#2018.19

Being on board is one of the greatest birthday gifts I’ve ever received (second to my first Gameboy on my 7th birthday). I’m posting this on the day of my birthday because I’m ready to accept a new chapter of my life but sad to leave behind everything that has impacted me.

Being FASA Co-President was definitely something I never imagined for myself. It was an endeavor that changed a lot of how I view myself and everything around me. I’ll never forget being “tricked” into joining FASA, showing up to a Battle practice and getting guilt-tripped to stay ‘til the very end (lol before the next practice I wildly debated ever going back, so you can imagine what I ended up doing). And tbh, to be trapped in a room with a bunch of strangers forced to dance ‘til the break of dawn for multiple days, I’m grateful for the experience and all the people I met. I’ve learned so much about the people around me and grown even more closer to my identity, attending workshops, learning dances, and meeting new people from across the Midwest.

Much to my surprise and everyone else, running for FASA Executive Board (twice!) is still and will always be a surprise to me. I loved learning all about the people around me and how FASA has impacted each and every one of them. During my time as Techtorian (btw it’s not dead, just in disguise #insertScoobyDooMeme #TechtorianForever), I learned a lot about the history and development of FASA, discovering and exploring as much of the FASA Archives as I can muster. I saw the smiles and laughter that FASA brought to people’s faces through the generations and today. Being behind the camera was always lonely for me but I enjoyed every second of it. Now, being more involved as FASA Co-President brought a new joy and excitement in my life as I got to be in the front-end of the experience. The hard work and effort it took to make sure things went smoothly and effortlessly was something that I enjoyed from start to finish. It’s a thankless task that I took pride in, knowing that my effort means someone’s happiness. (It’s always a yes from me dawg).

During my term as Co-President, I’ve learned a lot. At first you think it’s easy and you get the perks of being president (flexing your power on others and getting that look of admiration from people when you mention it to them), but tbh, it’s a rough time ngl. Balancing not only the responsibilities of FASA but also my own career and my own health. Understanding that people won’t take you seriously unless you give them a reason to believe. Learning that not everyone is going to be happy for the things you do and that people will be critical of what and how you do things. Facing criticism with a grain of salt and not taking it personally. Working with multiple people with such different perspectives, beliefs, and passions and trying to mitigate that was no easy task. Doing what you can and acknowledging your limits. Learning from your mistakes and moving past them.

I know I’m not perfect and I made decisions that others would disagree with. It was never easy for me, both physically and mentally, but I had to make sure everyone and everything was doing well. I worked really hard and tried my best to keep the values of FASA true to heart and encourage growth and change for everyone. A lot of things happened this year, but in the end, I don’t regret any of it. It’s a learning process.

But I loved it. I loved being President. It has it perks from time to time, but being FASA President was a lot of work and a huge time investment, something that not anyone can just do and wing it. Being FASA President means more than just being the leader, the one who calls the shots and gets things done, or being the face of FASA. As FASA President, you live and breathe everything FASA. It’s not enough to just know your responsibilities but you have to live your life as a FASA member. The FASA Preamble means a lot more than people give it credit for. You will face challenges, some of which you never get over, but you must be prepared to take them on. 

But you never have to do this alone. Your executive board is there for you as much as you have to be there for them. Communication and transparency become important to how you lay down the foundation of trust you have with your board. You give them expectations and work with them to go above and beyond. You make sure that they have the support they need, and they give back the support you need. Above everything, take care of yourself. The best person to give you support is yourself. Know your limits and stay strong. 

In the end, have fun with it. Being on board is a full time job but life-long experience. Never forget it and never regret it.

My board has experienced their ups and downs, but they’ve worked hard to keep FASA a home away from home for everyone. They’ve always been there to keep me on my toes and subvert my expectations. Thanks for all the laughs and headaches from the stresses of events to the memes and games we had. I wished the best of luck to you guys and you will always hold a special place in my heart.

