Breezy weather and bright sunshine brought this quarter’s Involvement Fair into a new light.
The quarterly event is where students can peruse booths that represent some of Ohio State’s more than 900 organizations and clubs, and while Thursday’s Spring Involvement fair saw better weather than recent fairs, student attendance paled in comparison.
About 310 clubs and organizations shared what they do with more than 1,000 students who came to the Oval Thursday between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Fall Involvement Fair was held in the Ohio Union due to the rainy weather, and there were many complaints about the overwhelming crowds and cramped rooms.
But Thursday, the Spring Involvement Fair participants had few restrictions. A smaller number of student organizations were involved this spring than in the fall.
Macey Wright, a second-year in English, said she has attended two Fall Involvement Fairs, but this was her first Spring Involvement Fair experience.
“Fall Involvement Fair is a lot bigger, but I like this better because it’s more spread out,” Wright said.
Sarah Paetz, a first-year in exploration, said she likes this event because it is on the outside, not in the Union.
“This one seems more organized and less crowded than the Union,” Paetz said. “The booth is spread out so it’s easier to navigate.”
New clubs and student organizations show up the fair to recruit members and raise club awareness.
The Boo Radley Society, which was named for the character Arthur Boo Radley from Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mocking Bird,” just began this spring.
Marygrace Ashdown, Boo Radley Society president and a second-year in marketing and art history, said Boo Radley is a very altruistic person who is trying to be good for the sake of being good. The Boo Radley Society is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic general members to help create a fun and friendly atmosphere at Ohio State.
“We are the random-acts-of-kindness club at Ohio State,” Ashdown said. “We want to create a positive atmosphere being kind and spreading kindness on campus. We are committed to make this university better.”
The Wine Club is also a brand new special interest club.
Wine Club co-President Shawnee Fisher, a third-year in strategic communication, said the main goal of Wine Club is to learn about wine, beer, distilled spirits and the wine business.
“Since we are a brand new club, we really want to get the word out,” Fisher said. “There is a lot of traffics coming through here, so it is a great way to promote our club. “
There is no age limit for joining Wine club.
“You have to be 21 to taste, but we are not denying less than a 21-year-old student coming to the event,” Fisher said. “As soon as alcohol comes out at the event, underage kids have to leave. But we want everyone to be able to have the opportunity to learn about the industry and wine itself.”
