I joined a new club, Body Positive, last semester and a few weeks ago Student Senate voted and made us an official Pitzer organization. This was my first experience in participating in the founding of a new club. The club is really great and I think has filled a void in current Pitzer student organizations. Previously there was not any club specifically promoting healthy body image, eating, exercise, etc. For me it has been really nice to know that there is a group of individuals on campus supporting one another with what can be a really challenging issue.
I am personally very passionate about supporting Body Positive’s goals, as body image is something that I have often struggled with. Being surrounded by a culture that ascribes to very specific types of bodies as normative or desirable has at times been really damaging. It is nice to find a community where we can talk about our own struggles and create healthy coping skills. I hope that the club remains active and engages the community after I graduate.
Starting a new club is very doable and something that is really encouraged if you feel like there is a need. We do have numerous active clubs on campus, so often it is possible to already find what you were looking for. Other times, like in the case of Body Positive, it really is fruitful to establish a new organization. You can see a list of all our active clubs here: https://www.pitzersenate.org/club-home.html .
Posted by Anna Pleskunas ’15, Philosophy & Art
