Takeaways from the Summer

The 2021 DPF Peace Interns

I’m not really sure what to make of my experience as a peace intern. It’s been really fun, but I don’t know how it’s going to impact me in the long run. I’m not sure what I’m going to end up taking away from it.

I’ve learned more about people. How different we all are…how similar we all are. I’ve observed how we can all sink to pettiness at times, no matter our age. And I’ve also seen how we can overcome fear and bias to bridge across difference, make connections, and form relationships. I’ve watched people hurt one another…and heal one another. I saw people work to tear others down, and I saw people build others up. Instances of inclusion and exclusion are present at all church camps. We don’t always like to acknowledge that bullying, negative peer pressure, gossip, and general social harm take place at church camp. The fact of the matter is that it does, though, it always does.

That’s because we’re human. Whenever there’s a large enough group of people, there’s always gonna be something.

But the cool thing about church camp is how that kind of stuff is responded to. Usually, there’s a kind of no tolerance policy for that kind of behavior. It’s made clear that those things are harmful and not consistent with church camp. It doesn’t fit with the atmosphere we try to craft at camps, so this kind of stuff is usually swiftly dealt with. But it’s not dealt with in a punitive manner. I noticed a real effort to support and love not only the attacked, but also the attackers. People tended to check in with both parties and try to attend to both parties needs. After all, I’ve found that the saying “hurting people hurt others” is often right on the money. Even when people were sent home, I noticed that camp staff often made a real effort to extend care to those people, even after they had left camp. Even when people did some real nasty things, there was a general vibe of “loving concern” from staff. They wanted to believe that people could get better. There was a real focus on love. Love, support, healing. (I know that sounds cheesy; bear with me.) I’ve always found that to be at the core of what church camp is, and I was pleased to see it put into practice, not just when it was easy, but when it was hard—when it would’ve been easy just to write people off. Basically, I saw the people of our church putting their money where their mouth was, and I was really glad to see it. 

So I observed people and gained wisdom. I sharpened my people skills, learned to connect with teenagers, and became a better presenter/facilitator. This is all great! I learned some things about humanity, but I also learned some stuff about myself, as well. The unexpected is expected at camp. Nothing ever goes to plan, and staff must adapt on the fly. Sometimes serious drama arises. You never really know what you’re going to face.

And after going to camp for four weeks (5 if you count online camp), I’ve faced a lot this summer! I’ve gotten lost (several times), dealt with serious issues, been the sponger for teenage tears, adapted my workshop countless times, and so much more! And I was able to handle it all! Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t so it alone; I had the support of many amazing people along the way. Still, I think my experiences as a peace intern have helped me to become more confident in myself. As I took on each challenge, and came out on the other side, I began to feel more and more reassured that I can take on the world. Now that I’m on the other side of this summer, I feel more capable. I’m more confident. I feel more like an adult! After all, if I can handle a full summer of church camp, I can probably handle a lot!

Before I go, I did want to mention the camps one more time. Each camp has become a special place to me, and I think I’ll continue to hold each one in my heart for the rest of my life. And I’m not just saying that as lip service! Church camps are just special places like that. They have an impact on you. The ones I went to certainly impacted me, and I’m so grateful for this summer and all of the life experience I was able to gain these past 10 weeks. Thank you to everyone who was with me along this journey; I’ll carry you all with me as well. <3

Peace!
-Kate 

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Closing Retreat

The closing retreat was a lot of fun! It was so nice seeing my fellow interns, Ash and Marisa, in PERSON!

Taken after a lovely evening with Krista in her thriving garden. you wouldn't believe she only started it during the pandemic!

I also got to see our boss, Brian, for the first time in person, as well as several people we met with virtually over training week.

I got to see LEGS, people! I was finally able to figure out how tall everyone was (taller than me, as always….). I saw what kinds of shoes Marisa wore at camp (Skechers sandals), what everyone’s ankles looked like (your typical ankles), and so many other weird things you notice more after a global pandemic.

The best part was probably just being able to have down time with all these people I’d only ever interacted with via Zoom. There’s a deeper sort of bonding that takes place over impromptu in-person conversation that you just can’t get over Zoom. Maybe it’s the eye contact. Whatever it is, it’s a really special thing.

