Florida State University (FSU) held its biannual Involvement Fair at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Aug. 27, giving students the opportunity to learn about some of over 700 Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on campus. In previous years, the student Involvement Fair was held inside the Student Union Ballrooms on campus.
Despite the fact that the Tucker Center is larger than the Student Union in both square footage and holding capacity, many attendees had doubts about how the event space was managed, given the number of people who attended. This year, more than 300 student organizations were present.
The event took place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the university provided direct bus transportation to the Civic Center.
One concern voiced by students was the lack of parking spaces available. FSU Facilities released a statement on their webpage on July 11 about parking rehabilitation improvements that are happening between July 14 and Oct. 20. Students still found it challenging to find parking due to the number of attendees and had difficulty navigating closed-off sections. Others reported having to walk upwards of half an hour to avoid parking conflicts.
“I didn’t even attempt to go to the Civic Center parking lot because the line was so backed up,” biological science and food and nutrition science major Nicole Lane said to the FSView. “I went to St. Augustine parking garage and was driving around for about 20 minutes or more.”
Many students were late to their tabling shifts because they couldn’t find parking. Once they arrived, some students had difficulty finding where they needed to be because the tables were not organized well.
“I think the overall organization of the event was not executed correctly because there are so many organizations, and the fact that there weren’t really specific categories or sections made it really hard for students to find clubs that they were interested in,” human resource management major Ingrid Navarrete said. “Also, just the situation with getting in and out of the venue was just ridiculous. The lines were so long outside.”
Despite initial challenges with getting to the tables, some students felt that the rest of the fair went smoothly, since there was a lot of open space for students to move through.
“Once I got through the parking and entry challenges, I really enjoyed meeting new people and learning about different organizations,” art therapy major Sydney Nichols said. “The atmosphere was energetic and welcoming, which made the experience both fun and informative.”
With an event as large and lively as the Involvement Fair, student safety was also a concern. The university has taken a variety of steps to enhance campus safety since the shooting the that occurred last spring on April 17.
“Regarding security protocols, FSU enhanced its safety measures by implementing metal detectors and bag checks, which was likely a precautionary response to the campus shooting late last spring,” Nichols said.
Students who attended the Involvement Fair can provide feedback to the university about the event at the link provided here.
FSU offers other opportunities for students to get involved
For those who were not able to participate or found the Involvement Fair inaccessible because of poor organization, there will be several other opportunities to get involved. Throughout September, professional development events will be hosted to prepare students for the Seminole Futures Job & Internship Fair on Oct. 1 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
The first career fair-related event will take place on Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m., as Florida State will be hosting “Power Players: Real Talk” inside the Student Union Ballrooms.
For engineering students, there will be an opportunity on Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering to have resumes critiqued and receive personalized career feedback from recruiters.
On Sept. 26, the Dunlap Success Center will be offering various career-fair prep stations from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.. Some of these events will include resume and LinkedIn profile reviews, networking and elevator pitch simulators, as well as an opportunity to take professional headshots inside the photobooth. There will also be an opportunity to connect with recruiters ahead of time on Sept. 29.
There will also be an event hosted at the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for students to connect with leading engineering firms.
Finally, there will be various events on Sept. 30. The Dedman College of Hospitality Career will be holding a Career and Internship Expo on the fourth floor ballrooms of University Center B, inside the stadium. There will be more than 50 employers present from all across the country, offering students the chance to learn about the different Hospitality programs at FSU, as well as gain insights into different career options and advice.
Aila Seaman is a Senior Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: FSU students voice concerns over event organization at Involvement Fair
Reporting by Aila Seaman, Senior Staff Writer / FSU News
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