The Anthropology Club is a VSU club available for all students.

Anthropology is all about embracing diversity and understanding cultural differences while appreciating and being sensitive to them, to be a global citizen.

The goal is to help students envision themselves as global citizens and understand that the things they do, even in Valdosta, Georgia, have an impact globally.

“Anthropology is the study of the human species and their relative primates through space and time.” Anna-Marie Stahl, the club president, said.

Stahl is a sophomore French major but has taken a special interest in anthropology.

The Anthropology Club is advised by Dr. Shelly Yankovskyy, a VSU anthropology and sociology professor.

Dr. Yankovskyy graduated from VSU as the president of the Anthropology Club and, after completing her Ph.D., came back to enlighten other students as a professor and advisor.

The Anthropology Club offers many community service opportunities, like food drives and other amazing experiences. A study abroad program to Ecuador is an upcoming trip available to students.

The Ecuador trip will be from June 7 to June 29.

Students will spend three weeks in Quito, Ecuador, going on many excursions like to volcanoes, the Papallacta Hot Springs, the Indian Mountains, the Mindo Cloud Forest and America’s largest artisanal market in Chota Valley.

There will also be anthropology and sociology courses given at Universidad San Francisco.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Stahl said. “It’s hard to be a global citizen mentally, as in put yourself in their shoes, when you don’t have the ability to see that everything does connect. Anthropology here tends to be more hypothetical, but having hands-on experience is a lot nicer and helps people learn because there are different learning styles there.”

You do not have major or minor in anthropology or sociology to go on the trip.

Although there is just the Anthropology Club, anthropology and sociology go hand in hand.

“When you get a degree here in anthropology, it’s in sociology and anthropology, but you can concentrate in sociology or anthropology,” Dr. Yankovskyy said.

They may be combined, but students have the option to concentrate on either anthropology or sociology, in which they will have classes mainly catered to that specific subject.

“I want to come back and be an anthropology professor, so I think this will help me be able to explain things better to my students and connect,” Nashia Wesley, a senior anthropology and sociology major said.

Wesley is also the Vice President of the Anthropology Club.

Contact Stahl at astahl@valdosta.edu or Dr. Yankovskyy at sayankovskyy@valdosta.edu for more information on the club or the study abroad trip.

Financial aid and many scholarships are available for assistance. Dr. Yankovskyy will help with scholarships, due dates and any questions related to the trip or anthropology and sociology.

Club meetings take place on the last Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m. in the library.

Written by Nia Thompson, Staff Reporter. Photo courtesy of VSU.