Extracurricular Activities & Student Organizations - Quad Cities Campus - Western Illinois University

Quad Cities Campus

Extracurricular Activities

The WIU-QC College of Arts & Sciences programs now boast two unique and active student organizations. As described further below, the Liberal Arts & Sciences Student Organization (LASSO) is aimed broadly at building an exciting intellectual culture and new opportunities for liberal arts & sciences students, while the Interdisciplinary English and the Arts Society (IDEAS) is especially dedicated to building opportunities related to literature and the arts.

Art Institute trip attendees (most of them)

A group of students, staff, and faculty, plus family and friends, after a day at the Arts Institute of Chicago bus trip.

Here are some of the events organized by these groups in recent semesters:

Annual Chicago charter-bus trips to the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Dusable Museum of African American History, the Field Museum, and the Arts Institute of Chicago
Trips to watch performances of the Vagina Monologues
Lectures, guided tours, and other visits to the FIGGE art museum and the Putnam science museum in Davenport
Presidential debate and election night viewing parties
An annual resumé-building conversation with representatives of local employers about the post-liberal-arts-degree job market
Dinner and a Lecture nights, most recently with talks by internationally-famous environmentalist Bill McKibben, science writer Michael Shermer, and gay rights activist and University of Iowa student Zach Wahls

Wahls dinner

Dinner before a lecture by Zach Wahls about growing up with two moms.

And here are even more:

A "Big Read" panel discussion about Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 at the Moline Public Library
Coffee House Bashes and Open Mic Nights including lots of student-composed short stories and poetry readings (complete with contest prizes)
Screenings of short films and poster presentations featuring great African American writers, musicians, and other major historical figures
Celebration of Banned Books Week
A Women's History Month pay equity bake sale
A Darwin Day celebration with biologist and geneticist guest speakers from the University of Iowa
Service nights at a Rock Island men's shelter

matt brown speaking at darwin day