Once a year, every fall, students come together in a fantastical bazaar, with representatives from each club hawking their preferred pastime; offering sweet treats to tempt those who might otherwise be eating their lunches in peace. Most students have a favorable opinion of Fall Fest; I know I do. However, what do we as a school actually gain from Fall Fest? Do clubs actually gain more members? And what does Fall Fest imply about South Eugene as a cultural center?

I think that Fall Fest ultimately does result in more enrollment in clubs. A few people don’t have enough time in the day. The majority are just there for the candy, then they return to the security of a lonesome lunch or the unpredictability of friend groups. However, the few that do have time are bombarded with so many options it can be hard to choose. Certain clubs meet on the same days, and might have a lot of overlap between prospective members. 

For example, Speech and Debate and Model UN both meet on Thursday. Asian Student Union, Native American Student, Feminist Student Union, Middle Eastern Student, and Women in STEM all meet on Wednesday, ignoring important intersectionality in the student body of South. Many students are forced into choosing one and not the other. Not that Fall Fest is at fault in these schedules, just that having all the clubs at once may make the decisions harder, especially when pursuing participation with friends.

I don’t consider having candy incentives a problem, but for many students it seems to be the main point of the event. Give your email or phone number, boom bada bang, instant sugar rush. Having an entire lunch to gorge oneself on candy may be the wrong takeaway from Fall Fest. It’s about celebrating the rich diversity of student experiences at South Eugene, not collecting candy. We have had this opportunity for many years now, and I don’t think it should be taken for granted.

Article by Emmett Coughlan