Elizabethtown College has over 80 clubs and organizations. Each club appeals to students’ specific interests.

These interests may include dancing, singing, politics, religion, etc.

With Etown being a smaller school, many students become involved in these clubs and organizations. Although, if there is not a club that fits your particular interest, one can be created. This is what senior Victoria Edwards did.

This semester, Edwards started the United Movement for Advancing Dialogue (UMAD) club. Edwards is an international business and Japanese major.

The other club officers include senior history and political science major Cameron Dorr, senior history and religious studies major E. Rider Brandau and senior psychology and religious studies major Sean Danieli.

The club was started as a way to encourage constructive dialogue with others. According to the officers, UMAD replaced another organization on campus known as Young Americans for Liberty (YAL).

YAL was started in 2013 to promote libertarianism and advocate for individual rights, but UMAD officers felt that YAL had a downside.

“YAL’s focus and appeal was too limited to best serve the campus’s needs and interests,” UMAD officers said in an email interview.

According to the officers, UMAD will continue supporting the ideas of YAL, such as individualism and free expression. However, this new club will have its own agenda and specific goals.

“UMAD’s central goals are to inspire others to think critically, creatively and independently about a variety of topics and to provide a forum for constructive exchange,” the officers said in an email interview.

The club aims to analyze different perspectives and fields of study.

“Those who participate in our activities will cultivate deeper experience and understanding of self, as well as analytic and [communication] skills,” the officers said in an email interview.

The club will hold meetings throughout the semester. During the meetings, a variety of topics will be discussed.

The idea is to have a discussion that is thoughtful and productive. The club will allow students to meet new people and broaden their minds.

According to the officers, topic discussions for this month include: journalistic integrity and fake news, Sep. 12, personal approaches to “God”: atheism, spirituality, and religion, Sept. 19 and pop culture and society, Sept. 26.

The club will also have other activities besides discussions. Some of these activities include guest lectures, movie screenings and publication of members’ creative work.

Another event the club was involved in was Etown’s annual club fair, Sep. 12. The fair is held at the beginning of every school year. It is a way to showcase all the clubs on campus to new and returning students.

To introduce the club, UMAD hosted a panel at the fair. UMAD’s panel posed questions that prompted students to reflect on their everyday experiences.

Some of the questions included: Is Wawa better than Sheetz? Should I be considered human? and Is an individual’s vote meaningful? The variety of answers and one’s thought process was then examined.

The club is looking for a variety of members such as faculty, students and student organizations.

The club can be reached at umad@etown.edu with any questions, feedback or proposals.

For those interested, UMAD meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Nicarry 232. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 19 discussing religion and spirituality.