Students swamp Activities Fair

What started with a simple stroll through Wesley W. Posvar Hall may end with a trip to China,… What started with a simple stroll through Wesley W. Posvar Hall may end with a trip to China, one among the many potential outcomes from a trip to yesterday’s Activities Fair. ‘There was barely room for people to get by,’ said Karen Garelik, a sophomore member of Heinz Chapel Choir. ‘It was crazy.’ The Activities Fair, held in and outside of Posvar Hall between 2 and 5 p.m. yesterday, hosted countless organizations and the potential new members who swarmed their tables looking for new opportunities around campus. Garelik said that 96 students signed up to audition for HCC, whose members may travel to China at the end of the school year to perform. Christine Garrard, a freshman prospective member for HCC, said that was definitely a selling point for her. ‘It was actually what first drew me to their organization,’ she said. Garrard was excited about the Activities Fair as a whole. She said that her strategy was to sign up for lots of clubs but only to join a few. ‘I just wanted to keep my options open,’ Garrard said. ‘I wanted to keep my bases covered.’ At the Panther Habitat for Humanity table, students stretched all along the front and the sides of the table, and others hunched over them trying to get information about the group. Nick Corsi, a senior at Pitt who has been involved with Habitat for Humanity for the past three years, sounded very pleased about the fair. ‘A lot of people showed up this year,’ said Corsi. ‘I think we talked to a lot more people this year than we did last year.’ The College Democrats table was equally congested. Lissa Geiger, the president of College Democrats, said that the attendance was ‘much better than last year’ and attributed it to the Obama campaign. Andrew Sabo, a sophomore and social chair of College Democrats, said he was ecstatic about the turn out. Sabo said that he joined the College Democrats because he was excited by the group’s progressive outlook. ‘It looked like a good, organized group, but one that you could still have a good time with,’ said Sabo. ‘They didn’t take themselves too seriously.’ The table for the Pitt Pathfinders was perhaps the most crowded of them all. Pathfinder representatives could be found on the bottom floor of Posvar Hall. Iva Drasinover, a sophomore member of the Pathfinders, is excited to have new members. ‘It’s a really rewarding job,’ said Drasinover. ‘You get paid, but it doesn’t always seem like a job. You get to have a lot of fun and meet a lot of great people.’ Corsi, of Habitat for Humanity, also said that the organization usually doesn’t have to do too much advertising. ‘The name pretty much sells itself,’ he said. Katie Getsie, the president of Pitt’s branch of Habitat for Humanity, said the group received about 300 names of students who were interested in joining, but she suspects many of the students who signed up will lose interest quickly. ‘That number usually goes down to 150 for the first meeting,’ said Getsie. Photos by Michael Heater / Photo Editor