#sisterselfies #foundersday2014

selfie:

(n) a photograph that one has taken of oneself; 

typically taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

- Oxford Dictionary Online

     It all started back in March during the first weekend in Lent in ice cold, Minnesota. I found myself with my dear Sister Angela, CSFN, at the NCSW (National Catholic Sisters Week) Conference. Maybe you've read my blog post, "Sister Selfie and Her Companions." In my blog post, I wrote all about my weekend at the Conference, how fruitful it was, how many stories I heard and how I became passionate about sharing Sisters' Stories. But I also mentioned my Sister with whom I took way too many selfies. You see, at every event, we took a selfie. We even rubbed off on a few other Sisters and their students by getting them to take selfies. Believe it or not, that was probably one of the most magical things that happened that weekend: nuns taking selfies. 

     When I got back from Minnesota, I was on a high. I wanted to get started on all my idea projects. But alas, I was a second semester Senior in college. To say I was busy was an understatement. I didn't have enough time to work on my Senior thesis let alone take on a full documentary project. While disappointed at my grown-up realization that I did not have the time to take on my desired project, I always kept the concept in the back of my head: "How can I, a lay person and student, get the stories of our religious sisters out there?" I thought about writing a book, I thought about recording stories when I got the chance, I thought about a ton of things. But then my college decided they were going to do a project: Photo Time Capsule. Every day, students could enter pictures of day to day activities. I thought that in the years down the road, when the time capsule is open, a lot of the sisters who were teaching now, probably weren't going to be teaching then. I immediately felt the need to put their pictures in the time capsule. And what better way to get their pictures in there then to take selfies with them. 

     Yes, as the weeks of the project went on, I went up to every sister I could and asked if I could take a selfie with them. Some said no, but most of them agreed. In fact, I got a selfie with almost ever Sister on campus. Those pictures are now hanging all over my office as a gentle reminder that nunnies like to have fun, too. Of course, the selfie game continued long after the time capsule project ended. In fact, I even joked about the selfie game with the girls at work. I said that if anyone could get a selfie with the Mother General, they would win the selfie game. One girl got creative and took a selfie with a picture of the Mother General. But, alas, that did not count. I finally got the motherload of selfies with the Mother General on the day of Baccalaureate Mass, the day before my Graduation. I won...technically I was still a student! 

     Of course, as the Summer began, life got busy and my Sister Selfie project kind of got put on hold. I took a few Sister Selfies but my selfie game wasn't nearly as strong as it used to be. Occasionally, I prayed for a way to promote Sister Stories but alas, I was too busy trying to find a job. When I finally got hired (praise God!!!!!), I was too busy getting acclimated and working to promote Sister Stories. But then I got a facebook notification from the one and only, Molly Hazleton. She had a package to send me and needed my address. A few days later, I opened a box of #sisterselfie pins at work. I was so incredibly excited, I didn't know what to do with myself. But then, I concocted an idea, a plan, an activity of sorts. 

     Every year at the school where I work, they celebrate Founders' Day. This day celebrates the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the community of Sisters who later founded our school in 1858. Our school is a very mission-oriented school and the mission of the Sisters is being passed on through our students. I love this. But as I was sitting at my desk thinking about both Sister Stories and Founders' Day, I thought that unless you work or go/went to this school OR worked with the SSJs, you wouldn't know their story. Of course, I also began to wonder how many Sisters here at our school have stories unknown. Stories about past missions, stories about their vocations, stories about their lives in religious life. Suddenly, the bright, pink, sparkly pins caught me eye as they were sitting on my desk. I knew exactly what we could do. 

      Teenage girls love to take selfies. Heck, I love to take selfies with people. I love making faces, I love capturing the silliest moments all in a selfie and I knew my students certainly love the same. I proposed my idea to the principal and then once I got the okay, proposed it to the sisters. Without hesitation, the Sisters at school took many a selfie with me. I had the administration take some selfies, too, and then I got started on making a video in which we would show the girls the video and how them take selfies during the afternoon's activities. It was a surprise for everyone except the sisters and the administration. I stood up in front of the entire school and pushed play. The laughter and the cheers from everyone was phenomenal. I couldn't help but laugh so hard myself. 

     Of course, after the video, we had to have the girls go to Mass. After Mass, the entire student body was being filmed for commercial to promote the school. The faculty wasn't allowed to be in the video, so as we were all standing around, waiting for the girls to be finished, faculty members started taking out their phones and taking selfies...with the sisters and with each other. I stood by and watched for a few minutes before I got in a few. I couldn't believe what I started. The best part? "How do I tweet this?" 

     The girls finally moved into the afternoon activities and during the all girl dance party they had, students were taking selfies with the Sisters, with faculty members and with each other. It was the cutest and most entertaining thing. The Sisters loved having their picture taken, the girls loved the concept and I loved to watch it all unfold. By the end of the day, I had so many tweets via our campus ministry twitter and emails in my inbox. I cannot even explain how many pictures I now have on my computer of Sister Selfies. Even days later, they pictures are still coming in. I love it. 

     While we didn't make a giant documentary of oral histories of our Sisters on Founders' Day nor did we really write down anything about them, we took their pictures. We immersed the Sisters into the hip teenage culture of social media and allowed the students to welcome the Sisters into their worlds. It allowed for a fun way to get to know the Sisters, especially our President, and it allowed the Sisters to get even more involved in their students' lives. It's a start to sharing our #sisterselfie stories. Maybe we could follow Buzzfeed's lead and do "Tell us about Yourself(ie)" segments on our Sisters. Until then, you can enjoy the video that started it all. Stay tuned for an update on how our #sisterselfie project is coming along. Until then, say cheese!