Opportunities Abound at Involvement Fair
Keene State students looking to join a club or organization as well as learn about off-campus volunteer and internship opportunities had plenty of options to consider at the annual Student Involvement Fair.
Threatening skies didn’t dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of hundreds of students who made their way around cloth-covered tables that lined Appian Way and filled the Student Center. “Student Involvement Fair is awesome,” said Elena Rinaldi, who was staffing the Student Government table. Rinaldi, who hails from Bethel, CT, and is president of the junior class, added, “I think it’s really important to get involved in college and be happy and active members of campus.”
Many first-year students, including Connor Haller of Goshen, NY, were finding out about the wide array of clubs and organizations on campus for the first time. “I wouldn’t have known about half of these clubs if I didn’t come over today,” said Haller, who signed up for the Humans vs. Zombies tag game.
Jennifer Ferrell, director of student involvement at Keene State, said the fair has grown in popularity over the years. “It’s actually easy to get student organizations to participate,” she said. “They know it’s a huge recruitment tool. I had people in June saying, “When can I sign up for the fair?”
This year’s event featured some 90 groups, ranging from Greek Life, Habitat for Humanity, and Rec Sports clubs to organizations like Common Ground, which promotes diversity, multi-culturalism and social justice on campus, and Active Minds, which works to provide awareness of issues related to mental health. Several community partners including Big-Brothers-Big Sisters and the Community Kitchen also took part in the event, offering student volunteer and internship options.
Stand Out from the Crowd
Ferrell encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and learn about different clubs and organizations by visiting various tables and advises people at the tables to have creative promotions to attract and spur student interest. Many of the clubs heeded her advice. Erin Ryan, a senior from Albany, NY, did the hula-hoop to attract students to the environmental outing club table, the KSC cheerleaders set up a dunking tank to get new members and donations, while the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu put on a demonstration.
Success Stories
The Student Involvement Fair has been the stepping stone for many students looking to make a difference on and off campus. “As a freshman I got involved with the Fair Trade Club and took an e-board position. Now I’m the president,” said Hanna Elliott, a junior from North Kingstown, RI. “It was definitely a great decision.”
A first-year student from Laconia, Cierra Pinkney, was pondering a run for office. “I was involved with student government all through high school, so I thought it would be cool to get involved also in college,” she said. “I’m definitely thinking about running for a freshman office.”
“When I see the wide variety of groups and organizations that we have now and how many people take part I know we’re hitting such a large portion of our students that it’s very fulfilling,” said Ferrell. “I know we are living out our mission as well as the College’s mission, and that’s really important to me.
“These groups offer practical and tangible experiences that complement the learning that goes on in the classroom and from a retention perspective- those students that make a connection do better academically,” she added. “And when we speak to alums who took part in clubs, they say that their time at Keene State was much more fulfilling and meaningful.”
