Cave Time: Anthropology Open House

By CLAIRE WINTER

This past Tuesday, Beloit’s Anthropology Department hosted an open house at the Godfrey Anthropology Building in conjunction with the Anthropology Club. The event featured free food made by Beloit’s anthropology professors (a classic), the allure of the alleged cave exhibit (spooky), and Professor Leslie William’s dog, Frecki (very cute).

Evelyn Manchester’25, an Anthropology major and coordinator at the event, says that the goal of the open house was “to give students the opportunity to check out the department, meet the professors, get some declaration cards signed, and get a better understanding of what we’re about.” And it seems that this combo worked- at the time that I walked in, there was a line out the door for food, as well as more people than I’ve ever seen in Godfrey at one time. (Granted, I only take night classes there, so…). 

“I think it worked well in the end because we had about 60 people come through,” Manchester said. “The credit belongs to the Anthro professors, Anthro club, and the Logan Museum staff. They made all the food and supplied the dog. I just had the fun job of traumatizing people with the cave.”

Which brings us to the mysterious third draw. While free food and dogs pretty much guarantee an automatic yes from any college student, the anthropology department offered one more enticement: The Cave. 

Personally, I had always thought people were messing with me when they talked about the cave, the same way people talk about the sub-sub floor of Pearson’s, or meat from Commons that is cooked correctly. A mere myth to confuse freshmen. But no. Midway through my visit, Manchester produced a set of keys and led several of us all through the Logan Museum and down a set of stairs. I won’t spoil the rest, but suffice it to say it was all that I heard it cracked up to be. 

The Anthropology Department will be hosting another open house in the fall semester, for those who were unlucky enough to miss this one. Alternatively, Manchester says, you can just stop by during the week. “The whole department is always happy to chat and there’s a really good chance you’ll run into Freki if you stop by Professor William’s office!” 

_{Featured image: Beloit College}