A strong demand and more choices attracted a large crowd of students for a “Hawaiian” themed Club Rush event held on March 15 and 16 at the Tennis Courts.

The ASU and the Inter-Club Council sponsor and organize the bi-annual event.

Club Rush provides a convenient setting for clubs to captivate students to join clubs that fit their preferred interests.  

Any money that is raised by a club goes into its respective general ledger accounts to be used throughout the semester.

Some tables offered T-shirts, floral leis, bags and lanyards as prizes for participating in games, while others drew students’ attention to a join a club and create a relationship with its members through their table design.

Representatives from ICC judged club table designs to determine the winner of extra funding.

ASU Vice President of Club Affairs Safi Ward-Davis said three clubs with the best design and the most student signatures by the end of the two-day event will be provided extra money to their accounts.

“We have 19 active clubs on campus, but only 16 clubs were present in these two events,” Ward-Davis said. “This year’s event was way better compared to last year, plus there are more club choices and opportunities (for students).”

While three clubs were not represented, there was not an area on the Tennis Courts that had vacant space during Club Rush.

There was a moment during the event when most students stepped away from most of the student club tables and gravitated to the Marine recruiting booth.

The Marines’ table seemed to be the trendiest spot, as they had weightlifting equipment as students gathered and watched participants test their strength for popular prizes.

Meanwhile, students from the culinary arts department provided a teriyaki chicken and white rice meal, while other community food vendors had popcorn, salads and vegetables.

Upbeat mixes from Latin and R&B music played throughout the event.

Berkeley-based Almare Gelato Italiano was at the event giving out free gelato (ice cream) samples.

“I’m here to serve the community and want students to try our fine gelato flavors,” Almare Gelato founder Alberto Malvestio said.

Criminal justice major Jesse Gonzales said the event went smoothly and that he was glad to see more people present than last semester.

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was tasty and it was great to see that more people finally showed up,” Gonzales said.

The Financial Aid Office came out for the celebration and organized a “spin the wheel” trivia game. If students answered the financial aid questions correctly they won souvenir prizes.

“(The Financial Aid Office is) here as a resource. We work to inform students about the services we are offering,” Financial Aid Office assistant Patricia Herrera said. “But I’m really glad to see a diversified event today.”

Political science major Kameron Britton, who hosted the Community Organizing Political Action club (COPA) table at Club Rush, said the club used the event to bring awareness about how important it is that students vote in the upcoming primary and general presidential elections.

“I’m here spreading the word, advising students that they should vote and why voting has value in our political environment,” Britton said.