Club with class and culture

The Anthropology Club at Weber State University aims to help students become more open-minded and understanding toward different cultures.
“A lot of people can escape college without ever experiencing anything else outside of their own little bubble, so I think it’s important to break that bubble,” said Maren Svare, a junior majoring in anthropology and the president of the Anthropology club. 
The Anthropology club offers real hands-on activities for those who wish to learn and experience other cultures.
“If you come from a very rural place and you come to college and see all these people dressed differently and who talk differently than you, there is a certain necessity to understand them, or otherwise you’re going to fear them, which can lead to becoming prejudiced. Anthropology is a part of everybody’s life. Whether you like art or music or history it’s all part of what makes us who we are and that is anthropology,” said Stephanie Karren, the liaison for the Anthropology Club and a sophomore majoring in anthropology and criminal justice.
The Anthropology club emphasizes tolerance and understanding of people with different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds Kaneez Hassan, the secretary/historian for the club and a senior getting a BIS, said, “Anthropology is about being open-minded about human culture.”
Hassan believes that after joining the Anthropology Club, one can gain lifelong friendships with people who have similar ideas and want to experience the same things. She said she thinks anthropology combines different areas of life, so it can teach people about almost everything.
“At Ogden we have people from everywhere, so it is important to learn and not judge the people that you think are kind of funny from your point of view,” said Emily Stevens, the treasurer of the Anthropology Club and a senior majoring in anthropology. “It is important to know there are other ways of life.”
Stevens said she believes it is essential for today’s student to know and understand what anthropology is and what it’s about. She said you have to learn to understand other people’s cultures from their own points of view and how they truly feel about certain subjects. It not only helps with the political point of view, but also the humanitarian point of view.
The Anthropology Club hosts many activities during the year for students to participate in even if they are not part of the club. They have guest speakers that range from alumni to professors, they show documentaries, and at the beginning of summer there are short trips. For instance, one year the club went to Danger Cave. Food is provided at most events as well.  
The club recently went surveying to CSU, the College of Eastern Utah Museum, to look at all sorts of artifacts. To attend one of these events, students can look in the Social Science Building for upcoming events, or  by e-mail  (first e-mail weberstateanthropology@gmail.com to get on the list).
“I would suggest to anyone to try and take an introduction to anthropology course, even if they don’t ever go onto anything else in the field, just to get that basic appreciation,” Karren said.
To join the Anthropology Club or for more information, students can e-mail the address listed above or go to the Social Science Building anthropology department and speak to the secretary Carol Jensen. Joining the Anthropology Club costs either $6 for a semester or $10 for the year.
Hassan said that as of right now, most students in the Anthropology Club are anthropology majors. She said to help broaden the participation to other majors, the club is going to start advertising their events in Elizabeth Hall and the Union Building. They also hope the launch of the new clubs and organization’s Web site will make the club more accessible to all majors.