By Haley Costen
Staff Writer

The Fens was filled with clubs and organizations campaigning for new and returning students to join their ranks at the Connections Carnival on Tuesday.

Students filtered through tables featuring colorful banners, pamphlets, and free swag like candy and pencils, but for many the event was slow-going.

The consensus for many clubs, such as the Campus Activity Board (CAB), Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), and the Economics Liaison, was that most students tend to sign up for organizations in the fall. But current sign-ups did have some perks.

Claire Campbell of CAB offered students free water bottles and sunglasses for liking CAB on social media. Meanwhile CRU offered students free pens for filling out a short survey.

It was also an opportunity for new students like Stephanie DeFina, who transferred to the College this semester.

“It’s pretty good so far,” she said between circulating through tables. “I found what I wanted.”

Meanwhile, for sophomore Geena Chiumento it was an opportunity to sign up for new clubs after realizing the clubs she’d signed up for in the fall weren’t for her.

Sophomore Emily Sours had never been part of a club and came to the Connections Carnival to get involved with the community.

“There’s a lot of good things to join,” Sours said, adding that a few clubs caught her interest.

The Connections Carnival was also an opportunity for new organizations to showcase upcoming events and raise their numbers.

Alliance, the club dedicated to providing a safe zone for the queer and LGBTQIA community, saw a major expansion this year, with around 10 to 15 new members, according to Dannie Annecston and Danielle Morency.

The carnival was the first for new club on campus She’s the First, an organization dedicated to helping women graduate from high school in developing countries like Peru and Uganda.

“We’re just super happy to be here, even if there’s not a lot of people coming,” said She’s the First President Kelsea Gildawie.

Gildawie and PR Representative Chloe Meck were eager to talk about future plans for the club’s Run the World event, which raises money for the organization through a health and fitness event.

Democracy Matters, which presented its proposal to be an official Simmons club on Wednesday,  was also in attendance, spreading their message to end the corporate monopoly on elections.

While over 150 students signed the club’s petition last semester, it needs 300 more signatures to meet its goal, according to Democracy Matters President Cecilia Elhaddad.

The Connections Carnival also provided information on career opportunities.

Sara Purisky represented the Office of Admissions and informed students about available positions as a campus ambassador or senior interviewer. Purisky also signed up students interested in hosting prospective students overnight.

There was also the opportunity to “Take Simmons Home” and earn a free movie ticket after bringing Simmons literature to students’ local high schools.

Ahalia Persaud spoke to students about the Like Minds Coalition, an organization dedicated to eliminating systems