At 4:30 pm on September 6th, the students swarmed the quad. Tables were lined up in rows with music blasting and posters on display. The involvement fair was certainly a hit, and it is one of the best opportunities to get a quick introduction to a bunch of the clubs offered at Lafayette. Have no fear if you happened to miss it or are confused as to which clubs you want to join, this is your guide to all things extracurricular.
What was at the involvement fair:
The involvement fair hosted over a hundred clubs ranging from: Recreation & Leisure, Class & College-Wide, Media & Publications, Community Engagement, and the Arts. Each club had its own table and collected email addresses of those interested. If you did not get to stop by the table of a club you are interested in, you can join their email list on LafSync. LafSync can be accessed through your myLafayette page under the ‘Connect to my Accounts’ tab. I personally enjoy being on the email lists of a bunch of clubs, even if I don’t go regularly, just to stay up to date with what they are doing on campus.
How to decide what to join:
After attending the involvement fair, or browsing clubs on LafSync, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of clubs. I recommend making a list of the ones you are really interested, and prioritizing three or four to try out the first week. Most likely, there will be some conflicts, and you won’t always be able to attend everything you want to. I also recommend keeping a balance of activities. A great place to start is one club or intramural sports team to stay active, one academic or major-based club, and one that appeals to another one of your interests whether that be writing, singing, art, etc. There are also many great clubs to help you to have a more active role in our community by volunteering, protecting the environment, or serving on student leadership boards.
Finding the right groups:
I believe joining clubs is one of the best ways to meet new people and form a stronger connection to the community. Supportive groups foster these qualities by planning club events outside of meetings for members to engage with each other or with other organizations. You should feel welcomed and valued. It may seem overwhelming at first to attend meetings whether you are a new student or just new to the club, but I assure you, joining clubs that you are interested in will help you to branch out. Clubs allow you to gain leadership and teamwork skills that are applicable to any internship or career path you may wish to pursue!