Junior Sean Nahlik and senior Christyona Pham have an abundance of ideas they’d like to see incorporated into Four Front next year. And with their new designation as co-chairs of the organization, they’re ready to act on them.
“My first thing I want to do is make Four Front a household name, or a residence hall name I guess you could say,” Nahlik said. “As of right now, it is really an organization that you’ll mention and people will be like, ‘What is that?’”
Inspired by the Women’s Center’s marketing strategy, Nahlik said he would like to see something similar happen to Four Front next year. Part of this includes creating a website.
In her final year at MU, Pham would like to lay the foundation for the creation of new studies programs. These programs include ethnic studies courses, as well as other social justice courses like queer theories and reviving and expanding the already-present courses available at MU.
Nahlik, a representative of the Missouri Students Association’s Multicultural Issues Committee, and Pham, the Asian American Association President, said they believe their different leadership styles will benefit the organization.
“I’m sure people who know both of us will say we’re not very much alike personality-wise,” Pham said with a laugh. “But I think that’s what I like. We’re so different, but not too different where we’re opposites. It’s more like we complement each other and make up for each other’s weaknesses.”
Given their association with many different student organizations, the duo hopes to build off of what they’ve learned from other student organizations. For instance, they said they want to bring administrative speakers to talk to Four Front, similar to the Residence Halls Association.
Nahlik said he would like to make Four Front more inclusive by extending invitations to other groups that represent minority populations on campus.
Gina Ceylan, Delta Alpha Pi and Sight Club President and MU Student Exceptions member, has been working alongside some members of Four Front in the planning of the “One Mizzou” initiative. She said she’s wanted to get these organizations involved with Four Front, but wasn’t sure how. Now, she is looking forward to the opportunity.
“I think it is imperative for us to be involved with other minority groups,” she said. “Four Front sounds like an excellent opportunity to work with others with unique identities on campus, and I’m excited to see where this goes.”
The “One Mizzou” campaign was the first time in a while that student leaders from a vast number of student organizations gathered to create a collective program. Because of this, cooperation was initially a little rocky, Nahlik said, but things eventually streamlined. He said he would like to see more collaborative efforts like this in the future with the organizations represented by Four Front.
“As of right now, it’s kind of a support group for the organizations that are a part of it,” Nahlik said. “We go to the meetings, and we talk about what we are all doing. Sometimes we try to bounce ideas off of each other if a group is struggling.”
Instead, Nahlik said he would like to see Four Front become a type of council for the collective minority organizations. He would like Four Front to participate in the MSA, the RHA, the Legion of Black Collegians and the Graduate Professional Council’s joint forums.
Pham and Nahlik will also be revising Four Front’s Constitution.