Majors and minor fair helps undeclared students

Michael Squire

Information and prizes were up for grabs Wednesday afternoon at the 9th annual Majors and Minors fair at the Preston Center for students who attended.

Bustling with people, Preston’s basketball courts were lined with booths from several education departments displaying creative banners and informative pamphlets that declared their field of study as Jessica Dorris, academic advisor for AARC (the Academic Advising and Retention Center) and second-time coordinator of the fair, announced the names of prizewinners.

The fair was held primarily for students to learn about all the majors and minors on campus, whether they were undeclared or not. Student and teacher representatives readily talked with the coming and going students, having them walk away with a pen, a piece of candy, or even a new major. Some students walked away from the fair with a raffle prize if they were lucky enough. AARC and their representatives bring together and host the event every year.

Dorris said the purpose of the fair is to help students that need assistance and students that are academically under-prepared when they enter into WKU. To bring it all together, Dorris sends out registration forms to all the education departments with the appeal of obtaining the interest of prospective students. Family and consumer science and the Susan Vitale Clinical Education Complex were new booths that appeared this year. Dorris then works with Preston to provide space for the fair.

“The Preston Center has always been very helpful.” Dorris said, “they held the fair last year with us as well, helped us with the space and the coordination of the change-of-major station, the exit surveys, the entrance and all of the prizes that the students receive as well.”

Volunteers provided by Preston were scattered about, helping people stay organized and find certain people and booths.

Clay Schulz, an undeclared freshman from Nashville, Tenn., found his way to the fair, and talked about his newfound interests.

“Teacher education and communications really appealed to me because I’ve been told that I’m really good with speaking,” Schulz said. “I’d probably pick communications as a major and possibly teacher education as a minor.”

Freshman Rebekah Napier from Cincinnati, Ohio was another undeclared freshman attending the event.

“I love art, I love being able to create my own stuff, and I have always been interested in fashion design but it’s just so cutthroat and I want something more interesting,” Napier said. “I visited the theatre booth and now I’m thinking about going into costume design.”

Thanks to local business sponsors as well as several departments on campus, there were plenty of prizes to be had. Campus departments that donated prizes included the College of Education, donating Tervis Tumblers, the College of Health and Human Services, donating two Nooks, Honors College, donating $25 gift cards to the WKU store, Ogden College, donating four $50 gift cards to the WKU store, among other prizes.

Schulz heard his name called during the fair to receive one of the gift cards to Toot’s and pumped his fist in celebration.

“We hope that the valuable information that our students will receive at the fair will draw them in, but if nothing else, there’s always prizes,” Dorris said.