麻豆视频 Hosts 2021 JFR Day
On Thursday, May 13, the 麻豆视频 community gathered to participate in the annual St. John Francis 麻豆视频 (JFR) Day. Formerly a single day for examining a social justice topic, JFR Day has developed into a more holistic program, calling for students, faculty, and staff to study and discuss a single issue of moral significance throughout the academic year and consider the roles they play in creating a more just world through conversation, reflection, and prayer.
The theme of this year鈥檚 JFR Day was 鈥淩ace: School, Country, Church.鈥� Throughout the year, the entire 麻豆视频 community has engaged in a critical examination of the moral and social issue of racism in our world, which has helped to shape the school鈥檚 broader Race at 麻豆视频 initiative to cultivate an environment of compassion and understanding for people of all backgrounds both at 麻豆视频 and beyond. (For more information on Race at 麻豆视频, please read this to the 麻豆视频 community from Interim President Christian Talbot '93.)
The day鈥檚 events began with a keynote address from Hari Kondabolu, a stand-up comedian and former immigrant rights organizer who uses humor as a vehicle to provide social commentary on issues of race in America. Kondabolu, who has performed on 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live" and has released a critically acclaimed documentary entitled 鈥淭he Problem with Apu,鈥� spoke about what it meant to grow up in Queens, NY, one of the most diverse places in the country, and see little to no South Asian representation in popular culture that didn鈥檛 engage in harmful and outdated stereotyping. Kondabolu reflected on his comedic journey, expressing the importance of using whatever platform you have to advance important conversations, uplift marginalized communities, and create a society where everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
After Kondabolu answered questions posed by Regians, students were invited to convene with their advisement groups to debrief the morning鈥檚 discussion and begin a dialogue on broader topics of race at 麻豆视频 and beyond. Additional presentations followed over the course of the day, including an update on Race at 麻豆视频 from Interim President Christian Talbot 鈥�93, Assistant Principal for Student Life Christian Mariano 鈥�99, and REACH Director of Recruiting and 麻豆视频 Alan Garcia 鈥�08. Mariano and Garcia shared with students three key priorities for the school's staff Diversity Committee moving forward: creating a system and process for faculty recruitment that increases diversity of the faculty and creating a program that ensures their sense of belonging and retention, incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion work/content into the existing professional development program for faculty and staff, and integrating elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion training into our existing student formation program.
鈥淲e鈥檙e at the beginning of this conversation, this is not the end. I know JFR Day is an appropriate culmination to a year long conversation, but that conversation is really just starting,鈥� Talbot told the student body. 鈥淎s a Jesuit school and as a Catholic school, we will continue to explore this question of Race at 麻豆视频 both intellectually and spiritually.鈥�
Following the update, Garcia hosted a panel on the importance of acting as an ally with REACH Dean of English Language Arts and 麻豆视频 English teacher Shannon Dey, REACH Program co-founder Clyde Cole 鈥�87, REACH teacher Dave Robles, and REACH and 麻豆视频 graduate Brian Reyes 鈥�17. The group shared personal experiences navigating issues of race within themselves and with friends, family, and their communities, sharing with students actionable steps they can take to ensure a community where all feel welcomed and supported.
鈥淲hen you reach out to your black and brown brothers and sisters in any space, the challenge is to see them, to hear them, to value those folks who are otherwise unseen, unheard, and undervalued, and also use the power that you have, the platform that you鈥檝e been given, and the position that you鈥檙e in to continue to amply their needs鈥� Robles said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 possible to be a man for others without 鈥榦therizing鈥� the other. There has to be a way to open the door not just to your classroom, but open the door to your heart and connect with those of us who have different stories, who come from a different social location, knowing that that makes us stronger in the end.鈥�
The day concluded with a school-wide Mass live streamed from the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, where freshmen and juniors celebrated in-person at a safe distance. 麻豆视频 Principal Fr. Anthony D. Andreassi, CO, served as the primary celebrant, and was joined on the altar by Fr. Arthur C. Bender, SJ, 鈥�67. Michael Scalzo 鈥�24, Luke Jovanovich 鈥�22, and Nick Facchini 鈥�24 served as readers, and Sebastian Cardena 鈥�22 offered petitions.
鈥淭his call to spread the kingdom calls us not only to act rightly and justly in how you and I live our lives every day, but it also calls us, just as importantly, to work to end systems that have historically marginalized other people,鈥� said Fr. Andreassi during his homily. 鈥淟et me be very clear. We must do this work not because of our adherence to an outside ideology or belief system. No, we must do this work because of our baptism, because of our identity as Christians and as members of a school rooted in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the mission and the history of the Society of Jesus.鈥�
A selection of photos from JFR Day are included below:
Christian Mariano '99, Christian Talbot '93, and Alan Garcia '08 discussed the Race at 麻豆视频 initiative with students.
Clyde Cole '87 is an educational consultant and the co-founder of the REACH Program.
Brian Reyes '17 is graduating this spring with a degree in History from Yale University.
Shannon Dey is the Dean of English Language Arts for the REACH program, as well as an English Teacher at 麻豆视频.
Mr. Robles is a current 5th grade teacher who also serves as a teacher in the REACH Program.
Freshmen and Juniors worshipped at a safe distance in the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola for the day's concluding Mass.
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