The January Society Fair & January Blues

 Written by Leah Oake 

Thumbnail & Banner Photo by Saint Mary’s University via Facebook

Society fairs are an exhilarating experience for society executives around campus. They pull out all the stops to gain as many new incoming members as possible. The first society fair I ever experienced was in the fall during my second week of university – ever! I will admit I was super nervous, but once I started talking to all the lovely society executives, I could not help but want to join every society I possibly could (and that I did!). The society fairs in the fall are always a huge success, but unfortunately, that is not always the case in the winter. Throughout this article, I will discuss the three main issues affecting the success of the winter fair(s). I hate to compare the fairs because of the differences in space and season. Still, hopefully, this will provide some insight into the students’ and societies’ opinions on the consistent cons of the winter fair. Before I divulge into the cons that come with fairs in the winter, check out my article on the impact of society fairs – in the fall! In this article, I discuss the benefits these fairs offer students. 

    Here are the main issues with the fairs in the winter:

1. Limitation on Booths and Space

2. Location

3. Morale/Timing

Limitation on booths and space is arguably the most prevalent issue. During the fall, the fair is held on the quad, where space can always accommodate and shift. But in LA290 (the location for the indoor fair), there is a limit. Due to this, not all societies get to participate. The more prominent and influential societies are immediately granted a place (rightfully so, as they worked hard for their position around campus). Still, other societies seem to get the short end of the stick. It’s difficult for new societies to grow and prosper when there are fewer opportunities for them to be seen by the student body. 

Let’s consider the latest winter society fair. SMUSA sent a Google form to societies to estimate the booths needed for the fair. Some societies received confirmations of their spots, while others were left in the dark. This is unfortunate because some societies were left feeling forgotten about or less valuable. In addition, some people have even said there were empty tables in the designated room, which other societies could have filled! So, it was an error on behalf of SMUSA’s communication and a mistake in the set-up itself. Why were there extra tables when many societies were not asked to attend? 

The lack of space affects not only the societies but also the student body. For example, if the SMU Journal was not given a spot and an aspiring journalist was looking for somewhere to hone their craft, they would not be introduced to The Journal. This can be said for any society. If someone wants to find like-minded folk, they would only do so if the associated society was not ind. The only way this could be fixed is to change or add locations.

That brings us to the second issue: the location. The fair could work much better if it took place in the student centre. It has a vast first floor in addition to the SMUSA space on the fifth floor. If the fair was less “hidden” indoors and took up more space around the school, it would work exceptionally well, include all societies, and reach more of the student body. LA290 is a room that many new students do not know about. Even if there are signs throughout Loyola, it doesn’t help the students who have classes exclusively on the left side of the campus and are unfamiliar with the building. It could be more beneficial to display signs across the entire campus. The quad is an excellent location because of its accessibility to students, but LA290 is tucked away. Of course, the fair needs to be inside during the winter, but several adjustments can be made to accommodate everyone. 

Another issue is the expectation of social media access. Most students have a phone or access to technology, so prompting events exclusively via Instagram is the new norm. That works great for the fall fair since its location in the quad means there is little chance you will miss it. But the winter fair has a different effect. A student who does not follow SMUSA’s social media accounts, in addition to the lack of signs, would miss the fair altogether. I spoke to some students after the fair; most did not even know it happened. The current location could only aid in the fair’s success if social media and in-person promotion tactics were used equally. 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Finally, morale and timing: Though this is not SMUSA’s responsibility, the issue of low mental health rates at the beginning of the year coincides with the time the society fair is held. Students lack money after holiday spending and scramble to pay for upcoming tuition as they try to ease themselves back into school – societies are not on students' minds. In the winter, people are tired and frankly miserable. A society fair is great for boosting morale, but it would be ineffective without addressing the prior concerns.

What if SMUSA dedicated sections of the fair to mental health support in addition to the other societies? You may be wondering what morale has to do with the societies fair. Well, societies are created by students for students. However, there seems to be a lack of acknowledgement of students’ struggles throughout the year: heaps of assignments, exhausting exams and labs, and anxious and perpetuating tiredness. Acknowledging that January has the highest depression rates when planning the fair can help in many ways. SMUSA could think more critically about ways to promote and positively impact students. Along with showcasing societies, SMUSA can do better at showcasing campus resources (the counselling centre, Fred Smithers centre, writing centre, etc.). It would introduce students to helpful assets and fun and exciting societies to help them manage the back-to-school blues they face in January. 

Attending society fairs is a great way to be integrated into SMU, but these fairs always have room for improvement. As much as I love the fairs, it is hard to overlook the winter issues compared to how successful the fall fair is. I hope that in future years, these issues will be amended so that both seasonal fairs are perfect. I do not doubt that SMUSA will continue to revise and modify to help make future events bigger and better.