A casual scene at the Allisonville guest house. We stayed there during the retreat. and this was a pretty common sight. Brian in a chair, Marisa on the floor, and Ash and I sprawled out on the couch. This was taken when Timothy came to visit. (note that he preferred the chairs)

Brian is a selfie man. He took a lot of group selfies over the course of the retreat. I'm glad of it, though--we would've hardly had any pictures if it weren't for Brian!

I really valued getting the chance to meet with these people I had come to respect and admire over the course of summer. I was able to not only look them in the eye, but also just chat casually with them, hug them, eat with them, and just drive around to places with them. It made me very happy. 

Debriefing and snacks on the deck with Randy, our Spirituality Coach from Training Week

I had fresh fruit and coffee at Randy's! (The other interns drank iced tea.)

We didn’t really do anything spectacular while we were together, but we had fun. We went out to the Cheesecake Factory that first evening! Brian made us a lot of really tasty food. Ashlyn made us pasta one night. Krista and her husband cooked us a whole feast! Essentially, we ate well. We even made a fire and roasted s’mores one night!

Some pasta Ash made for us. She learned it from TikTok!

Some delicious breakfast tacos, courtesy of Brian.

We stayed up late talking and watching old Disney movies. We talked a lot about our various camp experiences and did a lot of reflecting. We got matching tattoos, got Starbucks, went to Trader Joes…honestly, we mostly just talked, but it was much needed talking! We all had things we wanted to share and process.

S’mores with ingredients from Trader Joe’s!

The interns decided to get matching tattoos together. It took us a while to land on a design (we're all quite different, with different tastes), but I think we landed on something that we could all be happy with. I think it's cute, but elegant. Plus it's kinda a play on DPF's logo! It's a good commemorative tattoo for our experiences as peace interns.

It was a much-needed retreat! 

This was taken at the Vespers/Campfire area right by the house. Funnily enough, Randy's son actually helped build the site!

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Back at Camp Chandler

Camp Chandler, my home camp was one I was looking forward to a lot.

After a year away from this place, I was ready to be back and I was in a new role for the year: Peace Intern at CYF. I was counseling with some of the people who were my counselors when I was a camper, so I knew pretty much every counselor there. It was also exciting because some of my family were there so it was nice to catch up with them. 

It was interesting to find out that this year there were more boy campers than girl campers which was new to the camp because it is usually the other way around, but we were all still very excited.

Once all the campers arrived, we started with the rules and expectations for the campers which is always to be expected. Camp finally started after we had lunch. Unfortunately, it stormed so the swim time for the day had to be canceled which left a lot of campers upset because it was very hot and humid and who doesn’t love swim time.

We found time to play games and had people catch up and meet new people.

During the campers scavenger hunt, I decided to take some time for myself and find a good place to chill in my hammock until campfire. The photo above and the next few pictures are some I took as I tried to find a good spot.

As a person who loves to take photos and such, I very much neglected it this summer. Though the few photos I took I like a lot and speak a lot to where I was.

I wish I was able to take photos of the last vespers we did because it was beautiful, but I was helping with it so I was not able to so y’all will have to take my word that it was amazing. There were 21 campers there this summer, which is a good number considering last year. Each camper had a great time (as far as I know) despite the few bumps there were. All of them got along by the end of it and each grew within Christ. I look forward to going back (but to Junior camp because I love the small children lol) and glad this is where I can call home.

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Week 2: Camp Kum Ba Ya

I didn’t get lost on the way to KBY per say, but I did have some trouble getting there.

I made this mosaic as part of a craft project, and I'm pretty pleased with it!

I made it to the camp gates without issue, but once there, I found myself unable to get in! The gates were locked, and I was supposed to call to have the gates unlocked. BUT, my phone wasn’t getting service! So, I turned around to retrace my steps until I found service. There was a touristy area about 15 minutes back, and I figured I’d get there, get cell service, call the camp and inform them of the situation, and then drive back no biggie. But YES BIGGIE! Because I drove back, and still no service! So I kept driving. After about 30 minutes, I was freaking out a bit. See, I HAD BARS, but my calls weren’t going through. So I started to panic thinking my phone was broken. Around this point, I also wasn’t sure whether or not I was lost. I’ll spare you the details, but after an hour, I was a hot mess. But THEN! THANK THE LORD! SERVICE!!! I swear to GOD! I have NEVER been so relieved to see the letters “LTE” in MY LIFE!!! With a HUGE shoutout to DPF Mission Director Brian Frederick-Gray, I was able to alert the camp to my existence, and find my way back. Unfortunately, the detour meant I didn’t have time to nap that day. Tragic. 

