RSO Spotlight: Taekwon-do, Village Aid Project and Christian Challenge

As a way of chronicling the student experience at Fort Lewis College The Independent will be running a series of articles spotlighting the Registered Student Organizations on Campus. The RSOs chosen for each article are randomly generated and featured in the order they were chosen.

There is more to the college experience than merely showing up for class and turning in assignments on time.

From live music, outside lecturers, theatrical performances, movies showings and student organized rallies there are a multitude of extracurricular activities that can build onto your time at FLC

Included in this are the various Registered Student Organizations students can join, such as FLC Taekwon-do, Village Aid Project and Christian Challenge.

Taekwon-do

Taekwon-do is RSO on campus that is dedicated to teaching students as well as community members traditional han wong taekwon-do, Scott Johnson, club president, said.

Chang-Hun taekwon-do is the style of the International Taekwon-do Federation, Johnson said. ITF handles every region and type of taekwon-do since the martial arts style was officially recognized in 1955.

“We really try bringing a well rounded martial arts as well as self-defense applicable for all ages and all skill type,” he said.

Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays every week from 7 to 9 p.m. in Animas 6101, while school is in in session, he said. The club also offers classes during the summer, based on instructor availability, but not during academic breaks.

The club also provides a free monthly self-defense class for the entire community the second Wednesday of every month, Johnson said. These self-defense classes teaches students how to defend against an attacker who is larger and stronger.

Village Aid Project

Village Aid Project changed the name this year from Engineers Without Borders, a nationwide organization, Clifford Field, Village Aid Project president, said.

The name change is more inclusive for Fort Lewis College students who are not engineers, Field said.

“Engineers are just a small fraction of people who are doing this project,” he said.

The club’s mission is to provide engineering solutions to developing communities with the help of faculties, students and community partners, he said.

“Those engineering solutions typically are water and sanitation solutions, where communities do not have improved sanitation or water systems,” Field said.

Students who are a part of the club design water and sanitation systems and prepare for the implementation of projects in various villages in Nicaragua, he said.

During the 2016 fall semester, organizational and fundraising meetings are being held every other Thursday, he said. The 2017 spring semester meetings will be held every Thursday for training.

 

Christian Challenge

Christian Challenge is also nationwide organization, Chelsea Ficken, club president, said.  Fort Lewis’s Christian Challenge is a part of the organization, but is different from other locations because it is more discussion based.

Discussions are held every Tuesday night and is open to everyone, Ficken said.

“We actually really enjoy getting all kinds of points of views, because then it makes everyone think about something they may have not thought before,” she said.

Every Thursday night, two students make a dinner for everyone in the group to come together, eat and play games, Ficken said.

“It is really relaxing and a good way to build community,” she said.

Christian Challenge is known for discipleship with students and staff, she said.

“We just disciple one another, learning together and talking together,” Ficken said.

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