The Philosophy Society

Our History. Your Legacy.

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  • Past Iterations

    The current Philosophy Society was not the only or the first of its kind. Once upon a time, there was another Philosophy Society at Brooklyn College. We do not know who its members were, or how the group faded away, but we occasionally see traces of their legacy and their impact. There might have even been more than one in the past.... Although, the group(s) have since disbanded and graduated, we owe them for the current incarnation of the Philosophy Society. Without them as our predecessors we likely would not have the idea to carry on their mantle.

  • Humble Beginnings

    The Society's current iteration first began during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A small group of philosophy students, amidst a time where connection were hard to come by, saw the need for a way to connect and talk about the complex issues they were confronted with in classes. The group was led by Professor Lindauer and Professor Gotlib and connected with one another through the Summer of 2021. In the Fall of 2021, the group began to expand and attract more attention, and it was then that the idea to form an official club began floating around.

  • The Founding Members

    With online learning still the norm, even established clubs struggled to operate normally. The Philosophy Society, originally slated to debut as an official club in the Spring of 2022, met delays as pandemic communication barriers and paperwork to become an official club proved challenging. Nonetheless, the then acting President of the unofficial group, and original author of the Club's Constitution; Grace Powell; laid down the foundations for the next generation of Brooklyn College Philosophers to take charge.

  • It's Official

    Using the constitution, club application, and other major contributions by Grace and other founding members, the Philosophy Society became an officially registered club in the Fall of 2022. There was, however one problem, Grace had graduated and the club was in need of a new President, its first official one. With the recommendation and assistance of Professor Gotlib, President Angela Sierra was introduced to the club's E-Board and checked the final box for the club's official listing. Marking the official start of the Philosophy Society.

A picture of the plaque awarded to the Original Philosophy Society is featured on the right. It can be found in the Philosophy Department's Office located in room 3308 Boylan Hall.

The First Philosophy Society Crest - Credit to Former President Angela Sierra

Fun Fact: The first crest only stayed in use for less than 2 weeks. However, after the Spring 2023 Semester, the society returned to using the first crest, but due to extensive use of the second crest, both crests are often used interchangeably. Keep an eye out!

The Second Philosophy Society Crest - Credit to Former President Angela Sierra

The Philosophy Society acknowledges the following members (both official and unofficial), faculty, alumni, organizations, and guests for their contributions.

Background image: The Original Philosophy Society Logo features a picture of Socrates in a Brooklyn College Bulldogs jersey. - Credit to former President Grace Powell

All Past and Current Society Leaders:

Presidents: Grace Powell, Angela Sierra, Arianna Lall

Vice Presidents: Nicholas Plaksin, John Petrara, Andre Howell (Interim)

Treasurers: Andre Howell, Tony Joseph

Secretaries: Anson O'Connor, Rayan Mamoon, Mujibur Shaad

Club Connectors: Nicole Zinuhova, Nicholas Plaksin, Attiya Kalair

Alumni Representatives: Andre Howell, Angela Sierra, Rayan Mamoon

Faculty Advisor(s): Matthew Lindauer, Anna Gotlib

Deputy Officers:

The  BC Philosophy Department

The Philosophy Department for their support and sponsorship for our club's goal, including but not limited to; Anna Gotlib (Faculty Advisor), Matthew Lindauer (Faculty Advisor), Christine Vitrano (Guest Speaker) Daniel Campos (Guest Speaker & sponsor), Kobie Colemon (Speaker), Ashley Campbell (Office Manager), Robert Lurz (Speaker), Michael Menser (Speaker) and the many more faculty and staff that helped contribute to our success.

Organizations and Sponsors

BC Undergraduate Student Government (USG), American Medical Students Association (AMSA), Student Forensics Speech and Debate Team, BA/MD Academic Club, The BC Vanguard Newspaper, BC Student Activities & S.A.I.L , The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), The Alzheimer's Association (NYC Chapter).

E-Board Members (Unofficial and Official). Original E-Board Members are underlined and bolded.

Grace Powell, Nicole Zinuhova, Anson O'Connor, Andre Howell, Nicholas Plaksin, April Courbe, Bren Tawil, Angela Sierra, Rayan Mamoon, Jon Petrara, Attiya Kalair, Tony Joseph, Mujibur Shaad, Arianna Lall

Major Student Contributors (Non-Officers):

Christian Hoyek, Marc-Kensen Moise, Aharon Gramma, Harry Meister, Selina Nhu, Robert Adler

The Founding Members that signed the Society's Petition to Charter:

Bren Tawil, Anson O'Connor, Madeline Tawil, Charlie Seruya, Victoria Shoemaker, Grace Powell, Sarah Yazdi, Ellahou Yazdi, Leor Abettan, April Courbe, Eva Pilay, Mariyah Rajshahiwala, Andre Howell, Nicholas Plaksin, Nicole Zinuhova, Christian Hoyek, Tsotne Japharidze, Chaim Janani, Devorah Segall, Rayan Mamoon, Fehim Hoti, Simon Abramov, Khafizova, Safra Pernier, Aiman Hafeez, Hannah Lazerowitz, Jesse Brennan

Guest Speakers and Alumni (Non-BC Faculty):

JP Howard, Shane Epting, Sergio Gallegos (CUNY John Jay), Nick Tan (Alumni), Yusuf Hasan (Alumni)

The Philosophy Society thanks all of its members, sponsors, and various stakeholders for making this award possible.



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Officers

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Members

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Events

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Emails/Newsletters

Members Benefits

In addition to a great talk over lunch, the primary benefits that the Philosophy Society aims to bestow upon its members are opportunities for intellectual, personal, and career development. We strive to explore areas of interest that members want to know about, providing an avenue for discussion and exploration. In our pursuit of this members can expect to find themselves acquainted with professionals in various fields particularly those in public service, social justice and advocacy, law, medicine, philosophy, and more. Our aim is to become more than just a club dedicated to philosophy, but a community dedicated to its members' interests and development.

Events & Activities

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Exclusive Resources

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Connnections

Meeting new students with shared interest

Our Team

Anna Birbrayer Profile

Anna Birbrayer

Vice-President
Moussa Cisse Profile

Moussa Cisse

Officer
Lailah Elmegdani Profile

Lailah Elmegdani

Club Connector
Isabella Yildiz Profile

Isabella Yildiz

Secretary
Jason Espinoza Profile

Jason Espinoza

Treasurer
Fannie Feynberg Profile

Fannie Feynberg

President