FTC’s Candyland Club Fair offers sweet opportunities for students to engage on campus

By Clarissa Biener

Photos by Grace Bonamico

Five Towns College’s Candyland Club Fair on January 29th offered a fun twist on a classic networking event, with students stopping at each table to learn about and join clubs while also collecting sweet treats along the way.

Clubs returning to Five Towns, including Broadcasting Club, Lighting Club, and Soundwaves (FTC’s dance team), saw the event as an opportunity to reach more students. “People like to think that it’s only a Musical Theatre major kind of club, or Theatre major, and that’s not the case at all,” said Soundwaves President Amaya Hall, a Musical Theatre major. “Everyone can come by and look at what we’ve done, and see us and talk to us, and we get to feel their energy, and they get to feel ours.”

The club fair also gave students a chance to learn about new clubs this semester. The Make it Happen Club plans to focus on YouTube creator collaboration, and the Concert Club aims to put together concerts on campus. “We need people from film, audio, music performance, anything, just to come and learn everything about throwing a concert,” said Music Performance major Isabella Vasquez, representing the Concert Club. “We get to talk to different people [at the fair] who are doing different things, who might have some interest in audio or concerts, who have maybe never tried it before.”

Some clubs are hoping the fair will help them make a comeback at Five Towns, including Radio Club, which is backed by advisors Andre Doughty and Jodi Vale. “In order to start a club, you need at least five members,” said Professor Doughty, “so this is our way to gauge interest.” With students stopping by their table to sign up for the club, it seems the Radio Club will have a successful semester. “We wanted to bring it back in full swing, and it seems like we have a lot of interest, which is really cool,” said Professor Vale.

The energy of the attendants was palpable, not just from the sugary candies. Students, like Mass Communications Audio major Patrick LaBarbera, signed up to join clubs during the event. “They told me on day one here of attending Five Towns College that the college experience is what you make it,” said LaBarbera. “The more stuff I get involved with and the more things I do outside of the classroom, the better.”

Students interested in starting new clubs can contact the Office of Campus Events.