To my Co-Chair, Jean, thank you for giving me the strength to keep going and being my yin to my yang. We’ve complimented each other in more ways than we realize and I appreciate having someone like you by my side, working for an organization that means so much for us. You’ve been there when I’m falling short and never doubted our partnership for a second. You will always be my Co and my Sib. #HAMSLAM

As I end my term with grace and dignity, I’m excited for what’s to come for me. From all the stress, the sleepless nights, and the never-ending snooping (・ω<), I’m never not gonna miss it. Just know that FASA will never leave my mind (cuz they’re living in my attic).

Thanks for all the financial aid you have given me, FAFSA, and thanks for all the love you have given me, FASA. I can’t wait to see how you grow and change. <3

- edge ( > ∀・)

I owe so much to this organization. From the second I discovered U of M FASA at Battle of the Bamboo during my senior year in high school, I was set on joining. I was part of Filipino Club for 2 years during high school, but the focus was on tinikling and sayaw sa bangko performance. FASA showed me the importance of cultural awareness and advocacy events, in addition to the importance of collaboration among other Filipino organizations and service activities. FASA has so many moving parts that I didn’t know were related to being Filipino-American. I initially joined because I wanted to continue dancing tinikling, but I stayed because of the people I now call my family. 

The experiences I have gained from this organization are invaluable. I have written pen-pal letters to elementary school students in the Philippines, danced modern tinikling in front of hundreds of people at GenAPA, and spent a day in Detroit counting and sorting potatoes, all because of FASA. I am proud of being Filipino-American because of FASA. I will no longer question whether I am “too Americanized” or “not Filipino enough” because the people in FASA have taught me that I am the perfect mix of both cultures, influenced by family roots in the Philippines and by my daily life experiences in the United States. I can never thank FASA enough for that.

To any prospective president, I cannot stress how much of an honor it is to serve FASA by being an advocate for the organization and providing guidance to your fellow board members. People look up to you for advice when they’re feeling overwhelmed or not sure of what to do. You are faced with these decisions because the people of FASA are placing their trust in you to do what is best. It’s an ENORMOUS responsibility and privilege and although daunting, it is extremely rewarding. You get to see your executive board present so many ideas and then watch and support as they plan and bring their ideas to life. (These proud parent moments happen quite often throughout your term.)

The most difficult part about being president is that sadly, you cannot please everyone, and mistakes or mishaps are bound to happen. It’s been the hardest pill for me to swallow because I’ve always wanted to do everything possible to keep everyone happy and have things run smoothly. That’s the reason FASA members come back, event after event, because FASA makes them happy. There’s no such thing as perfection, and some people may have been upset by decisions EJ and I made, and I made my fair share of mistakes, but I can say that I always tried to keep FASA’s best interest in mind. 

To the next president(s), be kind to yourself. Never let anyone make you doubt your capabilities. You are capable, you love FASA, and that is why you will be elected. When I was thinking about being president, I read this in Christian’s testimonial from last year and it resonates with me now more than ever. “A FASA president has faith in themselves and their board. No matter what any hater says, a FASA president is strong. MAKIBAKA. HUWAG MATAKOT.” Struggle. Do not be afraid. You will face challenges and criticism, but do not look at these as failures. These are opportunities for learning and growth. You will overcome it all, believe in yourself and your board.

Here are my three biggest pieces of advice: 

Communication is key – with your co-president (or vice president) and with the rest of your executive board. Everyone has to be on the same page and know what the expectations are. 

Hold yourself and your board accountable – you are the face of FASA. General members and the outside community look to FASA as professionals. It’s great to work with your friends because it makes the experience more fun, but there is always a time to separate work and play. 

TAKE A STEP BACK WHEN YOU NEED TO. It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s okay to be stressed. That’s why FASA is not run by 1 person. You have an entire executive board by your side. Take time for yourself if you need a break. Clear your head and come back with a fresh mind ready to put in work. 

