By Gabriela Flores
Once COVID shut down student life on Brooklyn College’s campus, club involvement either continued or fell through the cracks of remote learning. Two years later, as contractions subsided and student presence made its comeback, the Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership Center opened its doors to host the biannual involvement fair. With a few modifications brought by COVID restrictions, the fair’s return to in-person has made many club leaders excited for what the future has in store.
“I’m just excited to see student life come back to campus, and that it keeps growing and building a stronger and supportive community,” Iqura Naheed, president of the Undergraduate Student Government, told the Vanguard.
The fair kicked off on Mar. 7 and will end this coming Thursday, Mar. 17. The SAIL Center has invited various clubs, such as BC literary outlets and fraternities, to interact with students for three days. In contrast to the previous online involvement fairs held on Bulldog Connection and Zoom, this year’s fair takes place on the Center’s second floor. Students interested in learning more about organizations have to RSVP before arriving, which many club leaders thought was an extra step that likely pushed away potential attendees.
“If you don’t check your emails and stuff constantly, I don’t think you really heard about the fair,” said an e-board member from Students for Justice in Palestine who wanted to remain anonymous.
Though the SJP member and many others wanted the fair to be held on the quad for all students bustling across campus to stop by, they were content with sharing their message face-to-face at the fair after a long time on Zoom.
“Even [if] it was a handful of people, I was still glad to put our message out there to those handfuls. It’s better than nothing,” said the student.
Though the fair’s scenery was somewhat of a disadvantage to many, having the fair take place over three different days may have also constrained the turnout, some club leaders opined. On the first day, faith-based organizations, identity-centered clubs, volunteer services, performing arts, and health wellness groups were invited to open the fair on Mar. 8. Following their arrival were governance and graduate groups, publications, politically-oriented clubs, and Greek organizations on Mar. 10. To some club leaders, the fair’s three-day structure may not have allowed for students to get a full glimpse of what BC’s student life has to offer.
“I was super excited, but then we found out it was going to be held on separate days, with specific clubs on each day, that was a little disappointing because I know the first day always gets the most hype, and then it kind of just fizzles out,” said Mariyah Rajshahiwala, president of Stuck in the Library, a literary magazine. Nonetheless, Rajshahiwala understood why the SAIL Center organized the fair with certain constraints due to COVID.
“[…] It was the best they could do with COVID,” said Rajshahiwala, who was hoping for a turnout reminiscent of previous pre-pandemic quad involvement fairs.
Despite the challenges, each club leader found their own beat in the fair and interacted with potential members about their organization. Stuck in the Library, for instance, handed out notebooks, pens, and shared previous publications with those who stopped by their table. At the end of the fair, Rajshahiwala received some submissions for her magazine and shared more of STL.
“I would love to have everyone come by the table, but it was a fair turnout. I’m happy with what I got,” she said. As in-person presence grows on campus, Rajshahiwala and her colleagues have their return to publishing date set for Apr. 12.
For the anonymous SJP student, getting to converse in person about their organization’s advocacy for the liberation of Palestine was important to vocalize and clarify any misunderstandings.
“It’s been interesting to talk to students. A lot of students don’t really know about the occupation, the apartheid, and the settler colonialism in Palestine by Israel,” they said. “So I was glad to have been able to explain some things, and share some printed resources as it’s something you can’t explain in a couple of minutes.”
SJP members who tabled at the fair handed out maps illustrating Palestinian land from 1946 to the present day, among other information and updates on upcoming in-person and online events. By the end of March, one of the get-togethers the club has in store is an event where students will learn how to sew tatreez, a traditional Palestinian embroidery.
As for Naheed from USG, helping both new and graduating students navigate through the college’s tools for on-campus life was a major component of her tabling presence. Getting students interested in becoming part of BC’s governance was another goal of hers for the fair’s second day.
“It’s really nice to be able to talk to students. You can have a longer conversation because it’s much easier to talk one-on-one than it is in a Zoom room,” she said. “So you can find out what students are up to, what they’re interested in, [and] put them in the right direction to what else they might find fun or helpful.”
Naheed and her USG colleagues are planning in-person events, including more movie nights on the quad and an Iftar dinner in light of Ramadan.
As online involvement fairs seem like a fragment of COVID’s past, several club leaders across BC are eager to get back and running on the Midwood campus.