On Wednesday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 120 student organizations gathered on the lawn outside the Student Union for the Fall 2018 Involvement Fest. Each organization’s main goal was to discuss with University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students their club’s message in the hope that attending students will join.

The annual Involvement Fest is a time for students to learn more information about clubs that may spark their interest. Many organizations had sign-up sheets to gather contact information in order to get in touch with potential members to send out additional details, like plans for upcoming meetings.

The Cove’s Civic Engagement and Leadership Coordinator Kelsi Grubisich was a part of the coordinating student staff that helped organize the Involvement Fest.

“We are the Cove, so we actually oversee the entire event. We plan the whole event. So, we do have our own volunteer opportunities available, but we are also encouraging students to get involved in all of the organizations,” commented Grubisich.

She mentioned it was a great opportunity to see all the organizations available on campus, but, if a student did not find what they were looking for, they can go to the My Orgs website to find a list of the organizations on campus.

“I didn’t know that any of these [organizations] existed until today. I’m interested in a lot of the ones that are going to help me going towards my career, but I’m also interested in the ones that go along with my hobbies,” said UWL freshman Mia Iwinnski.

Iwinnski mentioned that the Involvement Fest was a great opportunity to get involved in an organization that may not be a large amount of commitment, but will still keep her involved.

Junior Elizabeth Clair, a dancer for LC Hip Hop, reflected, “There has been a good amount of people, it’s still early in the day. I look forward to meeting new people and having them become interested in our organization and what we stand for.”

Clair noted, because Involvement Fest is an open environment, it is easier for students to meet new organizations without any pressure.

Involvement Fest was an opportunity for both students and organized clubs to connect. Organizations utilize this opportunity to spread their name, while students use the opportunity to find a club that fits their interests.

During the event, many students were able to gain more information on clubs they normally would not have had the opportunity to know about. Especially for freshmen, this year’s Involvement Fest was a great way to become engaged with UWL’s community, while organizations were able to gain potential members and discuss what it means to be a part of their club.