I wouldn’t be in this position if it were not for the people who stood by me the whole way. First of all, to the original Madam President, Ate Felicia, thank you so much for believing in me, encouraging me, and preparing me to follow in your footsteps and step up to such a great legacy of leadership. To my executive board: EJ, Isabelle, Caitlin, Alyanna, Kaitlin, Tina, Angela, Kim, AJ, Mai-ly, Colin, Natalie, and Matt, thank you for dedicating your school year to FASA and finishing strong to the very end. We started together, and I’m very proud to end this term together. And to my co-president EJ, thank you for always being proactive, never judging my busy nursing life, and for dedicating so much time and effort to this pamilya with me. I could not have done this without you.

It has been a crazy three years FASA. Freshman year Jean would have never imagined she could be elected as one of FASA’s presidents. FASA has been part of my college experience as my home away from home, and for that, I will always be grateful.

Thank you all for an amazing year, it has truly been a pleasure to serve you. Mahal kita sa inyong lahat <3

I didn’t join FASA until my sophomore year, and I remember being so shy in the beginning. It wasn’t until AKA reveal when I started to feel comfortable with being in FASA. I am forever grateful for my amazing ading Angela for that. After that, I started to become more involved in FASA by joining a PCN committee (love decoration committee!!) and a Battle of the Bamboo committee.

When elections came around and the treasurer position was up, I was nominated (thank you ate Felicia for believing in me). I wasn’t so sure about accepting the nomination since I just joined FASA that year, but then the idea of being able to give back to the organization that made me feel at home led me to run for board.

Treasurer is one of the more logistical positions on board that includes handling the finances, writing grants, and planning fundraisers. It doesn’t sound too demanding, especially compared to some of the other positions on board, but it’s still an essential role with a good amount of work. After all, FASA needs the funds to hold all of our wonderful events.

The biggest piece of advice that I can give to anyone thinking about running for treasurer is to stay organized and set deadlines for yourself. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially in the Fall semester when there’s a lot going on, but having everything organized will help you so much. Giving yourself a deadline will also help you not procrastinate so you won’t be rushing to finish your work at the last minute. Spreadsheets, Google Drive, and planners are pretty much going to be your best friends while you’re treasurer so you can keep track of everything.

Being on board has been an amazing experience. Some of my favorite memories have been small but fun moments like squeezing all of 14 of us in a table at Bdubs, having a road trip to get Krispy Kreme, and running around to get a bunch of coffees and muffins. Even though there was a lot of hard work to be done, it was nice to have these small bonding experiences. The work can get stressful at times but in the end, it’s so rewarding to see the smiles on the general members’ faces at events and to see how excited the new adings are.

To the rest of board, thank you for always being willing to help, whether it’s with a FASA storage run, grant writing, or anything else. 

To the general members, thank you for coming out to the events we had and being the reason why we do all of this. 

And most of all, thank you FASA for having me <3

Always and forever,

As I sit here trying to think of all that I’ve learned and done during this past year as FASA Secretary -- or as previous secretary Lloyd Mercier has stated, “the organizational backbone of FASA” -- I can’t help but organize my thoughts into three categories.

Category 1: What secretary is really responsible for.

Secretary is commonly known being one of the least demanding positions in terms of specific duties. While I agree with this, the duties of secretary are no less than essential, and good time management and responsibility are absolute musts. This is especially true when the Michigan Union is closed and other facilities decide to change their room reservation policies. Whether it’s reserving Mason Hall 3330 at 12:00 AM thirty days before an event (not 12:01, because someone else will take it) or getting creative with venue selection, there’s plenty to do to make sure that all FASA events and meetings have a place to be.

Being secretary has reinforced my love for spreadsheets, color-coded Google calendars, perfectly organized planners, and fast typing. The position has reminded me that avoiding procrastination makes life so much easier. Most of all, it has taught me that the simplest actions are often the most important (and often not always as simple as you may think).

