Meet Bryce Robertson, co-chair of FACE and a senior in the Business School. You have probably seen him running around campus, considering he’s a member of more clubs and organizations than I can count, and his time is always limited. Aside from being a part of too many things to name, he’s a bonafide foodie and loves checking out the newest Atlanta restaurant openings. Read on to find out how he became one of the major players in the group responsible for sprucing up the DUC and getting us some delicious new food stations at Cox!
Her Campus Emory (HCE): What is FACE?
Bryce Robertson (BR): FACE, or the Food Advisory Committee at Emory, is a student-run group that works with Emory Dining and Bon Appetit (our food service provider) to improve the student dining experience here at Emory. We host monthly town halls, which include a free catered dinner, to get feedback on what works and what we can do better.
HCE: How did you get involved?
BR: I’m a pretty big foodie. And those of my friends that know me well know that I have pretty strong opinions about, well, everything. So, when I discovered that I could get better food in small European airports than I could here on campus as a freshman, I leveraged a position that I held (VP Advocacy for RHA) to meet with the FACE folks. Partner that with the excitement of a new Director of Emory Dining (the illustrious Dave Furhman, who turned dining on its head at Hopkins), and I immediately found a spot on the newly-formed FACE Executive Board. The rest is history.
HCE: What are some of the changes you have made/are looking to make in the future?
BR: I don’t think either of us have time for me to list them all. The hallmark of my time on FACE (and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share credit with my wonderful co-chair, Molly Talman, who usually does these sort of interviews because she’s afraid of what I might say) has been the transition to Bon Appetit. If you look at the difference between Dobbs Market when we were freshmen and now, it’s like two different worlds. I actually enjoy eating there as a senior. As for what the future has in store, the biggest changes will come with the completion of the new Campus Life Center. Larger kitchens and new spaces will really unleash the team’s creativity. Until then, we’re working with the spaces that we have to use them better—like the addition of Kaldi’s to the main floor of the DUC.
HCE: Are there any upcoming events?
BR: Yes! Thursday, September 10, at 6pm in the Winship Ballroom (top of the Dining Terraces at the DUC) is our first town hall meeting. Anyone and everyone is welcome and there will be a free(!) catered dinner. The food is always delicious. (And did I mention it’s free?)
HCE: How can Emory students get involved?
BR: Show up to our town hall meetings! We take feedback at all hours of the day, though. Molly and I built a texting system that allows students to shoot us a message any time if they’ve got a complaint or suggestion regarding Dining. Just add 424-488-FACE (3223) to your contacts, text the number when you have a comment, and it’ll come straight to us. If anyone would like to become more involved than just eating and talking at our meetings, they can always shoot me an email (bryce.robertson@emory.edu) and I would be happy to chat.