The Longwood University Involvement and Volunteer Fair was held Tuesday, September 13, 2011 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on Brock Commons between Dorrill Dining Hall and The Student Union. Over 75 student and community clubs and organizations were present to show off their activities and let students know what the clubs and organizations were all about. Longwood University students gathered in the center of Brock Commons to see just how many organizations Longwood has in which they can take part.
Festivities began with the setting up of the tables around Brock Commons at 3:00pm. Each table was marked for each organization, and the tables were set up in alphabetical order, according to the organization's title. Students and representatives of the different organizations began arriving to set up their displays between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. The Involvement Fair officially kicked off at 4 p.m. in the heat of the afternoon sun. The heat did not stop Longwood students from attending the fair, however. A slight breeze accommodated for the high temperatures, and the fair continued without delay.
The Involvement and Volunteer Fair was especially informational for freshmen students and first year transfer students because it displayed the organizations for which they could become members or volunteers.
Just a few of the organizations and clubs in attendance with displays at the Involvement Fair included Circle K, Chess Club, The Longwood University Company of Belly Dance, Longwood Ambassadors, Baptist Christian Ministries, Episcopal Campus Ministries, Catholic Campus Ministry of Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University, Longwood Swim Club, Spanish Club, WMLU 91.3FM, The American Red Cross Appalachian Region, Longwood Sororities and Fraternities, Fierce Hip Hop Team, Relay for Life representatives, March of Dimes representatives, Habitat for Humanity, and FACES.
Among the organizations and clubs in attendance, each had a different way of attracting new members. Many tables held sign-up sheets for students to sign their names and email addresses for further information. Business cards, fliers, and other pamphlets of information were given out by many of the organization tables with important upcoming dates and meeting or event information. Some organizations, such as Catholic Campus Ministry and Episcopal Campus Ministries, gave away freebies such as cups and candy. Other tables were decorated with balloons, tri-fold presentation boards, or things that represented the organization. Many of the organizations' representatives were decked out in their organizations' t-shirts, uniforms, or costumes. The Longwood University Company of Belly Dance had members of their organization in full Belly Dance attire, from skirts to hip-scarves, who danced next to their display. Longwood Ambassadors dressed out in tour attire, "rocking that blue and khaki," as one representative said. Other organizations offered games to get student attention. WMLU, Longwood University's radio station, offered students free prizes for getting a ball in any of the cups they had set up on their table. Students got to keep the cup, which possibly held a prize, and had information about upcoming WMLU events. The Chess Club had an ongoing game of chess set up at their table for students to stop and play a whole game. The American Red Cross, along with other organizations, sported balloons that displayed the organization title. The American Red Cross also advertised for their next blood drive on November 18th in the Student Union. The Farmville area Fire Department displayed some of their equipment, such as hoses and suites, which attracted many students' attentions.
Longwood and community organizations alike agreed that the Involvement and Volunteer Fair was a great way to gain student interest. A representative for the Longwood Ambassadors stated, "Through the Involvement Fair, Longwood has given us a great medium for showing students what Ambassadors is all about, and it is a great way to gain student awareness of our organization." At the half-way point of the Involvement Fair, Ambassadors already had 32 student names and email addresses requesting more information. The Longwood Company of Belly Dance had a similar experience. A representative for The Belly Dance Company stated, "I think the Involvement Fair is a wonderful idea. It helps organizations and students, because it gains interest for the organizations, and there is always something for everyone." The Company of Belly Dance had just over 50 names and email addresses of interested students near the end of the Involvement Fair. The representative for Episcopal Campus Ministries attested to the success of the Involvement Fair by stating, "Each year we always gain members due solely to giving out information at the Involvement Fair. We think it is a great way for students to see what is offered on campus and in the community."
Fierce Hip Hop Team took a different approach for attracting student interest and became a main highlight of the Involvement Fair. Fierce performed a hip hop dance just after 5 p.m. during the Involvement Fair. Students from all around Brock Commons stopped to watch as Fierce performed and then got involved as Fierce dancers grabbed students from the crowd to dance with them.
The Involvement and Volunteer Fair came to a close at 6 p.m. as the crowd finally dwindled and table displays were removed. It seemed to be a success for both students and organizations.