Who are the people behind the amazing FACES organization? Who brings you enlightening Hall Talks on a wide variety of interesting topics like “To Twerk or Not to Twerk: Miley Cyrus and the Appropriation of Black Culture”? Well wonder no further because I had the opportunity to learn more about the faces of FACES council so read on to find out more!
Elizabeth Nimmons, Francesska Jean-Pierre, and Nanci Fiore-Chettiar are the co-directors of FACES and they took some time to tell me about all that FACES does.
How was FACES started?
The early stages of FACES began in 2002, when two football players who noticed racial tensions and polarization, which they attributed to a lack of awareness and understanding. They decided it was time for change at BC. The two began educating themselves and attending events related to racial identity and diversity on campus, but it wasn’t until the following year that a committee began to take shape. It was a slow going process, but the organization was officially recognized in the spring of 2005. FACES was birthed during a time when activism on campus was prevalent, a time when students weren’t just asking for change – they were demanding it.
What is FACES mission/goals?
We are an anti-racism organization committed to educating the BC community on the issues of race, identity and systems of power and privilege. We attempt to do this by facilitating discussions, social interactions, and academic forum. FACES aims to stimulate dialogue and facilitate the elimination of structured inequality, discrimination, and racial polarization. It is our hope that these conversations and experiences will challenge individuals to address their own preconceived notions, and those within and beyond Boston College
How can someone become involved in FACES?
There are so many ways to get involved! Join FACES Forum, our general membership. Sign up for Dialogues on Race! We have sessions every semester and it’s only a six week program, so the time commitment isn’t too constraining. If you’re a freshman, stop by the O’Connell House at 2 pm on Sundays and check out an FYP meeting. If you’re a student leader, reach out to us to collaborate on an event, or to facilitate a discussion with your group or organization. RAs contact us all the time to bring us in to have discussions with their floors. Another option is to come to our events (such as a Hall Talk or our annual Speak for Your Change!). Our events are unique in that you don’t just sit in a presentation for an hour and then leave. We engage in active discussion, and encourage everyone to participate. We also have a freshman mentorship program, which aims to create a community through which freshmen build lasting relationships with upperclassmen and one another. FYP provides a forum for freshmen to challenge and/or affirm their beliefs, reflect on personal experience, and begin to explore their own racial identities.
To stay up to date with what’s going on, like us on Facebook or join our listserv. If you have any questions, or just want to learn more, shoot us an email at facesdirectors@gmail.com
What is FACES Council?
FACES Council is our version of an e-board. In order to become part of the council, you must apply in the spring. Once accepted, the students are placed into one of our four departments which are Outreach, First Year Program, Hall Talks, and Dialogues on Race. Each position on council is a leadership position, so each council member has a great amount of responsibility. While Elizabeth, Nanci and I are the directors our council has no real hierarchical structure. As co-directors we work closely with our faculty advisers Dr. Lillie Albert who is a professor in Lynch and Patricia Birch who works in the Residential Life office. Because of the nature of the work that we do, we all end up forming a family. It’s a family that you never really leave. We have a lot of our alumni coming back or reaching out to us for dinner and offering us advice.
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The faces of FACES Council!
What is your favorite memory from being a part of FACES?
Adisa Duke: “Definitely the retreat that we went on earlier this semester. Specifically the time that we took to share our stories and the free time that followed. It was the first time that I felt a legitimate bond with all the other council members, and it was then that I saw council as a family away from home.”
Rachel McKnight: “My favorite FACES memory was this year’s Fall Retreat. Since this is my first year on council, I was a little nervous about the retreat and didn’t know what to expect. We spent the retreat bonding in addition to sharing our personal stories regarding our racial identities. I left the retreat finally understanding what everyone meant when they said we were a FACES family!”
How has FACES had an impact on the BC community?
Dan Quick: “One of the most significant impacts that FACES has had on the BC community is by expanding the frequency and the way in which people talk about race. Rather than seeing race as a nebulous concept that doesn’t affect them personally, or as something that lives in the past and no longer operates in our society, we present students with situations where race does function, even if we don’t realize. Instead of purely academic discussions about the theory of race, FACES allows students to talk about race in their lives, or in Disney movies, or in Miley’s newest video.”
