Tag Archives: club info

SHAFT: The story of Utah’s first secular student group

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(I would like to dedicate this eccentric little note of mine to my dear friend Mr. David M. Heiner. Unfortunately David is no longer with us. He was one of the original founders or the Big Five as we called ourselves then. Not only was he a staunch atheist who loved to ruffle everyone’s feathers, but he was more importantly one of the nicest, most loving people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. David never got to see any of the success that SHAFT has had, which is the gravest of shames. I think he loved the club more than any of us. And I know this is going to sound cliché, But I feel his legacy is still very much alive in the club, as he lives on through it now. It’s very satisfying to me that something he created is going to last for years and years to come. I’m sure he would be just as tickled as well about it, smiling that damn impervious grin of his that he was so famous for. Haha. He was residing in my thoughts as every letter of this writing spilled out of my brain onto the page, in what I’m hoping landed in a not so entropic state. And although he would have arranged the words in a much more eloquent way… this is the best I can do David, so you’re just gunna have to fucking deal with it!)

The topic that I’d like to discuss is something that is very important to me and I thought my voice might add a different perspective to the questions at hand. So, I’m taking a break from the screenplays for a little while to write this for all you lovely people.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mike Patton. I’m one of the original founding members of SHAFT. I was the main officer for the first year of our creation. I wrote the constitution of the club, organized meetings, courted professors, registered with the campus, and spammed every atheist, agnostic, non-believer, or just any all-around interesting people I could find within a 30 mile radius to join.* I was taking 18 credits at the time and it was a lot of work to build a club from scratch, but I sure did enjoy every second of it. As the club took off and became more and more exciting, I regularly spent more and more time on the club then I did on my classes. Eventually I stopped going to classes altogether…which is probably why I ended up dropping out? **Haha. But looking back on it now, I couldn’t care less about the homework. When I try to think of my most memorable times throughout my college experience, the only thing that comes to mind is all the fun I had being involved in all the clubs.

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SHAFT gets satirized

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Among highest forms of flattery is satire. If you’re a worthy target of satire, it means you’ve ‘made it’.

In the fall of 2008, SHAFT became an active student organization. When The Truant, Cache Valley’s spin-off of The Onion, got wind of our group, they wrote this article:

New USU student group to call itself SHAFT

TSC – A new student group at USU has determined, without a single trace of irony, to call itself SHAFT, standing for Secular Humanists And Free Thinkers. The new, unironic, group has dedicated itself to being smart and not believing in god, and to inspiring hilarious cock-related jokes campus-wide.

“Other student groups believe in god, which is stupid,” said Bill Washington, founder of SHAFT. “Also, we wanted our name to be an acronym capable of inspiring locker-room humor and dick jokes.”

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Hunt the Heathen!

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On Thursday, September 9th, at 5:30 PM on the Quad, SHAFT will have its opening social: a water balloon fight!

From the Facebook event page:

Is there really any better way to say “let’s be friends” than to throw things at a person? We think not. So join us, Thursday evening. If the weather is awful, we’ll socialize in Old Main 201 with games and a movie. If the weather is great, we look forward to meeting you on the battlefield. For those not inclined to getting wet in either case, Old Main 201 will be available with games and/or a movie.

Please come prepared to get wet or at least with a good avoidance plan. See you there!

The SHAFT site turns one year old!

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USU SHAFT first met as an official club two years ago. It wasn’t until last August, however, that we decided to launch this site. (Nick Venturella is the technical guru behind the site’s creation and upkeep).

The SHAFT site has been a success that far exceeded anyone’s expectations. It has strengthened our group’s sense of community and served as an important forum for critical religious dialogue. And the site largely owes its success to you, the readers. You voted it “Best New Blog” in the 2009 William Law X-Mormon Awards, and your continued readership and participation have made this among the most popular sites of its kind.

Here are some of the site’s stats over one year of activity:

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The future of SHAFT

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The school year is quickly coming to a close, and so too is my undergraduate career—I am a senior and will be graduating this semester.  And because I’m leaving Utah State University, I’ve been reflecting on my time here.

Many of my fondest memories will be of SHAFT. I have been involved with the group as an officer since its inception in Spring 2008. SHAFT has introduced me to some amazing people and, more generally, has given the secular community a much needed presence on campus. I think we all have reason to be proud of what SHAFT has accomplished.

There has been some discussion recently over what the future of SHAFT should be, however. SHAFT’s mission, as I understand it, is two-fold: (1) provide a fun and safe community for non-theistic students, and (2) promote skepticism (of ourselves and others), scientific literacy, and secular humanist values. There is a slight tension between these objectives. Were SHAFT only a social and support group for atheists, then we run the risk of groupthink. But when we neglect this social/support aspect of SHAFT, we could alienate those who most need SHAFT—people who have been ostracized from family and friends because of their religious doubts or disbelief.

I am convinced that both purposes of SHAFT are vital, so there must be a balancing act. The criticism (and it may well be a legitimate one) that has been leveled at me lately is that I have not struck the appropriate balance. So for the benefit of next year’s officers, let’s discuss what the future of SHAFT should be. Answering the following questions will help inform our discussion:

What has been your favorite SHAFT event? Why?

What has been your least favorite event? Why?

Do you have event ideas for next year? Please share.

Should SHAFT be more accommodating of religious people and their concerns, or less?

To what extent should SHAFT practice self-criticism and challenge atheism?

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your interest in this club. I am going to miss SHAFT, but I am also excited to see how it will evolve. I trust next year’s officers to do a phenomenal job, and they should have your confidence too.

SHAFT’s 2010-2011 officers:

Administrative – Mike Otteson

Activities – Chris Gardner

Public Relations – Mike Linford

Advertising – Caitlin Laughlin

Atheist bake sale!

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Tomorrow (Tuesday) SHAFT will be on the TSC patio selling baked goods from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. This event was very successful last year, and I hope it continues to be a SHAFT tradition in the future.

All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. So please stop by, enjoy a treat, and contribute to a good cause!

And if you would like to make some stuff for the table (cookies, brownies, etc.), it would be greatly appreciated. Just remember that all goods must be individually wrapped.