Douglas Pratt was interested in cars from a very young age, so when he learned Temple would be getting a Motor Vehicle Association this semester, he wanted to get in on the action.
“I thought it was really cool they were starting up a club, so I decided to join,” said Pratt, a senior criminal justice major who now serves as the association’s secretary.
The Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University, or MVATU, is a new student organization for automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts. Headed by Thomas Joyce, a junior psychology major, the group’s first meeting was held Nov. 18 with about a dozen interested members in attendance.
Adam Wojcik, a junior mechanical engineering major, said a flyer connected him to Joyce and the organization, of which he is now the vice president.
“We’re [a club] interested in cars, bikes, anything with motors,” Wojcik said.
The meeting opened with new members introducing themselves and discussing their own personal interests in motor vehicles, what they currently drive and their dream cars.
Although the organization is only a few months in the works, MVATU’s officers have some big ideas for marketing their organization.
The group is planning a few possible charity events, like a remote control car race tournament. The organization also hopes to plan a trip to the Philadelphia Auto Show this February and organize a Temple auto show at the beginning of next semester.
“[We hope to see] a few hundred members, hopefully more,” Wojcik said. “We’re going to try to do good for the community as well, to give back.”
The organization also hopes to raise environmental awareness through panel discussions on topics like carbon offsetting.
“A lot of times the sustainability efforts get overlooked in car clubs,” Pratt said.
Another panel on road trip readiness is also in the works. The organization anticipates this will promote road safety and an educated student population. These panels, as well as the organization’s other events, will be open to all Temple students, in an effort to raise campus awareness and attract new members.
Currently, membership for MVATU is free for the rest of this academic year. But beginning next fall, the organization plans to collect fees to support more club activities like a park-and-meet event at theme park Six Flags.
The organization’s next meeting will be Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Room 367A.
Gabriella Lobitz can be reached at gabriella.lobitz@temple.edu.
Editor’s Note: Thomas Joyce, founder of the Motor Vehicle Association of Temple University, is also a photographer for The Temple News. He did not contribute in the editing process of this article.
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