The annual Oakland University GrizzFest was in full effect on Sept. 8 to help welcome not only incoming students but also those who this may be their first time experiencing a GrizzFest.

The event took place outside Elliott Tower on what ended up being a beautiful day for the outdoor festivities. With over 50 unique clubs, organizations and departments from all over campus, students were able to find something of interest.

Some of the clubs in attendance were the Public Relations Student Society of America, Gender and Sexuality Alliance and the American Red Cross Club. Academics were represented by the likes of the College of Arts and Sciences and there were multiple fraternities and sororities to represent Greek life.

For those who were unable to attend, they can find information about the different organizations via GrizzOrgs.

Sama Joseph, career ambassador for Career Services, is a senior this year but this is the first time she has experienced a normal GrizzFest since freshman year. She has a unique perspective as someone who was tabling this year but in the past has been among the students who are attending.

“I remember when I was a freshman, I was going table to table finding out about organizations but now being actually the one presenting Career Services, I learned how to approach students and how to talk to them,” Joseph said.

“When I was a freshman, I absolutely loved the organizations that reached out to me and told me how they’re going to support me as a student and the service that they provide. So now being in Career Services, I’m able to provide that for the students and let them know about the opportunities that we offer,” she added.

For some, this was their first ever experience of GrizzFest, and this was the case for Karen Person — career consultant for the School of Business Administration — who started in March. When asked about how she felt her first Grizz Fest was, she had one word: excellent.

“I’m watching the students dance to the music. We’ve had students come up here and get information about our upcoming career fair, making appointments to get their resume done,” she said. “So it’s just exciting to be able to interact live with the students and the vibe was great.”

The music, which was played by OU’s own WXOU, wasn’t the only form of entertainment on hand. Many tables had wheels to win free prizes and some refreshments were even offered like free hot dogs courtesy of Lipuma’s Coney Island and energy drinks from Mountain Dew.

It was bittersweet to be back in the swing of things, as graduate assistant and career ambassador program coordinator Colleen Williams said she never thought she would miss having to find a parking spot.

“I am loving it. The energy here is unreal. I am enjoying seeing so many students in-person again face to face,” Williams said. “And I’m even enjoying students coming into our office and working with them in person again. So it’s been wonderful.”

“The highlight for me is the energy that students are bringing because a lot of them are just so excited to be back on campus and they’re wanting to get involved which is so awesome to see,” she added.

Another aspect of Grizz Fair is finding job opportunities on campus, and like Career Services, these jobs can be found online on Handshake.