Cobber expo allows students to see the potential student orgs offer

MOORHEAD — Students have the opportunity to make their college experience far more than just attending classes; On Saturday Sept. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m., around 60 clubs set up booths near and around the atrium, encouraging students walking by to join their clubs. 

 Cobber Expo is an event hosted every year giving clubs an opportunity to recruit members. Clubs on campus are sorted into 12 different categories. These categories range from arts and humanities to science and mathematics, appealing to a wide variety of interests of students.  

 Nathalie Rinehardt has been the director of student engagement for eighteen years and has seen Cobber Expo from the lens of a student and a faculty member. 

 “Cobber expo is meant to be an involvement fair,” Rinehardt said. “Ever since I went to school here and worked in the office it’s always been here.” 

 Unique student organizations have always been popular, according to the Concordia archives.  

 In the past clubs such as the Synchronized Swimming Club, The Foam Weapon Fighting Club and The Quidditch Team made on-campus involvement unique and enticing.  

“Student clubs they come, and they go, never surprises me when a club lasts for only three years… trends change…but that’s okay because another club will come along and take its place,” Rinehardt said.  

 A solid but fresh club that was founded five years ago is the Women in Business Club, which averages about thirty-five to forty people at their events. Their public relations coordinator senior Greta Almlie, manned their booth for the afternoon. 

Women in Business collaborates with influential women in the Fargo-Moorhead area, hosts events to build business skill sets and creates a community to make women feel empowered in a male-dominated field, Amile said.  

“It’s an awesome organization where women support women,” Almlie said. “It’s a place where we can support each other and get excited about what is going to happen in the future.”  

A club that has a long history of over twenty years is the Exotic Animal Care and Husbandry Club, or EACH.  

EACH had various animals at their booth, from pythons to tortoises. Co-president of EACH Greta Duren socialized with students while Roxy, the three-foot python was wrapped around her neck. 

 “I think we’re more than just pretty cool animals… we’re also educational,” Duren said.   

Duren showed her knowledge of exotic animals on the spot as students passed by, looking scared but showing interest in her snake. Duren answered their questions calmly. She even let students face their fears by looking, touching and holding Roxy.  

In the winter, clubs have another chance to recruit members at the Cobbrrr Expo. Another great way to get involved is through Cobber Connect, the website and app list all groups on campus and major events happening. 

Cobber Expo is for students to “See the potential for themselves finding something that fits their interests” Rhienhart said, “I feel like it’s this campus tradition.”