FTC StudentS get their Fair Share at the Club Fair

The Club Fair in the Upbeat Cafe (Photo:Tyler Brandt)

By Tyler Brandt

The Spring Semester at Five Towns College is in full swing with midterms only a few weeks away. However, it doesn’t quite feel that way until the Club Fair hits the Upbeat Cafe. The Student Government Association hosted the event on February 24th and encouraged students to get involved in any of the clubs that peaked their interests, including the Five Towns SGA.

The Audio Club, Gospel Choir, Radio Club, and more lined the Upbeat waiting for students to inquire about what makes their club unique. Coffee and cookies were served to help entice some of the students into the fair.

One of the more interesting table displays represented the Tabletop Tavern, a club that enjoys playing board games of all varieties. Their club saw a fair share of foot traffic as students were coming and going into the fair to gather information.

Tabletop Tavern Club President Sam Krotz says his club, like many others at Five Towns College, is a place where you can “make friends and hangout.” The Club Fair gives student leaders opportunities to show off some of their hobbies and passions while also welcoming in some fresh and new faces onto the FTC scene. And that’s exactly what Krotz hopes to do by coming down to the Club Fair every semester. Krotz said, “We come to Club Fair so we can show people what we are. People don’t usually expect this type of thing to be around, but we are, and they’re like ‘hey that seems like something cool I’ll give it a shot'.”

Club Fair Set Up (Photo: Joseph Gucciardo)

FTC has a diverse student body, and events like this are what display some of that culture. Michael Cavalli is the head of Residence Life at Five Towns College and doubles as the Advisor for the Student Government Association, while overseeing and organizing the bi-annual Cub Fair. On Tuesday, Cavalli raffled off merchandise for lucky students who signed up for clubs. After a student signed up for a club, they were awarded a raffle ticket. Prizes ranged from a shirt and sweats to a swag bag of Five Towns gear.

Cavalli realizes the importance of student involvement in the school and that events like this are designed for students to make connections. “Students, on average, spend about 15% of their time {on campus} in class, and what do you do with that other 85% of the time?” Cavalli questions. “Here {at the Club Fair} is where we want students to take advantage of the investment they’ve made in coming to Five Towns College, to be able to get the most out of their experience and the most opportunities to network and spend time with their peers.”

With over a dozen different clubs at the college, not all of which were represented at this week’s Club Fair, the wide variety provides every student with a welcoming environment surrounded by passionate peers. There are very few days where that is represented more than at the Club Fair, a staple event at the beginning of every semester.