By Alex Piazza

The Paleontology and Archeology Club, more commonly known as just The Paleontology Club,  is a student-led and student-created club, endorsed by Dr. Jones and Mr. Stump. The club focuses on creatures and civilizations that have gone extinct. You might find members of the club participating in Kahoots, watching movies related to ancient civilizations or even debating about which dinosaurs would win in a fight. During the year, the Paleontology and Archeology Club plan to make two field trips: one to a museum and another to a dig site. 

The Paleontology and Archeology Club is headed by President Chris Patterson ‘26. He created the club this year because he didn’t like hearing that people had so many misconceptions about dinosaurs. 

“I’ve been interested in paleontology and archaeology for my whole life,” Chris said. “I’ve been, like, drawing dinosaurs on my parents walls… forever. It’s one of my favorite things. I founded the club the third week of this year and I have been thinking of starting it for a long time.”

Chris thought that there should be a club for people that were equally passionate about paleontology and archaeology, so he formed the club. 

“[The club] strives to educate the masses of Woodward about extinct species and lost civilizations,” Chris said. “[I want] to get people more interested in paleontology and archaeology, ‘cause I think it’s very cool and not enough people are interested.”

Is this the right club for you?

The Paleontology Club invites anyone with an interest in creatures that have gone extinct or bygone civilizations to come by.  For those who are interested in pursuing archaeology or paleontology as a career, the club will be hosting seminars looking into jobs in those realms. However, the club is accessible to anyone, and you don’t have to be so committed to participate in activities.

“[You need] just a general interest and be ready to learn,” Chris said. 

Club details

The club is held in room S163, and meets every other week during lunch. At the moment, there are no dues to be paid, but there could be dues for field trips. If you are interested in joining the club, you can contact Chris Patterson ([email protected]) or Ari Meeker ([email protected]).