Sophomore Mason Brown thinks “college is about more than just going to class.”
This sentiment will be shared on Thursday, Sept. 8th from noon to 3 p.m., when more than 100 university organizations will be looking to engage students at this year’s Fall Activities Fair on the Great Lawn.
During the event, students will browse tables and exhibits set up by the various groups, all implementing their own strategies to accommodate various interests and recruit new members.
The St. John’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s table will display quilts, poster boards and honors received.
Cameron Watkins, a senior and president of the NAACP chapter at St. John’s, said these visual aids are intended to spread the organization’s message of making a difference and being advocates for the community.
Watkins also spoke of the Fair’s significance for freshmen.
“It’s effective,” he said. “It gives them a chance to go to each table and understand what each organization is about.”
The Korean Campus Crusade for Christ will have a table at the fair where visitors can receive information on the ministry and how to get involved.
Peter Park, President of KCCC, welcomes all interested students to join the organization. “We are not a Korean-exclusive ministry,” he said. “We want our members to really have an opportunity to meet God personally through group meetings and various events.”
Those perusing the Physician Assistant Association’s table will find literature on the academic program itself, scrapbooks and poster boards detailing past charitable events the group has participated in like breast cancer walks and their involvement with Ronald McDonald House.
Natasha Vaduthala, a sophomore and Secretary of the Physician Assistant Association, highlighted the importance for aspiring physician assistants to join the organization, which she described as a tight-knit group whose work ultimately leads to networking benefits with those in the business.
“It’s all about helping them get into the field after they graduate,” she said.
Vaduthala also thinks the event is especially important for underclassmen,
“As freshmen, they’re so overwhelmed. Everything’s being thrown at them,” she said. “[The Activities Fair] actually shows the different types of diverse interests the school caters to. Instead of going and finding out the hard way, they can just come to the members already in organizations to see what it’s about.”
Freshmen Danielle Segarra and Keviann Adams are planning to attend the fair, and possibly add some activities to their routine of class, the fitness center, and DAC After Dark events.
Gerald Robertson, a junior, said the Activities Fair is particularly beneficial for students who are far from home.
“If you’re coming from far away, getting involved in campus activities gives students a chance to identify with one another,” he said.