Students walk through the Involvement Jamboree last Wednesday outside the Millennium Student Center, collecting information from different student organizations during an event put on by the Office of Student Involvement. (Photo by August Jennewein)

On a sunny day last week with music booming in the background, students gathered on the lawn outside the Millennium Student Center for the Involvement Jamboree, hosted by The Office of Student Involvement at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

There were 61 student organizations and academic departments that had representatives at Wednesday’s event, working to inform students about their groups and goals and attract members. The jamboree helped kick off the fall semester and allowed new and returning students to gather information about the numerous opportunities for engagement and connection on campus.

Whether students were looking to join a sorority or fraternity or learn more about supply chain, students had plenty of opportunities to find a group that suited their interests and could learn about departments to bolster their UMSL experience.

Jade Petty, a sophomore majoring in English, discovered avenues to continue to develop her musical abilities from her days in high school orchestra by getting connected to music programs.

The event also served as a great way for students new to UMSL to discover ways to connect with the UMSL community, which is what freshman Ariel Redden, who is majoring in cybersecurity, was hoping for.

“I’m attending the event to get more involved in school,” she said. “I came here this week, so I really don’t know anything. I’m trying to make friends and make more connections.”

Carter Wiegman, a finance major, happened upon the event on his way to the MSC and became interested in the Great Rivers Greenway Association.

“I really liked it,” Wiegman said. “There’s so many different types of organizations. I love hiking and bike riding and walking and stuff like that, so it really interested me.”

In addition to groups that have activities and social gatherings, there were also associations that championed causes and enhanced student education.

The Supply Chain & Transportation Club was in attendance to support students studying supply chain analytics. Peyton Gallagher was at the Jamboree representing the group.

“Through our organization, we want to inform people about a topic a lot of people are hearing about,” she said. “We also get people connected with industry professionals and hopefully help them get jobs. We have an advisory board that a lot of executives in the St. Louis area are on, and they hire supply chain professionals.”

There were also associations supporting students in their faith. CRU is a national nondenominational Christian organization that has a group on campus. Bri Klotz is on the leadership team for the group.

“We’re just having space on campus where people can talk about faith, explore the Bible, look at the life of Jesus and ask ‘How does following God’s plan look like in college?’” Klotz said. “So yeah, that’s kind of our main gig and our vision for campus.”

Along with spiritual endeavors students can enhance their physical health through UMSL Campus Recreation. Katie Haarmann Coffman, the coordinator of marketing, communications and special events for the Recreation and Wellness Center, discussed options for students looking to be more active.

“We want students to know they have access to the facility,” she said. “Their membership is included in tuition and fees. We have different programs that are included in their memberships like our intramural sports program and our group fitness program. But we also do a lot of special events and other programming. Some other things I’d like to mention are our personal training. If you’re looking for help with your fitness and wellness goals, we’ve got personal trainers in our facility that can help you.”