On Wednesday, Sept. 3, immediately following the first chapel of the semester — where campus pastor Jen Shenk introduced the year’s theme, “The Time Is Now” — Goshen College hosted its annual Clubs, Organizations and Affinities Fair. The event gave student leaders the opportunity to showcase their passions and invite others to join the vibrant extracurricular life on campus.

In a previous article for The Record, Kate Bodiker wrote, “Some of the most notable [clubs] that seem a bit far-fetched today are groups like the Aero Club … in which students paid roughly $390 to receive their private pilot’s license,” and “the Camera Clique, a group that gathered students with a love of photography, and helped teach them how to develop their own photos.”

 GC student clubs, organizations and affinities have cultivated a strong sense of community and belonging, over decades. Today, GC has 17 active clubs, organizations, and affinity groups — terms that were recently discussed in a Student Senate meeting.

Henrique Eichenberger, student activities coordinator and assistant men’s soccer coach, explained the distinction between student clubs and affinity groups,“Affinity groups are different from clubs because they represent a minority group and have a bigger purpose,” Eichenberger said. 

Eichenberger also announced that his position is expanding. “Starting next week, I’ll be taking over the affinity groups,” he said. “I’m excited for this new journey — there’s a lot to be learned on my side.”

Back at the fair, student leaders shared their enthusiasm for welcoming new students and building excitement for the year.

Kennedy Stewart, a senior elementary education major and Black Student Union president, expressed excitement about connecting with first-years. “Every single year, it’s so exciting to meet new Black students — or even students who aren’t Black but want to know what we’re about,” she said. “Affinity groups are welcoming to everyone. Just because there’s a label in front of it doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of it.”

Javier Reyes, a junior nursing major, Campus Activities Council member and Student Senate president, echoed the importance of involvement. “I feel like I’m fulfilling an important role — meeting with people, listening to what they have to say, and helping structure it in a way that can produce change,” he said.

Reyes acknowledged that some students might feel intimidated by the time commitment. “People think the time commitment is too much. But in practice, it really isn’t,” he said. “Even meeting once a week is manageable — and the benefits of connecting socially and emotionally are huge.”

He reflected on joining CAC: “I was nervous about the time commitment at first. But those 20 hours go by fast — and the more effort I put in, the more I got out of it. I got to say I helped host events and build fun into our campus culture.”

Mireya Alemán, a sophomore art and history double major and co-president of GC Advocates, spoke about her group’s mission this year.

“We’re hoping to incorporate smaller events more frequently to create more outreach on campus,” she said. “Creating a safe space on campus is super important for everybody.”

The Clubs, Organizations and Affinity Fair highlighted the passions and purposes of a new generation of GC students. Longstanding groups like BSU, Monologues, Art Club and Internationl Student Association were present alongside groups that are making a comeback like the yearbook and groups that were formed in recent years like Muslim Student Association, Advocates and Voces Fuertes.

Eichenberger believes these groups are essential to campus life; “Clubs provide an opportunity for students to connect with each other and enjoy the experience of being a college student. If you just stay in your dorms, it can be lonely. Clubs bring energy to campus life,” he said.

Stewart added, “All these leaders, all these people that come together — everyone has a passion. It just shows how much goes on in our tiny campus that you might not even know about.”