Club of the Week: History Club Encourages Students to Join

Licensed by Creative Commons History club offers students opportunity to build skills and relationships.

Max Augugliaro

Contributing Writer

Are you a fan of history?  Are you interested or fascinated by any historical event?  Are you interested in traveling to various historical sites? Heck!  Do you like to play Jeopardy?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the history club should be your favorite club on campus!

“I would describe history club as a place for people who have a passion for history to come together and talk about it,” said ESU junior and history club president Claire Glackin. “History is such an important thing to study and know. To have a place where you can meet other people who think the same thing about history is great.” 

History club has recently been recognized as an official university club, but the club has been around for quite a while.   

“I’ve been the advisor since I think, either 2011 or 2012,” said the club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Christopher Dudley. “There were some students who were interested in reviving the club, which had existed before that. So, it’s gone through a long process of being a recognized club. It was a recognized club for a while…slipped out of recognition and just recently got back.” 

The history club has had its ups and downs in the past, but now it’s back and better than ever! William Grammes, ESU junior and club secretary described the club:  

“[It’s] a group of students here at ESU, both history majors and non-history majors, coming together to discuss topics within history, do activities such as trivia games and the occasional trip that we go on, along with simulations and roundtables.” 

The club travels once a year to historical sites and museums like the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pa.; Gettysburg Museum and Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa.; Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pa. and American Museum of Natural History in New York City, N.Y. 

Each meeting consists of a Jeopardy game that a different club member volunteers to create each week; however, the club has dived into different activities such as historical simulations. One simulation scenario asked the question, “Was there any way the European countries could have prevented World War I.” 

Grammes explains the goals of the history club is to provide a space for all students to come together and think critically about historical topics. He also highlights that students should ask for help with classwork and papers.

“[The club will] promote familiarity with the history and the importance of it in today’s climate,” said Grammes.

“A primary goal of the history club is to bring together history majors, minors, and other students across ESU’s campus who have a passion for and want to further develop their understanding of the discipline of history in a fun and informal setting,” Dr. Erin O’Donnell, ESU history professor.

Dr. Dudley joked as he also explained the club’s mission on campus.

“I mean I think there is probably some language about it the [club’s] constitution if you want to get really technical about it. Part of the goal, as with any club, is to be an enjoyable experience, to have some fun.  I think it’s also important to kind of let the student interact with one another outside of the classroom,” said Dr. Dudley. 

As a member of the history club since spring 2018, it has personally been a pleasure to walk in, have fun while playing Jeopardy (in some cases making them) and have a sense of family with the individuals of the club, kind of like Olive Garden! 

According to Glackin, the benefits people get from history club include time to relax, time to have fun and time to learn. Grammes said majors like education can become involved, reap the benefits of the club and take it back to the classroom. Dr. Dudley encouraged students to enjoy learning about history and the social aspect of a club to join.  

History club meets every week on Tuesdays, at 2 p.m. in Stroud Hall, Room 412.

Email Max at:

maugugliar@live.esu.edu