Iowa State is preparing itself for another ClubFest as the second week of school continues, and the turnout might be better than last year.

The Memorial Union is seeing another ClubFest arrive for the spring semester, and hundreds of clubs have already enrolled to put all their cards on the table and invite new members to their group.

This year’s ClubFest will take place at the Memorial Union in the Durham Great Hall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The entire event is overseen by Tim Reuter, the service learning and student organization coordinator for student engagement.

“ClubFest is about students getting together and exploring an array of different interests,” Reuter said. “We encourage students to come in and see what they want to join for the spring.”

Clubfest is an event where student organizations come to showcase their activities on and off campus.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for students who are looking to try and find their own community,” Reuter said. “One of the biggest ways they can do that is by attending the event and seeing all the different clubs.”

Students who attend ClubFest see a total of 200 clubs promoting their skills and opportunities for them to engage in outside of classes. This is a smaller number compared to the fall semester ClubFest, which sees a total of 300 to 400 clubs.

“The fall is when we see a greater number of students show up to attend ClubFest, but spring is perfect timing for students who are coming back to classes or starting their first semester,” Reuter said.

Joining a club can help students with applying for internships and jobs. Student involvement with campus organizations helps students increase their chances of getting accepted to their favored internship program.

“You can gain a lot of skills just by being a part of a club, especially if the club is related to your major,” Reuter said. “It can range from time management to planning an event or project. A lot of students have seen improvements in their work by joining a club.”

Finding a community on campus is a central part of how students connect with each other and learn more about the hobbies they are interested in. ClubFest has been a great outlet for the occasion. However, it is not an easy task to put together.

“A lot of it is not just a one-man job,” Reuter said. “I work with two graduate assistants that communicate with the clubs, plotting who goes where and coordinating the logistics of the event.”

The day before the event, several other members of the student engagement staff also come in for volunteer services to help get people checked in and run the event.

The payoff is well earned as each ClubFest sees hundreds of students find the club of their choice each semester.

“We want to encourage students to come down and see what they like, and hopefully, get their friends to join too,” Reuter said.

For more information on the upcoming ClubFest, visit the Iowa State Student Engagement website.