Category 2: What it means to be part of a team.

While the role of secretary does come with specific responsibilities, the qualities a secretary should possess are no different from those of any other board position. It may come as no surprise that board members should be hardworking, responsible, and flexible when things don’t always go to plan. But above all, being there for your fellow board members as both a listener and a communicator is what really makes board run. This kind of support system goes far beyond the walls of board meetings and FASA events. It’s found in “the little things,” like getting Bdubs in fancy outfits after a photoshoot or singing in the car during long road trips or quick grocery runs. Life can get stressful, but it’s never been unmanageable knowing that I’ve belonged to such a great family of board members.

Category 3: What brought me to where I am now.

FASA has always given me a home away from home, from the moment I walked into the 2016 fall mass meeting and was shook to be around so many Filipinos who weren’t related to me. I would not be who I am today if it were not for the wonderful people I met through this organization, not just as a FASA member, but as a human being trying to navigate my identity and concepts even greater than that. While I will miss being a board member, I am excited to continue being active in FASA alongside some of my very best friends (and new people to come). A lot has happened in the past few years, but I’ll never forget the love and support that drew me to FASA to begin with.

And while I quickly learned the answers to these questions, it wasn’t without some hesitance that I joined FASA’s 2018-2019 E-Board. I had only been a member for less than four months, so who was I to apply for a leadership position? But even in the meager three months that I had under my belt before elections, I could feel the passion that FASA’s members had for Filipinx culture and the love they had for the organization as a whole; how could I say no?

But that didn’t take away from the fact that I didn’t really know what was going on (in the beginning at least 😜). Historian had just been severed from a dual-wielding Techtorian in EJ, so what exactly was I supposed to do? And while it might seem obvious for some who would say to “just take pictures”, I would argue that the chair is much more than that.

uwu

Historian is the position that is most responsible for FASA’s media image, intra- and inter-organizationally. Because of this, the style, diligence, and technical skill of the person behind the camera goes beyond the goal of making your friends look good: it’s about how FASA presents itself to the world. And to that end, the position is as open-ended as one can hope to make it. Candids, group pictures, and staged portraits make up the typical shot-list for any event, but it’s the emotion you capture that gives those who were not there at the event an idea of exactly what FASA is about. And now with Humans of FASA, Historian moves beyond event and portraiture into prose alongside visual media to celebrate our general members. 

Because what is this all about? It is about the people who make up FASA. Make no mistake, this organization has and will always have its core mission be celebrating our shared experience and culture, but what is culture without people? What is an organization without its members? 

still don’t know what exactly is going on here...

Historian is the odd one out. And while my fantastic peers are here to raise important questions about our identity, bring us closer together as a family, show us just how important and fun it is to serve our community, and teach us ever more about the ways in which the performing arts tell the stories we cannot tell in mere words, the mission of the Historian, and now the newly introduced Media Chair, is this:

Don’t forget the members. Because the most exciting, enlightening, and just plain fun events can be planned, workshops can be scheduled, performances can be announced, but it is you, the FASA members, that make this organization worth serving. The smiles, goofy poses, Fam signs, unguarded moments, unadulterated horror, and pure excitement make this position worth the thousands of photos that I look through for each event to find the gems that I, and I hope the rest of FASA, are proud to show-off on the FASA page. Thank you all for making my term more fun and exciting than I could have ever imagined!

Your friendly, neighborhood Historian, 

I think we’ve got to start at the wonderful place where this all started: the South Quad Dining Hall. It was a cool autumn day, and I was just sitting down facing the big windows facing South when one of my high school classmates walked up to me with this strange excited-looking boy. He immediately launched into an excited frenzy about, of all things, my phone, and to be honest, I thought he was hitting on me. Turns out, he really just wanted to nerd out about Google (lmao).  After quickly squashing any thought of that, I learned more about this guy and to my surprise, he started dragging me to these little “freshie dinners”, where I met so many kind and funny people. Thanks AJ, for all that.

