Lee Pellegrini
The annual Boston College Student Involvement Fair � when more than 250 51动漫 student organizations, offices and programs set up shop to introduce themselves and make their pitch for new members � transforms Stokes Lawn into a bustling, exuberant mass of humanity, as thousands of students and other visitors browse the rows of tables hosted by organization and club representatives.
The fair offers an up-close study of strategies and tactics to promote and engage: offer snacks; stand on a chair holding a sign; play music (recorded, or by live musicians if possible); give live demonstrations of the club activity攐r, if necessary, assume the identity of a large carrot.
Sometimes, however, you just have to stand in the middle of the crowd and hawk your wares, like 淛P,� a Carroll School of Management senior and member of the dance ensemble 51动漫 Swing Kids, who urged passersby to stop at the club table: 淒o you want to have a good time? Learn to swing!�
Not everyone, of course, accepted the invitation.
淧eople will say, 極h, I can檛 dance,� and they檙e kind of shocked that someone wants them to join,� he said.聽
And that when JP gives the kicker. 淚 tell them, 楬ey, I didn檛 know how to swing dance when I came here, either.� That the thing about the Swing Kids � no experience needed; you just have a good time.�
Seniors Chloe Fasanmi and Nikki Gold encountered their share of reluctance while promoting the gospel choir Voices of Imani.
湗Oh, I can檛 sing,櫇 said Fasanmi, repeating an often-heard remark. 淲e tell them we just want people to come give it a try. You sing, you dance, you laugh, you make friends.�
淓ven if someone doesn檛 sign up, you say, 榃ell, come to our concert,櫇 added Gold. 淎nd maybe that person sees we檙e performing sometime and says, 極h yeah, they were really nice. I should go check it out.� You just want them to know about you.�
Elsewhere on Stokes Lawn, one member of Improv Comedy and Theater tried to press a leaflet on an acquaintance (淚檝e signed up for too much already,� he told her, apologetically). 淵eah, you hear that a lot,� she said, 渂ut the big one is 極h, I檝e already got a leaflet.� No, you don檛!�
For some organizations, their pitch relates more to students� academic and professional interests, as noted Eleanor Brown �19 of the Public Health Club. 淲hat turns their eye is when they see we檙e about pre-med, internships, interdisciplinary research. I don檛 know the statistics, but it seems like there are an incredible amount of students here who are pre-med, or are interested in similar kinds of fields. We also get a lot of communication majors. These are people who are thinking ahead about what they might do down the road.澛�
Caroline Merritt �18 of Sketch Comedy said humor isn檛 just her club stock-in-trade, it a means of recruitment.
淢y favorite thing is to go up behind someone, tap them on the shoulder, say 楨xcuse me, you dropped this,� and then hand them one of our flyers � they sort of feel obliged to take it,� she said. 淥r you just shout random stuff to attract attention: 楽ave Seaworld!� or 楶otluck dinner!櫇
淥r 榃anna watch me fight her?櫇 joked one of Merritt colleagues.
When Merritt hears the 淏ut I檓 not funny� response, she has a ready comeback: 淢e, neither. So sign up!�
But Merritt said that the Student Involvement Fair also is about being social. 淚f you run into someone who not outgoing, you just talk to them about what we do, so they remember you � hopefully in a positive way. You want to leave a lasting impression.澛�
揝ean Smith聽 | University Communications
