As the new semester kicks off, approximately 2,500 California State University, Northridge students sought — and found — valuable resources at the annual Associated Students (AS) Fair.

The AS Fair began in 2005 with two goals in mind, said Kevin Mojaradi, AS coordinator of marketing and public relations.

“First of all, the fair is to welcome students to campus and to a new school year. It’s the first event of the school year,” Mojaradi said. “The [second] main goal of the fair is to introduce the students to AS student services and programs.”

Many CSUN students aren’t familiar with AS, and the fair familiarizes them in a relaxed environment, Mojaradi said. They can listen to music, get some food and win prizes — such as CSUN T-shirts and water bottles.

Senior Charlton Castro visited the AS Fair as he was waiting for his afternoon class to begin. He heard the loud music and decided to stay for the resources, he said.

“I didn’t visit the AS Fair last year because I didn’t think it was necessary,” Castro said. “But now I wish I would’ve stopped by. They give out so much stuff and there’s free food. It was cool going to the booths and finding out what resources we have on campus.”

The AS Fair featured informational booths for AS programs and many more campus groups. There was a Student Leadership booth, where students met the AS Officers; an Outdoor Adventures booth, where students learned about trips and activities; and the CSUN Athletics booth, where students got information about the different teams at CSUN.

For more information about AS services and programs, visit http://www.csun.edu/as.

AS Fair, Associated Students, CSUN, Student Leadership