Now here’s the REAL KICKER: turns out there was a doorbell-like apparatus on the gate, so I could’ve just gotten out of my car, walked around the gate, and someone would’ve known I was there. -_-

Once at Camp Kum Ba Ya, however, I felt immediate relief. Jamie, the director, was there to greet me, and expressed much needed sympathy for my hardship! I shortly met the other counselors and staff, and we played a hilarious game from the 80’s called “Therapy” to get to know one another. Everyone was immensely welcoming, and I was able to get a good night’s rest! 

This was the fastest moving caterpillar I've ever seen! WKDH had a whacky caterpillar too! I swear! It's an alien invasion!

I won’t lie. The first two days at KBY were a bit rough. It was excruciatingly hot, there were bugs EVERYWHERE, two separate ER trips, and a serious incident. I was pretty dang stressed those first 48-72 hours! However, by the end of the 3rd day, things began to settle. Almost all of the campers were good humored and kind. I didn’t have much trouble exercising authority, and there were camp pranks every day and funny cabin clean ups that always lifted my spirits and made me laugh! My fellow counselors were wonderfully supportive! We were all EXTREMELY busy, but we had a good check in everyday at the counselor meeting, and that was really nice. I ended up taking over crafts in the last half of the week, and that was an adventure! It’s funny—though not at all surprising—how people seem far more willing to open up and talk over crafts than in a workshop. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lake. It was lovely! I did not swim in it, but I did walk in it once, and I enjoyed watching the water. The breeze and the sound of the tiny waves was always very soothing. It was my first time at a camp with a lake, and I’m a fan! I also wanted to give a shoutout to Sugar Bear for building the legit BEST campfires I’ve ever seen! They were MIGHTY! Someone really ought to gift him some fire tongs or something for Christmas, for a number of reasons…

Thank you for having me Camp Kum Ba Ya! I appreciated all the laughs and the good conversations! Seeing all the campers and counselors joke around and have fun was very uplifting. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the experience. Thank you for the joy!

Instead of a senior banquet, we opted to do a Beach Party At KBY! It was super fun and very well received by the campers! We had glow sticks and night swimming, plus we roasted hot dogs and s'mores! (Which was actually kinda horrible because it was over 90 degrees, and the fire was HOT!! But it tasted great!)

Here's the Counselor Photo for KBY! Thank you all for always making sure to regularly check in with me and each other!

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My Experiences at Wakon'Da-Ho

My first two weeks were both spent at camps! I started with Camp Wakon’Da-Ho in Kentucky. I was nervous as it was my first camp of the summer. Luckily, fellow peace intern, Kate was also there which helped a lot!

So story time now, the day before I was supposed to leave, my car broke down and I had to put it in the shop. With that, I drove my mom’s car. I drive a car while my mom drives a SUV, so the change was weird for a 5 hour drive that came afterwards. Nonetheless, I made it safely to the camp without getting lost. 

Back to the camp now, once I got there, I met the directors of the camp who got someone to show me where my cabin was. I got my stuff up into the cabin and got everything set up around my bunk. Now I have to show off my t-shirt quilt of all my previous camp shirts (plus a couple).

I was super excited for all the campers to arrive the next day. Meeting all the counselors and the YLT (Youth Leadership Team) was awesome. They are all amazing people who wanted to make camp seem as normal as possible with all the COVID regulations. Campers started arriving the next morning and once most of them arrived, the official start of camp began! I will say that I did have some camp culture shock and it took me most of the week to get past it, but it was awesome seeing all the campers come together and share a great connection with each other!

There were many great talks and conversations in my small group. Here is a photo of my small group socially distancing as we meet.

There was one night at Vespers (worship) that was really moving with the entire camp. Some campers got up and shared their traumas and that they don’t want to stand alone. It was so moving that there was a place where the campers felt safe enough to talk about these things and all the counselors provided a place to talk to campers afterwards if they needed to talk. It was heavy, but every single camper that was at that camp was strong that night and they are strong every single day.

