To kick off the first week of the semester, students had a chance to explore the Spring RSO Fair and check out the many student-led organizations.
The fair was hosted in the David L. Eisler Center ballrooms on Thursday, Jan. 15 and over 60 student organizations set their tables in hopes of recruiting new members. The organizations also took opportunities to connect with students to why they should become members of their specific groups.
With it being the start of a new semester, students can now seek an opportunity to join an RSO that sparks their interest, involves similar interests or makes them feel more connected to life on campus.
Some of the RSOs are fraternities, giving new students to seek a fellowship involving common professions and interests as well as mutual support from the current group members.
Criminal justice junior Mike Wilkowski, who is the president of Pi Kappa Alpha gave his input as to why students should join his specific RSO.
“A lot of times people view fraternities as organizations on campus that party and get into trouble,” Wilkowski said. “Something that sets fraternities apart from other organizations is the brotherhood that we have. There’s not surface level knowledge we have of each other. We just have a really deep bond that keeps us all together.”
Every semester, RSOs put together events and extracurricular activities to give new and current members a chance to further connect with others on campus while presenting an opportunity to bring people together.
Wilkowski mentioned one yearly event that’s beneficial for the RSO’s current members and alumni.
“We do this thing every year called ‘International Work Day,’” Wilkowski said. “That’s a day where we get with our alumni. Our present members show out and we work on our house. We clean up our yard, we trim the bushes and we repaint the house. It’s a great way to interact with our alumni and gain some practical knowledge of how to fix up a house.”
Not every RSO has to consist of a fraternity, sorority or a club sport. Some RSOs can start with a common interest and then expand into a group that bonds over that common interest.
Hospitality management senior Talia Vermiglio, who is the student leader of RealLife, expressed that being a part of her specific group has meant a lot to her personal life and her time at Ferris.
“Being a part of this community has brought me so much joy,” Vermiglio said. “I get to be in a community where I’m with people who love the lord so much. To be able to connect with them and to have them put me on the right path towards the lord to growing my faith and my community has been my favorite part about being a Ferris student.”
RealLife is a Christian campus ministry RSO giving students opportunities to grow closer to God through events and meetings with members who want to grow stronger in their faith.
While exploring the numerous RSOs students could choose to join, many of them took fliers or signed up for the groups that sparked their interest.
Professional tennis management freshman Kohen Hill signed up for the baking and figure skating RSOs to feel more connected to the Ferris community which was what he’s been seeking as a freshman.
“A lot of people here are new to the university,” Hill said. “Having clubs that everyone has the same interest in helps a lot.”
For more information about Ferris’ RSO, students can visit the Ferris360 website or the Center for Student Involvement in the David L. Eisler Center. Additionally, students can check the Center for Student Involvement on Instagram at csiferris to learn more as well.