I really really loved the people and the family that I was starting to find through FASA, and once Battle concluded, I was a little concerned I wasn’t going to have a chance to find that community again. To my surprise, however, I started talking to Colin (hi co!) and a couple others about FASA, and a couple people suggested I run for board. At first, I thought this was an absolute joke, considering I’d literally known these people for two months or less, and honestly, I felt a little apprehensive about the fact that I would be on board for an organization whose cultural identity I didn’t exactly fit into. Despite this, I was still getting encouragement from my friends to take a shot, and the more I thought about it, the more intriguing it sounded. And then, drumroll… I sent in an application for Historian!

Okay, yes, I didn’t really plan on going for Performance at all, but as Colin talked about in his testimonial, after a long talk with my heavily caffeinated kuya, he excitedly texted me about the possibility. I sort of pondered it for a bit, but wasn’t really sure I was up for it until Andy talked to me himself (thanks big bro). The day of elections went by so quickly, and once Matty Boy, Mattress, or Matthew Ratthew settled in as the new Historian, I knew it was time to really step it up. Honestly, I was so nervous, I don’t even remember saying most of my speech, but I guess enough people were convinced enough to elect me (and Colin!) to be the next year’s new Performance Chairs!

Okay so… what did we do?

At first? A little bit of panicking (mostly on my part, tbh). But then? We started talking about our plans, and immediately everything started to make sense in front of my eyes. We wanted to, as more musically-oriented people, make FASA performance more widely accessible to more people in and out of FASA by shifting our focus more towards other types of performance. Of course, we couldn’t lose FASA Dance completely, but adding more external dances to offset our push for more spoken word and musical performance at PCN really started the ball rolling.

The rest of the year made it clear that FASA Performance was not going to be easy, but thanks to my co-chair Colin and the rest of our beautiful board, we managed to keep going even when it looked like we couldn’t. From Tinikling Workshops to Jam Sessions, to our beloved first Open Mic Night with the amazing Bango. Although things didn’t really kick off as planned, I’m really happy how we adapted and made it our own, opening so many opportunities for performance diversity in future. So to whoever is going to be future Performance Chairs:

Here are my top three notes of advice:

1. Please for the love of everything good, PLAN WELL!

With planning, it was crucial for me and Colin to keep communication as constant as possible, as early as possible. Before we had even settled into our positions completely, Colin and I were already discussing our plans for the upcoming year. Keep track of everything you want to do, and how you want to do everything. Luckily for me, Colin and I were already decently close, but even if you don’t know your co-chair super well, take the time to get to know them better so you guys can work together well and figure out what the heck you’re doing.

2. Don’t expect perfection.

Throughout the entire process, there were many ups and downs that we experienced, from lack of dancers to last-minute logistical changes we couldn’t control. Not everything is going to ever work out perfectly like you expected, but whatever happens, you just have to keep on going. Remembering that we had a good network of support both on board (love y’all <3) and outside of it (s/o to Andy for keeping me alive). We both talked to past Performance Chairs whenever we needed advice, made sure to keep our minds open to change (RIP Talent Show), and had backup plans for our backup plans.

3. Remember to always leave yourself room to breathe.

One of the hardest things I found about this position was balancing all the responsibility of board and school with my own health. As not everything always goes as planned, sometimes the stress might get to you. A couple times, it got to me. But thanks to Colin, I was able to stay somewhat sane, and I was able to keep him the same (hopefully). Like I said earlier, there are so many people who are here to support you, and you can’t be afraid to reach out. When things get hard, take a step back, talk to your co-chair and others, and give yourself a break.

Despite my advice making Performance Chair seem a little ghastly, I really did love my time on board, and how much I really learned from it. This was an invaluable experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I am so happy that I got to grow so much with the rest of my boardie family. After starting off concerned about finding a place within FASA, I’m proud to be a part of a community that welcomes everyone and makes so many people happy. I’m super excited to see how the new Performance Chairs will interpret this position and really make it their own—that was my favorite part.

