Blugold Organizational Bash experiences success
Event celebrates 17th anniversary, groups reach out and recruit
Sarah Moran
Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: Campus News
Card tables and poster board; neon pamphlets and candy dishes; sign up sheets and speakers playing the U.S. Top 40; and everywhere else, UW-Eau Claire students.
Thursday, Sept. 10 marked the 17th anniversary of the university's Blugold Organizational Bash. Paula Stuettgen, Senior Coordinator of Assessment and Special Projects, started the student fair in 1992 after realizing "there had never been a formal recruitment fair on campus yet."
She said, in effort to help student groups on campus "reach out and recruit" incoming and current students, BOB was born.
More than 240 organizations exist at UW-Eau Claire, and 120 had booths dividing the campus mall on Thursday said Sara Thommesen, Student Organizations' Administrative Coordinator.
Everything from Kins Club, College Republicans, Student Impact, Mac Users Group, and Mixed Martial Arts promoted their clubs to interested students. According to the Student Organizations Web site, the 240-plus organizations fall within 15 different special interest categories, including Academic, Sports, Media, and Special Interest.
"There's something for everyone," Thommesen said. In addition to keeping records of student organizations, she helps coordinate BOB.
"It takes about a month to prepare for this," she said. "I really think it's a great way for students to expand their college experience."
Junior Matt Moris, president of the Biology Club on campus, said he was impressed with the turnout his booth, and BOB in general, attracted.
"We already had about forty people sign up (for information) within the first hour," he said. "This is definitely beneficial."
Freshman Morgan Gamm gathered several different pamphlets and lists of information from the fair.
"I'm glad they had this," she said. "I wouldn't have known about any of this."
Exchange student Saintsan Ye Min from Myanmar said she enjoyed exploring all of the co-curricular organizations.
"It's nice that there is something we can do besides our studies here on campus," Min said. "In my country, at my university, we don't have clubs on campus like this. So it's really nice to see all of this."
For those students who didn't see a group promoting something they were interested in, Thommesen said they could create a group that isn't yet offered.
"We're always trying to accommodate more groups," she said. "This is just a great way for students to put themselves out there and become part of something."
Thursday, Sept. 10 marked the 17th anniversary of the university's Blugold Organizational Bash. Paula Stuettgen, Senior Coordinator of Assessment and Special Projects, started the student fair in 1992 after realizing "there had never been a formal recruitment fair on campus yet."
She said, in effort to help student groups on campus "reach out and recruit" incoming and current students, BOB was born.
More than 240 organizations exist at UW-Eau Claire, and 120 had booths dividing the campus mall on Thursday said Sara Thommesen, Student Organizations' Administrative Coordinator.
Everything from Kins Club, College Republicans, Student Impact, Mac Users Group, and Mixed Martial Arts promoted their clubs to interested students. According to the Student Organizations Web site, the 240-plus organizations fall within 15 different special interest categories, including Academic, Sports, Media, and Special Interest.
"There's something for everyone," Thommesen said. In addition to keeping records of student organizations, she helps coordinate BOB.
"It takes about a month to prepare for this," she said. "I really think it's a great way for students to expand their college experience."
Junior Matt Moris, president of the Biology Club on campus, said he was impressed with the turnout his booth, and BOB in general, attracted.
"We already had about forty people sign up (for information) within the first hour," he said. "This is definitely beneficial."
Freshman Morgan Gamm gathered several different pamphlets and lists of information from the fair.
"I'm glad they had this," she said. "I wouldn't have known about any of this."
Exchange student Saintsan Ye Min from Myanmar said she enjoyed exploring all of the co-curricular organizations.
"It's nice that there is something we can do besides our studies here on campus," Min said. "In my country, at my university, we don't have clubs on campus like this. So it's really nice to see all of this."
For those students who didn't see a group promoting something they were interested in, Thommesen said they could create a group that isn't yet offered.
"We're always trying to accommodate more groups," she said. "This is just a great way for students to put themselves out there and become part of something."
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