The Dean’s Student Advisory Council of the business college hosted a Business Organization Fair on Wednesday where a variety of Bradley organizations came together to recruit new members.
While most of the clubs and groups were already at the activities fair at the beginning of the academic year, students wanted to know more information throughout the semester.
“At the beginning of the semester, [joining is] hard for students,” said Melissa Van Vianen, junior marketing major and president of the hosting group. “There’s so much happening, so sometimes they’ll want to get involved later.”
Van Vianen said there are at least 16 business-related organizations on campus. A few of them were present at the fair to explain to their clubs’ missions to students, and each club had their own table, with some featuring poster boards or flyers to get students to join.
Most organizations have a common goal of working in the economic field. Some of them have their own niche, ranging from personal identities to desired business opportunities.
The American Marketing Association helps students find where they fit in when it comes to the field. Those not majoring in marketing can still find a club for their needs.
“[The American Marketing Association] likes to help give [students] exposure to the field and possibilities,” said Brooklynn Schmindall, senior marketing major and vice president of social interactive media. “We tend to do events where students can take away something, such as personality assessments, workshops and certification events.”
For those who might have more of an interest in the world of retail, the National Retail Federation Student Association (NRFSA) chapter on campus could be a good fit for them.
“We have guest speakers, local retailers come talk to us about social media and even had Zion coffee,” said Ethan Buck, senior social media marketing major and president of NRFSA. “We’ve had so many groups. The best part of it is networking.”
Beyond majors, some students can find clubs supporting them based
on gender, such as the Women in Business organization. While not exclusive to women, it focuses on empowering women and helping them develop their skills.
Similarly, while the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) has a majority of Latino students, all are encouraged to join. Cassandra Torres, junior advertising and Spanish major and vice president of ALPFA, said that they’ve taken a spin on skills students might already have.
“My favorite [event we hosted] was working on our elevator pitch but in Spanish,” Torres said. “I hosted that with my peers, and since we understand the language, we were able to help students. Some students already know Spanish but may not know how to say their major in it.”
The Business Organization Fair gave students a chance to find clubs that can help them the best and according to Van Vianen, the council hopes to host the same event in the coming years.
