2014 College Activities Fair showcases the clubs and organizations for the Class of 2018
Jessie Pierce and Johnny Weizenecker, alumni, return to campus to visit friends and check out this year’s clubs. Photo Courtesy of Johnny Weizenecker
By Annika Jensen, Contributing Writer
This year’s Activities Fair turned the College Union Building (CUB) into a vibrant display of tri-fold boards and informative hand- outs. For two hours, various clubs on campus, ranging from Women’s Rugby to the Black Student Union, advertised their merits to first-year students. Students were greeted by a member of the Society of Physics Students waiving a Fun Fly Stick, a GRAB tent by the campus post office, and brownies that were cooked up by the college’s various sports teams.
Hosted by CAB (Cam- pus Activities Board), the event hosted a variety of campus groups that used candy, flyers, and upbeat music to draw students in. Standing out was the Eisenhower Institute’s booth, which displayed life-size cardboard cutouts of Daniel Craig and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“[Our] theme this year is National Security,” says Julia Scacchitti, an Eisen- hower Institute Fellow, on the Institute’s plans for this year. “We are bringing people in to talk about this subject; the key speaker this year is James Clapper.”
Another club that stood out with its advertisements was the Women’s Center, which was handing out free condoms. Naima Scott, a member of the class of 2017 and a member of the Women’s Center, says, “We are rebranding ourselves based on information from surveys from the past year. This year, we are focusing on social media and being assertive.”
Also appearing at the Activities Fair was Alpha Phi Omega, Gettysburg College’s service fraternity, which drew students in with blue and gold banners. Amelia Graham, a member of the class of 2016 and Alpha Phi Omega, states that the fraternity is like a “big family.”
“Students like the idea of being part of something so big and so involved on campus,” Graham says.
First-year students appeared to have a variety of interests, though there were a few clubs that attracted the most attention.
Emily Whitcomb, a first-year, says, “The Tour Guide table seemed to be the most popular because of the free shirts.” Whitcomb say she signed up for College Democrats, Four Scores a capella group, and the film society. Brayden Bolan, ‘18, affirmed Whitcomb’s hunch, saying, “I want to be a tour guide because it would be cool to show kids around campus. That’s what drew me in initially.” Bolan also pointed out that a lot of people seemed to be gravitating toward the GRAB table.
Laurel Downie, also a first-year, added that, although she was signing up for primarily music-related clubs, the Campus Activities Board seemed to be the most popular among other first-years. Other memorable clubs include all-male a capella group Drop the Octave, who affirmed that they always wear ties; Students Against Sexual Assault, and the Department of Public Safety, which is offering self-defense classes. The Meditation Club also made an appearance, a group which features a Sri Lankan instructor. The evening ended with an eventful presentation by the Gettysburg firefighters, who built a mock-dorm room and proceeded to set it ablaze. The firefighters stated that the purpose of the demonstration was to show how quickly a room could burn if the right safety precautions were not followed. For example, a smoke detector that was covered did not sound until the fire had been raging for two minutes.
The Activities Fair offered an eclectic mix of school clubs to appeal to every student, and the organizations’ enthusiasm for incorporating new members into the fold filled the CUB with enthusiasm and energy.
