Grace Hall was filled with laughter and excitement on Jan. 24 between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Involvement Fair was organized by the center for Student Engagement and Leadership, also known on campus as (SEaL).
Getting involved in student organizations on campus allow students to build relationships and friendships with one another. Additionally, students can include their membership in a group or campus organization on their resume when they are being interviewed by a potential employer.
Richard Kelley, junior finance major, attended the event with the Cabrini Commuter Crew. He first heard about the event from a poster at Jazzman’s and from Jessica Ferrarelli, the group’s vice president. Kelley, the secretary of commuter crew, was at the event to trying to get other students to join the club.
“It’s a place for people to meet,” Kelley said. “It allows for commuters to stay updated on the campus activities Cabrini offers. Also, students are able to learn about commuter experiences, go on a trip and it is a great way to add to your community.”
The Cabrini Commuter Crew just started in the fall of 2016 with the help from Amber LaJeunesse, supervisor of the group. The Commuter Crew meets every other Monday at 11 a.m. in the basement of the Holy Spirit Library .
“Even if they can’t come to all of the meetings, they are able to get some resources from us, resources that Cabrini has to offer,” Kelley said.
The tables filled the atrium with groups and organizations that would wait for students to walk by to get information or become member. Their pride and spirit for Cabrini could not be measured. Their smiles welcomed students, new and old to step out of the box and get involved.
Danielle Perez, a sophomore marketing major, is the vice president of Pura Vida, a Hispanic and Latino heritage club on campus that started in 2014.
“I am looking forward to getting new members, a lot of new members,” Perez said.
There are over 15 members currently, however, Perez and the members of Pura Vida have a vision to help grow. Not only do they want their group to grow but want to focus on helping all the groups at Cabrini.
“We are trying to improve it more, get more people into it,” Perez said. “But more so trying to improve other people from other groups, and other clubs on campus kind of to pretty much piggy-back off each other and help one another,” Perez said.
Pura Vida is hoping to host an event in March where they gather clubs, organizations and a lot of their representatives on campus together in one place. Their vision is to be able to talk about their experiences at Cabrini and how they can help each other, possibly broaden their horizons and get their voices heard.
“I feel like a lot of the discussions sometimes can be one sided, and only a few groups are highlighted more,” Perez said. “I feel like there are other groups, such as the sports teams, who don’t really get a say in certain things, and I want to make sure that everyone can.”
Pura Vida is not only trying to focus on Hispanic and Latino heritage, they are trying to unite all of the organizations to ensure that every voice is heard.
“I hope I do right by you, Perez said talking about the club, and that we accomplish all that you have pretty much hope we would be. So, I hope we can make everyone proud, even our new members!”
Amber LaJeunesse, the assistant director at SEaL, works alongside faculty members to host events on campus, offer students the opportunity to join various clubs as well as participate in leadership programs. The SEaL office is located in the back of Jazzman’s Cafe.
“We do this in the fall and it’s even bigger in the fall,” LaJeunesse said. “This is only the third time that we have done it in the spring since I have been here. If you want to add something to your resume or if there are clubs that you signed up for but didn’t really get to engage yourself in, you are able to now this semester. Also, it is mostly for our transfer students so they can see what opportunities exist for them on campus.”
Even though the fall semester fair is larger, the spring fair is growing. While the fall is three hours long and held in the cafeteria the spring is held in the Grace Hall and only two hours long.
If students were not able to attend the event, there are still many opportunities to get involved. The SEaL office, located in the back of Jazzman’s café, has many opportunities available to the Cabrini community,
“There are many opportunities for them to get involved and if they missed the event to stop by the SEaL office let us know their interest and we will get them connected. And that they should absolutely get involved,” LaJeunesse said.
