Arranged in early autumn at the HLK lobby, student associations under the Jönköping Student Union were able to meet new students in this two-day event. A number of representatives from each association stood in front of their respective tables filled with unique patches, merch, freebies, and brochures.
Last autumn, many activities and events were canceled due to COVID-19. As the government abolished almost all restrictions, Involvement Fair 2021 was a good opportunity for students to get involved in campus life at JU. Moreover, the associations would get the chance to explain what they do and what they have to offer.
“Since COVID hit, they [student associations] have not been able to have this physical exposure,” said Fredrik Framåt, the JSU Association Coordinator. . “The main goal for this fair is that our student associations can be exposed in physical form – so that they will have the chance to recruit and make other students know their existence.”
Involvement was difficult last year. Almost everything was done remotely as a result of the pandemic. This situation affected the operation of most of the student associations.
Sherri Hedström, a sophomore at JIBS, represented Showtime – a music, dance, and theater association. According to her, this year’s fair was vital as students started to be back on campus. “We have been kind of unknown before the prior year because of corona,” said Hedström. “This fair is very important to Showtime — we can build stable grounds for students to actually know the association.”
As for Jönköping University Sports Association (JUSA), recruitment was tough this past year. “Last year, we didn’t get a lot of members that we wanted,” said Jonathan Stål, the President of JUSA. . “[The involvement fair] is really important to us to get our names out and be seen by new members and market ourselves.”
JUSA was hopeful to engage more students in sports as the government lifted corona restrictions. “We always want new members and it’s fun to get people to play sports with us,” Stål added.
Students, mostly in their first year, were curious as they walked around the HLK lobby to discover the associations that would fit their interests. Some played games hosted by the representatives, while others discussed what the associations stood for.
First-year student, Jim Pham, attended the fair with his friends and found the event to be a great way to get involved in co-curricular activities. “This event is quite interesting because you can get more connected with other things and meet other people with the same interests,” said Pham.
The involvement fair showcased that student associations encourage students to be active in dealing with certain issues. “I haven’t signed up yet for any student association, but I’m really interested in nature – something that deals with climate change. That’s the issue I often think about,” he added.
From the previous years before the pandemic, it was customary that the involvement fair was held right after the Kick-off. However, changes had to be done due to circumstances. Involvement Fair 2021 was organized almost one month after the Kick-off. Nevertheless, Jönköping Student Union was optimistic that this event would help both the students and the associations. “As for now, I think it went really well, but I will know more after the evaluation of each association regarding this fair,” said Framåt.
For more information about the student associations at JU, visit
http://www.jonkopingsstudentkar.se/english/associations/jsu-associations.html
