I have received funding from CPGC to lead an educational delegation of six Bi-Co student to Nicaragua from May 30-Jun 8. This 10-day study tour, which will introduce students to the political, economic and cultural histories of Nicaragua, is coordinated by ProNica, a Quaker organization founded in 1987 to build “sustainable cross-cultural relationships between the people of North America and Nicaragua” and will be guided by Carmen Gonzalez, who has lived in Nicaragua for over 20 years.

Our delegation begins in Managua, where we stay at Quaker House, learn more about Nicaraguan culture, speak with community leaders, and visit sites important in the Sandinista revolution. From there, we travel to smaller cities and villages in the central highlands, such as San Marcos, Matagalpa, San Ramon, Esteli, Largatillo, and
Achuapa to meet with grassroots organizations that provide integrated health care, opportunities for childhood and adult education, and link producers to fair trade markets. We will speak with women whose husbands and children were killed during the Sandinista Revolution and the Contra War, with adults who provide a safe space for children living in La Chureca, the largest open land-fill in Central America, with women’s healthcare providers, with farmers, librarians, artists and shopkeepers. These interactions will help us understand on a deeper level how international policies and interventions affect the lives of our Nicaraguan neighbors and how we can be in solidarity with them as they build healthier and more sustainable communities.

For our final performance, aybala50, lgleysteen, S.Yeager and I created our own version of the (as I've come to find at college) popular game Apples to Apples. Using words that were particularly important in our discussions throughout the semester, we created adjective and noun cards and asked for volunteers in the class to play.

And we we didn't just make this game to make people have fun! (Though this was part of our intention.) We thought that just that simple game revealed many of things that we have been discussing this semester. First of all, we thought of the ways in which each player diffracted the adjective through their own personal lens. But this was not the only thing at play. Though the player was thinking of how they could use their words to 'match' with the adjective, they were also considering which word would win them the round and be 'judged' as being the best card. This demonstrated the entanglement between the players and the judge.

Additionally, there was further entanglement when considering that we had them play in front of the whole class. This was another factor in the decision that the player made as they were also aware that they were appearing and thus, had to choose a word that the class would understand. There was also entanglement to us, as the creators of the game, as we gave them them a fairly limited choice of words.

Lastly, we wanted to demonstrate how each of the words did not lend themselves to a fixed definition. Thus, we managed to question our use of labels and the way in which we define certain terms.

essietee: Here’s a little know fact about me: I’m secretly in love with fashion and beauty. I love that a person can put on one outfit one day to reflect their mood or a certain personal ideal, then completely change that image whenever they please. I struggled with this fluidity of fashion as a teen living in an environment where you had to declare yourself as one thing or another (ie: jock, cheerleader, theatre nerd, etc.). It’s been a long road, but I’m finally comfortable wearing a dress and heels to go out on a Friday night, then switching into cargo shorts and an old t-shirt for Saturday evening. This proved to be a point that I thought about while taking and posing for these pictures: we started out with photographs of our individual faces and body parts, then moved on to clothing and makeup. I felt like a paper doll, grabbing different options from my closet; some of my clothes were things that I haven’t worn since my first year of college, while others are staples that I usually wear at least once a week. Though changing multiple times in a common space where anyone could view me (sorry, housekeeping!), I was very comfortable in my presence with my group-mates and with the clothing choices I made. They reflect who I am: a multifaceted incidivual who believes in expression of self and personal creativity. It’s like the lyrics for the song featured in our video, “Androgynous” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – “She's happy with the way she looks / She's happy with her gender.”

diffraction
intra-action
super crip
entanglements
cripping
evolution
intersex
sexual diversity
continuum
abnormal vs. normal
natural
2 to 1 pregnancy
sex selection
sex ratios
right relationships
ethics of care
allies
cultural relativism
precarity
the people’s microphone
trigger warning
a grievable life
Wilchins
Clare
Barad
Roughgarden
McDermott
Humbach
Butler
Farmer
Cleave