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CSULB’s semesterly club fair to welcome students

Rows of colorful tents, free goodies passed from hand to hand and, of course, a large sailboat sitting in the grass in the central quad. These signs can only mean one thing: Week of Welcome is upon us.

The two-day event is put on each semester by the Beach Pride Center to raise awareness about clubs around campus. This semester, the event will take place Wednesday Jan. 31 and Thursday Feb. 1 on the central quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over 250 clubs are slated to join, including booths for academic clubs, intramural sports and Greek life.

According to some students, it can be a challenge to fit extracurricular activities into their schedules, especially because Cal State Long Beach is a commuter school.

“I try to go to Week of Welcome every semester and I have tried to get involved,” said Michelle Pham, a second year molecular biology student. “But all of the science clubs I’ve signed up for have clashed with my class times.”

Jonathan Ibarra, a fifth year liberal studies major and the lead program assistant for Beach Pride, has some tips for clubs trying to bring in more members at the event.

“People are attracted to the energy of Week of Welcome,” Ibarra said. “If it’s a plain booth, people won’t go. They want to see that you’ve put in effort, you’ve made the poster board of everything going on. It’s all about the spiel.”

Committing to joining a club can seem daunting, but Ibarra recommends it to anyone looking to try something new.

“I joined Beach Pride at Week of Welcome my first semester here,” Ibarra said. “And I’m still here, five years later.”

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