Abigail Everidge
Staff Writer
On Friday, Aug. 31 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Scot Spirit Day will be held at the Scot Center Amphitheater.
Scot Spirit Day is The College of Wooster’s annual student-led organization fair that presents students with an opportunity to learn about more than 120 different student organizations, including performance clubs, volunteer organizations, club sports, Greek Life and more.
According to Julia Zimmer, director of Lowry Center and student activities, the purpose of Scot Spirit Day is for organization leaders “talk about the purpose or mission of their organization, their goals for the year and explain opportunities for involvement in the organization.”
Students are free to walk around the rows of tables, meet members of organizations, ask them questions and learn about upcoming events.
Zimmer assures students that it is much more beneficial to attend Scot Spirit Day than to simply join an organization online. “Being able to meet someone in the organization can make attending a meeting or event a little less intimidating and [can make you] more connected to the organization as well,” she said.
If a student is interested in a group that they spot at Scot Spirit Day, it is quite simple to reach out; each student organization should have a sign-up sheet at their table.
Following Scot Spirit Day, organizations are encouraged to send out e-mails that thank the students for signing up or share more information about the group or upcoming events. Student organizations are also encouraged to have informational meetings where the organization is explained more in depth.
Zimmer states that these meetings may include “more about their mission goals, structure of the organization, history and how to be actively involved.”
Zimmer also says that following Scot Spirit Day, it is important for leaders or previous members to teach new members as much as possible right away. It is also key to have team building exercises that help members get to know each other and more completely connect.
“Recruitment does not end at Scot Spirit Day. Student leaders need to build a team within their organization,” said Zimmer. “When people feel connected and able to contribute to the organization, they are more likely to stay actively involved in it.”
If a student is still interested in getting involved on campus but they happen to miss Scot Spirit Day or miss a table that they were interested in, they are encouraged to schedule a meeting with Zimmer to discuss their interests and which organizations may be a good fit for them specifically.
Students are also encouraged to start a new student organization of their own if they fail to find any organization that interests them at Scot Spirit Day.
Finally, students can check out The College of Wooster’s Student Organization website for more details on Scot Spirit Day and its organizations.
Scot Spirit Day will be held at the Scot Center Amphitheater on Friday, Aug. 31 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.