Find your place at the Alcalá Bazaar

Katie Foreman / Feature Editor

The Alcalá Bazaar kicks off the school year with a bang — featuring local vendors, various student organizations and university departments, as well as booths representing academics, religion/spiriutality, multicultural organizations, changemaker groups, athletic clubs and fraternities and sororities. The event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. on campus.

There is a club or organization for everyone at USD — and the Bazaar takes place at the beginning of every fall and spring semester for students to discover what clubs spark their interest. Plus, it’s an opportunity to get to know fellow USD classmates.

USD junior Isaac Jasoto is an Alcalá Club member. Jasoto stated that the Alcalá Bazaar is what helped him first get involved on campus.

“I think as a freshman, my biggest recommendation is to just write down your email and join as many clubs as you can, because you never know which community you’ll really find that you’d like to be a part of,” Jasoto said. “Casting your net wide is a really good opportunity to get to know different kinds of people and explore different things you might not originally think you want to do.”

Jasoto noted that the Alcalá Club only recruits first-years. Alcalá Club members are the representatives of USD and work with the President of the University — James T. Harris III. Being a part of the Alcalá Club, Jasoto has attended events he would never have gone to otherwise, which he claims have been wonderful experiences. “We do get to regularly talk with the President of the University. We go on semester walksandwejustdidlunchwith him last semester,” Jasoto said. “That was really cool because you just get a little more insider information on the workings of the school and the vision behind the university and it gets a little more perspective to your time as a student here.” The Alcalá Club is one of many groups on campus. USD senior Ezra Wheeler is the President of a USD social change organization, Pee in Peace. The transgender and non-binary advocacy group’s goal is quite literally for everyone to be able to pee in peace — which means creating more gender neutral bathrooms on campus. “Pee in Peace has been a little bit like a second home and a second family to me at USD,” Wheeler said. “It has been a place whereIknowthatIcangotoif I have issues as a trans person… I can also just find camaraderie and support and validation.” The club is open to anyone who supports their mission of providing a safe space for all students. Regarding the Alcalá Bazaar, Wheeler explained how important it is for smaller organizations, such as Pee in Peace, to get their name and face out there. “I think that the real value in the Alcalá Bazaar is discovering something that maybe you had no idea you would be interested in,” Wheeler said. “It’s important for us to be out there with everyone and get as many eyes on us as possible so that then we can draw in folks who aren’t part of the trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming community.”

Walk Around — Get Involved

The Alcalá Bazaar provides student organizations and clubs a space to be seen, while also giving students an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging in their club or organization. Strolling around and checking out the diverse display of clubs, fraternities, sororities and organizations can be an eye- opening experience for students who didn’t realize their passion or identity was a commonality amongst other students.

The Bazaar is the place to find out about clubs associated with particular majors on campus or clubs celebrating cultures. Students can find a club to connect with their faith or get involved with USD sporting events, or join a fraternity or sorority to engage in philanthropy and social events. The list goes on and on for ways to get involved at USD. It begins by taking the first step: attending the Bazaar. USD Junior Sarah Morrison is a part of USD’s Radio Club — under the same umbrella of “student media,” as is the USD Vista — and said how finding her place on campus made all the difference. “It’s hard going into a major where I feel like I don’t relate to a lot of my peers, but then I have hobbies that I can do and I get to focus on them in clubs,” Morrison said. “[Radio Club] is just really fun. Going in every week and hanging out with a lot of alt people — I feel like that’s where a lot of that scene is at our school.”

There’s a Space For You

No matter who you are, what your interests are or what your identity is, there is a space for all at USD. “I think it helps people coming into the school have a good visual of where and what they want to be invested in,” Morrison said. “People can be in a lot of different clubs, and by walking around and talking to people, they can see where they think they’d be the best fit.”

Giving an open door to students to take advantage of all the opportunities in front of them: that is the importance of the Alcalá Bazaar.