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Syracuse University has over 300 registered student organizations and on Wednesday, dozens attended the Winter Involvement Fair in Goldstein Auditorium to recruit interested SU students.

Many club organizers, such as Sydni Tougas, said community has been their largest takeaway from being involved in extracurriculars at SU.

Tougas is a co-producer for First Year Players, an organization of first-year student actors and a staff of upperclassmen who put on a production each spring semester.

“I’m a senior now, and I’ve been in this organization since freshman year and all of my best friends, all of my roommates, are all in this organization,” she said. “I owe my college experience to this organization.”

Anastasia Powell, an assistant graphic designer for FYP, said the group helped her find community coming out of the pandemic. Last year, Powell was a remote student and did not get the chance to participate in organizations.

“When I joined (FYP), I quickly found a community that I felt comfortable with,” she said. With the organization, she said she could unapologetically be herself.

This semester, the organization, which typically has 150 members during the spring, will be putting on a production of “Grease.”

Smaller organizations, such as Otto’s Empire Belly Dance Troupe, were also in attendance.

Christin Tetteh, the events chair and public relations chair for the dance troupe, said the group this semester will be taking the dance moves and practices from belly dancing and melding it with Zumba. The troupe ranges from 10 to 15 people.

Especially in a small dance organization where everyone is learning together, members within the troupe form a strong bond with each other, she said.

“People tend to form a family unit, and I think that’s exactly what we are: a small, tight-knit family that is open to welcoming all kinds of people,” Tetteh said.

Freshman Alex Levy came to the involvement fair looking to join clubs he may have overlooked last semester. He said SU’s Outing Club, a group that organizes outdoor events such as backpacking and cross-country skiing, caught his eye.

“(I’m looking to) meet some new people, learn some new things and step out of my comfort zone,” he said. “(The Outing Club is) a bit out of my comfort zone, but I want to try it.”

Ryan Jacobs, another freshman, said clubs at SU can open up opportunities for future jobs and internships down the line. Groups like Slice Consulting, a student-run consulting organization, and New York Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit research group, had tables at the fair.

Levy was happy to see the assortment of clubs in attendance. “There’s a diverse set of clubs here at Syracuse, and there seems to be one for every interest I have,” he said.

Published on January 26, 2022 at 11:59 pm

Contact Kyle: [email protected] | @Kyle_Chouinard