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Student Activities Night draws enthusiastic crowd
Click here for slideshow. The two-hour event, which ran from 7-9 p.m. in both venues, showcased more than 170 registered student organizations, fraternities, sororities and club sports at UD, and garnered enthusiastic interest from students hoping to pursue new skills, maintain old ones, meet new friends and contribute to the campus and Newark communities. “I've studied ballet, so I'm hoping to get involved with a dance club,” Chelsea Simpson, a freshman nursing major from Bear, said. “I'd like to stay involved, so I'm seeing what's available. Right now I'm just looking around.” The wealth of options made the quest interesting and challenging, and contests boosted the level of excitement as organizations vied for students' attention. Enthusiasm ran high, and twenty minutes into the event organizers scrambled to keep maps and lists of organizations in stock. “It's always hard to gauge turnout,” Charles Tarver, assistant director of Student Centers, said, “and this is always a popular event. While I can't tell whether there are more participants this year, I can definitely say that it seems like they're arriving faster and sooner than in previous years.” Lindsday Smith, a freshman business major from North Salem, N.Y., who attended Activities Night with the hope of joining clubs where she could pursue hip-hop dancing and soccer, also attended First Night on Saturday, Aug. 26, and the Campus Breakout on Sunday, Aug. 27. She said she was impressed with both the range of opportunities and the enthusiasm of her peers. “The last few days have been a lot of fun,” she said. “The orientation events have given us a lot of information, and everyone has been really helpful to make sure we get involved.” For Alexis Ford, a commuting student, Activities Night, as well as the other orientation events from the past weekend, offered a good opportunity to network and explore volunteer opportunities in the Newark area and beyond. “I don't know how much time I'll have, because I'm carrying 18 credits,” the freshman music education major from Landenberg, Pa., said, “but, I'm hoping to join a Christian organization like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.” Ross Herbert, a freshman finance major from Pound Ridge, N.Y., was excited about the number of sports and recreation opportunities offered at the Carpenter Sports Building. “I signed up for the roller hockey team and for baseball,” he said, adding that at some point he plans to play basketball, as well. The free event, which was one of several scheduled for the start of the year, was sponsored by UD Student Centers. Other move-in weekend events included First Night at UD on Saturday, Aug. 26, which featured music, ice-breaker games and arts and crafts; JustUDoIt!: The Campus Breakout on Sunday, Aug. 27, which featured nationally known comedy and musical acts; and A Whole New World on Sunday, Aug. 27, which focused on diversity appreciation and community building.
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