Billiard clubs, both left and right political wings, social sororities, and environmental enthusiasts alike bombarded passersby on the Tempe campus Tuesday afternoon.
A diverse array of cultural organizations, lifestyle groups and ASU Greek chapters set up booths at the Student Organization Resource Center on Hayden Lawn.
The student-run clubs and organizations handed out pamphlets, displayed signs and offered e-mail sign-up sheets for those interested in more information about their organizations.
Entertainment at the Spring Organization Fair, funded in part by the Undergraduate Student Government and Associated Students of Arizona State University, included a basketball hoop, inflatable obstacle course, free popcorn and a live DJ.
The event’s bustle attracted early childhood education freshman, Bianca Celaya, as much as the student-run organizations themselves, she said.
“I saw this huge gathering and wanted to check it out,” she said. “People seem to be having fun, getting involved.”
She and her friends also wanted to visit the Spring Organization Fair because it provided a convenient means for ASU students to become aware of campus happenings, she added.
“There’s a lot of expression of different cultures [here],” Celaya said. “Freshman like myself may not know where to find this information [on school organizations], and here it’s all gathered in one place and easy to find.”
The fair was a good opportunity for students walking by to begin participating in organizations they may have been unfamiliar with, said Ray Contreraz, Brotherhood Chair of Tau Psi Omega, a multi-cultural fraternity that emphasizes academics and community service.
“[Almost] every organization on campus is here, so there’s a wide variety to choose from,” said Contreraz, a political science senior. He said the large assortment of groups represented at the event provided students wishing to join a school club with an eclectic set or options.
“If there’s a group a person doesn’t feel they assimilate into, they can just walk down the line [of booths] until they find one they can assimilate into,” he said. “There’s pretty much something for everyone here.”
Kendall Gerdes, co-director for the ASU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Coalition, said participating in the fair was also a gauge to see how much support the LGBTQ community has in society at large, both in Arizona and nationwide.
ASU’s LGBTQ Coalition also supported the Students for Equality Day — a national effort to raise funds to repeal California’s Proposition 8 — on Tuesday from their booth during the SORC Fair, Gerdes said.
“We are basically interested in contributing something from the University to the equality in marriage debate,” said Gerdes, an English senior.
Yuri Lee, president of the Body and Brain Club at ASU, said the existence of the Spring Organization Fair itself is important for supporting campus diversity.
“It brings all different kinds of people with different interests together,” said Lee, a business and communication freshman. “Being in a school club promotes a different kind of thinking.”
Reach the reporter at trabens@asu.edu.
