Lucye Rafferty/The Hoya Students enjoyed SAC Fair on Saturday by participating in the ‘Big Apple Eating Contest’ in Sellinger Lounge.

Students gathered in the Leavey Center on Saturday for entertainment, free food and information about campus clubs after inclement weather drove over 200 participating organizations indoors for this year’s Student Activities Commission fair.

Throughout the day, clubs like the Georgetown University Grilling Society enticed attendants with food, while student performance groups entertained students in Sellinger Lounge.

SAC Chair Sanju Kumar (MSB ’05) said he and his staff of student commissioners have been planning this event since the summer.

“[It’s] an arduous planning process [that includes] brainstorming for themes and assigning commissioners to different committees such as registration, food, publicity and logistics,” Kumar said. The SAC Committee is appointed every spring by GUSA to oversee the funding of all university-recognized student organizations. One of their main jobs is to host an activities fair at the beginning of each year to give clubs an opportunity to recruit new members.

This year’s New York theme, “SAC and the City,” included decorations like miniature skyscrapers and staff t-shirts printed with “I [heart] SAC.”

“It was supposed to be a New York style theme . that represented the wonderful city that Americans and people all across the world have grown to appreciate,” Kumar said. An NYPD Donut Eating Contest and the Big Apple on a String Contest were intermixed with other Georgetown performers in Sellinger Lounge. Students competed for gift certificates to restaurants like The Tombs and Bangkok Bistro.

In keeping with the New York theme, clubs were divided into different sections of the Leavey Center nicknamed for parts of the City. For example, athletic organizations were located in the Program Room, or “Yankee Stadium,” and cultural groups were stationed in Conference Center salons, or “The Village.”

SAC volunteers served free drinks, hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza “On the Street Corner” as students entered the fair in the Leavey Lobby area. The cotton candy cart and popcorn stand attracted many students as they made their way through the maze of clubs.

“This is great, everyone just getting together, having some food and enjoying themselves,” senior Gregg Deehan (SFS ’04) said.

The fair is usually held on Copley Lawn, with a free speech zone for clubs not officially recognized by the university in Red Square. Due to the inclement weather and change of location, unsponsored clubs were provided with a space in Leavey next to Center Grill. “Although we are not recognized by the university, it was considerate of the SAC Commission to allow us to represent our group as well,” Jessica Greenfield (COL ’04), a board member of H*yas for Choice, said. The group is an abortion rights advocacy group.

Kumar said that despite being moved indoors, the event was successful.

“Based on very positive feedback from students and administrators alike, I think the event was a tremendous success,” Kumar said.