After several delays, the Student Activities Fair hosted dozens of organizations Friday afternoon.
Traditionally held on East Campus during freshman orientation week, the fair was scheduled to take place on the West Campus Plaza Sept. 1 this year.
The event was then rescheduled because of heavy rains last week.
Many students said delay and location change made it harder for some clubs to reach the freshmen, but added that not holding the fair during orientation gave freshmen more time to settle in.
"There was so much to do the first week," freshman Stephanie Martinez said.
Some clubs waited until after the fair to kick off their year with auditions and activities, while others used different recruitment methods in the first couple of weeks of school in order to get students involved right away.
Certain clubs such as dance groups or political organizations set up tables outside of the Marketplace, and the Duke University Marching Band passed out free popsicles to garner student interest.
Despite recruitment efforts, some students said the delay of the Activities Fair had negative effects on certain groups. Speak of the Devil, a campus a capella group, had to hold auditions the week of the rescheduled fair, which limited the pool of interested students.
"Auditions finished today," said senior Chris Sung, president of Speak of the Devil, Friday. As a result, freshmen interested in the group who didn't sign up prior to the fair now have to wait until the spring to audition.
In previous years, interested students had an opportunity to sign up for auditions at the Activities Fair.
For other groups, the move from East to West Campus had the biggest effect on new-student recruitment, said senior Stephen Star, co-president of the Duke Sailing Club.
Some clubs did like the new location and said it did not detract from attracting new members.
Senior Eddy Leal, a member of the Martial Arts Club, said he was happy to be on the plaza.
"It was a good use of resources we've already spent," he said.
In previous years, tables were organized in a spiral shape in the middle of the East Campus quadrangle, inviting students to visit the fair being held right outside their dormitories.
"It was too crowded," freshman Soo Hyun Choi said about this year's organization on the plaza. "They could have done a better job in terms of how they set up the place."
Choi added that an advantage to having the fair on West Campus, however, was that it attracted more students.
"I did see a lot of upperclassmen, which might not have happened had it been on East," she said.
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