Philosophy has been a long-standing club at Oak Park High School. You can find club members engaging with presentations and casual discussions every Monday at lunch in F-8.

The club serves as a comfortable place for students to come by and learn about different outlooks on life and ideologies, spanning different centuries and philosophers.

“In meetings, we discuss quite a range,” co-president Avery Nguyen said. “We start out the year more structured such as on Marcus Aurelius. But as the year goes on it gets more fluid. Last year we had multiple presentations on the ethics of Batman. And, of course, even in structured meetings we talk about whatever’s going on on campus or in the news.”

Members participate in the club by not just listening to presentations but also being able to give their own, depending on what interests them.

“We engage with everyone by encouraging members to put on their own presentations,” Nguyen said. “Our club is just meant to encourage learning about philosophy, in an informal and social environment.”

The club welcomes all members, no matter their previous knowledge of the material.

“I think studying philosophy is critical to analyzing all the information that flies at us,” Nguyen said. “Understanding the perspective that an individual may be applying or writing from is not only important in an academic space but for building tolerance and empathy.”