Raising the Barn

The “raising of the barn,” to create a new place for the Museum of Anthropology on Utah State University campus, is in motion.

The USU Museum of Anthropology has been around since 1963, when Dr. Gordon Keller, the first USU anthropology professor, arranged the first exhibit displays in the basement of Old Main.

Since then, plans have been made to move the museum from the second floor of Old Main, into the Old Art Barn. Right next to the barn is planned to be a new welcome center for USU.

“The building itself is a historical landmark, so that means they can’t tear it down,” said Holly Andrew, staff assistant in the anthropology program. “The alternative solution that our program director proposed, was to make museum space and a visitor center for our school because we don’t have one.”

Anita Gamez, a member on the executive board of the anthropology club, is hopeful and excited for student involvement.

“We do a lot of outreach to the community but it’s really hard when the museum is on the second floor of Old Main,” Gamez said. “We have a lot of exhibits but they are just jammed together. If we had more room we could do a lot more.”

The anthropology department and the club interact with the museum quite often, according to Andrew.

“We have a very active museum-studies program,” she said. “It is so hands-on and having a bigger space will let these guys do some more really cool stuff.”

The anthropology club helps the museum with activities throughout the year.

“The biggest thing we help out with is homecoming,” said Josh Clementz, a member on the executive board of the anthropology club. “The museum always has a parade float and usually about 50 to 60 percent of the students helping with that are a part of the anthropology club.”

“These guys help out a lot with our major fair, which helps get people aware of what you can do as an anthropology major,” Andrew said. “It’s just ways of getting the students be active which will be really helpful when it comes to getting jobs to show that you’re really active and supportive of your major.”

The anthropology club likes to enhance the academics of anthropology with fun activities to make things more interesting.

“We made a murder mystery dinner called ‘Who Killed the Last Neanderthal,’” Clementz said. “It was about someone killing a neanderthal and we interwove actual theories about the neanderthal and their life history in genetics so it would be both fun and educational.”

“It’s fun to network with your peers,” Andrew said. “If you actually participate in a club, you get to know more of what you can do with your field.”