Get Clubbin'
Are you someone who wants to get involved at AUP? Or feels they have way too much free time on their hands and don't know what to do with it? Then this is the article for you! You may not know, but within our AUP community there are about 15-20 clubs on campus right now. Each one has their own unique community that comes together to do things they are passionate about, and you might be the person they are looking for to join them in their endeavors. If you're interested, let me take the chance to introduce to you a few of these clubs.
PHILOSOPHY CLUB
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The Philosophical Society is a home for intellectual exploration and rigorous discussion. On campus they have weekly discussions about a variety of topics, which can range from applied ethics to art to political radicalism. They're currently working on collaborations with a few organizations, such as Democrats Abroad Paris and The Platypus Affiliated Society. Off campus, the club regularly attends Philo-Diners, lectures, film screenings, readings, and other events. The aim of the club is to help people better understand the world and themselves, learn fascinating new concepts, ask questions, and use philosophy as a tool for navigating tricky situations. Their hope is that people will walk out of meetings and think to themselves, “Oh wow, does anything really exist?” But more importantly, to harness that higher understanding and use it towards something worthwhile.
WANT TO PHILOSOPHICAL? The club meets on Tuesdays @ 15:30 (unless specified otherwise) in Combes Room 505. You can also contact Jake Sirota (a96817@aup.edu) to get in touch.
CREATIVE WRITING CLUB
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The Creative Writing Club focuses on fostering a community of talented AUP writers. The club invites students who write poetry, screenwriting, essays, prose etc. The club wishes to be a helpful resource for inspiring AUP writers, as well as create a community where members can find feedback, encouragement, and moral support. So whether or not you’ve just started writing, have had a lot of experience, or have no experience at all this is a club where you can find your passion and share your creativity.
WANT TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT? The club is currently getting the ball rolling, but if you're interested and want to join contact them using creativewriting@aup.edu.
LIVEWARE
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Liveware is a computer science and technology club that started in Spring 2016. The club aims to bring together people interested in technology and tech topics, as well as help people with workshops. Liveware wants to bring together people with a common passion to build things, learn, and expand knowledge regarding technology and computer science. Liveare would love to get some guest speakers to gives lectures or presentations on a range of topics, make connections with other tech clubs in universities around Paris, and offer workshops to different students, among other things.
WONDERING HOW TO GET YOUR TECH ON? Contact Ramata Dia (a96059@aup.edu) or Xaviera Steele (a92347@aup.edu) and let them know that you're interested! If you're someone who wants to know more about using different softwares or want a basic introduction to Computer Science, then this is the club for you.
K'ANTU FOUNDATION CLUB
Image Credit: Chana Campora
K'ANTU is a non profit organization that partners with powerful mother artisans in Peru to unveil, through their crafts, their will to fight for sustainable life. We celebrate their talent, promote women empowerment, and provide access to higher education in a village of children. The K'ANTU Club organizes events to raise money for the NGO, as well as advertise and sell our products to the AUP community!
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN JOIN! Get in touch with Sinaia Campora (a96868@aup.edu) and see how you can get involved! Some of their future projects include bake sales, poetry slams, becoming pen pals with children in Peru, and much more. If this is something you are interested in or care about, give Sinaia a message.
PASS THE TECH
Image Credit: Facebook/Hatua Likoni
Pass the Tech is a club that collects computers and sends them to Hatua Likoni, an NGO in Mombasa, Kenya which sponsors about 300 students’ secondary and post-secondary educations. Each computer collected could change a student's life. We take for granted the fact that we have free access to computers and we all have our own personal laptops and smartphones. These students who receive these computers would not normally be able to afford them without these donations. Pass the Tech believes the use of information communication technology can empower these students and enhance their academic and professional capabilities. Their goal is to send 100 used laptops to Mombasa each year to ensure that all students have equal access to the technology they need to gain computer literacy and other skills needed to join the workforce after graduation.
WANT TO GET CONNECTED? All you have to do is email passthetech@aup.edu or Connie Moreland (a96754@aup.edu), and they have a Facebook page, in which they regularly post reminders about meetings and their current projects. Also this Friday, February 24, the club will be having a Laptop Drop-off Day where they will have a booth in the Combes lobby all day long in order to accept any old laptops, so spread the word and help them out.