This camp was the best camp to start off my summer! I am actually getting the chance to go back to Wakon’Da-Ho for a Junior camp in July so I am very excited about that opportunity. 

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My First Two Weeks "In the Field" as a Peace Intern

Flexibility - that’s the word I think best describes my first two official weeks as a peace intern.

Initially, I was supposed to attend one in person camp and one virtual camp. Sadly, both of those camps had to be canceled and so we had to quickly find a way for me to fill up those two weeks. While it wasn’t how I planned the summer to start, it ended up being a great couple of weeks! 

I started by working with Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director of Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries. Prior to this experience, I was a little familiar with the state of our refugee and immigration policies, but not near as much as Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea. It was so great to hear from someone so passionate and knowledgeable on the subject, teaching me so much in the process. I had the opportunity to learn and advocate for World Refugee Day which was on June 20th! In the process of helping others advocate for refugees and asylum seekers in our country, I learned more about our laws and ways I can make a difference from right here in the middle of Kansas. 

The girls in my cabin, holding up their craft - a paper lantern where they drew something that reminds them of light

Originally, that was the project I would be working on for those two weeks, but as I mentioned above there’s been a lot of flexibility. My regional church camp had a counselor who had to drop out a few days before the camp, which left them in desperate need of another female counselor so that second week I played double duty - leading the junior camp and sneaking away during nap time to do some more work for RIM and meet with pastors interested in World Refugee Day. 

Similarly to most camps, my region is using the Creation Speaks curriculum, which talks about our creation story, how we are connected to the earth, and ways we can be God’s light. I believe that at this age, it’s especially important to make sure children know they are important, created in the image of God, and all have their unique ways of shining light into the world. One of the stories we read was Rainbow Fish - one of my childhood favorites - and learned the importance of sharing our resources with others. Finally, we left the kids thinking about what they can do out in the world to be true disciples - sharing light, and caring for all of God’s creations. 

While it was an exhausting couple of weeks, I am so thankful for all the people I had the chance to work with, and the kids at camp for having a great time with me! 

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Pics from My Week at Wakon'Da-Ho

Here are some pics from My Week at Wakon’Da-Ho. Read my Blog Post about the week here.

Some ASMR ambience from camp Wakan'Da-Ho during a rainy morning watch.

Caterpillar we found during small group. Probably an alien.

Beautiful sunset during the talent show!

I 100% thought this crawdad was a scorpion. In my defence, it was very dark. I was also very confused because it seemed really big for the climate lol. Shoutout to Ashlyn for pointing out that it was a crawdad, and that I should probably use my flashlight to see it instead of trying to stare at it in the dark!

A campfire for campfire!
(Note: Can you spy the cat in this picture? She was the resident mama cat at the camp, and soooooo cute!!)

Camp WKDH's vespers site! This was taken after my small group's vespers. Great job gang!

A cute lil frog on some moss.

This was in the dining hall. I never got an explanation for it, and I never asked.

Here's a typical day's schedule. I particularly liked this one because it had "din-din" on it for dinner lol!

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My Week at Wakon'Da-Ho

I got horribly lost on my way to Camp Wakon’Da-Ho.

Camp WKDH's vespers site! This was taken after my small group's vespers. Great job gang!

I was already running late because 1) I’m notoriously bad at time management, and 2) I had to turn around on my way out of town to retrieve my pillow, which I had forgotten. I was making good time—and feeling pretty proud of myself for making it through the Mad-Max-esque traffic of Louisville—when I turned onto what I thought was the entrance road to camp WKDH. 

When I found myself at the end of the road in a field full of white butterflies, and no camp, I figured that something was up.

SOMEHOW, I had ended up 25 minutes away from the ACTUAL camp WKDH. I blame Apple maps. The address WAS correct, but it was also decidedly NOT the correct address. With the help of Brian, Ashlyn, and WKDH co-director Cameron, I eventually made it to camp WKDH…over 30 minutes late. Luckily the pizza had not yet arrived, so it was all good. 

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At first, I experienced some minor “camp culture shock.” Wakon’Da-Ho did things differently than I remembered doing things back at Bedford. (It had also been several years since I had been at camp, and it took some time to get back into the swing of things.) However, I decided to approach it all with an open mind, and I did my best to adjust and fit in well as a counselor. It didn’t help that I was constantly mistaken for a camper by campers and counselors alike! It turns out that at WKDH, you have to be 4 years out of college before you can counsel CYF camps, so I was a much younger counselor than campers were used to. It did make presenting myself as an authority figure a bit difficult. (I also don’t have much practice being an authority figure to younger people in the first place.)

