By ANNE FURMAN
For many, some of the most impactful college experiences come from being active in the campus community. Said experiences usually come from becoming a member of a club or organization. However, many believe it can be difficult to navigate all the opportunities a school has to offer. This is why many schools, including Drake University, have an activities fair.
On Feb. 6 Drake hosted an activities fair where students were able to get information on organizations and clubs at Drake. An activities fair is an event where are the campus clubs and organizations send delegates to represent and promote themselves to interested students.
For Drake University, the activities fair is an essential event because of its vast variety of opportunities for its students. This is why Drake hosts an activities fair twice a year at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters. The fair is held in Upper Olmsted and is open for students to come and go as they please for approximately a two-hour window.
The activities fair is a popular event for first year students and/or transfer students who are new to Drake, however, all are welcome and encouraged to attend.
“There are up and coming organizations that come around all the time,” said Noah Manderfeld, the Drake Broadcasting president. “You never know when new clubs are coming your way.”
As much as the activities fair is meant to inform new members of the community about all the opportunities at Drake, it is also meant to showcase all of the new groups that are blossoming on campus that many don’t know exist.
“I think it’s for everyone, because you can constantly be involved in new things, no matter what,” said Riley Fox, a senior.
A drawback of the activities fair to some is that students can become easily overwhelmed. One walks into a loud, massive hall not knowing what you are looking for and many feel as though they are expected to see everything.
“There are all the different posters and you want to look at them and read them, then someone asks if you are interested and that’s when you realize it could be Pre-Pharm when you are not at all Pre-Pharm,” said Becca Thrasher, a first-year student.
However, even with the tendencies to overwhelm, there are many ways to attend the fair while getting all the information you need but leaving behind what you don’t.
“You don’t have to do everything that people ask you to,” Manderfeld said.
“Find the things you are truly interested in instead of finding 70 things that you are interested in,” Fox said.
College can be overwhelming in general, but belonging to different groups can really help bring a new sense of community to your life, and when it comes to deciding what you really want to be a part of, “maybe go for quality, not quantity,” Fox said.
This may help to find your place instead of just putting more onto your plate.
Photo of Old Main
