photo by Rebecca Devereaux
Molly Burns and Alex Jones, both juniors and sport art entertainment and management majors, speak to students about the Action Sports Club at the Involvement Fair Monday, Aug. 25.
Over 20 clubs were represented in the Lawrence Hall lobby Monday afternoon for the Fall Involvement Fair, sponsored by Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership (SAIL).
The fair is held once a semester, and it serves as an opportunity for new and returning students to get involved on campus. Students can hear a brief pitch from the clubs’ representatives, who are usually in leadership positions. Interested students can sign up for any group that piques their interest.
The clubs represented at the involvement fair ranged from the Technical Theatre Club to Table Top Tirade, a group that meets each Wednesday to play board games.
With 43 active organizations listed by SAIL, Point Park offers nearly endless opportunities for students to get involved, which proved to be a surprise to some students.
“I definitely didn’t think there was going to be a knitting club – that’s awesome – and Table Top Tirade,” said freshman multimedia major Emily Yount. “I definitely want to do that. That’s totally something that anyone can join. There’s something everyone can do.”
Point Park’s clubs range from large organizations to very specific interests, like the Anime Club. United Student Government (USG) and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) are two of the more powerful organizations on campus, as they are responsible for allocating funds for and planning events on campus.
Students interested in starting a club on campus can work with USG, which approves clubs and organizations, and SAIL, which serves as the main supervising body for student clubs and organizations.
Many freshmen are hesitant to become too involved and stress themselves out by taking on too many extra-curricular activities or responsibilities while still getting used to the transition from high school to college.
Time management is one of the most integral lessons to be learned from being involved on campus, according to junior secretary of the sports, arts and entertainment management (SAEM) Club, Amber Flevaris.
“I know a lot of people who have tons of jobs and internships and they’re involved in clubs. I think college really helps with time management and being in a club kind of gives you consistency,” Flevaris said.
Aside from pursuing interests, being involved in clubs provides students with a variety of benefits.
“I think that it’s important to get involved because it helps you meet new people, and it’s great to expose yourself to different activities that you might find you enjoy,” said junior Knitting Club officer Nina DelPrato. “A lot of people don’t think they would like knitting or crocheting or crafting, but people that go into it thinking that they could never do it end up loving it.”
Involvement in clubs also impacts campus life, according to both DelPrato and Flevaris. DelPrato has options to occupy her free time because she is involved in the Knitting Club, and Flevaris credits her involvement on campus for allowing her to get acquainted with students and faculty, making campus feel like home.
Some clubs are very involved in the community, such as Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG). SWSG members serve as mentors to younger girls throughout the Pittsburgh community. Other clubs work with larger organizations. College Democrats works with the National College Democrat Foundation, according to junior psychology major and Vice President of College Democrats, Allie Sanchez.
When it comes to getting involved on campus, DelPrato has one piece of advice, “Just do it. Don’t worry about looking silly, or don’t worry about if you’re not going to make friends – you will make friends. If you join multiple clubs, there will be at least one person that you connect with.”
