The Anthropology Guild announced several new events to encourage students to discover anthropology’s relevance to their faith and increase recognition of its corresponding department.
‘Hey we’re here’
While the club retains some of its traditional events from previous semesters, such as ethnographic food tours through which members can explore the culinary styles of other cultures, it plans to introduce additional offerings. These new events include trips to the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society meetings and hosting one major event per month, starting in October when the club will go to see the Greek and Roman art exhibits at the Getty Villa.
The club’s goal of generating awareness for its department necessitated the expansion of the Anthropology Guild’s offered events, according to club vice president and senior anthropology major Amber Blevins.
“In previous semesters we haven’t really done a whole lot, because for the most part anthropologists are quite introverted. It makes it difficult for us to want to really be out there,” Blevins said. “We really just want to make people realize ‘Hey we’re here,’… ‘Hey we have a major and we have good faculty.’”
While the club retains a close connection to the anthropology major, it welcomes all. The club has not made advertising its sole purpose, either. Club president and junior anthropology major Lauren Biltonen believes the new events allow members, regardless of major, to examine the world through different lenses.
“I think [the new events] really engage students with the dialogue of anthropology and recognizing it as an important academic field. I think also, at least for me, anthropology has always been a way to study God’s creation, and it just brings in a lot of new perspectives,” Biltonen said. “[We’re] really wanting to branch out and get to know other students from different majors and also kind of working with them too and getting different insights from different majors and… how other people might see the world through the way that they’re studying it.”
providing much-needed community.
For club treasurer and junior anthropology major Francisco Muro, a transfer and commuter student, the club provides a much-needed community.
“I don’t really have the luxury of being able to dorm with some of the other guys and sit down in the Commons with girls and being able to chat with them,” Muro said. “So going and joining… allows me to just being able to talk to people and socialize and get to know them on a more one on one basis and expand my relationships here.”
Echoing the sentiments of the other club leaders, Muro invites students to witness the learning environment of the group for themselves.
“Come check out anthropology club, if nothing else for the experience of being able to see what it’s about,” Muro said. “More specifically, seeing it in a godly context of people working with other people and learning about other people. Because through that you get to learn more about yourself and learn more about God as well.”
