Students learning to take risks, being part of a community and finding new interests were all part of the IGNITE club fair.
“We’ve heard that students have a hard time making friends in university and college. This is a great opportunity to meet some new people with similar interests,” IGNITE student advocate Emily Edwards said about the fair held in the Student Centre on Oct. 1.
The fair showcased a variety of student-led clubs, Edwards said.
She said putting together the event went smoothly. “All of the clubs are prepared and ready and really just excited to talk to students.”
Humber students Keisha Juerra, Rishma Ramlochan and Narisoo Sukhoo said time management is important when joining a club.
Juerra said she should be fine with managing her time as long as she doesn’t overwhelm herself when joining a club.
“Definitely do school stuff at school and home stuff at home,” she said. “You need to manage your time because you will be super stressed if you don’t.”
Ramlochan said clubs could help balance her schedule, giving her dedicated time for both academics and extracurricular activities.
Sukhoo said she hoped the clubs would be flexible regarding students with busy schedules. “I really need it,” she said.
Host of the Cam’s Kids booth, Alyssa Meuti, said not a lot of commitment is required “in terms of needing to show up for a lot of stuff because ultimately we’re all here to understand sometimes you just can’t make it.”
Cam’s Kids Foundation is a movement and an organization dedicated to supporting young people struggling with anxiety.
It said on its website that it does this by creating awareness, providing tools and resources, and encouraging peer-to-peer support.
Ramlochan said a few clubs sounded good, including Cam’s Kids.
“Mental health club. One hundred per cent,” she said.
Edwards said clubs can foster these support systems with students and she thinks “community is incredibly important on campus.
“To kind of feel at home on campus,” she said. “Be a part of a club, a community, find people with similar interests and even find new interests for yourself.”
Humber student Vinny Pratt said she attended the Clubs Fair with the Chinese Students Association in mind for that sense of community.
“I’m adopted from China, so I’ve been trying to get involved in stuff that can bring me closer to my culture,” she said.
The Chinese Students Association (CSA) booth was giving out cultural treats. Booth host Chunlun Fan said they share snacks every week.
“We managed to share mooncakes for the Chinese students,” he said.
Fan said the CSA is there to support students who speak Mandarin or Cantonese, or for those who want to learn how to speak the languages.
Juerra said her top picks included the Filipino club and the Women’s Student Leadership Association (WSLA).
“I’m really interested in what they (WSLA) are advocating for,” Juerra said.
Fronting the WSLA booth, Hannah Grace Acacio said the WSLA advocates for women on and off campus.
She said it also hosts fun events for the members, “movie nights, self-care days, kind of just a place for women to just come and talk.”
Pratt said she found the Anime Club booth intriguing and Juerra said it interested her the most.
Anime Club president Moses Newman said it was for anyone with an interest in Japanese shows or who wanted to learn about anime.
“It’s just something where a lot of people could just enjoy,” Newman said.
A representative of the Humber North Chess Club, Joss Wood, said if students want to enjoy themselves, experience competitive chess while also having a chill time with like-minded players, “this is your go-to club.”
Anaiya Khan, who represented the Desi Students Association, said that while it was not accepting new members, she encouraged students to attend the events their association was hosting.
Edwards encouraged students who were considering joining a club.
“I would say take the risk,” she said. “There's a place for everyone.”
