On Feb. 6, the Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) hosted this semester’s Student Involvement and Employment Fair in the Miron Student Center(MSC) Atrium. The event gave students the chance to learn about the variety of organizations that are looking to hire or recruit from the pool of talent that is present on this campus.
The fair was part of Involvement Week, which took place Feb. 4 to Feb. 10 and was designed to inform students about the plethora of ways they can become more than just students at Kean. The Student Involvement and Employment Fair was just one highlight of the many meetings, socials and celebrations that occurred throughout campus.
The atrium was filled with tables manned by both student and professional staff from their individual departments. These individuals interacted with student attendees, providing them with information about the roles they served and taking down the contact information of anyone interested in learning more about their open positions.
One of these tables was occupied by Student Organization, Kean’s undergraduate section of the Office of Student Government. Timothy Lynch, a graduate intern and one of the workers tabling for the department, said that being employed where one also goes to school reduces the stress of actually getting to work while also increasing engagement with the student body.
“For me, it’s really nice to be employed on campus because I can just go over straight from the dorms to here. I don’t have to worry about having to drive from somewhere far away to get here or drive from here all the way to another place,” Lynch said. “Plus, being able to work for Kean allows me to get to know everyone within the university, and I’m actually planning on working for Kean eventually so that kind of helps."
Another department present at the fair was Student Health Services, who was spreading the word on its free courtesies, such as Get Yourself Tested, and gathering information on possible student employees. Michelle Gitlin, a student and front desk associate at Student Health Services, believes that one of the most prominent perks of working at Kean is that the school understands the priority of education over work.
“I know a lot of college students find it hard to commute to and from work with traffic and aren't able to attend classes if they get stuck from having to stay at the office. With student employment here at Kean, they do understand that students come first with classes and then they fit your work schedule around your free time,” Gitlin said.
Apart from the departments looking to hire, many student groups were also present at the fair to network with possible members. One of these student groups was Kean Dance Theatre, the school’s all-inclusive dance organization, which is celebrating 40 years of being recognized on campus. President Roshorn Shivers believes that being involved, not just with his group but also in general, is extremely beneficial to students.
“Being involved on campus really helps you with getting out of your comfort zone and interacting with different people from different walks of life. You also get another family because that’s essentially what Kean Dance Theatre is [to me],” Shivers said.
Student Organization, Student Health Services and Kean Dance Theatre were just three of the many organizations that made themselves available to interested students at the fair. Others included Residential Student Services, University Relations and Jumpstart.
Those who were not able to attend this fair, but would still like information on ways to get involved or employed on campus can find information on Kean’s many recognized organizations by visiting Cougar Link. Students can also visit the Involvement Center in MSC Room 303.
