The 2023 Fall Involvement Fair took place on Sept. 6, covering the Student Union and Academic Mall with tables and tents displaying the many clubs and organizations students can join here on campus.
The Involvement Fair occurs every second Wednesday of the semester, giving students a chance to get involved in clubs that suit their interests and for organizations to provide general information to any intrigued students. The fair showcases not just student clubs, but various university departments and non–profit community organizations that students can be a part of.
“The hope is that students attending the event can find a community and get involved, as well as learn about the different resources available to them on campus,” said Program Coordinator of Involvement and Student Organizations Abe van Helmond.
According to Helmond, the staff of the Student Involvement & Activities started working on the fair in May, making sure that the registration for each organization ran smoothly and that the fair was marketed enough so students were aware of when and where the event was being held.
“We hope that students attending the fair receive something out of it, but the organizations that attend also rely on these students to lead these organizations, so this is a great recruiting tool for many student organizations as well,” Helmond said.
Octavio Ibarra said that he really enjoys the Involvement Fair because rather than simply setting up a table on campus that many students typically walk past, most attendees of the fair stop by your table and take a look at what your booth has to offer. Ibarra is a senior business management and entrepreneur major and a part of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.
“We get to put our name out there and let people know about our fraternity a little easier. It’s also a good way to meet new faces,” Ibarra said.
Many organizations featured at the fair are open to all students with little to no requirements needed to join and become a member. Whether students had previous knowledge or none at all to the topics certain organizations focused on, existing members who were leading each booth took the time to inform students on what they were all about and where they could find more information.
“The best thing about it is definitely interacting with all of the student body anytime they have questions or want to join. My favorite part is just talking to everyone and how different everyone is coming by, it’s lovely,” said Coby Oskilanec, a junior secondary education major and member of the Lowkey Art Therapy club.
First-year Pre-Business student Sujal Tretina said that he enjoyed the clubs that related directly to his major and how he could learn topics that were specific to his major by joining these clubs.
“In my first year, I decided I wanted to get involved in college, so it lasts me throughout my college life,” Tretina said. “I would definitely come to another fair like this because there’s always different things you can learn, and even if I don’t want to join it, at least knowing it’s there makes me feel good.”
