A group of students who felt defeated when their club disbanded in September renewed their hope following a weekend re-organization meeting.
Members of LSU Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics started up their club again Oct. 18 after being placed on the University’s inactive list in September.
AHA leaders attended a special orientation session held by the Center for Student Leadership, the office that oversees campus clubs, Oct. 15 so the club could be listed as active with the University. Student organizations must attend orientation to be officially recognized by the University.
The center held its three annual orientation sessions in September, but no one from AHA attended. This was the reason for the club’s official inactive status.
Michelle Lowery, the center’s coordinator, said it is difficult for many outgoing student leaders to communicate to incoming leaders the need for updating information with the Center for Student Leadership.
Lowery said her office held an alternate orientation because more than 80 student organizations were unable to attend the other sessions.
“It’s just further outreach to organizations,” Lowery said.
Stephanie Schwartzmann, a kinesiology senior and AHA member, said in a Sept. 22 Reveille story that she was saddened when the club disbanded. Now she and other students will be able to discuss ideas that do not necessarily coincide with mainstream religious beliefs.
Mark Little, a chemistry doctoral student, is serving as the club’s president. Little previously served as president, and he and other leaders decided to dissolve the club because of their heavy workloads and lack of interest from members.
“It was too much work for one person to do, as I did as president,” he said. “People wanted the organization around but didn’t want to do the work.”
Little said meetings will be less formal, so leaders will not have to have to do as much work to coordinate speakers and activities.
“We’re going to have ‘get-togethers’ at 7 p.m. on Fridays outside the Union,” he said.
Little said he wanted to clarify the club’s message. He said its members would refer to themselves as “freethinkers.”
“Our definition of free thought is someone who forms ideas without traditional beliefs or religion,” he said. “We are worried that a lot of religion will prevent scientific research from being discovered.”
Little said most of AHA’s members, including himself, are atheists. Little said an atheist is a person who does not believe there is a god.
“Agnostics can’t be sure what to believe because there is not enough information,” he said. “They are waiting for proof.”
Humanist is the most inclusive term for AHA members, Little said.
“Humanism is a philosophy that says man is responsible for his own actions,” he said. “Mankind is in charge of the future.”
Little said though most of AHA’s members fall into these categories, anyone is welcome to attend meetings.
“We’re not hiding ourselves,” he said. “Diversity of our beliefs is what makes the world go around.”