We knew the competition for attention would be stiff at the Babson College Undergraduate Club/Organization Resource Fair. Sororities and fraternities promised fun, fun, fun & service. Sports clubs wooed the athletic and non-athletic alike to jump as high as they could or do a bit of lifting. Business clubs had analytics, AI, and other powerful forces working for them. Local businesses offered tantalizing discounts to those who venture off campus into town.
We came armed with Swellesley stickers, bottle openers, and gummies (not that kind of gummy). We rolled out a shiny new banner, served up our latest Babson stories on our laptop, and signed up dozens of students for our free weekday email newsletter. (We’re always happy to hear from Babson students about your projects & ideas for improving Swellesley.)
Mrs. Swellesley, practically shouting to be heard over thumping background music, greeted students who dared to make eye contact with: “Hi, do you know what’s going on in Wellesley?”
Some wondered what the heck Swellesley was, while others knew us, much to our delight.
“Do you ever write about Fells Market?” one student asked. Luckily, we were able to say we have… his dad used to be one of the owners.
Student Bobby Grogan stopped by and knew exactly who we were: We’d written a piece over the summer about an Olympic-focused website he and a friend had built. Good to put a face with the name!
Another student declined our offer to join the email list, but he had a good excuse: “My mom subscribes, she forwards me to important stuff.” Fair enough.
A grad student shared with us that he grew up in a family where his dad always had the newspaper spread out, and installed an interest in news in him. His companion added that the first thing he does in the morning is check his newsletters.
We had a sweet spot along the outside row of tables at the Len Green Recreation and Athletic Complex alongside local businesses such as Linden Square’s YogaSix and Roche Bros., and Wellesley Square’s London Harness and new restaurant black & blue (we encouraged students to book reservations for Family and Friends weekend). Deeper into the gym were tables packed with student clubs and organizations, and we made the rounds to many of the 100-plus tables that attracted more than 1,000 students to the venue.
I asked an AI Club member if they’ve been overrun with interest giving the rapid ascension of artificial intelligence. At first she said “not really,” but then I think she snuck a peek at ChatGPT on her phone and said, “Actually yes, we have had a lot of interest and a lot of events planned.”
Carmelo Carbone, founder and president of the Babson Pickleball Club (graduating from intramural to club status in the spring), was pumped to talk about the popular paddle sport (see also: “Pickleball’s popularity in Wellesley growing at Babson College, too”). Watching club members play, we discovered the secret to making the notorious pickleball ping-pinging sound practically inaudible. Just put 1,000 students in close proximity, and you’ll come away thinking pickleball is the quietest sport ever.
Creativity was on display as well among an aproned trio representing Babson CREATE, which supports theStudio living community on campus. I asked what kind of arts they specialized in, and in unison the students replied “All the arts.”
The Babson Pride team had the right idea at its table for engaging with attendees: a cotton candy machine. Lots of activities are planned for the upcoming school year, including weekly dinners, they said (whether cotton candy will be served, we’re not sure).
One freshman stopped by our table and asked if we knew if Babson had a newspaper club. We didn’t, but we did come across the table for The Viridian, a literary magazine that covers some topical issues like NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights in college sports. Publisher Ethan Bryan said they’re working on establishing more of an online presence. Always great to meet a fellow publisher.
Thanks for having The Swellesley Report at the Babson College Undergraduate Club/Organization Resource Fair.
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