On Thursday Feb. 6, the John A. Barone Campus Center busied with students as the spring activities fair was held in the Oak and Dogwood Rooms. For some students, this event marked their first exposure to what the Fairfield University experience offered outside of their quotidian academia, and to a handful of others it was their chance to recruit new students seeking campus involvement.
Fairfield gives its students the opportunity to take part in more than one hundred varying clubs and organizations, seventy of which filled the room on Thursday. A table for just about every subject and activity lined the walls, from 3D printing to the weight lifting club.
There’s something special to be gained through club organizations at Fairfield in that they offer the possibility for students to find their niche within a larger student body, one that can serve their interests and better yet, something that may compliment their major.
Senior Hannah Sisk’s involvement with Women In Business came about after hearing of the club from a friend. As a double finance and marketing major, Sisk was drawn to the fact that it could help her navigate her future as a female in the businessworld.
“I think everyone should get involved in a club to not only meet other people but to explore topics other than ones covered in classes” said Sisk.
Sisk and Kristin Veltry ‘20, both students within the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, sat at the Women In Business table during the activities fair that took place on Thursday.
For sophomore Caroline Hadfield, this was just the case. Hadfield expressed that, after switching majors her first year from education to a major in communications and a minor in digital journalism, becoming a member of The Point Magazine was her first exposure to the world of digital media.
“The club has impacted me academically because I am able to take things I’ve learned from classes and try and bring that into The Point, and vice versa. In general I feel like I’m doing a lot more with myself and taking full advantage of my education here when being more involved in a club,” said Hadfield.
And while academics are commonly seen as the focal point of a Fairfield student’s life, outside involvement is often what can provide a sense of relief from the stress of schoolwork.
For junior Lucie Picard, club lacrosse served as both her escape from academics but also a group that exposed her to new friends outside of the classroom after transferring to Fairfield.
“I transferred here from Clemson University after my first semester freshman year. You can only meet so many people in your classes and in the hallways of your dorm. But getting involved elsewhere is what really allowed me to feel like I had a place here” said Picard.
One of the more troublesome components of being a college student is grappling with the realization that your life exists in this singular sphere where your relationships, academics, hobbies and wellness are all forced to coexist.
“At this point ‘cura personalis’ is engraved in us. We are told from the beginning of our time here to care for all aspects of ourselves. If you seek the full Fairfield experience, I think club involvement is a crucial factor in fulfilling it,” said Picard.
The plethora of organizations and clubs that Fairfield has to offer allows students to find balance in what is often a difficult quest to find a routine amidst ceaseless deadlines and looming exams. With that, students seek a routine that both excites them but also delivers some sort of peace; peace from all the chaos that it is to be a college student.
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