Held annually, the Organization Fair helps students learn about the various organizations that populate Howard’s campus, allowing them to showcase what they have to offer.
After last year’s record-breaking temperature of 101 degrees, the fair made its way from The Yard to the Armour J. Blackburn University Center. Rows filled with tables where organizations lined up waiting for students to show their interest.
“Events like these are so vital…I think org fair is super necessary for building campus life; however, it must be accessible,” Jae’Dyn Smith, a junior public relations major from Dallas, Texas, said.
Due to the change in location from last year, some attendees found it difficult to navigate the fair confined space.
“Having multiple tables spread about made braving the sea of people inevitable,” Smith said.
B.E.S.T. (Beautiful. Empathetic. Sisters. Together) You Programming is an organization for women who aspire to inspire D.C. girls through sisterhood, mentorship and confidence-building. They took on the fair and got to know students in a personable way.
Breeze Jackson-Mboya, a public relations major, community health minor from New Jersey, serves as this year’s public relations chair for the organization.
She said the fair increased their social media interaction by over 10 percent in the last month.
“The Blackburn Ballroom was so crowded it was at times difficult to hear each other,” Jackson-Mboya said. BEST You urged people to interact with their social media, as it was an easier and faster way to receive information.
Despite the crowdedness, Smith said the fair catered to student organizations and the student body.
“I think that it fulfilled its purpose of giving student organizations a platform to present themselves to the student body,” she said.
“There’s opportunity for people to ask questions and find a connection, so those interested can understand what we’re really about,” Jackson-Mboya said.
During this year’s fair, some organizations debuted themselves to the student body for the first time.
Founded Jan. 12, 2019, Alpha Theta Sigma is a fine arts fraternity that unites individuals in artistic and performative fields, according to its LinkedIn.
Kendrick Jackson, a senior musical theatre major from Chicago, serves as the president for the 2025-2026 school year. He said the fair was crucial to the organization’s recruitment process.
The fair allows organizations “to showcase the heart of who they are,” he said. “That’s what draws people in and what inspires them to stay.”
Jackson said there was a great amount of interest in the organization and he is happy they were able to participate.
Another organization that made its campus debut at the fair was Howard University Models Inc. (HUMI). The group is affiliated with the main chapter, Models Inc., which was founded in 2006. Howard is one of five collegiate chapters.
Teron Jones, a junior strategic communications major from Baltimore, Maryland, is the founder and president of HUMI. He said HUMI is not a modeling organization; they are a performing arts organization “that just happened to master the art of modeling.” They specialize in dance, acting, entrepreneurship, and more, he added.
“We want to give Howard students a true sense of belonging, pride, purpose and self-worth while also equipping them with the knowledge and experience they can carry beyond college,” Jones said.
Copy edited by Damenica Ellis