Thank you so much FASA, for giving me a family and a home.

Yours tru(wu)ly,

Letting the days go by of my freshman year, I didn’t really know where I belonged. First semester, Kenny and Tina kept trying to get me to come out to FASA things, but I was too busy with Model UN to really commit any time to it. After Model UN ended that January, Tina had finally convinced me to come to freshie dinners and Winter Mass Meeting. I never looked back.

After becoming more involved with FASA, I decided I wanted to run for board. I looked over the constitution, evaluated my strengths and weaknesses, and filled out an application for the position of Tech Chair… wait, what? It wasn’t until after I submitted my application that I had decided that Performance Chair might be the position for me. Two weeks before elections, I was up late in the Fish, having a caffeine-fueled study session with my kuya, Andy Oh. We took a small break (procrastinated) and I eventually asked him, “Hey we have all this musical talent in FASA, why don’t we do more musical performance?” This conversation eventually turned into, “Hey we have all this general talent in addition to dance, why don’t we do more of every kind of performance?” which eventually turned into “I should run for Performance Chair on this platform.” Andy supported this with a wholesome, PG, totally appropriate response along the lines of “Gee, what a great idea, pal. I’ll nominate you, ‘whatever-the-opposite-of-an-idiot-is.” I’m sure you guys can hear Andy saying that sentence as you read it.

I don’t quite remember, but once I got elected and the responsibility of the position hit me, I might have said to myself, “My God! What have I done?” This year on board has been challenging. I wasn’t a dancer—I’m still not. But dance is important to FASA, so I wasn’t gonna let it go. This was especially important because we switched up our format for the performances for PCN. Instead of our regular three to four dances throughout the night, we cut it to two dances to make room for five musical acts and two spoken words. This means the two dances we had needed to be done well, as well as making sure our new performances went well enough to come back next year.

Although switching performance focus is a hard change to make, I think it was worth it. It honestly makes me so proud to see co-chair Mai-Ly get invited to other PSA’s orgs to sing, or to see passion for spoken word grow in my ading Mango as a result of these changes. While I think I could have done a better job transitioning through these changes, I’m glad that, through events like Open Mic Night, and now PCN, we’ve given the people of FASA more opportunities to express themselves and be heard.

So let’s say you’re next years Performance Chair. You just started, have no clue what you’re doing. You may ask yourself…

How do I work this?

Start early. Like in the summer. At least start thinking about choreo in the summer. It’ll make everything a lot easier once the school year starts.

Communicate with your co-chair. You should pretty much always be talking to them. Mai-Ly and I honestly know too much about each other.

Always have a back-up plan. That usually means more choreo that you’re interested in doing, but it could be extra MAFA orgs that are interested in performing for us, back-up performers, forcing your ading to perform at everything, etc.

Reach out to other performance chairs. Mai-Ly and I will be there for you to help out. Angela and Kaithlyn were there for us when we needed them. We all know the struggle too well.

Most importantly: stay relaxed. The hardest thing about this position can also be really nice. You have to put in a huge amount of time to hold dance practices, but that also gives you a lot of time to get things done. If you need a little more time to perfect the choreo, just teach the parts you already know. As long as you’re trying your best, things will get done.

Same as it ever was

Despite all the challenges—time commitment, teaching myself how to dance, recruitment issues—I’d say I still enjoyed my time on board. It was worth it. We made a lot of changes, but overall I think the soul of the Performance Chair is the same as it ever was. We didn’t get rid of dance, just added more options in. I really look forward to seeing what the new Performance Chairs will do with this position in the future. My last piece of advice before I’m done with this talking head:

FASA Board is stressful, and challenging, and often thankless, but it’s fulfilling. I wish I valued my time on this board a little more before letting the days go by.

