By Diana Bautista
The Philosophy Society Club, a group that encourages critical thinking and interest in different subjects is now back on campus at Brooklyn College. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group was forced to operate online in order to accommodate the members’ timelines. Now that the club is back in person, all are welcome to join them in discussions and events, regardless if they have an interest in philosophy.
“We are working on events and what we want to focus on this year. Now being in person, it will allow us to get the student body to come in and also have speakers in person,” said Angela Sierra, the club’s president. “Being in person is going to change our gatherings a lot since online they were more discussion based. Now we want to go further than that and be a club that is enjoyable in person and not just limited to discussions.”
Sierra transferred to BC this past January and is currently majoring in philosophy. She wanted to join an environment that could spark her critical thinking, present new ideas, and show new perspectives. Now as president, she has established new and continuous goals for the club in an effort to make philosophy enjoyable for everyone and ensure that members feel comfortable sharing their own thoughts and feelings.
“Our goal is to be a diverse community where anyone with or without a philosophical interest can work together, grow personally, mutually, foster connections with members, and basically make it known that they don’t have to be philosophy majors to join,” said Sierra. “In order to promote conversation, we speak first. We want to encourage people to join, and we also don’t want anyone to feel rejected.”
The group’s weekly meetings will be held in room 3304 or 3305 in Boylan Hall on Tuesdays and occasionally on Thursdays. They will cover significant topics like politics, social media news or scandals, LGBTQ+ concerns, controversial social issues, and much more. The club also aims to act as a resource for the community at large by sponsoring or co-sponsoring events with the Philosophy Department, offering guidance to people considering the major, explaining how to sign up for a philosophy course, and more.
“The discussion aspect is very important but we also want to offer services to the school’s community,” said Andrew Howel, the club’s treasurer. “We also want to give professors a platform to talk about their upcoming ideas, research. We want to invite people to speak as well and hear their thoughts.”
In 2019, Andrew Howel enrolled at BC and is now majoring in both psychology and philosophy. He joined the club in fall 2021 before it was officially established. Since everyone was in lockdown, the group only met virtually in which philosophy majors were able to communicate with one another. Fast forward to today, the group has blossomed and Howel was invited to be the group’s treasurer.
Howel liked the idea of being part of something where different ideas would be encouraged and he could talk about topics that were relevant to him. “We just want to hear people’s opinions and provide them a platform to express themselves and anything they have to say,” he said.
He also added that the diverse connections he has made are his favorite parts about being a member of the club.
“We have a wide range of individuals, including graduate students, those pursuing legal degrees, and even those going abroad to study. Some of us are still here and others have moved on, but once you’re a member of the Philosophy Society, you will always be a member,” Howell said. “Those connections are always here to stay.”