When Anthropology Club President Cierra Sorin took her first anthropology class she was only focused on completing her science requirements, but she found herself becoming fascinated with the subject.
“I had a really bad experience in high school with biology. So I said ‘Physical Anthropology will fulfill the class. I’ll take that.’ It’s cheesy, but it totally changed the way I looked at things.”
By the next semester Sorin had decided to major in anthropology, as well as gender studies.
The club has been active around campus and has set up Darwin Day, which is dedicated to Charles Darwin who is credited with the theory of evolution.
Club members form groups and take one stage of Darwin’s life to research and present to students.
Día de Muertos or the Day of the Dead was another event the club helped set to expose students around campus to different cultures.
The club has also planned off-campus trips to different areas such as San Diego, where club members visited the Museum of Man as well as the San Diego Zoo.
Anthropology major Roanna Mitchell-Iverson said this was her favorite trip out of all the activities the club has done.
“I got to spend time with my professor and ask him questions about all the animals. So that was fun.”
While there are many different fields, anthropology can best be described as the study of all people in all times and places.
For example cultural anthropologists study different civilizations, while linguistic anthropologists study language.
Club secretary and anthropology major Ryan Morris didn’t know what he wanted to do until he took his first class.
“I found anthropology and it was so broad, but it allowed focus in everything. It took all of these different aspects into account.
I really just enjoyed that it looked at multiple aspects of things instead of only taking a specific view on the way things happened.”
Sorin said that the broad nature of the subject brings in a diverse amount of views and students. Many of the club members are not anthropology majors.
“The beautiful thing about anthropology is there’s something for everybody.
If you (have) an interest in anything that involves being human you can find that in anthropology.”
Literature major Alice Rodriguez had no experience with the field or club when Mitchell-Iverson invited her to take an anthropology class with her.
“I took it and it was interesting. I didn’t really get it. It was a higher level anthropology class.”
Eventually she was invited to come to one of the club meetings and attended a beach bonfire the club was hosting.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to stay in the club. I was very unsure of my surroundings and what was going on because this was a new topic for me, but everyone made me feel so welcome.”
Rodriguez is now planning on minoring in anthropology next semester.
Many of the members say that one of the best aspects of the club is its diverse membership, and welcoming attitude.
“Everyone in the club is different and that they all have different mindsets, said Mitchell-Iverson, everyone is open, and…there is no judgment in the room.”
Morris believes that the club is probably the most accepting club on campus because of the subject itself.
“(The club members) understand that people do things different ways. Certain things are not right or wrong. We try to be some of the most accepting people around. We welcome everybody and we’re open to everybody’s views and opinions.” Morris said.