Thanks guys,

Colin Lucero-Dixon

Why I did this stuff

Ironically, my story with FASA started with me being pretty shy about being in FASA. Even showing up to FASA dance practices and cultural events like adobo night, I was still slowly but surely breaking out of my shell. I honestly have a lot to thank Angela and Tina – the Cultural Chairs yall know and love – for. They pushed me to not only stay involved in FASA, but to stay curious about a culture and community that I was often embarrassed to admit I didn’t know much about.

And that brings me to my second group of people I wanna thank: The long line of External Chairs that have come before me. Kenny, Mason, and Mary, people that encouraged me to try new things and go to new places. After PCN, I knew I wanted to be more involved in FASA, so I started paying attention to other events and PCNs that Mary would always encourage me to sign up for. Before I knew it, I was a FASA intern asking questions about External Chair and I couldn’t wait to run for the position. (s/o to Mary for always putting up with my questions before and after being her intern, idk what I would do without her support)

Stuff I did

Organizing events like FACT, Battle, and Rice Bowl hardly encompass the entire experience. As External Chair you are the primary liaison of FASA to the A/PIA and MAFA communities! As a result, it’s up to you to keep FASA informed of events and involved in these spaces. This often means things like attending PCNs, FACT/MFAS, LRs, and organizing collaborations on campus! Other primary responsibilities include stuff like attending bi-weekly UAAO programming events and monthly MAFA reps meetings where I made so many incredible friends, and overseeing advertising for other board members’ events (especially PCN!!!).

My advice to the next External Chair(s) is simple: Love what you do and don’t do it alone. BURNOUT IS REAL YALL, and if it weren’t for EJ and Jean stepping in and offering me help early on, I don’t think I would’ve been as successful as I am now. I honestly owe my entire board a lot of thanks for helping me when times were tough. Whether it was helping me write grants, following up on logistics for WLR and TFCU, or even helping me balance 3 events within the same month, every single E-board member was there for me when I needed them. I love my board, and I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive ride or die :’)

Some other tips include

It’s okay to say no! As External Chair it always feels like you have an obligation to go to every external event, but you really don’t!

You’ll learn right away that you won’t have time to accomplish all the goals you want, but that’s okay! On the flip side, keep an open mind! You never know what student group or org will want to collaborate with you – you might even end up accidentally joining an org (lol @PACE-MI)

You represent FASA. Everywhere you go, people will look to you as an example of what to expect from FASA’s members. Be that example. When it comes to external events like FACT, Battle, and MFAS, people will look to you for the final say on a lot of decisions. There will be a lot of moments where you’ll have to make hard decisions with a firm hand, so be the leader you were elected to be.

Most importantly, START EARLY! Whether it’s establishing communication with an org, coming up with event ideas, organizing the calendar of events, or grant writing (screams), there’s no such thing as starting too early!

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

This is usually the part where people say how much they’ll miss their position. The truth is, I won’t. After spending so much time writing this testimonial, I realized that I won’t miss being External Chair, because my experiences as External Chair will never leave me. After everything, I couldn’t imagine myself not being a community representative on FASA’s behalf, not trying to set an example for FASA to follow at external events, not thinking of new ways to bring FASA into new spaces with new people. On a personal note, I spent a lot of time growing up rejecting this community and repressing my identity. Being External Chair was a way for me to make up for lost time, and it just goes to show that you don’t need a lot of community experience to do a good job! To answer the question I asked at the beginning, I think I have fulfilled those promises. And I couldn’t be prouder. 

I can’t wait to see which of you will get to experience this ride yourselves! If you are interested, please come talk to me!

The cherry on top is that you’re not rid of me yet! We’ve still got MFAS and Rice Bowl coming up yall, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’m gonna try not to cry at Rice Bowl because 1) WE’RE GONNA WIN, and 2) That’ll be the last time I get to do our chant. So until then, say it with me now:

#AWYEAH

Your External Chair,