The Mesa Community College Philosophy Club was formed in March 2003, with our club founder, Dr. Dave Yount (Dr. Y for fun), still present with us today. Dr. Y holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in philosophy, which he received at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, he attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and graduated with a B.A. in philosophy and psychology. He has published two books: Plotinus The Platonist: A Comparative Account of Plato and Plotinus’ Metaphysics (2014), and Plato and Plotinus on Mysticism, Epistemology, and Ethics (2017).
Our club meets every first and third Wednesday of the month on-campus at Dr. Yount’s designated classroom. In our first meeting of the semester, we elect our club officers, discuss the principles of why we have a club, and, as a group, propose a great number of topics. From that initial selection, we choose six to discuss throughout the length of the semester.
We want all members of the club to have a diverse and fun learning experience; the topics we present are based on matters relevant to contemporary life and contemporary thought. We want everyone to feel skilled enough to contribute their thoughts as we discuss these issues. The club is open to students of all disciplines—and our club is designed to encourage open thought and explorative dialogue. It is fun and interactive for all sorts of students and faculty members. We promote the club through philosophy classes as well as flyers, campus events, and signs all throughout the campus, hoping to gain as much exposure as possible.
Usually, our club meetings begin with announcements. After announcements, a chosen club member will introduce the topic of that meeting and then lay arguments in favor or against the viewpoint. Following this introduction, other members will chime in with their arguments regarding the topic after the initial statements. Following the discussion, our club president or Professor Yount will read off the prepared notes on the topic; these notes dwell deeper on the topic and point out points of interest that we may have missed in our discussion. In the spring semester, we touched on topics such as “The Ethics of AI,” “The Existence of God,” “What Is Consciousness? and Whether It Continues After Death,” “Has Religion Been a Net Asset or Liability?” “What is Reality? What is Real?” “Why Does Suffering Happen?” and “The Philosophy of Schopenhauer, Pessimism and Nihilism.”
Here is a link to our club notes! https://sites.google.com/mesacc.edu/philosophyclub/home
In the recent fall, I was elected as senator of the club, an experience that helped me discover different paths along my journey as a scholar. Holding this position led me to our Student Senate Body, which was an opening into an atmosphere I would come to enjoy. The feeling of being a part of a group that holds the voice of our student body was empowering. Learning under Dr. Y and using my teachings in our senate discussions allowed my voice as a student to be heard. Not every meeting has been a debate session, but every meeting has had a moment where I was able to articulate my views on student life. This has been a valuable opportunity in my semester, and it has left me asking, what is the experience of a high-level authority figure with the power and voice to move a nation?
ZiP
ZiP is an undergraduate student at Mesa Community College studying Anthropology. ZiP is also the current senator of the College’s Philosophy Club. ZiP is dedicated to studying philosophical and religious works and rock-climbing. ZiP wants to travel the world to expand his knowledge of Human Nature.
