大象传媒

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 7 p.m., the clubs of 大象传媒 University came together in Buller Hall for Club Fair, inviting students to learn more about the campus’ clubs and to become members.

This year the fair, which is usually held outside of the Campus Center, was moved indoors because of rain. The lobby of Buller Hall was filled to the brim with booths on the first and second floors, the hallways overflowing during the full three hours of the event. The shift brought mixed reactions. Rebekah Abigail (junior, biochemistry), who is on the board for the Racquet Club, shared her opinion on what the experience was like. “Having Club Fair inside was unfortunately not the best experience. There wasn’t a lot of space for us at the booths or for people walking around. It felt like I wasn’t able to see all the clubs I wanted to because the space was so cramped.” While having the club fair inside came with its drawbacks such as the noise and difficult communication, there were a few conveniences. One of them, according to Rebekah, was that electricity and extension cords, which can be difficult in outdoor settings, were not an issue because there was an outlet right beside the Racquet Club booth. Some could argue that having the club fair inside made many things easier such as not being concerned with the decorations getting picked up by wind or rained on. Another pro could be the fact that space allowed students to move though and see many booths quickly.

Each club had its own booth and an enticing way to engage prospective club members. Some had drinks or snacks available upon joining, and others had free stickers and candy. A few even had interactive activities to promote their club, such as encouraging students to show their athletic abilities, or finding three other people and joining hands for a prize. 

Each club on campus has a fee for signing up, and this money can go towards one-of-a-kind sweatshirts, career-oriented tours and professional resources. Every club has unique qualities and opportunities based on why they were created. Some are to expand understanding of a career and be with others seeking a similar future, while other clubs may be more recreation based. These give students the opportunity to make new friends while learning something that may be unfamiliar. Some of these career oriented clubs are the Museum Club, Pre-Dent Club, and Medical Lab Sciences Club while a few recreation clubs are the Racquet Club and the Pickleball Club. Other clubs focus on culture and offer students the chance to explore different cultures and traditions as well as their own. Some of these clubs include the Korean American Student Association (KASA), South Asian Student Association (SASA), and Caribbean Nations Club.

A new career club on campus this year is the . They are a group dedicated to helping Pre-PA students navigate their future careers. They are also a way to show others the range and diversity in the profession. It is also not required to be planning to become a PA to join, as they can help to guide and give resources to any major. 

Nurieliz “Nury” Paulino-Pena (junior, biology), the secretary of the club, explained its purpose: “The Pre-PA Club was created to give students awareness about a fast-growing healthcare profession. It’s a place where students can gain knowledge about the profession, be part of the community, and be ready for PA school. We want students to feel they have resources and for them to know that there are other options in healthcare, not just Pre-Med.” She encouraged students of all majors to join and shared that the goals of the club are to educate, build community and find shadowing opportunities. 

The Club Fair allowed clubs to showcase what they have to offer and attract new members. Joining clubs provides many unique experiences to expand a student's knowledge, feel out a career, or simply make new friends in each created space. New clubs provide fresh opportunities to grow and think about the future while learning something new.