I think you will agree with me when I say that club fairs are one of the best ways to make new friends. When I visited the club fair site, I expected to see a small setup with people giving out flyers. Turns out I was wrong! Every club had its own booth. The club members had huge welcoming smiles on their faces. There were enormous posters for each club, and they all had decorated their booths uniquely.
The significance of the club fair at the start of the year is to welcome students and allow them to build a social life here at the university. For a lot of students, clubs help with feeling a little closer to home. Clubs such as the Vietnamese Students' Association and the International Cantonese Union brought different cultures to the student body. They host multiple meetings throughout the year to celebrate various festivals, occasions or to have a homey cookout to eat all your favourite food!
With over 30+ clubs, it’s hard to feel left out. Some of the clubs had ongoing activities on their booths that anyone could participate in. For example, The Kendo Club had their Shinai (bamboo swords) and their Bogu (protective armour) out as they demonstrated many cool moves! At the Anime and Manga Association booth, I even got to see different anime character soft toys. The Hart House Student Music Community put out a humongous board of post-its that shared what UofT was listening to.
For a lot of second-year students, this was their first in-person social activity. I realized that due to COVID19 last year, many second-years missed out on the campus experience. My second-year friends found comfort in the club fair as they saw their culture, passions and interests shared by so many other people. That is what I loved the most about the club fair. It was diverse and welcoming. There was something for everyone!
Each club had some incentives to share with students that registered with the clubs. I personally got a ton of goodie bags at the club fair! The Sustainability Office said farewell to plastic as they gave out stainless steel cutlery and straws to students. PiCo, the Career Development Club, gave out poker cards, stationery and post-it notes! Another one of my favourite things about the club fair this year was the Bubble Tea! There was a blowout with $3 bubble teas for everyone! There were a variety of flavours, and it was one of the popular booths at the club fair. There was also a booth for Red Bull drinks to energize the students!
Even as a third-year student, I learned about many clubs that I didn’t know existed before. So I think I proved my point when I say social life awaits you at the clubs at the University of Toronto.
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