But I soon warmed up to the camp, and I think the camp warmed up to me. I especially loved the camp’s closing circle nighttime ritual; you could really sense the love there. I also loved how open and supportive all the campers were! It was so heartening to hear all the campers that went out of their way to thank me for my workshop. I was nervous about it, and all their feedback was really, really great. There was a lot of sincerity among the campers, and I really appreciated seeing that. 

As the week went on, I was really able to see how much love existed at Camp WKDH. Love between people, love for God, and love for the camp. It was a very familial atmosphere, and I really enjoyed being a part of it! I especially warmed up to the camp after a very emotional vespers service near the end of the week. I saw how the camp came together to lift up and support one another, and I was so proud and happy to see it. See, for me — that’s camp. In my mind, camp is a safe space where love abounds, and people can find refuge and solace away from the pressures of “the real world.” I saw that in practice at Wakon’Da-Ho, and it made me love that camp. In fact, I felt more emotional than I had anticipated after leaving the camp. Camp Wakon’Da-Ho was clearly beloved by the campers and the staff, and after spending a week there, I can see why. Thank you for having me WKDH! You’ve got some really great campers, and some exceptional counselors/staff as well!

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Goodbye Training Week. Hello Summer!

Goodbye training week, hello summer!

As with almost everything in the past year, Peace Intern Training Week was not what anyone originally had in mind - as you can see from my picture, this is where most of my week was spent.

Even though we couldn’t start the summer off all together in person, I am so thankful we were still able to gather and learn from so many wonderful people trying to do good in the world.

Where to start with training week…

I just have one word: WOW!

It was so inspiring to listen and learn from some amazing, strong, talented people. Until training week, I had no idea about so many of the ministries within our church. I learned about our National Convocation, NAPAD, Obra Hispana, Green Chalice, and SO many more!

There were a few sessions that really stood out for me.

The first was about creating an extravagant welcome for our LGBTQ+ community from AllianceQ. I believe everyone should be not only welcomed, but also celebrated in our church so it was great to see so many people working to make that possible.

I also loved learning about the powerful history of the Disciples Women’s Ministries, because who doesn’t’t love hearing from strong women standing up for justice?

Finally, it was also interesting to learn more about the many different ways our Refugee and Immigration Ministries (who I am excited to work with this week!), are fighting to support the refugees coming to find peace in our country.

Overall, it was amazing to hear and learn from so many strong leaders within our church, and finally have the chance to get to know my fellow Peace Interns - even if it was all through a screen.

I look forward to the day we all get to safely meet in person!

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Reflections after Training Week

Hello Everyone ☺

Well! I made it through training week! I sat through a lot of zoom meetings, and I had a lot of new information thrown at me. It was tiring, but also a really great experience! My favorite part of it was probably getting to meet so many wonderful people and to learn about all the amazing work they’re doing. I also learned so much about the denomination itself.

Did you know about National Convocation? I didn’t! And if you’re out there now, reading this, and you’re also like “National Convocation?? What’s that?” then:

1. Know that you aren’t alone, and

2. Go look it up! 

Are you doing it? Did you look it up? No?

Well go on!

Don’t worry; I’ll wait for you to come back. 

…

I’ve attached a picture of my new tattoo. Just because. I’m very happy with it! ☺

Welcome back!  Good on you for looking it up! (I’m holding you to the honor system here.) 

Aside from learning about National Convocation, I also learned about so many of our church’s ministries that I had no idea were out there! I’d encourage you all to check them out when you have the time; they’re doing some great work! 

On a personal note, as someone with great anxiety, I felt very held during Training Week. There are so many wonderful people looking out for me this summer. What’s more, they all encouraged me to trust myself as I embarked on this once-in-a-lifetime summer. I’m doing my best to do that.

Part of me is terrified, but I keep reminding myself that these amazing people told me they believed in me. Randy Kuss told me that more than any workshop I create, the most impactful thing I could do this summer was to just be myself, and that just the simple act of being myself can speak volumes to someone, without my even knowing it.

What’s more, several people during training week told us that we were chosen as Peace Interns because of who we are. That’s both uplifting and oddly weighty.

