Getting down to business - students

OK, I caught up with the kids this morning for a few minutes before they moved into their "family groups" to start their day (as there are more than 1,000 kids, they are broken up randomly into 13 smaller groups, with which they meet throughout the day. None of the Brooks kids share a group, so they are all meeting many new folks). They are tired and excited. They spent most of yesterday working with facilitators on issues of identity. Topics ranged from how we identify ourselves to how others identify us to idenitfying and debunking common assumptions around racial and gender identity.

The students are having a chance to do some tremendous thinking and listening about these issues, and all of them enjoyed the experience tremendously. I can already tell they are growing in their thinking.

Big props to my advisee Brittanye, who was selected as a student leader this year and is doing an amazing job in this role, by all accounts.

We will meet them at 5:30 to return to the hotel so adults and kids alike can prepare for their respective banquets tonight. The faculty food will probably be better, but there will be more fun and dancing at the kids' event, I'm imagining ...!! maybe I'll sneak in ...