Students walk on Fairfield Way during the fall Involvement Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. New and returning students were welcomed by over 500 clubs and organizations. (Ashley Maher/The Daily Campus)
With the start of the fall semester underway, the University of Connecticut held its Fall Involvement Fair Wednesday on Fairfield Way from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. New and returning students were welcomed by over 500 clubs and organizations.
“It is a really good idea to get people involved and out of their dorms. I was really surprised at how many people were there, despite how hot it was,” fifth-semester communication major Joe Shiels said.
As a new member of the Storrs campus, Shiels – who previously attended the UConn Waterbury campus – embraced the involvement fair with an open mind.
“I wanted to explore what they had to offer and what would interest me,” he said.
From academic, volunteer, performance, sports and countless other special interest groups, the Involvement Fair offers every student the opportunity to find an organization to get involved in.
For individuals interested in health and fitness, UConn offers a wide variety such as the Allied Health Sciences club, Gymnastics, Nutrition club and Yoga Sangha.
Those interested in performing and visual arts can join the Rock Ensemble, Photography club, Illustration club or Agents of Improv, among others.
A student receives an informational handout during the fall Involvement Fair on Fairfield Way on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. (Amar Batra/The Daily Campus)
After a rough winter that cancelled the spring involvement fair, clubs set up their displays as tables lined up on Fairfield Way.
“It was really hard last semester because they cancelled it in the spring,” said Garrett Grothe, an eighth semester student and president of the Vietnamese Student Association.
This time around, the VSA spent several hours on their display to get their name out there and attract new members, Grothe said.
“For our club it is a little different, most of our members join before the involvement fair because it is a specialized interest group,” fourth semester marketing public relations representative of the UConn Figure Skating club, Lindsay Tenenbaum, said.
Other students, such as sixth-semester finance major Cortney Nastri, went into the involvement fair not knowing what UConn had to offer.
“What drew me to some clubs over others were the potential for professional opportunities such as networking and internships,” Nastri said.
After being asked what clubs she liked most, Nastri said, “I was very surprised at how many business clubs and societies there were. WHUS seemed very cool too.”
Those unable to sign up can visit uconntact.uconn.edu to see a full list of all the clubs available and contact information.
Angie DeRosa is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at angelina.derosa@uconn.edu. She tweets @theangiederosa.