I hope I live up to it.

In the meantime, I’ll do my best to trust that I will!!!

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Introducing Myself: 2021 DPF Peace Intern Marisa Black

My name is Marisa Black and I am a junior at Wichita State University studying special music education and music performance.

The camp program has been near to my heart for most of my life, and I can’t wait to spend the summer sharing that love and community with other camps.

This summer, I hope to encourage campers to discover how to use their faith to create a better, more peaceful world.

To introduce myself, I’d like to answer some fun get to know you questions, because we all know that’s a big part of the camp experience!

1. Where is your dream travel destination?
- Greece, so I can live out my Mama Mia fantasies!

2. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
- Teleportation, so I could go anywhere I want for as long as I want.

3. What is a movie you can practically quote from start to finish?
- The Princess Bride!

I’m excited to see what this summer holds, and hope you follow along with me!

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Introducing Myself: 2021 DPF Peace Intern Kate Myers

Hello Everyone!!! ☺ I’m writing this from my couch after watching a very fascinating episode of Star Trek: Voyager. It was about faith, and so it feels like an appropriate time to pause and do my DPF homework! 

My name is Kate Myers, and I’m an Ethics and Social change major at the University of Evansville. I also have concentrations in Sociology and Religion. I’ll graduate next semester after spending my last semester abroad studying in a MANOR in the UK! I’m super excited! I want to eventually become a therapist. (Many people ask me what I plan on doing with my degree, so I thought I’d get on top of the question.) I took a jewelry making class this past semester and kind of fell in love with it, so I’m hoping to continue that as a hobby for myself. I probably think too much, and I like to laugh. That pretty much sums up who I am! 

I guess I should tell you about why I’m here, and how I ended up becoming a peace intern. My pastor, Helen, told me about this internship, and it seemed right up my alley. (Getting paid to go to camp and talk with people about social justice and morality and whatnot? Ummm….YES!) So I applied, and I was excepted (obviously), and now I’m really excited to live out this opportunity! I’m particularly hoping to grow my empathy and conversational skills this summer, and to maybe help grow the conversational skills and empathy of others along the way! For me, having a conversation with someone means working to understand that person, and to grow and learn together throughout the process. Now that can be a lot of work! I don’t expect people to have conversations like this all the time, but I feel that we at least ought to be having them sometimes. I think it’s especially important now because I feel like we, as Americans, often get locked into debate with one another—instead of conversations, we have verbal battles, and I don’t think you can really win one of those, because if you “defeat” your opponent, who benefits? Did they grow? Did you? 

I know, I know, I laid it on a little heavy; forgive me. I’m an ethics major; it’s my job to make people uncomfortable! I’m only partly kidding. For me, part of being ethical is being kind to one another, but part of it also means taking a firm stand against injustice, and sometimes that means making people uncomfortable. Socrates described himself as a gadfly; an annoying, biting bug. He felt it was his job to upset people—to make them uncomfortable and get them thinking about things they probably wouldn’t think about if they didn’t get a little uncomfortable. (Socrates was eventually killed by the state, sooooo…..take that into account if you intend to follow in his footsteps lol. And never let anyone tell you that being a philosopher isn’t dangerous!) Socrates, like pretty much every historical figure, was not without fault and controversy, but his description of himself as a gadfly has always inspired me. 

I hate change! (I know that seems to have come out of left field, but bear with me.) Change is very scary for me in many ways, so I know as well as anyone how uncomfortable change can be. But I also think change is beautiful, and change is necessary. Everything changes; it is the nature of life. Feel the fear and do it anyway. That’s how I’ve come to feel about change. I want to inspire people to change for the better, as people have inspired me to do the same. I have benefited so much from change and growth. And it has been painful and uncomfortable! But having kind and patient people with me along my journey has made it so much better. I won’t claim to say that I’ll inspire or change anyone I meet this summer, but I suppose there’s a chance that I might. And even if I don’t, I know that I’ll have that same potential for inspiration and growth. So I’m excited to find out what lies ahead and greet it with an open heart!

I realize this was more of an essay than a blog, but this is what you get when you hire a humanities student who writes reflections about social justice day in and day out, DPF! Hahahaha! To any readers out there, thanks for tuning in; I know it’s a time commitment ;)

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