On Thursday, Jan. 15th, students visited Mulcahy Gym to explore clubs and activities at the annual spring involvement fair. Representatives from an assortment of organizations stood side-by-side at decorated tables, pitching themselves to the future of Iona extracurriculars.

Pi Kappa Phi member Paul Romano monitored his table for the event with his brothers. Romano stated that it is important to attend involvement fairs to “put ourselves out there and become familiar faces.” While the spring involvement fair is a great opportunity for students to begin new journeys, it falls short on the recruitment side.

Club ambassadors agree that the spring involvement fair is eclipsed by the fall involvement fair, and that the number of new members produced in the spring is nowhere near that of the fall. Zachary Zalamea, recruitment chair of Gael Guides, said that “students are most engaged in the fall, and right now it’s almost the end.”

This sentiment is shared by Iona University Television Vice President Jackson Burkhardt, who stated that, “if [a student] signs up, there is a 90% chance that they don’t come to the meetings.”

More to this point, Burkhardt believes that clubs “catch” most of their members in the fall. For IUTV, involvement fairs take a backseat to their primary marketing strategy: word of mouth.

As stated by IUTV President Elizabeth Riccio, IUTV finds most of its new members within the communications department, in classes and buildings shared by members of the organization.

Riccio also mentioned that a new class within the communications majors called Student Media Practicum requires students to contribute work to the Ionian, WIUR radio, and IUTV. The fledgling course has the potential to bolster involvement in its related organizations, but this remains untested.

Jade Estremera, student engagement coordinator at the Hynes Institute, hopes that students find both support and motivation through Iona extracurriculars. Estremera believes that the fair’s most important contribution to student life is encouragement. Encouragement is what compels students to create a lasting impact.

“You’re here to make the most out of your education,” said Estremera. “But it’s also about getting involved.”

Despite the recruiting challenges of the second semester, Iona’s clubs and activities will continue to cultivate the next generation of campus leaders.