Fairfield University First-Year Experience hosted a Fairfield Experience Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 28 to promote campus opportunities for personal growth, leadership, community engagement and service.
The inclusive event, encouraging the connection and involvement of all Stags, took place in the Barone Campus Center (BCC) Oak Room from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. With no mandatory registration or fee, the fair provided students the opportunity to explore over thirty tables showcasing the extracurricular opportunities offered at the Jesuit school.
It is hoped that through this experience, reported FYE, that students become more integrated into their university experience.
“Students who get involved in curricular and co-curricular activities typically develop a deeper sense of belonging and connection to Fairfield than those who aren’t engaged in the community,” stated Marissa Lischinsky, associate director of the Office of Student Engagement. She continued that the office encourages all students to both find and attempt one club, team or group that interests them “in order to make the most out of their college experience and develop skills that can help them beyond Fairfield.”
Previously titled My Fairfield Future Fair, the Fairfield Experience Fair was established in 2017 to expose students to the types of campus opportunities that Lischinsky speaks of, those that assist in building student excellence and development. At a time when first-year students are preparing for their second semester along with their collegiate future at Fairfield, an event like this one is vital towards advertising those outlets.
While the fair targeted freshman students, undergraduates of any class year could attend.
In addition to student assimilation, the fair helps numerous campus offices and groups recruit students for and share details regarding their open positions—another way for students to get involved while making some extra cash.
According to Lischinsky, this year’s fair welcomed a wide array of campus offices, departments and groups to secure proper student enrichment. Of these representatives were Center for Social Impact, Residence Life and Campus Ministry—groups that guide students inside and outside the classroom—as well as academic support services such as Global Fairfield and DiMenna-Nyselius Library and leadership groups such as New Student Leaders and Fairfield @ Night.
Additional representatives included but were not limited to Admissions, Athletics, ITS HelpDesk, Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) and Student Phonathon.
“While the Office of Student Engagement coordinates the Fairfield Experience Fair logistics,” explained Lischinsky, highlighting tasks such as time and date identification, inviting campus partners and organizing space set-up, “it could not happen without folks from all areas of [the] Fairfield community coming together to facilitate the event.”
This no-pressure event allowed students to pop in for 10 minutes or stay the entire time. With an FYE Thrive credit was issued for attendance, first-years had to visit at least four tables and scan their event passes when leaving the event to actually obtain it.
Nonetheless, the fair was active with students throughout its three-hour duration. Lischinsky further reminds students to give any campus group a fair chance.
“You never know who you will meet there and what you’ll find out about yourself.”
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