Students met for the first meeting of the English Club on Wednesday with new members, new advisers and a new direction. 

“It’s a club that gets excited about issues central to English,” said Xavier Cavazos, adviser of the English club. 

The grammatical side is important, but the club also lays focus on English as an art and on all the other fields the English language touches such as culture, history or psychology, Cavazos said. 

“We are really broadening what the English Club is doing,” Cavazos said.

Anyone who is interested in English outside a classroom is welcome.

“[We want to develop] an environment where students can discuss English related things without the added pressure of a classroom,” said Matthew Lamb, president of the English Club, “And instead develop a student to student relationship, discussing something we enjoy.”

Since all the past members of the English club graduated and new advisers have come in as well, students now have the opportunity to decide where they want to head with this club, Cavazos said. 

“We are just starting to get an idea of what we want to do,” Calavos said. “Me and David Oakey, the club’s adviser, have just started this year as well, but I think we are really passionate about things and excited about what we do, and that passion is contagious. I really welcome anyone with an interest in joining the English Club.”

The 20 new members of the club met only once, but projects are already in motion.

“We want to do service for the community. We want to bring speakers to the campus that the club is excited about,” Cavazos said.

Lamb said he agrees. 

“I’d like to see poets and lectures, and maybe even authors of books if we can get them,” Lamb said. 

Cavazos also plans on possibly setting a panel about a documentary of endangered languages.

“We are also looking to recruit diversity as well. Any organization gets better the more diversity it has,” Cavazos said. “That’s also why we wanted to broaden up the fields the English Club touches, to diversify the fields of the club.”

Cavazos said the club wants to get students ready for their next stage of education by doing workshops on things like how to take the Graduate Record Examinations or write an effective letter. 

“You’ll be able to develop leadership skills that can go on a CV, [a curriculum vitae,]  and hopefully through the involvement in the English Club, you will be able to write a stronger application for what ever you want to achieve in your future,” Cavazos said.