Media Credit: Kenny Greer/The LanternNeethi Johnson, president of the insect club Chrysalis, wore a hissing cockroach at the Chrysalis table at the Student Involvement Fair Monday.Welcome Week kicked off Monday afternoon with the Student Involvement Fair, Ohio State’s largest yearly student event. For four hours, an estimated 15,000 students filed through aisles of booths set up on the Oval.
Following Convocation for new students at St. John Arena in the morning, freshmen and transfer students were lead by members of the marching band through the stadium and to the Oval, where the Student Involvement Fair began just before noon.
Organizations and staff had been setting up booths since 10 a.m. in preparation for the event.
For the roughly 6,000 incoming freshmen, it was their first chance to get a feel for Ohio State and all that campus life has to offer.
“I don’t know anything about the university yet,” said Rob Kapaku, a freshman in mechanical engineering. “But here, I think I’ve been able to find my niche … it’s overwhelming, but it’s really cool.”
According to Alexis Swain, the 2008 Student Involvement Fair director, more than 500 student organizations, 50 campus departments, and 30 businesses registered tables for the event.
“We have the largest number of participants this year,” she said.Participants energetically drew people to their booths with information, color set ups and sign up sheets.
“We came to make people aware of Honors and Scholars on campus and to welcome new students,” said Vicki Pittsick, program manager at the Honors and Scholars Center. “It’s bringing awareness to our department.”
