Student Involvement Fair fosters community and belonging Students explore new interests and hobbies

Crowds of students congregated outside of the Student Center on Sept. 4 to attend Eastern Connecticut State University's annual Student Involvement Fair and President's Picnic. The fair highlighted the campus' various clubs and organizations, including academic, cultural, leadership, service, recreational and sports clubs.

With 110 student clubs, organizations, campus departments and partners in attendance, students had the opportunity to explore their hobbies and discover new interests. More than 400 students attended the fair.

Jenfrey Florentino, assistant director of student activities, helped coordinate the event. "The fair went on without a hitch. The students were extremely engaged, the weather was beautiful, food was great and every (club)had several sign-ups," said Florentino. "I also enjoyed seeing students interact with President Ismaili."

The purpose of the Student Involvement Fair is to get students involved with their various hobbies, interests and communities while building a more interlinked campus community. A common theme throughout the attending student organizations seemed to revolve around community and belonging.

Diana Gonzalez, vice president of the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS), said that her favorite part of OLAS is "learning from other Latino students about their own countries and sharing my own culture.

"We had about 50 to 60 people come to our table," said Gonzalez. "People seemed excited to see a club where they felt like they'd fit in." OLAS strives to create a space and community for Latin American students on campus.

Anotherclub at the fair was the Gamer's Guild, which hosts a multitude of board games and video games for players of all skill levels to enjoy. "Some people were just browsing," said club president Kevin Garrity. "Some people really lit up when conversing. We also had good engagement with (first-year students)."

Along with the various organizations at the fair, Chartwells provided catered food options, including fried macaroni and cheese bites, ice cream and potstickers. During the two hours of the Involvement Fair, the food tents consistently drew a crowd.