The College of Staten Island Winter Involvement Fair, held on February 6, was a great opportunity for new or returning students actively trying to learn, meet new people, and experience involvement with campus activity.

For more than 15 years, the Office of Student Life has been hosting the Winter Involvement Fair, and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and Student Government have also helped in funding this event through the Student Activity Fee. In my first interview, I spoke to Deputy Director of Student Life Debi Kee. In our conversation, she expressed her gratitude toward student leaders who form and participate in student clubs.

“The involvement fairs are a great way to see the enthusiasm and dedication of our student leaders. I am always impressed by the way they show up and introduce students to what makes each of our groups unique,” Kee said.

I spoke to leaders of the Open Minds Exchange Club, Colin Alarcon, Joey Yu, and Milena Olkhovetsky. The club allows students to informally debate about topics ranging from things as trivial as food to controversial beliefs. They describe their exchanges as collaborative conversations of people building off of each other, but even debates about pancakes and waffles can become spirited.

“At a daily meeting, we line people up with drawn lines on the floor from strongly agree to strongly disagree on what we like to call a spectrum of beliefs. We start everybody at neutral, read a prompt, countdown from three, and let people choose.”

Talking to Nabila Guirguis, a student leader for the LGBTQ Resource Center, she mentioned many of the ongoing activities and upcoming events being held by the Center, such as Tea Time, an event held weekly on Mondays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, where students can enjoy a casual welcoming environment that can connect them with each other as they enjoy snacks.

The LGBTQ Resource Center is also collaborating with the Pride Center in an event called Intergenerational Connections, bridging together a number of generations in the LGBTQ+ community.

“The Pride Center will be joining us for lunch, and we’ll be doing a bingo activity. We also refer members to any resources that they need like the food pantry and mental health counseling,” Guirguis noted.

At 2:30pm on Tuesdays in Building 2N, Room 114 you can find student leaders of the League of Historians Club, Ulises Fernandez, Haider Shahzada, and Michelle Danglade. Shahzada and Fernandez spoke about the newness of the club and how in the upcoming semesters they plan to branch out more off campus as well.

“We are fairly new, and we would love to take our club off campus and do things, maybe go to The Met or City Hall.”

The League of Historians Club has about 13 members right now but plans to grow their presence through their tightly knit relationships in the club, and their efforts recruiting through their classes.

Thanks to the Office of Student Life, CAB, and Student Government, students are presented with a great opportunity to experience the spirit of a college atmosphere. Experiencing the introduction to or insight on broader topics with the collaboration and members of clubs allows a seamless flow and welcoming environment of social interaction.

By Kyle Cicero