2. Duration of trip: 6 days
3. Benefits: RDU authorized certificates, internship opportunities with partnering schools, and networking opportunities
Upon return from the mission, based on your performance and the benefits of RDU, you will receive a certificate describing your performance and active participation. We will be in touch via email to update you on the onboarding process. Welcome to CAP! I look forward to working with you.
Thanks and regards,
Kendrick Keller, Ph.D.
Provost
Rainbow Dorset University
Encl. CAP guidelines, Itinerary, Helpful information]
I stare at the letter for a long time, eyebrows knit together in confusion. My anxiety of being in trouble has left, but my bewilderment remains. At the end of September, I received a letter from the provost’s office telling me that my application had been accepted and that invitations to CAP would go out in November.
At the time, I thought there’d been some confusion, but since it was just an acknowledgement letter, I didn’t think anything of it. Quite frankly, I’d forgotten all about it. Itwasa mistake. They’d figure that out. There was no reason to worry about it.
Now, staring at this letter that, I think, is telling me I’m a student ambassador for CAP and going to Iceland for a week? I’m not sure what to think.
“What is it?” Eddy asks.
I can’t force myself to look up from where I’m staring, though I can see him get to his feet in my peripheral vision. When he’s at my side, I hand him the letter and watch his face carefully.He’s almost instantly smiling, and that smile grows as he reads through it.
“Man, that’s awesome! Congratulations,” he says when he’s finished and meets my eyes. His head tilts to the side as he studies my face. “You don’t look thrilled. You’re going to Iceland, man. That’s exciting.”
“Eddy, I didn’t apply for this,” I say, shaking my head. He hands me the papers back, and they feel heavy in my hand. “There’s a mistake.”I’m not smart enough to be an ambassador.
“I’m sure there’s not a mistake. That’s your name clearly at the top.” His finger hits the paper several times. “But if you need assurance, head over to the provost’s office and see what’s up.”
Yeah, that’s what I’d do. “Thanks.”
“You’ll see,” he says, still beaming. “They chose youon purpose.”
He’s not right, but I don’t tell him that as I leave the dorm again. It’s still well within typical working hours, so I head back toward the center of campus and Alok Vaid-Menon Hall. One of the coolest things about RDU is that every building is named after a queer person from history and in modern times.
Sometimes the building names change halfway through a school year. An announcement goes out on the school’s social media app, The Pride Room, so we’re all kept in the loop. I love The Pride Room app. It’s like all the social media apps rolled into one, but it’s controlled by the school.
That might sound like it’s heavily censored, but it’s actually the complete opposite. The only thing they truly control is who has access. The only way to have a profile is to be a student, staff, faculty, or alumni at RDU. Administration creates your profiles, resets passwords, and adjusts access to certain areas depending on your role and status on campus. However, the only kinds of community standards that they monitor for are bullying, harassment, predatory behavior… that kind of thing.
Anyway, easily distracted as I am, I stop at the top of the stairs to look at the name of the building. It’s been changed in the last two months, if I remember correctly. I pause to read the plaque with Alok Vaid-Menon in large letters and then a little blurb about them.
Alok Vaid Menon is a gender-nonconforming, transfeminine advocate for bodily diversity, gender neutrality, and self-determination. They are an internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian, speaker, fashion designer, and social media personality, with a style and identity constantly shifting.
There’s a smaller plaque that lists all the previous names of the building and a QR code that takes me to a page on the school’s website where I can read all about the people that the building is named for.
My fingers touch the letters of Alok’s name. They’re smooth but pronounced. I’m startled when the door opens abruptly, and I nearly stumble backward down the stairs. A guy grabs my shirt and keeps me upright, his amusement evident when I meet his eyes.
“Sorry,” I say as I right myself.
“You were far more distracted than I thought,” he says. “Sorry for startling you.” He pats my chest and moves past me down the stairs. I watch him for a minute and turn back to the door.
The inside of the building is neat and somewhat elegant. There’s a lot of darkly polished wood in rich tones. Carvings within the wood that you don’t see in many places. I can’t decide if it’s because they want to give elegant, rich vibes in the provost’s building or if the new trade department is practicing.
There’s a man sitting at a large desk a couple dozen feet from the door. He greets me with a polite smile as I approach. “What can I do for you?”
I hold the letter out to him, feeling my cheeks flush as he looks at it. “I think there’s been a mistake,” I tell him.
