Taylor Swift fans everywhere can rest easy because SLU Swift Society is here to stay.

The organization’s mission is to bring Taylor Swift fans across campus together to discuss all things Swift related and make friends through the common interest of Swift. SLU Swift Society is for all fans of Swift, no matter how hardcore they are or not. 

Mendenhall calls the organization an opportunity “to be together and share love of Taylor Swift,” and create “a culture of friendship” through this common interest.

Seniors Megan Mendenhall and Maddy Wysocky founded the SLU Swift Society (SSS) in September 2022. Mendenhall serves as the organization’s President and Wysocky is the Vice President. They were inspired to start this organization after recognizing the large Swiftie fan base present at SLU.

Mendenhall’s lifelong love with Swift began when she was 7 years old and “Fearless” came out. She fondly remembers listening to “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” with her parents and sister. However, her love was solidified when she went to Swift’s “Speak Now” tour and Swift spoke to her and her family on stage during the song “Long Live.” 

During the pandemic, Mendenhall loved listening to “folklore,” and felt that the record and the fandom helped support her through the months of isolation. 

A typical SSS meeting typically revolves around an overarching theme. In the past, SSS has hosted Taylor Swift trivia, a March Madness music video competition and friendship bracelet making. Each meeting ends with karaoke for the entire group to a Taylor Swift song selected by Senior Music Chair, Miah Cramer. 

On Saturday Apr. 22, 2023, SSS hosted their biggest event of the year: a Taylor Swift-themed Dance Party. Inspired by the Taylorfest evenings that have been hosted all over the world, this celebration is one of the main reasons Mendenhall and Wysocky wanted to start the organization in the first place. 

Mendenhall was thrilled with the dance party’s turnout and success. She said, “The event was super successful. We had a great turnout of almost 60 people, and I’m very excited to start this annual tradition. For next year I can’t wait to see how our next executive board plans the party and now that we’re under SGA make it an even bigger deal on campus.”

In March 2023, SSS applied to officially become a chartered organization and were successful. Mendenhall describes the process as being “long, and has a lot of steps,” which made it disheartening at first. However, she’s grateful to have gone through the process for the organization’s future success. 

Now that SSS is an official student organization, Mendenhall looks forward to what they will be able to accomplish. After receiving their official budget, SSS is excited about hosting more events. They most recently have elected their Executive Board for 2023-24. 

As the year comes to a close, Mendenhall wants to thank SSS’s first Executive Board, which also included Senior Maeve Wolff as the Secretary, Senior Abbie Wallis as the Treasurer, Senior Juliana Cortese as the Communications Chair and Junior Emily Slocum as the Events Chair.

Mendenhall is extremely proud of how far SSS has come and cannot wait to see what the next Executive Board does. 

Mendenhall reflected fondly on her experience with SSS: “I just always think of the quote that Taylor [Swift] says, which is that ‘The worst kind of person is someone who makes fun of someone for enjoying something,’ and I think [SSS] has found that people have been really supportive, even if they are not fans.” 

The SLU Swift Society has created a space for fans across West Pine, and Mendenhall is grateful for the community of shared love for Taylor Swift.

If you are interested in joining the SLU Swift Society, you can follow their Instagram and join their GroupMe. Dues are not required to attend meetings, but members who pay their $13 dues receive special perks and benefits.