By The Keystone Newspaper The club looks to define its role and expand social participation
By Lillian Stadtmueller
Stemming from the KU Honors Program, the Honors Club provides social and educational opportunities to highly motivated and involved students.
English professor, honors director and club advisor Dr. Andrew Vogel first became involved with the Honors Program between 2008 and 2009 when they were rewriting their constitution.
According to Engage, the club is “an organization that works with honors students and the community at large to provide community service opportunities, social opportunities, and academic enrichment.” The club is open to all members of the student body.
The purpose of this club is two-fold. “One is to create a social space for honors students to interact with one another,” Vogel said. For those who tend to be highly motivated and highly involved, he added, “Interacting with that group can be a powerful and uplifting influence.”
Beyond the social aspect, Vogel said the club is “playing a role in helping honors students to participate in and reinforce the learning goals attached to honors requirements.”
Every honors student is required to complete 30 hours of community service by the time they graduate and the service committee in the club helps with filling these requirements.
Events hosted by the honors club are delegated to five committee chairs: programming, community service, new student service, PR and fundraising. Responsible for hosting, planning and promoting some of these events, they help to cultivate the community.
For the 2024-2025 school year, President Olivia Cox and Vice President Rebecca Franklin are invested in a social participation agenda.
According to Vogel, “They are trying to increase honors involvement through sociability.”
Going forward, Vogel wants to see the club define itself more. He said, “The club needs to decide if it is more interested in a purely university-facing social function, which would change their constitution, or inward facing and more programmatic.”
Some upcoming events include making a potion or glitter calm-down jar on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a hot cocoa fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., near the Bear Den.
Some past events included movie nights, Jackbox games nights, and card-making service events.
The club meets biweekly on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the Honors Hall. For updates on events and meetings, follow along with the club here.