Yeshiva University Student Councils Host Club Fairs

Yeshiva University's Student Councils held club fairs on both campuses this October, which were attended by hundreds of students. The Wilf Campus club fair was held Oct. 26 and the Beren Campus club fair was held Oct. 31. 

Over 170 clubs applied for official club status, and the Office of Student Life (OSL) approved 142 of them, with some of the other clubs consolidating and others having their applications rejected. Over 100 clubs presented at the club fairs and more than 250 students attended.  

The club fairs were intended to increase student knowledge of the different clubs and their plans for the year, OSL director Jonathan Schwab, told The Commentator.  

“The club fairs at Beren and Wilf are a chance for our many student clubs to showcase their activities and plans for the year,” said Schwab.

The club fairs came following a month-long hiatus while club and student council activities were frozen. 

OSL had consolidated some clubs due to their subject matter having similar objectives. For instance, the Soup, Meat and Greet, and Juice for Jews clubs were told to consolidate, and chose to name their club the Scrumptious Sustenance Society. 

Other clubs were rejected, including the YU Pride Alliance.

The YU Pride Alliance, which has not been recognized as a university-sanctioned club, had representatives at both fairs and displayed QR codes for their official WhatsApp chat and gave out pride-related stickers, such as safe space stickers. 

Additionally, YU’s recently announced  Kol Yisrael Areivim Club, which is not listed on club lists, was not present. 

The Club Fair was received positively by the student body. 

Avygayl Zucker, Stern College for Women Student Council (SCWSC) vice president of academic affairs (SCW ‘23), told The Commentator that she was pleased with the turnout.  

"It was amazing to see so many clubs show up to encourage membership and explain their causes. The club fair was packed with students and it's clear to me that this is going to be a year filled with standing up and participating in what we're passionate about; I can't wait to be a part of it!" 

Other students felt similarly.

“I went to the Wilf club fair… and it was so fun,” shared Shneur Levy (YC ‘25). “I jumped from table to table, signing up for all the clubs. It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to the next one!”

Some administrators, such as Schwab, also felt positively about the club fair. 

“On the whole, the club fairs were an incredible success,” Schwab told The Commentator. “There was a palpable air of excitement in the room on both campuses, and students were clearly energized by the range and depth of the activities being planned for this semester.”

Editor's Note: This article was updated on Nov. 15 to reflect that the club fairs were held by the Student Councils. A previous version of the article incorrectly stated that they were held by the University.

For more stories like this, join us on WhatsApp.

_________

Photo Caption: Club fairs were held late October

Photo Credit: The Commentator