At this year’s inaugural community meeting, the Guilford Student Body Association (GSBA) announced major initiatives.
“We want to have more active students, and by active I mean seeing new faces at club events and not just the same 30 students. This school year we are pushing to bring more excitement and joy to campus,” said GSBA president Deon McFarland.
Yet, despite the GSPA’s goals, some confusion and doubt was expressed by meeting attendees about the student Club Fair planned for Sept. 6.
“Normally, you have your little poster and sign-up sheet. We don’t want that this year. This year we want you guys to create unique experiences at your table that reflect your clubs,” said GSBA vice president John Dixon.
After the meeting, John Romero-Alfaro of Guilford’s food pantry, the Quaker Cupboard, expressed concerns about how students accessing his club might feel.
“It’s confusing, because people want to feel secure and anonymous,” he said, “It’s a double standard trying to have a secure place, but also we do want to promote. We do want people to know it’s available.”
When asked for a response, McFarland said, “I think it’s good to have feedback in meetings since our job is to help (the) student experience be better. I like the idea of being more involved at your table just because that excites people about your club, which goes back to my first point on bringing joy to campus. One thing I really enjoyed from the community meeting was everyone paying attention and being active listeners as well.”
During the meeting, Maryn Leonard of Biohazard Ultimate Frisbee and Riley Barnes of the Yachting Club also voiced confusion about how clubs focused on outdoor activities could meet GSBA’s request in the event of rain.
“Last semester it rained, we moved inside, and things went flat because nobody came inside with us. Is there an action plan in case we can’t be outside?” Leonard asked.
Dixon’s simple response: “We’re going to move inside, and give the same energy.”
Grace Christensen, representing Guilford’s animal welfare collaboration, ROAR, followed up. “Can we get a more solid backup plan? You want us to bring out what we do at our clubs. I would bring a dog,” they said.
Lisa Cook, adviser for GSBA, responded. “Maybe bring a stuffed animal? Be creative in a way, use what you have. They’re not going to be at your table for long. We’re not asking you to feed them. We’re not asking you to have an activity that would have them at the table for 10 to 15 minutes. Just bring something more than just a pencil or a Hershey’s kiss.”
In defense of GSBA’s demands for the Club Fair, marketing chair Jahmarley Vivens said, “I feel like Guilford, typically throughout the school year, is kind of a slow school. Most people don’t know about things unless they’re athletes. All clubs just want to give people a college experience, get people out of their rooms.
“With the club fair I feel like in the past years it has helped with some students, those who do want to get out,” Vivens continued. “I feel like for the students who are quiet, they’ll have a better experience if we show what they’ll be getting into with this club.”
“I feel like we are a great community, but we lack communication with each other as people,” Vivens said. “I feel like if we all had the same communication level, and we understood what each of us wanted from this experience at school, then we would be able to serve everyone.”
