‘Welcome home and we love you’: Annual Club Fair brings hundreds of students to celebration of a new school year full of opportunities

By David Gil de Rubio | dgilderubio@mec.cuny.edu

With the 2024 fall semester kicking off at Medgar Evers College, Club Fair, annually one of the most highly anticipated and well-attended events, was at center stage on Crown Street. 

Featuring carnival games, free food and a DJ pumping out jams that led to students spontaneously dancing to classic jams like “Set It Off,” this year found roughly 70 school-based organizations and local communities tabling. 

College groups and associations participating ranged from the Transition Academy, M.E.C. Vets, the SEEK program, Student Government Association (SGA) and National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) to community partners including The National Guard, New York Life, the Bed Stuy Family Health Center and Metro Plus Health. 

Manning the SGA booth, President Kayshaun Higgs and Freshman Class President Mamoudou Diomande have high hopes for the upcoming school year. 

“We’re looking to get more involvement from this student body,” Higgs said. “We hope to let them know that we’re here to represent them.” 

While the rigors of getting a degree are part of life as a student attending Medgar Evers College, a number of organizations tabling on this gorgeous summer day provide a means for Cougars to indulge in their passions. 

One such group is the Arts Club, which was founded by President Eternity Council last year as a means of creating a space where artists can express themselves as well as grow and learn from other creatives. And while it currently consists of 10 members, Council hopes to add another six or seven students to the club. 

“We want students to be more active in the community as well as express their art,” Council explained. “Medgar Evers College is known more for nursing and biology [majors]. I’m an artist myself and the point of starting this club was that I was looking for other creatives on campus. Like last year, we will have two main events. 

“One is the Black Art Experience, where students choose a Black artist or a Black Art movement and then create a piece on that. And then we had a showcase for all the pieces of art we created from the beginning of the school year until the end.” 

Another club fiercely dedicated to feeding those creative fires is the M.E.C. Allstars Dance Team. Led by current Captain Angela Thomas, this six-woman crew performs at various Medgar Evers College events throughout the school year. New members are welcome to join in rehearsals that take place at Founder’s Auditorium on Saturdays, from 1 to 4 p.m. 

For Thomas, it’s a group that goes beyond having dance at its core. 

“I feel like if you pursue dance here, there are a lot of other skills you can develop that can translate to other parts of your life,” Thomas said. “Our former captain, Genesis Marcell helped shape my leadership skills. Our current member Mo is not only great at budgeting, but she’s awesome at salesmanship in recruiting newer members to the team.” 

And while finding an outlet to blow off steam is one goal for some of the organizations taking part in Club Fair, others, like the Transition Academy offer support for students who may be struggling with basic life obstacles ranging from food insecurity to housing needs. 

At the Transition Academy booth, Dr. Waleek Boone, who directs the program, was pleased to see upwards of 50 students come through, most of which were finding out about accessing the Cougar Country Food Pantry. 

“Today is great because we’ve been able to engage students and inform them about this new emergency grant we launched in August,” Dr. Boone explained. “This grant helps support students that are in financial crisis. We can get them up to $3,000 if they’re behind in rent, utility bills, medical bills, or if they need furniture or an emergency Metro card. It all goes a long way.” 

For Office of Student Life and Development Director Amani Reece, that’s a crucial part of what Club Fair is all about. 

“Club Fair is really important to get students oriented at Medgar Evers College,” Reece said. “You want to ensure that students understand that their academics are extremely important, but equally important is their social and emotional well-being. It gets them the ability to learn about services that are available to them and to help make their transition and their time here at Medgar Evers College is easier here. 

“I think Club Fair is essential for helping our students start off, but it’s also telling them that we care about you and are willing to go the distance to do and provide the services that we need to. It’s us saying welcome home and we love you.”