Designing a New Community
Chandler working on his Design Portfolio | PC: Kayla Potts
Memento Artem
Union has an amazing and diverse set of clubs for students to get involved in. However, the newly announced changes to how clubs will work starting next year presents new opportunities. Now, students have new and accessible ways to be able to create and operate clubs. Students can create these clubs on an independent basis without the need of being specifically associated with a division. All that is required is the approval of the club by Student Life. One student who is spearheading and using this new opportunity is Chandler Ashton who is founding the Design Club.
This Club would be a brand new and unique concept as there are no art-specific Union clubs. “I am inspired [to create the club] by the continuous passion and dedication that my fellow design students have for creating,” says Ashton. “They are constantly making and creating new and innovative ways to make things look good. After talking with many of them, it seemed right to have an official group that shares that passion and is able to collectively strive towards goals. Once the idea was conceived, it seemed to be an obvious choice.”
Ashton, also, has goals of the club having activities that involve art and creating among its members. “There are a number of activities that I want the design club to do. Some of the activities may seem close to some of the fine art classes, but I hope to put a fun spin on each of them,” explains Ashton. “I want to incorporate some contests with fun prizes.”
The Design Club, additionally, is a group that would allow students to further their careers in creative or design fields.“I also want to bring professionals in to meet with club members so they can talk about design as a career and give real advice,” states Ashton.
Likewise, the Design Club will not only provide a space for those interested in art and design, but also bring a new and enriching dynamic to the Union College community. “I think the Design Club will bring a level of appreciation for art that has been lacking on campus since I have been here,” states Ashton. I know that there are students who appreciate art that aren’t fine arts majors and I hope they see the club as a place for more than just Graphic Design students.”
Ashton is currently working on the paperwork to send through the appropriate leadership to make the club happen for the upcoming school year. “There are a lot of plans in the works and I look forward to leading the club into a year of quality design,” he says. The club is an exciting development that is sure to spark a new and much needed subculture of design and art enthusiasts on Union’s campus. The hope from this development is not only to foster these individual’s interests, but also to enrich Union’s greater community with more art that would both inspire and grow our college’s culture as a whole.
Cameron Cizek is a junior studying computing.