On Wednesday, ClubFest will hold its annual fall semester event, where 300+ Iowa State clubs gather in the Memorial Union to reach new members.
ClubFest encourages students to attend to get a taste of what Iowa State has to offer, as each club creates handouts, giveaways and displays.
Keira Niec, a senior in kinesiology, represents the Cardinal Tap Club as their publicity chair.
“ClubFest is integral to our club as it allows for physical outreach with students,” Niec said. “Our participation in ClubFest is incredibly important in making a first impression with incoming students looking for clubs to join.”
The face-to-face engagement of members allows students to form connections and find different activities they are passionate about, such as Cardinal Tap Club with tap dancing.
However, preparing for ClubFest is no easy feat. Each club creates a display for the event: trifolds, slideshows, or physical presentations. Some create flyers and email lists to keep potential students in the know about meetings.
Emma Ross, a senior in fashion design and merchandising and editor-in-chief for TREND Magazine, described their booth as a unique visual display of their last issue, Noctolume.
“We have gathered hundreds of our magazines to hand out during ClubFest, showing firsthand the impressive final product TREND creates yearly,” Ross said.
Clubs don’t only rely on ClubFest to recruit new members; social media is another tool that clubs use to engage other new students.
“We typically use social media for fun announcements, and members will advertise on their personal platforms,” Hannah James, a senior majoring in psychology and Orchesis 2 President, said.
Social media allows clubs to inform students about their involvement in the ClubFest and next steps to continue to stay involved in the organization.
ClubFest allows for students, especially first-years, to find a group that speaks to them and form connections that stick with them through their time at Iowa State.
Abigail Larsen, a junior in architecture and public relations chair for No Re-Choir-Ment A Cappella, shared how attending ClubFest as a freshman impacted her time at Iowa State.
“[I] was not able to engage with the official ISU choir because of scheduling, so [No Re-Choir-Ment] is a good outlet for students who want a choir experience in a more casual environment,” Larsen said.
The different clubs Iowa State has to offer allow students to pursue what they are passionate about and share it with peers.
Each club at Iowa State brings together communities that may be underrepresented, and through events like ClubFest, organizations can come together to celebrate what makes Iowa State inclusive on campus.
“[Orchesis 2] gave me a community of amazing people who have become my closest friends,” James said. “Having that positive outlet that you can turn to when everything else gets tough is the best thing you can have, and ClubFest gives you a great, diverse way of finding your own.”
For more information about ClubFest, click here.