At Andrews University, there is a wide variety of student clubs to join, with one of the newer clubs on campus being the Museum Club. The club came together unofficially last year and is now an official club. So far, the club consists of around 29 members, many of them being anthropology and biology students who like to hang out and visit different museums.
Melanie Dubon (senior, archeology), the club’s social media coordinator, says, “Our club’s mission statement is to help teach more people about museums and how to take care of them.” The club wants to get more students involved in hopes that struggling museums can receive help with funding and advertising.
Dubon’s love for museums sparked her interest in the club and what it had to offer. Some of the archaeology majors' favorite museums include the Field Museum of Natural History, located in Chicago, and the Horn Archaeological Museum, located near campus.
“I’ve been to our Horn Archaeological Institute a bunch of times, just touring it to see what it's like over and over again, even though it's the same every time,” she said. One of her favorite memories so far was when the club officers marched in the Homecoming parade. She enjoyed making signs to promote the club and had a blast being with friends.
One of the club’s goals is to help students who want to be museum guides be able to become certified. Right now, they are only doing volunteer work, but even volunteer opportunities look good on a resume. The club is also working to collaborate with other clubs. They are hoping to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo with the Biophilia Club at some point.
As far as events go, the Museum Club plans on trying to have one event or activity each month. Their main events will focus on museum mental health days, where someone from the Counseling and Testing Center will talk about why museums are important, and then someone from the specific museum will take the students on tours around the building. One of the club’s upcoming events will be on Nov. 13 at the Center for Adventist Research. The club is also hoping to eventually visit the Indiana Dinosaur Museum.
Dubon encourages students who are interested in history and nature to join the Museum Club. “They can ask all questions, stick around for however long they like, and we'll have snacks, stickers, pamphlets, and stuff. It's just a really fun time to go relax, take a break from studying, and check out some of our museums.” By getting involved, students can explore their interest in history, archaeology, and nature while supporting the preservation and promotion of museums both on and off campus.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.