The PSU World Antiquities Guild is an on-campus club concerned with the wonders of the ancient world, and exploring its many facets. They dig into the art, artifacts and cultural traditions from the time of antiquity.
They’re a multidisciplinary group corralling students from various areas of studies like Latin, Anthropology, History, Art History, Philosophy and many more. The group has a focus on challenging current biases of historical scholarship, and often employs critical discussion on modern understandings of what the ancient world was like.
The club holds regular study group sessions called, Ye Olde Study Social, where students can bring various projects they’re working on in respective classes and get feedback from students in similar areas of studies. It also acts as a great way for newer students to connect with upper-division students and get advice from folks who’ve taken the same classes previously.
For example, students taking Latin language courses can practice together and those working on research projects can share their findings.
The club often holds one big event each term, usually consisting of presentations from current students, graduates and other scholars associated with the topic. Previous topics have included women in the art of Ancient Korea, Etruscan tomb paintings and how to acquire funding for a research project.
“ I think it’s a really special place to encourage your enthusiasm about what you’re studying,” said Shelby Morgan, Club President.
She elaborated on the importance of discussing these topics with like-minded scholars and being willing to challenge preconceived ideas of ancient history.
“PSU students are up for the task, and are very interested in [discovering] newer evidence and learning to distinguish between old scholarship and new scholarship,” Morgan said.
The PSU World Antiquities Guild’s talks are open to the public, and students interested in becoming members can learn more at PSU Connect.
