The Memorial Student Center, or MSC, Open House, hosted by MSC Hospitality, is an annual student involvement fair, welcoming on-campus organizations to reach out to students. MSC Open House is a highly anticipated event, welcoming thousands of students to view over 400 participating organizations.

This fall, MSC Open House returned for another year, welcoming a large crowd of curious students on Sunday, Aug. 28th from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hundreds of organizational booths filled the halls of the MSC, with dozens more surrounding Simpson Drill Field and Kyle Field Plaza.
Elsa Lee, an engineering freshman, shared her expectations before the event officially started.

“I’m going to look around and find what interests me. I want to join some organizations. I have to find something to do,” Lee said. “I heard [MSC Open House] is a really big thing. I heard a lot of people are going, so I think it will be a good experience.”

Lee expressed interest in joining the Chinese Student Association, but said she was looking forward to seeing what other organizations would be present.

As more students slowly began arriving for the event, the crowd inside of the MSC grew and many organization booths became quickly crowded.

Rachel Ng, a nutrition senior, attended MSC Open House on behalf of two organizations. Ng is an active member of K-Pop Dance Association and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, or UNICEF, at Texas A&M.
“[MSC Open House] is the one day of the year when everyone comes together to find an organization and find where they want to be a part of,” Ng said. “It’s nice to see what other organizations are on campus as well.”
Kinesiology junior Mary Armentor attended MSC Open House on behalf of RYLLIES, a women’s org. Armentor said she admires the many possible opportunities for attendees.

“I think MSC Open House is a great way for freshmen, and really any students, to have the opportunity to learn more about so many organizations all in one space and get to meet and talk to active members,” Armentor said.
With so many organizational booths at the event, many organizations want to stand out to attract new members.

Chris Barron, a plant and environmental soil science and biochemistry junior, was joined by plant and environmental soil science senior Ryan Schronk at the Agronomy Society booth. Barron took the initiative to attract bystanders by putting on an eye-catching corn costume.

“[MSC Open House] is a great way to find out about [Agronomy Society]. We’re tucked away in a smaller part of the College of Agriculture, so not a lot of people know about us,” Barron said.

When asked about his costume, Barron explained his reasoning.

“We get out here in a big costume and people tend to take notice,” Barron said. “We hope to gain membership and share the word of agriculture.”
English sophomore Madelynn Chapa said she wanted to attend Open House to see what clubs A&M offers and see what she could possibly join.

“I walked by a few [booths], and it’s overwhelming. I have been picking up flyers, so I can go home and look at them all later,” Chapa said.

When asked about her overall experience, Chapa said Open House provided an inclusive environment for students.

“The environment is overall very friendly and positive,” Chapa said. “There are a ton of people. I think [MSC Open House] is a fun way for everyone to come together and show the homes you can find within the campus.”