As the first week of classes at Gustavus Adolphus College are underway, extracurricular activities, clubs, and Greek Life once again have come into the spotlight. For new and returning students alike, the Fall 2023 Involvement Fair is always one of the best ways to help occupy a student’s time while on campus. The Involvement Fair, which is to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 12th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Eckman Mall, will allow clubs and organizations to advertise their appeal and goals in order to recruit new members. The activities and programs being presented can enhance the quality of student life through various means, like honing a new skill, making new friends, or simply as a way to fill a chunk of free time.

“We have 80 student organizations at this event, and we anticipate 100 or more,” Campus Activities Assistant Director Hayley Goddard said. “It’s probably the primary way that students get involved on campus. There are also a lot of posters and emails that go out, and communication is very important for these groups.”

The Involvement Fair is a massive opportunity for some smaller organizations to get recognition and, going hand-in-hand with that, new membership. “Organizations were reaching out early for the sign up form,” Goddard said. “This is an opportunity for massive brand recognition. The opportunity to get in front of new students isn’t something that these organizations might otherwise get.”

For some more prevalent organizations, the fair is a way to have fun and drum up even more interest. The Student Senate will have a booth at the fair and has been quite happy with the effectiveness of the event on both admission and attention in the past. The fair is also “…just plain fun,” as the Student Senate Co-President and Senior Gabe Maurer happily interjected. “I always try to smile and wave, and take a jovial attitude,” Maurer said about being at the booth, “It helps a lot [with] increasing the attention we get.”

Goddard confirmed that the face-to-face interaction was something that both students and organizations enjoy most about the fair. “Students can ask questions about what it means to be involved in the organization, rather than have a simple request to just join,” Goddard said.

For organizations like the Student Senate, the Involvement Fair also helps immensely with their mission to increase financial transparency within the college. “Communicating financial transparency is especially important for new students,” Maurer said. 

Contrary to popular belief, the Involvement Fair is one of the few events from the school year that the Student Senate takes a more lenient approach toward. “Typically, the Involvement Fair is run through the Activities office,” Student Senate Maurer said. “Student Senate will be there with a booth, but our main influence is through funding.”

The main reason for their backseat approach is simply the time of year. Since it is early in the school year, the Student Senate does not have a full body of executives yet, nor as much reach as they gain later in the school year.

Organizations will ask the Student Senate for money to purchase certain supplies that they want to use to decorate their booth. “Most commonly, we get requests for $40 to purchase candy, art supplies, and other similar items,” Maurer said.

“The funding [that comes from] from the Student Senate is important for supplies, especially for those smaller organizations,” Goddard said. “It might not always be completely necessary depending on the nature of the organization, but it is still a great way to gain engagement for the group.”

Students are encouraged to attend the Involvement Fair this Tuesday to see what they can discover – either about themselves or about what the Gustavus community has to offer!