The recently chartered Food For Thought club is a philosophy club designed to bring a dialogue about ethics to campus. 

In the ASWU meeting introducing this club, the announcement was made that the club has five officers and 10 people attended their first meeting.

Junior philosophy major Julienne Cabaluna is the director of the club.

Cabaluna said that the club is “a safe space in which a variety of topics may be discussed.” 

Topics regarding political, social, and ethical ideas are chosen by club members for discussion. 

“We prioritize the voice of the student body,” Cabaluna said. “Every meeting is mediated and all who wish to participate in active discussion will have a chance to have their voice heard,” Cabaluna says. 

The goal of Food for Thought is to “form an inclusive space for students to engage in open-minded and mediated discussion through a wide variety of topics,” Cabaluna said. 

All three philosophy professors, Keith Wyma, Nate King and Joshue Orozco, are advisors for Food for Thought. 

Wyma spoke to the breadth that philosophy offers. 

“Whatever you want to do, whatever you’re interested in, there is philosophy of/about that,” Wyma says. Fields like religion, politics, sports, art, and science all are common topics in philosophy. 

King believes that Food for Thought will appeal to the subjects students enjoy and the interests they have. 

“The group is open to anyone who likes food and enjoys stimulating discussions about important topics in the company of people who care about the truth,” King says. 

According to King, Whitworth philosophy majors work hard to create the environment they want. 

“These students display the kind of curiosity one hopes to see embodied at a liberal arts college like Whitworth,” King said. 

Students of disciplines outside of philosophy are also invited to join.

“We invite anyone who has any level of interest or knowledge in philosophy,” Cabaluna says. “Food For Thought is not just a philosophy club. Think of it as a potluck of ideas.”

Philosophy will also be traditionally applied to conversations, according to Wyma, with the conversational element being emphasized. Ideas are explored “in a relaxed conversation where relevant insights of philosophy can also be applied,” he said. 

Students are encouraged to join in the conversation, in the pursuit of truth and intelligence. Food is provided at every meeting, and there is always a professor in attendance to moderate the conversations and keep people engaged. 

Food For Thought meets every other Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Robinson 141, and people are free to come and go as they please. Their next meeting will take place Wednesday, Oct. 23.