Exploring the new clubs of Seattle University

Note from the Editor: This article was co-written by Frances Divinagracia and Natalie Monahan, although we are currently unable to display multiple authors’ names due to technical difficulties.

Students, new and old, flocked to tables during the Involvement Fair to sign up for new and exciting clubs.

Seattle U Vegan Society

Have you ever thought about eating a healthier diet, reducing your meat or dairy consumption or helping the planet out in an impactful way?

If so, check out the Seattle University Vegan Society, a club headed by Tiffany Carpenter, a junior Internaitonal Studies major who hopes to bring awareness to students’ everyday eating choices and how they impact the environment.

“I feel like there is a lot of interest right now about plant-based diets,” said Carpenter. “I’m super excited about being able to bring this information to more people.”

Along with informing students, Carpenter anticipates gathering a community to share meals in a way that is prepared naturally, locally and with compassion. Although a vegan diet excludes all animal products, Carpenter suggests students are not limiting their options, but rather opening up doors to a variety of meals.

Club meetings will include a workshop-style discussion on what veganism is, as well as answering any questions from members about the lifestyle. Students will also discuss the moral implications of being vegan or non-vegan, and have the opportunity to talk about the nutritional value of a plant-based diet.

Along with being a space to learn about veganism, the club will also be a place where students can enjoy homemade meals together.

“I hope we get to share recipes and just talk to each other about what we’re doing in our kitchens and beyond,” said Carpenter.

The meetings will take place in the student center and there will be dinner parties twice each quarter where students can learn hands-on culinary skills and prepare and enjoy meals together.

“We can create this wonderful meal that’s all vegan and has a fusion of flavors from different cuisines around the world,” Carpenter said. “I’m super looking forward to that.”

Spectator staff members Chris Salsbury and Elise Wang look through the archives at the Involvement Fair.

United Dancers of Seattle

The United Dancers of Seattle hopes to provide a space for students where they are free to be themselves, no matter what their level of dance experience is.

Co-President of the United Dancers of Seattle Clare-Frances Hoang was inspired to form the club after she noticed that there was a lack of a dance community on campus. She also found out that others shared her concern after a previous dance group, Alliance, disbanded.

“I hope that they get an interest in dance whether or not they have any experience with it,” Hoang said. “I mostly just want to have fun with people and create an environment where everyone is free to be themselves.”

While both Hoang and her co-president William Li plan to teach hip-hop classes for now, they hope to eventually expand the classes to a broader range of dance styles.

“Right now we’re thinking of teaching hip-hop classes for about 45 minutes during the meeting and then we’ll have kind of a freestyle break,” Hoang said. “If we have more interest we’re going to try to get ballet teachers, or contemporary or other styles of hip-hop too.”

United Dancers of Seattle hopes to eventually have rehearsals in the Fine Arts building, but they’re still in the process of booking a room. They plan to host meetings from 7 to 8p.m. on Fridays.

Hoang encourages people of all experience levels to move out of their comfort zones and give in to their urge or curiosity for dance.

“Anyone can join regardless of any type of experience or if you want to try a certain type of dance,” Hoang concluded.

Gender Justice Center

Driven by the need for inclusion and safe spaces for trans, non-binary, and non-gender conforming members in the Seattle University community, fourth-year sociology major Haleema Bharoocha started the Gender Justice Center.

After teaming up with a group of people last December who shared her same ideas, Bharoocha, acting Interim Director of the club, began to form the Gender Justice Center with the goal of giving a space for inclusion.

Bharoocha realized the lack of visibility for women, trans, and non-binary folks on Seattle University’s own campus and decided she wanted to give them a chance in the spotlight to be seen and heard. She became more passionate after researching that women’s centers at other universities were mainly focused and created by cisgender women with a white-feminist perspective that often excludes trans women and women of color.

The Gender Justice Center wants to break from the binary and heteronormative society that so many people have grown accustomed to. They see it necessary to tear down divisions between people due to their gender, sexuality or other identities in order to create much more unity within these movements seeking inclusivity and visibility. Bharoocha considers herself to be very action-oriented, and wants to enable others to find their voice and the courage to go out and do something.

“We don’t want to just be leaders for the people, because strong people don’t need leaders,” Bharoocha said. “We want to empower the community to take their own actions.”

One issue that they want to tackle is the heteronormativity of sex education and reforming those discussions to be inclusive of those who do not fit into the binary. They are currently trying to find an official space on campus to occupy with educational books and a food pantry, and they are collaborating with the Survivor Support Network to streamline multiple resources for survivors to use and will be posting these on cards in bathroom stalls.

Starting October 25, the Gender Justice Center will start a quarterly programming event for community building and healing, where anyone can participate in discussions about nonviolent communications, gender justice and how to facilitate conversations about identity and privilege.

The Gender Justice Center will be hosting a launch party on October 19th to kick-off the start of their new club and create their presence on campus for the first time. They will be hosting Dean Spade, a transgender lawyer and activist who is also a faculty member at Seattle University’s School of Law, as the keynote speaker, and an after party where former mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver is set to perform.

Those interested in joining or learning more can e-mail Haleema Bharoocha at [email protected].

Members of Seattle U’s D1 Improv Team, Annet Rangel and Maddie Piper, proudly advertise their club.

Delight Ministries

With so many faith-centered organizations on campus, second-year Ali Alderman felt very involved and included, until she and four other students realized there was not a space for women in Christianity on campus. Alderman wanted to be able to converse with other women at Seattle University about how important and cool they are in their faith without putting all of them in their relationships to men.

Because of this, they created the Delight Ministries club, seeking to allow women in Christianity at Seattle University the chance to get together and talk about their faith and lives as college students.

Alderman, who is the executive director of the club, worked with Campus Ministry and the Center for Student Involvement to form the group. For now, Delight Ministries is focusing on establishing a presence on campus and recruiting people to join.

In the future, they hope to collaborate with other Christian groups on campus, such as Young Life and Atmosphere, to be supportive of what they do, work in communion and facilitate a larger faith community at Seattle University. The club is also planning on having a branch dedicated to community service and outreach, where members can participate in giving back to the campus and the city of Seattle in general.

Alderman plans to have multiple bonding experiences and get-togethers with club members throughout the year, whether that be going out and exploring Seattle or just talking about the incredible power of womanhood.

“We want to promote the incredible power of womanhood in faith and in Christianity,” said Alderman. But on the other side of that, I also want to make sure that the Seattle University community knows that this isn’t an exclusively female organization and that we want to be inclusive and we welcome anyone who wants to join a fellowship of Christian folks.”

Alderman strongly believes that this club will help its members and other people to recognize that strong and formidable women can be leaders in their faith and in Christianity.

Authors may be reached at 
[email protected]