On Thursday, Sept. 15, Rowan’s photography club held its first meeting of the semester. In room 105, Westby Hall students of various majors, including RTF, graphic design and digital media were all welcomed to 2 dozen boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts and Lay’s chips as the e-board members prepared an introductory presentation.

Room 105 proved to be an optimal space for the photography club as it featured a greenscreen area, multiple lighting fixtures, and long tables for the workshop. Though the e-board members assumed the teacher’s seat while preparing their slideshow, President Kevin Myers started off by stating that he and the board consider themselves on the same level as all other members. 

“The time spent in this club is not a time for me up here lecturing at the board but a time for every member to work on something they haven’t been able to finish during class or some project at home they want to bring to life on campus,” said Myers, “It’s a workshop for everybody. Even if they have nothing to do and just want to come here to sit around, it’s another reason to come by. That’s what us photographers do, after all, sit around for inspiration.” 

During the slideshow, Kevin wrote down the different types of photography on the whiteboard and laid out the separate parts of a camera. He also noted that during the semester the club would be venturing outside to do “Photowalks” where members have the opportunity to find campus spots and get inspired for their projects.

Kevin also opened the floor to contests they could do within the club so that more photography students get the well-earned recognition they need for their portfolios. 

After the introduction was complete, the members were prompted to join a Kahoot game. Because Kahoot charges for more than twenty people to join, the members were asked to share their phones and work with a partner to come up with responses. 

This proved to be an effective way of introducing photography knowledge and a fun icebreaker to get to know each of the members. One of the True/False questions was “The higher the number (millimeter) on a camera lens, the more zoomed in it is.” When it was revealed as being true, those who got it correct exalted with shouts of “yes” and fist bumps while those who got it wrong sighed and whispered, “I thought I knew that”. 

The e-board also mentioned that they’re in need of a new senator for the club. Vice President Matt Mastej vouched that members should not feel daunted by its responsibilities.

“All you have to do is show up to the SGA meetings, and don’t get me wrong, they’re long meetings, but it’s a good position to have on your resume. The biggest thing is just communication with the board, tell us you’ll be there on time and what meetings you can attend and you’ll be in our good graces,” said Mastej. “Most of the time you won’t even have to talk at the meetings so you’re more than encouraged to bring homework. Did I also say that they usually give out food?”

When asked about the mission of Rowan’s photo club, President Kevin Myers took a moment to collect his thoughts, then responded, “Our mission is to ultimately create another space here on campus where students can relate to each other and gain knowledge from making those connections of shared interests,” said Myers, “As a film production major, some of the best connections I’ve made were here on campus from the clubs I joined. We need these types of clubs to push students into connecting with each other because that’s how ideas start to form.” 

Compared to some of the older clubs at Rowan, the Photography Club is one of the newer additions to the campus as the club first met back in 2020 before COVID ended in-person meetings. Since then, the club has taken a hiatus, and this semester marks their return.  The Photography Club and its members breathe new life into the campus, and provides students with a space to inject their personalities. 

To get in contact with the e-board, all you have to do is go to the club’s website. You can follow Rowan Photography Club on Instagram @rowanphotoclub and join their discord. To officially sign up for the club you must sign up through the Proflink.

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