 

 [Gathering around the table]

 [An interpreter aiding Jenny in talking to the women about the sewing circle she will be starting this summer.  So exciting!]

[This is one of my students that I've often talked about in my posts]

 [You apparently can't have a block party for African refugees without these African donuts.  Several of the women made these sugary balls of deliciousness, and as you can see from the pic, they were gone pretty fast!]

 [This guy made the goat kabobs and they were also delicious! He kept going around telling people they were almost ready and saying, "You will love them!" They were gone pretty quickly too]

[Enjoying goat kabobs with friends]

 [Playing hopscotch]

 [Dustin is one of the students in the class and he's standing with the refugee he worked with most of the semester]

 [In her nice dress for the party!]

 [One of the ladies who made the delicious donuts and Charlotte, one of the other students in my class]

[The man on the far left in the colorful jacket is Mugo and he is the leader of the tutoring program.  Jenny and Charlotte are other students in my class who tutored and the man on the right was a student in our tutoring group; he's going to begin attending Wright State as part of the LEAP program this summer and he's very excited!]

It was such a great experience to be a part of Dr. Lamping's "Writing and Social Activism" class this spring.  I've been truly blessed in getting to know the students and learning about social activism through grant-writing and service-learning.  I'm excited to share these experiences with my students in the fall and continue working with these families, and new families who arrive.  The party was also a great success thanks to the refugees who welcomed us into their neighborhood, sharing their food and music with us.
**thanks to Jenny P. for sharing some of her pictures!