By Lily Kalczewski
Correspondent
Crowded and hot, but filled with excitement and enthusiasm for the start of a new semester, the Activities Fair was a hit. There was a myriad of students swarming the roughly 175 student organizations’ tables lining the pathway from Alumni Grove to the Social Sciences Building on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Among the organizations at the fair were club sports, Greek Life, volunteer organizations and other student organizations, ranging from Student Government and Club Bowling to German Club and Treblemakers a Capella group.
The upbeat tunes 91.3 FM played upbeat tunes and other clubs handed out candy and fliers to prospective new-comers, but the Alpha Chi Ro fraternity got passersby attention with the company of its dog, Lucy, attracting the students. The fraternity and sorority tables appeared to be the most populous area of the pathway, but, nonetheless, all the clubs had a significant amount of potential members signing up at their tables.
Though all the students have their own reasons for joining multiple clubs, freshman nursing major Nikki Huang said she signed up for the Student Nurses’ Association to gain more knowledge about her area of study. In addition, Huang joined the Asian American Association to learn more about her own culture.
Students also joined clubs to satisfy their desires to volunteer and create a better community.
“I joined She’s the First because I had an interest in a service organization,” said junior elementary education and math double major Daniel Hardaker. Students at the College typically get involved in a few different organizations. Hardaker is also a member of PRISM.
Sophomore Maureen Hudson, an elementary urban education and STEM double major, found that, similarly to Hardaker, she joined a club based around her personal values.
“I joined The Circle of Compassion because I liked the message of compassion being the underlying meaning of all religions,” Hudson said.
She has been a member since last year, and this semester she’s the one looking to recruit prospective members.
The same goes for senior Danny Kaplan, a secondary education and history double major, who has been a member of Circle K for two years now. He joined to make friends and to become more involved in the community, as clubs are a great way to meet people and create friendships.
Overall, involvement in student organization can truly add to a college experience, and it appears students at the College agree based on the long list of names filling club sign-up sheets. Student Organizations provide a sense of belonging, and by becoming a member, students can find friendships, comfort, creative release and enjoyment. Whether a student is a chemist, soccer player, singer or future politician, at the College, students are able to find an organization suitable for them, since there are so many to choose from — there’s even a club for those rare out-of-state students.
Whether it’s learning more about your culture, finding people with the same interests or just wanting to help out, clubs are a great way to enhance your college experience.
