Every fall, USU invites student groups to chalk or paint 700 North, the street that runs through central campus. Here is SHAFT’s contribution this year:
Nice work, everyone!
SHAFT street painting
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Tag Archives: club info
SHAFT gets satirized
Among highest forms of flattery is satire. If you’re a worthy target of satire, it means you’ve ‘made it’.
In the fall of 2008, SHAFT became an active student organization. When The Truant, Cache Valley’s spin-off of The Onion, got wind of our group, they wrote this article:
New USU student group to call itself SHAFT
December 30, 2008By Claire Chennault, Head Editor in Charge
TSC – A new student group at USU has determined, without a single trace of irony, to call itself SHAFT, standing for Secular Humanists And Free Thinkers. The new, unironic, group has dedicated itself to being smart and not believing in god, and to inspiring hilarious cock-related jokes campus-wide.
“Other student groups believe in god, which is stupid,” said Bill Washington, founder of SHAFT. “Also, we wanted our name to be an acronym capable of inspiring locker-room humor and dick jokes.”
Hunt the Heathen!
On Thursday, September 9th, at 5:30 PM on the Quad, SHAFT will have its opening social: a water balloon fight!
From the Facebook event page:
Is there really any better way to say “let’s be friends” than to throw things at a person? We think not. So join us, Thursday evening. If the weather is awful, we’ll socialize in Old Main 201 with games and a movie. If the weather is great, we look forward to meeting you on the battlefield. For those not inclined to getting wet in either case, Old Main 201 will be available with games and/or a movie.
Please come prepared to get wet or at least with a good avoidance plan. See you there!
The SHAFT site turns one year old!
USU SHAFT first met as an official club two years ago. It wasn’t until last August, however, that we decided to launch this site. (Nick Venturella is the technical guru behind the site’s creation and upkeep).
The SHAFT site has been a success that far exceeded anyone’s expectations. It has strengthened our group’s sense of community and served as an important forum for critical religious dialogue. And the site largely owes its success to you, the readers. You voted it “Best New Blog” in the 2009 William Law X-Mormon Awards, and your continued readership and participation have made this among the most popular sites of its kind.
Here are some of the site’s stats over one year of activity:
A demographic survey of SHAFTers
The future of SHAFT
The school year is quickly coming to a close, and so too is my undergraduate career—I am a senior and will be graduating this semester. And because I’m leaving Utah State University, I’ve been reflecting on my time here.
Many of my fondest memories will be of SHAFT. I have been involved with the group as an officer since its inception in Spring 2008. SHAFT has introduced me to some amazing people and, more generally, has given the secular community a much needed presence on campus. I think we all have reason to be proud of what SHAFT has accomplished.
There has been some discussion recently over what the future of SHAFT should be, however. SHAFT’s mission, as I understand it, is two-fold: (1) provide a fun and safe community for non-theistic students, and (2) promote skepticism (of ourselves and others), scientific literacy, and secular humanist values. There is a slight tension between these objectives. Were SHAFT only a social and support group for atheists, then we run the risk of groupthink. But when we neglect this social/support aspect of SHAFT, we could alienate those who most need SHAFT—people who have been ostracized from family and friends because of their religious doubts or disbelief.
I am convinced that both purposes of SHAFT are vital, so there must be a balancing act. The criticism (and it may well be a legitimate one) that has been leveled at me lately is that I have not struck the appropriate balance. So for the benefit of next year’s officers, let’s discuss what the future of SHAFT should be. Answering the following questions will help inform our discussion:
What has been your favorite SHAFT event? Why?
What has been your least favorite event? Why?
Do you have event ideas for next year? Please share.
Should SHAFT be more accommodating of religious people and their concerns, or less?
To what extent should SHAFT practice self-criticism and challenge atheism?
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your interest in this club. I am going to miss SHAFT, but I am also excited to see how it will evolve. I trust next year’s officers to do a phenomenal job, and they should have your confidence too.
SHAFT’s 2010-2011 officers:
Administrative – Mike Otteson
Activities – Chris Gardner
Public Relations – Mike Linford
Advertising – Caitlin Laughlin
Atheist bake sale!
Tomorrow (Tuesday) SHAFT will be on the TSC patio selling baked goods from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. This event was very successful last year, and I hope it continues to be a SHAFT tradition in the future.
All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. So please stop by, enjoy a treat, and contribute to a good cause!
And if you would like to make some stuff for the table (cookies, brownies, etc.), it would be greatly appreciated. Just remember that all goods must be individually wrapped.
Introduce yourself
At a blog like this, it’s easy to be pigeonholed into labels—usually “atheist” or “theist.” I am assuredly an atheist, but that’s not all I am. You and I should take this post as an opportunity to introduce ourselves as more than just an atheist or theist, because understanding each other as people and not just points of view makes for better discussions.
And while many who frequent this blog are members of USU SHAFT and are friends, other visitors have never been to a club meeting and may not even attend Utah State. This is yet another reason why introductions are in order.