Kate Saxton: “In my opinion, FACES has had a positive impact on the BC community. FACES continues to spread it’s mission each and every day. We are confident that as we continue to grow as an organization, many BC students will follow our lead. Through Dialogues on Race, Hall Talks, FACES Forum, and collaborations with other organizations and clubs, we believe that FACES has been able to educate the BC population on issues regarding race, racism, power, and privilege.”
Why did you join FACES?
Niki Ottolia: “I originally got involved with FACES through FYP, the First Year Program. I learned a lot about racial inequality in the United States and it was a big wake up call for me. Through conversations with other participants and FACES council members I learned about their racial experiences and identities. Inspired but the amount I had learned but motivated to do more I applied for FACES council the spring of my freshman year.”
William Hwang: “Why not? Everybody deserves to be treated like a full human being and Faces is one of the main organizations in Boston College that endlessly fights to uphold that ideal. I believe in Faces and I believe in their fight. Also, I rather enjoy the company.”
Habin Cho: “As part of the Korean Students Association last year, I saw that identity was discussed in the Asian community at BC but issues of race and racism were not discussed as much as they should be, if they were discussed at all. I joined FACES because I wanted to change that. Through FACES, I am getting educated on these important issues and I, myself, am becoming able to educate others in the Asian community. I want to make an impact on the Asian community here at BC and make Asian students become aware of and care more about issues of race and racism.”
Nicholle Yu: “I joined FACES because I struggled with my Asian American background throughout high school, often undermining my Chinese background. Through conversations with my family and my advisors I learned to be proud of my upbringing. I wasn’t happy or fully comfortable with myself until I accepted my Chinese background and understood what it meant to be Chinese. My racial identity has become a large component of my identity and it has shaped me to who I am today. FACES allows me to meet people from different backgrounds and continues my educational experience outside of the classroom.”
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Rachel Laryea: “I joined FACES out of both my selfish desire to be part of a community of students who put the action behind their progressive ideas, as well as my longing to join the movement of positive change occurring on campus. The work that FACES does is bigger than the individual. The work pinpoints systems of injustice and uses dialogue and methods of education as a way to involve the individual with society at large.”
Nora Curran: “I joined FACES because I wanted to be surrounded by a group of students who were passionate about social justice and diversity issues, and who made it their goal to get other students thinking about these issues as well. After participating in Dialogues on Race my sophomore year, applying for faces was the next logical step for me. I knew I wanted to continue having these conversations and learning in a space where that was encouraged and fostered. Overall though, FACES has been so much more than a place just for learning about race. It’s been a place where I’m constantly being inspired by the work of my peers.”
Neha Patel: “I participated in DOR as a member last year and loved having conversions that I would never have had otherwise. Before this experience, I had never considered race in different aspects of culture or institutions. It truly opened my eyes to how much racial conversions are prevalent in our society, especially when I perceived it as a problem first hand during my internship at a courthouse over the summer. I wanted to get involved in FACES because I am interested in social justice issues and it will help me gain perspective in my potential career field of law. This year, facilitating DOR sessions has taught me that these racial discussions are relevant to everyone and should be encouraged.”
How do you see FACES present on campus?
Sarah Schmidt: “FACES is present on campus through our events, like our Hall Talk “To Twerk or Not to Twerk, but it’s also present in the work we do with other organizations and administration on campus to inform people about racism.”
Cameron McEwen: “We run a few different programs, which are all discussion based, and much of that conversation is about race and how it affects people at BC. We have the First Year Program for freshmen, which is a group of freshmen who meet and talk about their experiences with race in relation to their transition into college. They’re also paired with mentors from FACES council. We have an Outreach department, and they do classroom presentations, collaborations with other clubs, and run a biweekly forum to discuss racial identity and race in current events. We also do Hall Talks, which are either large gatherings that are open to all of campus or smaller gatherings in residence halls; and those are presentations about a specific topic that relates to race with a conversation after. We also run Dialogues on Race in conjunction with OASP, which is a 6 week facilitated program where participants talk about race and end with an action project that takes place on campus.”
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