FallFest is a time-honored UNC tradition that introduces freshmen to the broad array of organizations UNC has to offer. It’s one of the most important recruitment events for student groups. However, it didn’t happen this year.
Despite an improvised FallFest in the Pit last week, many freshmen didn’t get the exposure to student groups that they would’ve liked. On the flip side, many student groups that rely on FallFest to recruit new members couldn’t participate.
Having another FallFest as it is usually held is prohibitively expensive and time consuming to set up, thus making it impractical.
What could be done then to give students and organizations the opportunity to introduce themselves to one another? A series of smaller FallFests for specific interest areas could be held.
FallFest is broken down into different sections that reflect different types of campus groups. They include, but are not limited to, cultural, political and activist groups and religious organizations.
With such distinctions, it would be relatively easy for these groups to have smaller FallFests of their own, with the heads of these organizations banding together to hold recruitment events.
Such events could be held in the Student Union’s Great Hall for students to attend during the next few weeks. These venues are available; they should be utilized.
It would be to the benefit of both the class of 2016 and student organizations to have an opportunity to engage with student organizations that they would have otherwise had at the regular event.
FallFest this year may have been a wash, but this is at least one approach that can be taken to redeem downtrodden freshmen and student groups.
