The UFV Opportunity Fair on Feb. 4 was a chance for students to interact with clubs, associations, and on-campus organizations. Students were informed on the various groups on campus, the events they were hosting, and available paid or volunteer positions.
Parallel to this event, the Study Abroad Expo took place, offering students the chance to learn about UFV’s study abroad program. For students in specific programs, or students looking to get information on the university’s different associations and opportunities, the event offered a lot.
Of the various on-campus groups, representatives from Student Life, Campus Recreation and Athletics, campus living, as well as several of the linguistics clubs and science student associations all attended the event. In particular, clubs and associations relating to the School of Business or the faculty of sciences had a high number of booths.
Of the people I talked to, only a few were not surprised to see a School of Creative Arts student attending the event. Most program-specific associations had attended the event, though it appeared there were few representatives from the College of Arts.
All of the people I talked to though were eager to share with me what their group was and upcoming events they were planning. It also was a valuable resource in discovering clubs and associations that I had previously been unaware of, such as the Spanish club, or UFV Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (UFV WEST). I also gained more information on different areas related to Student Life, such as recreation and campus living.
If you have been feeling a little lonely at UFV, I think finding a club or other activity on campus, whether that be a job or volunteer opportunity, is a great way to get involved. It allows for one to interact with people who have similar interests, and as it caters to students, time commitments such as classes will be understood. Most clubs also meet on campus, which is great for students who may have downtime between classes, or may be nervous about taking on an extra responsibility outside of the UFV environment. UFV also offers a wide range of clubs, allowing for students with very specific interests a place to find and bond with other students who share those interests.
Currently, there are 23 clubs and 18 associations active on campus, whose mandates can be viewed on the UFV SUS webpage. The subjects of these clubs and associations range from human rights to various linguistics and culture clubs to clubs with a focus on outdoor or physical activity.
Image: Nicholas Ashenhurst-Toews
