The Kennesaw State Student Anthropology Club (SAC) is open to all majors and types of students and strives to educate members about current events, careers, and other opportunities within anthropology.
SAC began in 2007 as a club for students already in the Anthropology Department and has since opened registration to all and grown to include 151 members.
The club participates in the International Archaeology Day in the fall semester and the International Anthropology Day in the spring. International Archaeology Day is a day focused on hands-on activities in the archaeology field such as group digs where participants can see first-hand what it would be like to be an archaeologist on a hunt for artifacts.
This year, students were able to help out at a site dating back to the Middle Mississippian era (1200 -1350 C.E.) named the Cummings Site where the floor of an old house is visible. President of Student Anthropology Club Devlin McElrone described this home as a “premier site.”
The International Anthropology Day event allows members to hear from KSU alum who majored in anthropology, current anthropology students and current anthropologists. Members find out what it really looks like to work or research in the field and what jobs are available in today’s environment at this event. Some examples are historical preservation of architecture and conservancy careers, but there are a many more opportunities.
In addition to these events, they also host smaller events to introduce more people to the club such as barbecues with free food where students can learn about the opportunities of the club and meet members. Everyone is allowed to join these events.
For those who do register, the SAC holds monthly general body meetings with free pizza for all members to learn about upcoming research and volunteer opportunities to boost involvement, McElrone said.
The SAC strives to begin conversations about anthropology in regards to new findings within the subject and to discuss differing ideas that have stumped anthropologists for years. For instance, they have a document on their Owl Life page that includes a debate on whether or not humans are inherently violent, providing evidence from three biological anthropologists — Robert W. Sussman who opposed inherent violence in humans and Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson who supported the idea of violence as an inherited human trait. Conversations such as this one give members insight into what the field delves into and how anthropology covers many more subjects than just culture.
The fascinating subject of anthropology, which isthe study of human beings over the span of their existence culturally, linguistically and physically, is one that continues to draw people toward the SAC for its broad and holistic nature while allowing for many possibilities to come from participation in the club and participation in its activities.
