Club Fair Invites New Students to Robust Campus Life
On September 7th 2016, Yeshiva University held its annual club fair on the Wilf Campus, in Heights Lounge. The fair is always a time of excitement for Yeshiva students, because it allows students to expand their horizons. The club fair is a place where students can seek out clubs that inspire and interest them. As Evan Jaffe, a Sy Syms student, said, “The club fair is one of my favorite times of the year. It motivates me to seek out my passions and follow them.”
Bringing all that joy is no easy feat. Board members of the clubs must prepare long and hard for this event: their clubs must look appealing to the students who are prospective club members. Jeremy Shevach, President of the Real Estate Club, posited, “Even though we love the event, it takes time to prepare. We need to have events in mind already, to give students a glimpse as to what we do. We attempt to make our club seem unique, and as provid[ing] value to our prospective club members.”
When looked at through multiple vantage points, the club fair provides different meaning to everyone. More than anyone, the club fair effects first semester students. Tyler Hod (Syms '19) said, “I had no idea what to anticipate as I made my way to the club fair. I had heard from older friends what the fair was like, but I do not think it did justice. The fair was eye-opening for me, I am currently a part of two clubs that I would not have been otherwise.” The club fair is also a time to network. Since students with different backgrounds attend the fair, there is plenty of outreach to be done. Making connections and forming relationships is a secondary benefit of the club fair.
For some students though, the fair can prove to be overwhelming. Josh Morrow (Syms ‘17) claimed, “This is my third year going to the fair, and it still amazes me. Students swarm the Heights Lounge, yelling and screaming trying to find the clubs that interest them. Sometimes it can prove to be somewhat of a jungle.” Other students tend to get bothered by the clubs. Jamie Cappell (YC ‘18) “Why do they all ask for my email address when they send every person a Y-Stud anyway? It gets annoying when I receive over one hundred emails a day about stuff [that] I didn’t ask to hear about.”
If you go around to each student at Yeshiva University, they will tell you a different answer as to what the club fair means to them. However, year after year, no matter what the opinion of the fair is, the Heights Lounge is filled to capacity. With little room for students to squirm around, the tight confines breed a new year of club success, both from past clubs looking to improve and new clubs trying to make their impact on Yeshiva University. Simcha Halper (Syms ‘19) said, “I can not wait to see what the club fair has in store for us next year.” No doubt, whatever the club fair hs for students next year, it’ll be great.
