On Thursday, Aug. 28, the Fordham Lincoln Center plaza buzzed with students searching for extracurriculars at the annual Club Fair. The sun shone down on 87 clubs and over 800 attendees, according to the Office of Student Involvement (OSI).
Melissa Gazal, Associate Director for Student Involvement, attributed this year’s particular excitement to the greater number of clubs on campus compared to last year’s.
“Given the increase … I thought that the students brought a really special energy and excitement to Club Day this year,” Gazal said. “And I also felt that there was a higher level of excitement around Club Day in the lead up versus in previous years.”
“It felt like a more chill event last year, and I feel like this (year) brings the energy and the spirit that is that pride in club(s).” Chara Blagrove, FCLC ’28
OSI were not the only ones to feel this shift. Chara Blagrove, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’28, reflected on her club fair experience as a first-year student, and how it compared to her experience this year as vice president of Splinter Group and secretary of the Residential Hall Association. Blagrove was “so freaking excited” about the many interested students at Splinter Group’s table.
“I can’t tell you if there’s more or less people, but I can tell you that there’s a lot of people,” Blagrove said. “It felt like a more chill event last year, and I feel like this (year) brings the energy and the spirit that is that pride in club(s).”
Per new building codes, OSI could not place tables under the plaza scaffolding, which condensed clubs into a smaller space. This caused what OSI deemed a “space challenge,” but it seemed that the clubs themselves were grateful for the change.
Sammy Vuong, FCLC ’26, and Tatiana Sze, FCLC ’27, were excited to be out from under the scaffolding and to “have a lot of space” to promote the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC). Vuong and Sze are treasurer and vice president of APAC, respectively.
“We’ve had a lot of foot traffic,” Sze said. “This is just a better position than we were last year under the scaffolding.”
Eight new organizations joined Lincoln Center student life this academic year: the Anthropology Society; Brasa at Fordham, the Brazilian students’ association; the Catholic Student Fellowship; the Dungeons and Dragons club; the Public Speaking Society; the Law Journal club; the Women in Law and Leadership group; and the Youth Advocacy Coalition.
The president of the Dungeons and Dragons Club Lana Guber, FCLC ’28, said she was optimistic about breaking the ice as a new club.
“It’s been a little bit difficult, considering that so many clubs have already their established reputations,” Guber said. “But I have a good feeling about ours.”
Edric Duffy, FCLC ’29, also commented on the positive future that the club fair showed. Duffy, a first-year theatre major, was excited to “make a lot of great new connections,” and had trouble remembering the many email lists he had signed up for.
“I want to expand my horizons and see what else is out there for me … joining these clubs that are outside of the arts can allow me to dip my toes in that water.” Edric Duffy, FCLC ’29
“I feel like I myself have a lot of interests,” Duffy said. “I want to expand my horizons and see what else is out there for me … joining these clubs that are outside of the arts can allow me to dip my toes in that water.”
Senior club members like Simrath Parmar, FCLC ’26, well-exemplified Duffy’s well-rounded aspirations. Parmar is president of Desi Chai, a delegate for Model UN, a contributing writer for The Observer and a member of the Pre-Law Society and the Fordham Law Journal.
“I really want to go to law school … I love writing … I love being a part of the South Asian community here,” Parmar said. “I think I’ve just met so many people … and I think it teaches you a lot about … social skills and just how to communicate.”
The momentum of this year’s high-energy club fair will propel the Fordham community through the first weeks of classes as clubs, societies and associations hold their premier general meetings. OSI announces specific information on these meetings via email about twice a month.
