Festifall organizers aim to recruit students for extra-curriculars

By Rachel Green

Daily Staff Reporter

Student groups invading the Diag tomorrow hope to inflate their numbers with new faces on campus and congregating in the campus' center for Festifall on a busier class day might aid their mission.

Melita Mitchell, interim assistant director for campus activities and programs, said she expects more than 300 out of the University's nearly 900 student groups to be represented at this year's Festifall, which will begin at 11 a.m tomorrow and run until 4 p.m. on the Diag.

Mitchell said complaints about a new day for the event haven't made it to her desk.

"Students haven't communicated any complaints to me about Festifall being on a Thursday. We chose to change the day because there is simply more traffic in the Diag on Thursdays," she said.

But because Thursday is known as a busy class day, some groups are concerned that fewer students will want to stop by Festifall, the event which showcases University student organizations.

Last year, the Student Activities Leadership Council chose to move Festifall from the first Friday of classes to the first Thursday to attract more students.

LSA senior Daniel Berebitsky, a member of the University's Gilbert and Sulivan Society, a group which celebrates the work of the composers, said he did not notice an increase in student traffic last year during Festifall's first Thursday.

"It was a little more difficult to find people to work the booths since most of our officers are students, and going to classes is more important than working our booth," Berebitsky said.

Berebitsky said he would like to see Festifall switched back to Friday.

"It would give students more time to wander around and visit all of the booths," he said.

By moving Festifall to a Thursday, Jeffrey Wank, head of both Laugh Track and Comedy Club, said he believes the change is better because, "you have more people that can see your booth, even if they only pass through and pick up a flyer."

Mitchell said Festifall's main objective is to familiarize students groups active on campus and the different resources at the University.

But some student leaders said they think that the booths serve an even more important purpose.

"Festifall is the first great opportunity for groups to give a wide range of exposure to students. Students get to see what this campus has to offer beyond academics," said Jordan Litwin, president of the University Activity Center.

"Festifall is one of the only opportunities for group leaders to get to speak directly with interested students, a benefit that online student groups directories such as Maize Pages cannot offer," Litwin said.