Philosophy Club Begins on Campus
Brittany Dilley
Do you want to think deep thoughts? New philosophy professor Seth Mayer hopes so; in fact, he starting an informal philosophy-based discussion club. “It gives students the opportunity to have open-ended conversations about topics they care about without the pressure of grades,” Mayer said via email.
Mayer encourages anyone interested in philosophy and engaging in conversation to attend the meetings. As the club is in the process of forming, Mayer and future club members are still deciding on how to structure their meetings. The next meeting’s focus will be on the ethical issues of war, and the students will bring their questions and thoughts about the subject and see where the discussion leads.
Why did Mayer begin this club? “It seemed like there was a demand, so I was happy to try and set it up,” he said. Mayer hopes the club will be a good experience for students and will give them new ideas and arguments to consider.
Other than discussing topics, the club is planning on watching films and videos with philosophical themes. If the club shows interest, Mayer also plans to take on volunteer projects.
The group is still in the process of working out the constitution and becoming an official club. Over the next few months, Mayer hopes to accomplish a regular schedule for the meetings. He also hopes to raise visibility of philosophy on campus and get students and the community excited about doing philosophy.
Mayer strongly believes that students should have the opportunity to have these kinds of informal philosophical conversations in college. “Students have a lot to teach one another, and clubs like this one are a great way to encourage that,” he said.
Mayer plans to have the meetings every other week on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The following dates are the schedule for the remainder of the semester: Mar. 14, Mar. 28, Apr. 11, Apr. 25 and May 9, and all meetings will be held in the Academic Center in room 234.