New Club Helps Answer the Question “Why?”

Why? is a new club on campus founded by junior Christian Wilson that strives to help students discover what their career goals, passions, and long-term aspirations are. With the help of guest speakers and group collaboration, this club allows students to grow and learn about themselves. 

According to Wilson, this club has been in the works since October 2018 and came to fruition after he and four of his close friends started having a deep, personal conversation after class one day. This conversation left Wilson feeling enriched and excited. From then, he realized there was a need for a club where such conversations could be made to foster learning and growth. 

While the club is headed by Wilson, his leadership board contains three members: senior Joy De Oca, sophomore Samantha Arellano, and junior Levi Mondoza. In addition to these students, the club has the support of various staff members including Rhett Soliday, Karen Nishie, and Bill Hughes.

According to Wilson, Why? is a club for both people who know what their passions are and for those who are not quite sure. For undergraduate students, the reality is that there is confusion and uncertainty revolving around this process. Because of this, students from all backgrounds are encouraged to attend meetings since the club takes on multiple formats. 

“In this day in age, we are so busy with sports, jobs, and extracurriculars. Not all of us take the time to focus on our passions, character development, or leadership. This is a place where students can not only grow and learn but also cultivate new relationships,” Wilson said.

According to Wilson, presently there are two types of formats that club members can expect in meetings. 

The first format is a TED Talk format, where a professor will share his or her expertise on a topic. For example, theology professor Dr. Richard Park will be sharing his insights at the first club meeting on Nov. 6. 

The second format involves learning and fostering new passions, where students pick up a new skill each month and report back on what they learned. According to Wilson, this encourages students to try new things and step out of their comfort zones. 

Regardless of the type, each meeting will involve collaboration and group engagement which will help solidify the newly learned concepts.

“The club is a space where we bring different professors and people that are experts at their crafts to come and talk about how they found and developed their skills,” Wilson said. 

According to Wilson, he is excited to continue to grow and develop the club in the future to help cater to different student needs. 

“The advantage of being in a college environment is that we are surrounded by friends, professors, and like-minded individuals who are willing to help us constantly grow and learn. Why? allows us to take advantage of this opportunity.”